When my friend Ethan McKee told me he was going to be the Executive Chef at a restaurant focused on "mindful dining," I was skeptical. You see, I like my cream and butter, thank you very much, and Rock Creek Mazza eschews both. Instead, their goal is to provide diners with a tasty -- yet not overly indulgent -- meal.

Modeled after the original Rock Creek restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland opened in 2005 by Judy Hammerschmidt and Tom Williams, the new outpost on the third floor of Mazza Gallerie on Wisconsin Avenue in the District of Columbia opened last year with a different menu and chef, but the same concept.

I first got to know Ethan when he was working for Todd Gray at Equinox Restaurant, serving up delicious (and often very rich) dishes during my regular visits. Despite my initial misgivings, Rock Creek follows through on its promise, leaving my palate and stomach satisfied at the end of the meal.

By focusing on high-quality ingredients and creative seasoning, the kitchen at Rock Creek  helps you forget what you're missing. On a recent visit I enjoyed ravioli filled with pea puree and served in a richly-flavored lobster broth and topped with half a lobster. It would be foolish to argue that it tasted the same as a more classic preparation with a cream sauce or drawn butter, but it hit the spot for me quite nicely.

Of course, this type of cooking really does require top-notch food products to start with. Butter, cream, and salt can mask a magnitude of shortcomings, both in the product and preparation, so Rock Creek enjoys a much smaller margin of error. Fortunately, Ethan has lined up some excellent purveyors, as evidenced by the simply prepared squab I dined on not long ago, served on a bed of fava beans and mushrooms.

That same dish appeared on the menu of the March wine dinner at Rock Creek, a monthly event that typically showcases a single region or winery. The wines are selected first and then Ethan creates a menu to complement the choices. Typically, diners will hear from a wine representative or a member of the Rock Creek staff to describe the wines and answer questions.

The wine dinners occur the last Thursday of each month and include four courses, each paired with wine. Guests start the evening with a glass of champagne and end with a specially prepared dessert that continues to abide by the more nutritional dining experience. At a cost of $65 per person, these meals represent a good value for anyone interested in understanding the marriage of food and wine.

In fact, if it weren't for the healthful dining concept, Rock Creek Mazza might well be known as a wine bar. An extensive and varied wine list offers up some 42 wines by the glass - more than many establishments with a reputation for wine selection. The choices are well-balanced between red and white, with numerous selections of both by the glass, ranging from $5 to $11 for a tasting size pour and $9 to $18 for a full glass.

All of the wines by the glass are also offered by the bottle and are joined by a solid selection of old and new world wines, many for less than $50. For those interested in the high end, Rock Creek meets that need as well with choices like a 1999 Dom Perignon for $260 and a 2005 Domaine Marc Morey Chassagne Montrachet on the list for $115.

The mood of the restaurant is relaxed but refined, with the dining room dominated by a giant life-like tree ascending from the center of the dining room and lit during the day by a massive glass wall overlooking Wisconsin Avenue that offers abundant natural light. For those interested in sitting in the wine bar, one can also find a small bites menu featuring what I guess can be called mindful bar food. Steak tartare, edamame, and mini Bison burgers are among my personal favorites, but you'll have to make your own mind up.

The comfortable dining atmosphere belies the extra work the kitchen must go through to meet the requirements of the health-conscious dining experience. Ethan told me one of the biggest challenges of this style of cooking is the need to craft cookbook-style recipes for every dish on the menu, carefully portioning and weighing all ingredients in order to get a rigorous analysis of each dish from a nutritionist hired by the restaurant. Anyone who has ever watched a professional cook at work will understand the challenge this creates.

Fortunately, diners at Rock Creek Mazza need not worry themselves with these details, they just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the flavorful, yet mindful, food and drink.

Rock Creek Mazza
5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 966-7625
www.rockcreekrestaurant.com
Open for lunch Mon-Sat and dinner Mon-Sun