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Domaso Trattoria Moderna, Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn - Chef Massimo Fedozzi has gone to Palio in Long Island - Closed


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Domaso Trattoria Moderna is in the Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn at 1121 North 19th Street (at North Lynn St). Phone 703.351.1211. Website here. Tom Sietsema's Dish here.

We had dinner here the other night and enjoyed it. For my appetizer, I had the polenta which came with a thick sauce of truffle torta ambros, marscapone, and truffle oil which was good and very rich. The polenta was the firm type (a cylinder sliced diagonally lengthwise) although I think the menu said soft polenta. My husband had fried mozzarella with roasted peppers, crispy leeks, and white wine sauce, and the pepper flavor was a nice addition to the fried mozzarella. Both appetizers were plated nicely. For bread, they served us two pieces of rosemary focaccia, small parmesan breadsticks that had a bit of spiciness to them, and two thick slices of white Italian bread with a chickpea garlic spread. I thought the bread was good - dense, slightly chewy crumb. The bread was room temperature/slightly cool.

For the main course, we ordered pastas. I had the gigante tortelloni filled with potato and small bits of pancetta and came with shavings of pecorino on top. It came with a slice of crispy pancetta as a garnish. The menu said there was also goat milk butter, and I think that was in the sauce. The tortelloni reminded me of pierogies. My husband had the mushroom risotto. For dessert we had the chestnut and chocolate terrine which was a mousse in a small cup made of chocolate in a mesh design. It came with a candied chestnut, quince and moscato compote, and a white chocolate garnish. They also gave us complimentary bombolini filled with pastry cream (these are on the menu so I'm guessing they just had some leftover). We were really stuffed at this point though, and we couldn't finish the desserts. (My carb-heavy choices of polenta and potato-filled pasta probably didn't create the most balanced meal.) The service was friendly and attentive.

I have a sample menu which looks the same as the menu we had, but I don't remember all the details so I can't be sure. The prices on the sample menu for salads and appetizers are $8 to $12, soups are $6, and pastas are $11 to $15. For the Secondi meat/seafood dishes -- whole roasted Mediterranean sea bream (and baby artichokes, riviera olives, red bliss potato and lemon white wine sauce) is $25, herb rubbed roasted beef tenderloin (and baby arugula, red onion marmalade, and red wine essence) is $28, grilled jumbo shrimp (and buckwheat polenta and lemon sauce) is $27, a grilled veal chop (with roasted cipolline onions and smashed parsnips) is $38, and a half boneless organic chicken (sautéed with pioppini mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and chiavennasca grape) is $19. Desserts are $8. There's also a separate bar menu with some different small dishes.

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My first post here . . .

Ate at Domaso last week and ordered some of the same things as the original poster. I had the steak for my entree - no knife needed, perfectly cooked, topped with carmelized sweet onions. My friends and I shared appetizers - along with the polenta, we had the mini ravioli and the artichoke salad. Both excellent. We loved the cheese straws and even took some home. We were told that the bread is made there - I thought it was quite authentic.

Dessert for me was the semifreddo (cappucino, I think). Plate was bare when I was done.

I was impressed and surprised by the quality of the food, and the enthusiastic, but not overbearing, service.

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Ate at Domaso last night with 2 close friends, who wanted to tryout a new place.

Had a really good meal here. Before dinner we were diggin' the hotel itself, really something different design-wise than the other Kimpton hotels in the area [altough Kimpton is only managing the place, others actually own it]. Pretty comtemporary / refined / kinda hip [reminded us of what we'd expect from a nice hotel in NYC]. Nice expansive lounge areas prior to the entrance to the restaurant. Large glass partition on the right-side into part of the kitchen [we were watching several folks prepare pasta] Lighting was subdued [lots of spot / ambient lighting], heavy use of creme/yellow and dark woods. Nice addition to Rosslyn!

Had a couple pre-dinner drinks and chatted with the bartender at the entrance of Domaso, nice enough to let me sample Laphroaig 10-Yr. scotch [always wanted to try it]. Their cocktails are quite good here [can't quite remember what we had though, apologies]

Once seated, we could see a large terrace adjacent to the dining room. I can already envision summertime dining with sufficient space for wine/bar area!

We started with 1 appetizer the Caprese Fritta [breaded mozzarella, oven dried plum tomatoes, roasted peppers, crispy leeks and white wine sauce] and two of their 1st courses: the Ravioletti [red snapper ravioli sautéed with shrimp, clams, Mediterranean mussels and tomato white wine sauce] and the Gnocchetti [ricotta dumplings with sautéed langoustines, garlic, white wine / extra virgin olive oil]. The Caprese Fritta was a tasty take on fried mozzarella. As for the Ravioletti, we thought the pasta was a little too al dente, and from a texture perspective competed against the other ingredients. The Gnocchetti was fabulous, perfectly executive and was very yummy. Bread here seemed pretty good.

Next, we split two of the 2nds: the Tagliata [herb-rubbed roasted beef tenderloin, baby arugula, red onion marmalade and red wine essence] and the Pollo ai Pioppini [boneless organic chicken sautéed with pioppini mushrooms, roasted chestnuts, and chiavennasca grape]. Both were very good, but the clicken we felt was a tad too salty for our taste.

For wine, we had 2 bottles for the meal. Both were very good. Can't quite remember the 1st, but the 2nd was wow! It was a 2005 Querciabella Mongrana [Tuscan blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese]. Give it about 20 - 30 minutes and it becomes quite sublime [soft palate]. Thinking maybe a 90-pointer for probably a $18-retail bottle, gonna have to pick some up later this week.

The Assistant GM stopped over several times throughout the night & really inquired about our thoughts of each dish. He let us know that the Chef and the team really do take constructive criticism to heart and like to know what the patrons are thinking. We tactfully mentioned our specific thoughts about the Ravioletti and the Chicken, but overall were quite happy with our meals. The GM did mention Chef Fedozzi does tend to use liberal use of salt [who doesn't as chef lol?] but as they've only been open for 6 weeks the Chef is still playing with the menu [while training his staff]. But nonetheless, he was gracious for the feedback and I could see that he shared it with the Chef [who was out of the kitchen near the floor].

Otherwise, he did mention that they're planning to open a coffee bar with the building next-door [which is joined to the hotel via a walkway]. And they're doing good lunch business, and once the building next-door gets all their tenants, that'll offer another 2000+ possible patrons [lunch might be brisk here!]

Chef then stopped by and we introduced ourselves. Really nice and cordial to us, had mentioned that his Spring/Summer menu was getting close to being created, & that we should really stop by sometime in late March-ish to sample it out. We thanked him for the food & mentioned how pleased we were for Domaso to be in the Rosslyn area . Staff seems to really like him [heard several times how funny and down-to-earth he was]

For dessert, we sample a trio: the hazelnut/chocolate mousse in a shape of a small cup [tasty], their version of tiramisu [softer texture that I expected, good as well]. The star though was their trio of prosecco-infused sorbets [flavored prosecco: vanilla, strawberry, and peach] . We all thought that was the clear winner.

Overall, quite happy with Domaso. Can't wait to come back here sometime soon.

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My wife and I lunched at Domaso yesterday....concur with the last post, the Gnocchetti were excellent and very light, the Ravioletti were very good in themselves and the sauce was first rate, however the shellfish, as they are want to do in this type of dish, were a bit overcooked and limp, except for the excellent shrimp..I would delete the shellfish (unless they were kept in the shell), add more Ravioletti and shrimp, and this would be a great classic seafood pasta. Bread was really good, in the that warm, soft sort of way..and the apple pie desert was not two sweet and very flavorful. All in all, this place has promise and is great addition to Rosslyn...the lunch paninis that came out also looked incredible

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There's a sign that their retail wine store Domasoteca is opening on Jan. 23. They're also supposed to have cheese, bread, and wine related accessories. Description of Domasoteca here on the hotel website. The store is located to the right of the main hotel entrance.

For restaurant week, at dinner, Domaso offered their entire dinner menu with no upcharges (even for the $38 veal chop).

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Decided to go solo tonight and grab a RW meal at Domaso [continuing my exploration of the menu].

Seems Domaso's doing OK so far. The place was nearly packed at 8 p.m. on a Sunday night and still relatively unknown [yeah I know about the Hotel traffic, but to me it seemed more than that].

Had my sights on that huge Veal Chop, but was told tonight that they ran out. So, for starters I tried their Baked Polenta w/ torta ambros fondue and truffles [very rich & cheesy, in a cylindrical mold served sliced in half on a bias]. For my main, I went with the Orata [fileted roasted Mediterranean sea bream with marinated baby artichokes, olives, and potatos and lemon white wine sauce]. Very nice, the marinated artichokes and the lemony wine sauce blended well. Paired that with a glass of fruity Nero D'Avola that complemented the flavors well. For dessert, wanted to try something different than last time, so chose their Bombolini ... a trio of mini-fried dough, sliced in half & spread with concord grape jam / rum pastry cream [and I love Italian Rum Cake, so that one was a hit] / chestnut mousse. Satisfying & just enough sweet without stuffing myself too full.

As for the service, I continue to like what I see. They give you enough space to dine, but checkup on you to see how things are. On this trip again met the same server & Asst. GM, as friendly as the last time I went here. This time, I also met their Chef de Cuisine. Saw him manning the point position,getting meals outta the kitchen and ready for the servers to pickup. He delivered a # of meals himself, watched him explain the menu/give recommendations/etc. Nice to see him out there w/ the clientele. Still some opportunities for the small things [i.e. refresh water more frequently, etc].

As for the wine list, talking w/ the Asst. GM, their list/inventory is due for a big makeover. Since in VA, nudged him towards the Italian Store for some of my favorites wines that they carry [please add the 2003 Marramiero Inferi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo if you can!]. Sounds like they want to rewrite the list to make it more reader-friendly as well [organize it by region, light -> heavy, etc] as wel as some educational. I'd welcome seeing that [good luck btw!].

Oh, and Domaso's decided to extend their RW deal through month-end. So, I yet may get to try the Veal Chop on special!

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Oh, and Domaso's decided to extend their RW deal through month-end. So, I yet may get to try the Veal Chop on special!

Our very first RW WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would like to thanks all the patrons that visit my restaurant during the week. Yes, it is true, I'm extending RW 'til the end of the month, with a limited menu this time.

Keep coming guys, I have a lot of surprises coming.

Chef Massimo.

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We took advantage of the extension of Restaurant Week to the end of the month to have dinner here tonight - a thoroughly enjoyable experience. As mentioned above the setting is very contemporary/chic. Tables are well spaced, seating is comfortable and service fine. We had many of the dishes already reviewed. Started with the Caprese Fritta - breaded and fried discs of mozzarella with sun dried tomatoes, etc. and Panzanella - nice salad with cubes of bread (and lots of garlic!). For mains, my husband had the ravioli with lots of seafood which he enjoyed and I had the Orata filets in lemony garlic sauce already described - and lots of garlic again. I loved it. We had Tiramisu and the 3 prosecco-infused Sorbettos for dessert, both very nice. If you can get there in the next 2 nights, it's a good opportunity to experience the food and ambiance here for quite a reasonable price! On our way in, we took a quick look at the Domasoteca which is still getting organized but looks worthy of further perusal.

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We took advantage of the extension of Restaurant Week to the end of the month to have dinner here tonight - a thoroughly enjoyable experience. As mentioned above the setting is very contemporary/chic. Tables are well spaced, seating is comfortable and service fine. We had many of the dishes already reviewed. Started with the Caprese Fritta - breaded and fried discs of mozzarella with sun dried tomatoes, etc. and Panzanella - nice salad with cubes of bread (and lots of garlic!). For mains, my husband had the ravioli with lots of seafood which he enjoyed and I had the Orata filets in lemony garlic sauce already described - and lots of garlic again. I loved it. We had Tiramisu and the 3 prosecco-infused Sorbettos for dessert, both very nice. If you can get there in the next 2 nights, it's a good opportunity to experience the food and ambiance here for quite a reasonable price! On our way in, we took a quick look at the Domasoteca which is still getting organized but looks worthy of further perusal.

Dunno if you got to try the Querciabella 2005 Mongrana wine, but I do suggest that one the next time you're looking for to drink a red while dining there. Domasoteca carries it for $19 retail downstairs [noticed that a couple of days ago]. Nice wine for the price.

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For those who have been before, what is the lounge area like? How's the bar menu?

Well, there's 2 very large lounge areas just before you enter the restaurant [i.e. where the host/hostess station is, & is where the actual bar space is]. Dunno if you can eat there [never asked] but I've seen folks drink there.

The bar space space has lots of seating, not so much space for standing. On the bar menu, the food is more sandwich-like/small plates if I remember correctly. But, I believe that if asked, they will allow you to order off the regular menu & eat there .

Nice looking space [either the main lounge or bar area].

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You can eat there. :)

Were ya sprawled out Rocks snackin' away? :mellow: Gotta try that out myself sometime!

Oh, and Domaso can handle large groups pretty decently. Brought 28 people there this past Friday [in that elevated section in the back right]. Things went great, gave us our space but came back to check on us / fill glasses. Oh, and the Ravioletti has been tweaked [now, larger pieces than when I 1st tried them & cooked less al dente ... just right imo] and the Tiramisu seemed different [still good, but think I preferred the old one].

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Does anyone know if the full menu is available in the bar/lounge area? Going to check it out tmw.

Definitely from the bar area [was offered that by the Asst GM once].

I've heard conflicting info on the lounge area now [dunno if a new policy was recently put in place]. The restaurant may tell you that since the lounge area is technically part of the hotel, and that you cannot be served out there. [can't hurt to ask, right?]

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Definitely from the bar area [was offered that by the Asst GM once].

I've heard conflicting info on the lounge area now [dunno if a new policy was recently put in place]. The restaurant may tell you that since the lounge area is technically part of the hotel, and that you cannot be served out there. [can't hurt to ask, right?]

Thanks - we will check it out tonight.. I'll report back on what we have.

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The space here really is wonderful, very spacious, very hip, but still inviting. The bar/lounge is comfortable, good amount of seating, not too much space for standing, but even on a Saturday night it didn't seem to be too out of control. On the flip side, I can't imagine how packed it will be when it is warm out and they can open up the patio, there is space for a thousand people out there, not quite sure how they are planning on breaking it up, but I am a bit giddy just thinking about it.

But, to be honest, the space here is the best part about the restaurant. I know that it is brand spanking new, but it has been open for at least three months now, so the kinks should be worked out.

The drinks that we had at the bar were pretty good. One was made with Hendrick's and cucumbers, pretty refreshing even if a bit sweet from the apple juice added. The other that I had was some sort of bourbon and some other stuff, yes, I know, very descriptive, but I enjoyed it. And, when we sat down to dinner, the wine was excellent. They were out of the original bottle that we ordered, and we were a bit peeved about the fact that it took them 20 minutes to figure that out and tell us that, but the two bottles of Avignonesi ($54) was very good, so that made up for it a bit.

The food, in a word, was average. We loved the fact that they serve their pasta in half orders, we had the tortelloni and gnocchetti, but both were simply OK. The gnocchetti was the better of the two, but the sauce was a bit heavy-handed. For our entrees, we had the sea bream and a half order of the risotto of the day (served with scallops, shrimp and lobster). The sea bream was cooked well, even with the few stray bones in there, but everything else on the plate was a mish mash that didn't work too well together, and there was WAY too much lemon in the dish. The risotto was better, it was cooked almost perfectly, but there was half a scallop, half a shrimp and no lobster at all. The flavors were good, but the lack of actual seafood in there was a mystery. I did ask the waiter why there was no lobster in the risotto and he replied, "We don't serve lobster on half orders." I was taken aback by the comment, I was sure that isn't the case, but I just didn't want to pursue it any further. The desserts, on the other hand, really were pretty great. The bambolini were very tasty, nice and light for the end of the emal, and our dining companions had a huge order of bread pudding which was pretty damn good. Let's just say that the desserts really saved the night from a food perspective.

Great space with average food, which I am sure that they can make better, adds up to a promising restaurant, but the service definitely held them back. Our server was clearly out of his league, he didn't do anything wrong, other than the comment about the risotto, but he didn't do anything right either. He mumbled, a lot, and was pouring way too much wine in our glasses at a time (he poured the whole first bottle in our four glasses to begin). He was also rarely around, except to try to sell us something, didn't know anything about the menu (he was constantly asking questions of the kitchen) and he had awful breath. It was funny, we were having such a good time catching up with our friends that it didn't kill the mood of the evening, but as we were leaving the tip, we talked about it some and we thought, "Damn, that was some pretty bad service."

I didn't pay, so I have no clue what the final bill was, but I have a feeling that it was a bit much for what we got.

Listen, I think that Domaso is going to be a good place down the road and I am going to go back again when the weather warms up, but they aren't there yet.

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We had dinner here recently and heard that a new chef (their third one) is starting after Thanksgiving, and the restaurant's menu will be changing. From googling, it looks like the first chef Massimo Fedozzi is at Palio Ristorante in Jericho, NY.

Hi guys,

This is Chef Massimo. After a quadruple bypass, I moved back to NY where I open Palio Ristorante in Jericho, Long Island. Beautiful place! 100% organic Check it out at www.palioristorante.com.

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Hi guys,

This is Chef Massimo. After a quadruple bypass, I moved back to NY where I open Palio Ristorante in Jericho, Long Island. Beautiful place! 100% organic Check it out at www.palioristorante.com.

Hi Chef,

I'm glad to hear about the happy ending to all this, but I'm also glad I didn't hear about the interim details, as I would have worried.

Can you tell us about some of what you're doing up there? What are going to be your signature dishes, and what goes into making them? What are you most proud of?

I'll probably move this post (and your reply) to the Intrepid Traveler forum at some point, but for now, I think people want to know what you're up to. Cheers, and thanks for chiming in!

Regards,

Don Rockwell

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Hi guys,

This is Chef Massimo. After a quadruple bypass, I moved back to NY where I open Palio Ristorante in Jericho, Long Island. Beautiful place! 100% organic Check it out at www.palioristorante.com.

I was up in Jericho for 8 months back in 2001 working on a project, too bad this place wasn't open when I was there! I have had my fair share of diner food and bad Chinese to fill a lifetime.

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First, happy to hear Chef Massimo is doing well.

I had a RW lunch yesterday at Domaso. My first observation was the open kitchen, and it ran without much commotion or chaotic frenzy through the lunch service. (Actually, my first observation is that the hotel is pet-friendly, and that threw me off a little.) The new chef (Massimo De Francesca?) appeared to be in calm control. Also, the stalwart of the dining room at Tivoli, Tony, has settled in nicely at Domaso. But the place has an uber-chic feel that will be difficult to get accustomed to.

I had the baby arucola salad and the vegetable sandwich. Neither could be described as special in any way, but they were well prepared and honest to their ingredients. I could have ordered more interesting fare but it was, after all, Ash Wednesday, so I tried to be a little abstinent. I skipped dessert. My companion had the same salad and the bolognese, which he claimed was very good.

I'll give the place a few more tries at lunchtime, because upscale options in the Rosslyn area are limited. But I can see myself adding it to my list of only-go-there-if-someone-else-is-paying places.

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Has anyone been here lately? We had a good experience here when they first opened, came back about 6 mos later and wasn't as blown away. The atmosphere is really lovely and as others had mentioned "hip" in style. Been for drinks on the outside patio, but haven't dined lately. We're thinking of giving it another try... received an email blast this week and the prices seem to be a bit more reasonable than what I had remembered (which makes it more of a "regular night out" option) and the menu looks good. They apparently won "Best Appetizer" at this year's Taste of Arlington... I'm pasting the email below with the menu that was sent as the website appears to still have the Spring menu. :)

===========================================================================================

"Our Spring menu is going on Summer vacation. Check out our new summer offerings at Domaso.

Be sure to try the white gazpacho, voted Best Appetizer at the 2010 Taste of Arlington.

We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Paul Healey

Chef de Cuisine

Our New Summer Menu

Appetizers

white gazpacho 6

grapes, almonds, chives, lemon oil

baby greens 6

heirloom tomato, cucumber, peppers, balsamic vinaigrette

calamari puttanesca 9

tomato aioli, fried olives and capers

caprese 11

heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic saba, basil

caesar salad 8

brioche croutons, parmesan cheese and traditional dressing

with herb grilled chicken 14

spinach salad 9

hard boiled egg, olives, pickled red onions, warm pancetta dressing

add smoked duck breast 15

beef carpaccio 10

parmesan, crispy capers, horseradish cream sauce*

Sandwiches

sandwiches are served with greens or fries

herb grilled chicken 13

pancetta, provolone, spicy aioli

trattoria burger 13

smoked cheddar, roasted shallot jam*

east coast crab cake sandwich 16

spicy aioli, arugula, pickled red onions*

pepper seared tuna sandwich 15

sliced rare tuna, hard cooked egg, black olive aioli

Entrée

mushroom fettuccini 16

local and exotic mushrooms, marsala, spinach

lobster and shrimp linguine 19

saffron, fennel, roasted tomato sauce*

rigatoni arrabbiata 15

italian sausage, sweet peppers, fresh mozzarella *

roasted herb chicken breast 17

grilled summer squashes, fingerling potatoes, mustard vinaigrette*

steelhead salmon 20

heirloom tomatoes, zucchini fritters, tapenade*

grilled hangar steak 22

truffle fries, herb butter, green bean and cherry tomato salad*

local rockfish 22"

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Has anyone been here lately?

The last I heard about Domaso was ages ago, and they had turned into a lunch-only restaurant. Based upon the email you received (and a quick check of their website), that appears no longer to be the case.

Cheers,

Rocks.

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:D

The last I heard about Domaso was ages ago, and they had turned into a lunch-only restaurant. Based upon the email you received (and a quick check of their website), that appears no longer to be the case.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Thank you sir for your quick reply! :)

So.... just tried to call and make a reservation - their voicemail says they are open for dinner Monday-Friday... no dinner or lunch service on Saturday and Sundays...? Oh well... we'll give it a shot for a "weekday" meal I suppose sometime in the future... obviously, one of Rosslyn's biggest obstacles has always been that after the whistle blows and folks are off work during the week... Rosslyn almost shuts down. Rosslyn seems to continually make efforts to appeal as a round the clock type place, but.... :)

FYI - the website does post the following hours... I suppose I should have checked, but I wouldn't have thought a restaurant would not be open on a Saturday night...

Breakfast: Monday - Sunday, 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Monday - Friday, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Bar Hours: Monday - Sunday, 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Happy Hours: Monday - Friday, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

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