AhSo, Modern American in Brambleton Plaza in Brambleton - Chef Jason Maddens Comes from Clarity Bistro

[Jessica Strelitz]

On 2/9/2017 at 2:06 PM, DonRocks said:

I have it on good word that Jason Maddens is no longer at Clarity.

On 2/28/2017 at 10:19 AM, jpbloom said:

This would appear to be the case.  He is doing a pop-up this week at Stone Tower Winery and is apparently planning a restaurant in Leesburg to be called Ah-So (as in the two-pronged cork puller).

On 2/28/2017 at 10:19 AM, jpbloom said:

This would appear to be the case.  He is doing a pop-up this week at Stone Tower Winery and is apparently planning a restaurant in Leesburg to be called Ah-So (as in the two-pronged cork puller).

Really hope he rethinks that name. 

[DonRocks]

27 minutes ago, Jessica Strelitz said:

Really hope he rethinks that name. 

This is an interesting perspective - coming to all this from a wine background, I didn't think twice about it (I use an ah-so cork puller probably once a week), but you may be right.

[jpbloom]

I didn't think twice about the name either (I have several Ah-Sos), but I can now see it being an issue if he's trying to appeal to a non-wine crowd.  Even some of my wine drinking friends are not really familiar with the Ah-So, for that matter. 

[dracisk]

I never heard of an Ah-So in the wine context, and the name sounds offensive to me. Why is the wine opener called an Ah-So?

[DonRocks]

46 minutes ago, dracisk said:

I never heard of an Ah-So in the wine context, and the name sounds offensive to me. Why is the wine opener called an Ah-So?

I never knew (or even thought about) the etymology before now, but here it is - the etymology is not offensive (in fact, it's German):

Jan 22, 2008 - "Ah So What the Heck Is That?" on anythingwine.wordpress.com

I also never knew there was another name for it: "The Butler's Friend," which is pretty funny.

Off-topic, but with The Durand Corkscrew (which uses both a corkscrew and an ah-so *at the same time*), and costs $125, I have never lost a single cork - it is, by far, the greatest corkscrew I have ever used (and I'm not particularly skilled at opening wines, given that I supposedly have some degree of expertise).

[JBag57]

I just received an email this morning advising that Ah-So has begun taking reservations for slots starting on December 15.  I expect there will be a week's worth of soft opening activity ahead of that.  Just a heads-up to get a topic started on this place.  (I didn't see one, but if there is, please merge).

[genericeric]

My wife and I made our first visit last night - the restaurant has only been open a week, so please keep that context in mind...  Also note that the prices listed include gratuity.

Starting with the good - we really enjoyed our food.  My wife started with the Butternut Squash Frite with pumpkin seed, sage ricotta, baby carrot and parsnip, and pickled cranberry ($13).  The frites themselves were fine if somewhat unremarkable, but all the components taken together were really nicely balanced and reminded me of a deconstructed squash blossom, with the cranberry then cutting through the ricotta.  I had the Foie Gras Duck Trio (I think this was $21 but isn't the same as the online version) which came with a lobe of foie, sliced duck, and a cured duck egg on brioche, all over apple butter.  The flavor of the dish was great, though the foie was sort of warm, the egg was room temperature, and the sliced duck was sort of cold, which didn't work well for me (lukewarm happened a few times throughout the evening). 

My main was the "Spaghetti and Meatballs" - three lentil "meatballs" on top of spaghetti squash, surrounded by a moat of tomato soup ($19).  Inventive vegetarian dish with the lentil balls that were substantial but not overly dense.  Wife had the Spring House Farms Chicken ($23) with apple chicken sausage and some roasted winter squash and mushrooms (online menu description doesn't match so details are vague).  The chicken sausage had a great flavor and the chicken itself was moist and flavorful (I would guess poached and then finished on grill?) - I'm not sure both proteins were needed but they were both good.

Dessert was a Scotch Poached Pear with earl grey creme anglaise, shortbread, honey ($9).  The scotch imparted a bit of the smoked mossy flavor (in a good way)  without being overpowering.

Our server, Oscar, was very good.  Pleasant and attentive without being overbearing.

The biggest not-so-good point may have been what felt like a restaurant with an identity problem - the whole evening was a tug-of-war between fine dining and a pop up in the Brambleton Town Center.  The prices of the food, especially given that service is included, were very reasonable.  Comparatively, the prices of the wines by the glass felt high to me.  Our waiter was wonderful, but while the hostess was very friendly she was also very casual - as I'm getting older that 'hey guys' thing with mixed company sticks out to me. The space itself is pushing barren industrial a bit far.  But again, this restaurant is only a week old.  Maybe it will find its groove.

I also hope the bar was just having an off night.  I enjoy drinks that have a bit of spice in them, but the martini with orange and habanero simple syrup was way out of balance in favor of the syrup, half the size it should have been, and was served with large chunks of ice from the shaker.  Glasses of wine ordered with courses were delivered well after.  Again, kinks that may be worked out with time.

[DonRocks]

3 hours ago, genericeric said:

My wife and I made our first visit last night - the restaurant has only been open a week, so please keep that context in mind...  Also note that the prices listed include gratuity.

Great review, genericeric. A couple things about AhSo:

* The hyphen has been removed from the name, which softens it. Also, AhSo has a website with a FAQ: 

* AhSo appears to be vegetarian-friendly, and will have a 20-seat patio in the Spring - they also have a dining counter.

* Yes, Brambleton is a census-designated place in Virginia (!)

* Jason and I were once on a panel of judges who judged a graduating class' "Boys vs. Girls" cook-off at L'Academie de Cuisine. (The boys won by one point, but my ballot had the girls slightly ahead. Gut-wrenching, I docked the girls 1 point at the last moment, when a dish arrived cold - Aargh, had I only known, I wouldn't have done it!)

[Bob Wells]

Ah geez, I hope AhSo makes a go of it. For a booming area that's the backbone of what is now known as the "richest county in the US," SE Loudoun is a devil of a time getting and keeping better restaurants. The Avonlea development on 50 is completely stalled due to the lack of tenants beyond the Cinepolis movie theatre. (Although we are hearing rumors of enough tenants signing leases to allow the project to move forward soon)

[genericeric]

According to TheBurn.com, Bar Ahso is coming to the new Chefscape Food Hall/Incubator/Commercial Kitchen/Event space at the Village at Leesburg.  I really want Ahso to be successful, and want Bar Ahso to be as well, which is significantly closer to where I live.  That being said, this development seems to be a tough place to thrive in, and this mixed concept doesn't inspire too much confidence.

[reedm]

On 10/15/2018 at 3:29 PM, genericeric said:

According to TheBurn.com, Bar Ahso is coming to the new Chefscape Food Hall/Incubator/Commercial Kitchen/Event space at the Village at Leesburg.  I really want Ahso to be successful, and want Bar Ahso to be as well, which is significantly closer to where I live.  That being said, this development seems to be a tough place to thrive in, and this mixed concept doesn't inspire too much confidence.

We live less than two miles from AhSo, so we typically eat there once a week. It's great to have such a high quality, creative restaurant near-by.  Their business appears to be on a positive glide slope, and that's great to see.

I've chatted with people at AhSo who confirmed the new bar venture. I'm not in the business, but it seems to be a careful way to test the waters. Their lead bartender recently won a local bartending contest, so the expansion seems like a natural move.

I'm glad AhSo is moving closer to you!

[reedm]

Don, I hope you don't mind me sharing this, but I think this is worthwhile.

Yesterday, I learned Phil Duong, AhSo's lead bartender, had been hospitalized following an incident this weekend. Details are scarce, but I understand he was severely injured while he was at a local restaurant. (Not AhSo).

His injuries necessitated a medevac, and he is currently in an induced coma. 

I'm not a close friend or part of the family, but if you've met Phil, he's an extremely likable guy.

If you would like to help with his medical expenses, Jason Maddens set up a Gofundme page .

Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers. 

[DonRocks]

11 minutes ago, reedm said:

Don, I hope you don't mind me sharing this, but I think this is worthwhile.

Yesterday, I learned Phil Duong, AhSo's lead bartender, had been hospitalized following an incident this weekend. Details are scarce, but I understand he was severely injured while he was at a local restaurant. (Not AhSo).

His injuries necessitated a medevac, and he is currently in an induced coma. 

I'm not a close friend or part of the family, but if you've met Phil, he's an extremely likable guy.

If you would like to help with his medical expenses, Jason Maddens set up a Gofundme page .

Please keep Phil in your thoughts and prayers. 

Whoa, I'm pretty sure Phil made our drinks just a couple of weeks ago.

[reedm]

On 11/12/2018 at 7:03 PM, DonRocks said:

Whoa, I'm pretty sure Phil made our drinks just a couple of weeks ago.

Phil is doing much better, and he was released a few days ago. That said, he has some significant events ahead of him.

AhSo offers Phil's Black Manhattan, and part of the proceeds go towards his recovery fund.

[reedm]

Not to take anything away from Phil's fundraising, but if you live in the Ashburn area, I highly recommend AhSo. The food and drink menu continues to evolve, and I don't know of another place that others such a diverse menu.

[DonRocks]

43 minutes ago, reedm said:

Phil is doing much better, and he was released a few days ago. That said, he has some significant events ahead of him.

AhSo offers Phil's Black Manhattan, and part of the proceeds go towards his recovery fund.

42 minutes ago, reedm said:

Not to take anything away from Phil's fundraising, but if you live in the Ashburn area, I highly recommend AhSo. The food and drink menu continues to evolve, and I don't know of another place that others such a diverse menu.

I'm so glad to hear about Phil, and your second post does nothing to detract from your first.

Also, Phil's situation is very real - please look at the GoFundMe pictures: I'm glad to see they've almost reached their goal, although if he's uninsured, their medical expenses will be multiples of $35,000.

[reedm]

Ahso remains the best restaurant in the area, IMHO. (Phil has been back for a while, btw). Ahso emerged from the pandemic stronger than ever, and they adapted to the challenges amazingly well.

However, I'm posting this for another reason. If you know of a great restaurant manager looking for a position, Christian is moving on to a new opportunity. He will be sorely missed.

If you know of someone who may be interested, contact the chef and owner, Jason Maddens. jason@ahsoresto.com

BTW, Ahso is opening a wine store in the very near future--it's two doors down from the restaurant.

[reedm]

More details on the manager position:

Ahso Restaurant, the critically acclaimed Modern American Bistro by chef Jason Maddens is searching for a General Manager.

Ahso was opened in 2017 in the Brambleton Town Center, and quickly became the place to get the "DC" dining experience, without driving to the big City. Our menus change constantly and we source our ingredients as locally as possible. We put an emphasis on beverage pairings and we have an eclectic wine list with a focus on small producers.

Ahso is owned and operated by Chef/Sommelier Jason Maddens and his wife Tiffany, with no further outside investors. Jason is a lifelong Loudoun County resident, having schooled and worked extensively with successful well known chefs including Michel Richard and Jonathan Krinn. In 2018 Jason earned his Certified Sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

The General Manager will work directly with Chef Jason and the culinary team to continue to create a superb dining experience for our guests. We are about as "un-corporate" as it gets! Below are the boring details on the position, more for reference than anything else.

General

- Oversee and manage all areas of the restaurant and confer with owner to make final decisions on matters of importance

Financial

- Be constantly coming up with ways to increase sales and minimize costs, including food, beverage, supply, utility and labor costs and present these ideas to owner

- Be proactive in implementing cost-saving systems

- Monitor labor hours to ensure proper clock in-outs among hourly staff

- Double check all beverage invoices for proper pricing and that check numbers have been added

Food Safety and Planning

- Enforce sanitary practices for food handling, general cleanliness and maintenance of kitchen (w/help from Chef(s)) and dining areas

- Ensure consistent high quality of food/bev preparation and service

- Maintain professional restaurant image, including restaurant cleanliness, proper uniforms and appearance standards

- Operate with mindfulness of Food & Beverage costs, i.e. know where things stand for the week/month and ensure ordering is appropriate

- Manage restaurant reservation system (Tock), checking daily reservations and obtaining confirmations when necessary to ensure there are no surprises and all guest experiences are planned and prepared for

Guest Service

- Ensure positive guest service in all areas

- Keep in close contact with all staff who come into contact with guests and monitor for complaints or anything less than positive

- Respond to guest complaints and do what is needed (within reason…) to turn the issue into a positive outcome

- Ensure all guests are welcomed upon entry and are bid farewell upon departure, whether by staff or self

Operational

- Ensure that proper security measures are in place to protect employees, guests and company assets

- Ensure a safe working environment and address anything that could cause an accident

- If an accident does occur, fill out an accident report according to company guidelines

- Menu management:

- confirm menu with kitchen at least an hour before service start

- update menus watching for typos, accurate spacing, etc.

- print an appropriate number of menus (do not waste paper!)

- check for birthdays/anniversaries/congrats—print special menus and inform kitchen of such

- Manage shifts including:

- staff arrival/departure at proper times

- dining room is set up to standards

- lighting

- music

- comfortable temperature

- TVs

o Staff adhering to pre-set checklists regarding set up and breakdown

o Staff checkouts are correct and cash is accounted for

o Identify any complaint trends and address proper source, i.e. kitchen, bar, etc.

Personnel

- Provide direction to employees regarding operation and procedural issues

- Create and maintain weekly schedule, adjusting based on actual business trends and unforeseen circumstances, i.e. events, weather, neighborhood happenings

- Identify problematic employees and go through proper steps to discipline and rehabilitate or terminate (decision to terminate should always be discussed with owner)

- Identify employment needs and take action to recruit new employees

- Establish and maintain a training regimen for all new hires and monitor progress

- Develop all employees by providing ongoing feedback, establishing performance expectations and by conducting performance reviews

Community Involvement

- Provide strong presence in the local community and involvement by restaurant and personnel