Vermilion, Old Town Alexandria - Chef Thomas Cardarelli Replaces William Morris

[MelGold]

Vermilion hosts a wine dinner each month - typically the first Monday of the month - however August will be a bit different. The restaurant is serving up a five course dinner paired with various beers from Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware. Cost is reasonable at $60 inclusive of tax and tip.

Menu

Passed Appetizers and Tasting
Crab Cigars, Curry Russian Dressing
Goat Cheese Profiterole with Basil and Mint
Grilled Bison Hanging Tenderloin Crostini, Horseradish Cream
Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale

First Course
Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Gorgonzola, Microgreens
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale

Second Course
Arugula and Brie Cheese Salad, Dried Apricots, Pumpkin Seeds, Celery Root and Champagne Vinaigrette
Dogfish Head Aprihop

Third Course
Baked Maryland Rockfish, Fingerling Potatoes, Wild Mushrooms, Green Beans, Rosemary Cream Sauce
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Fourth Course
Grilled Bistro Filet Marinated in Chicory Stout, Orange and Soy, Grilled Summer Squash, Shitake Mushroom Glaze
Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

Final Course
Assorted Truffles and Chocolates
Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre


Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 703.684.9669. These events typically fill up pretty quickly, so get in early! Cheers!

[JLK]

Date? Your post says "typically" the first Monday of the month, but I thought it best to confirm.

[MelGold]

Date? Your post says "typically" the first Monday of the month, but I thought it best to confirm.

Fantastic catch...Sorry!

The beer dinner is August 8th. Passed apps and the first beer will be tasted starting around 6:30 PM with the seated dinner beginning at 7:00.

On an aside, since there have been a few of you following up about the Firkin, Firkin Thursdays are the last Thursday of the month beginning at 6 PM.

[Gary Tanigawa]

Today's Firkin Thursday happy hour features a keg of Delaware's Dogfish Head 90 Minute India Pale Ale. Chef Bobby Beard presents a selection of featured appetizers to pair with this slightly sweet ale with a smooth malt finish. Continue to enjoy this beer with specials throughout the weekend - even after the firkin is finished. Keg is tapped at 6:00 PM.

[MelGold]

Just a reminder about the Dogfish Head Beer Dinner coming up on Monday at Vermilion in Old Town. There are still a few spaces left for this event.

Cost is $60 inclusive of tax & gratuity.

Passed Appetizers & a "Free" Pour of Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale begins at 6:30 PM with the seated dinner starting around 7.

Reserve space by calling the restaurant at 703.684.9669.

Cheers!

Mel

[mdt]

Decided to take a stroll down King Street for lunch today and stopped in for a seat at the bar to read the paper and watch some tennis. I have been several times and have had some decent lunches, but the special today was really good.

The special today was 1/2 roasted chicken ($11) (from their dinner menu) and it sounded good so I ordered it. I am glad that I did, the skin was crisp and the meat juicy and tender. It was served with some sautéed beans and mushrooms, along with a portion of pan jus. While the beans were a bit overcooked the mushrooms and well seasoned chicken more than made up for it. I particulary like the fact that the chicken was portioned up and plated so that I was not hacking away at half a carcass.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

This from page W22 of today's Post.

[mdt]

This from page W22 of today's Post.

Here is a better link.

[CrescentFresh]

Any word on what the beers are for the upcoming firkin Thursdays? And if it's being shifted to a different day this month because of Thanksgiving? Like maybe Friday the 25th?

[MelGold]

Any word on what the beers are for the upcoming firkin Thursdays?  And if it's being shifted to a different day this month because of Thanksgiving?  Like maybe Friday the 25th?

This month's Firkin will be tapped on Thursday the 17th. Stay tuned for more details...

[David M.]

My wife and I enjoyed a fine meal at Vermilion last night. It was just what we needed after a long day of housework. We've been about three times in the past couple months, and this was by far the best trip. Mrs. M began with a Pomolitan (Vodka, Cointreau, Lime and Pomegranate Juices) -- a drink that is beginning to rival the Daize cocktail at Eve. I started with a glass of Pinot-Noir; served in nice stemware but a bit warm.

I began with a very good Caesar salad -- lots of anchovy flavor. She opted to skip a first-course in order to justify dessert (not me, I'll take an appetizer over dessert any day of the week). For entrees, Mrs. M vacillated between a venison loin special (which sounded very good and the party next to us so declared to us on their way out) and the filet. She opted for the latter and loved it. Cooked perfectly medium-rare, it had a good char and really benefited from the syrah reduction to add some flavor.

But it was my entree that stole the show. Braised veal breast with mustard greens and butternut squash polenta. Served in a deep bowl, the veal fell apart with the touch of the fork. And it was a good thing that I had started with something, because my wife kept asking to for "just one more bite." She even liked the mustard greens (granted, her only other encounter with them was when I made them at home and they turned out almost inedible).

We wrapped up with two cups of very good decaf and, for her, a simple, classic warm-chocolate brownie (nothing earth-shattering, but definitely satisfying).

All-in-all, Vermilion is the type of restaurant that every neighborhood should be blessed with. Casual enough, but still sufficiently refined to justify about $120 for the two of us. The service was good -- our waiter was there when we needed him, but seemed to realize that we just wanted a leisurely meal and allowed this by giving us plenty of time to order and not rushing out the dishes.

[Rick Azzarano]

My wife and I went to Vermilion for a pre-Mother's Day dinner. Had a very good meal. My wife has the pan-fired gnocchi for an appetizer. Light, ricotta gnocchi, served, if I remember correctly, in a broth. She also had the filet mignon, cooked just as she ordered it. The filet came with a balsamic-based sauce that was a little sweet. It complemented the steak just fine.

I had the softshell crab appetizer. One softshell in a very light batter (not tempura light, but not overly heavy either). Served with grilled asparagus and lemon-truffle oil. This was delicious. For the main, I had the lamb loin. Cooked just as ordered, a perfect medium rare, but the ends were a little cool (probably from the short wait while my wife's dish was finished). Not a complaint - just an observation. We split an order of the "basil mashed potatoes." These were good, just not very basil-y.

Service was just attentive enough - no hovering, but no long waits for anything either. A very enjoyable meal. I'd like to return soon.

[MelGold]

For the Sonoma wine fans out there, Vermilion is hosting a Summer in Sonoma wine dinner on Monday, June 5th. Our special guest this month is Todd Bennett of Virginia Imports who will take us on a tour of the region through a pre-dinner tasting reception and four course seated dinner. Hope you'll join us!

Summer in Sonoma Wine Dinner
June 5th
6:30 - Passed Hors d'Oeuvres; 7 PM - Seated Dinner
Price is $85 (inclusive of tax & gratuity)

RSVP BY CALLING VERMILION AT 703.684.9669.

MENU
Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Crispy Kataify-Crusted Oysters with Crème Fraí®che & Paddle Fish Caviar

Grilled Scallops in Salsa Verde
Sautéed Mushroom & Cherry Tomato Ragout in Puff PastryIron Horse Blanc de Blanc (Green Valley)
2005 J Pinot Gris (Russian River)
2004 Schug Pinot Noir (Carneros)

Seated Dinner
Citrus-Glazed Quail Salad
Spring Greens, Pears, Walnuts, Pickled Beets & Goat Cheese
2005 Dry Creek Dry Chenin Blanc (Clarksburg)

Cabernet-Braised Stuffed Squid
Spring Vegetables & Pan Jus
2001 St. Francis Nuns Canyon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County)
2003 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley)

Grilled Bison Hanger Steak
Boniato Potato Puree, Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, Soy Beans & Blackberry Demi Glace
2003 Murphy-Goode "Snake Eyes" Elaine Maria Vineyards Zinfandel (Alexander Valley)
2003 Bradford Mountain Grist Vyd Syrah (Dry Creek Valley)

Berry Cobbler with Pistachio Ice Cream
2000 J Brut (Russian River Valley)

[Audrey2025]

Vermillion is a beautiful space, inside and out, in Old Town. Intimate, candlelit, with red and green tones. The food and the service live up to the ambiance.

On a Friday in June, my friend and I were hoping to be seated in the lounge, but it was filled with a mixed

(in every sense of the word) crowd, so we waited a few minutes for a table downstairs. It was worth the 25 minutes.

My friend's cocktail was great, the Gin and Juice, which is citrus-y and refreshing with a perfect kick. I had a Pomolitain, a cosmo with pomegranate and lime, that was beautifully crafted but just didn't do it for me; I'd explore the other cocktails, coolers, and wines by the glass before I came back to that.

Our server was kind enough to sneak us over a lounge menu even though I think that's against policy for the regular tables. We ordered house-cut fries with horeseradish sauce and ketchup (!), the fontina risotto fritters (!!!), and the crab cigars with russian curry dressing (!!!). The fries were perfectly crispy and golden, cut small and thin, and presented in a paper-lined cone. The three fritters were perfectly golden crisp on the outside, then the rich and creamy risotto and cheese melts in your mouth. They are VERY RICH, so proceed with caution.

The crab cigars...wow. The fresh sweetness of the crab shines through, which is the highest compliment I can give any crab dish. The seasonings were excellent, and crispy, savory wonton-y wrappers held everything together well while still "giving" perfectly to the bite. I could eat these until I burst. I seriously considered walking up to the bar and saying, "I'd like the all-you-can-eat crab cigars, please," just to see if I could do it with a straight face. From now on, I will make sure I get these with whatever else at Vermillion. They are one of those things that becomes a staple.

We finished up with the warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce, which was very good but I'd try the other items before revisiting it.

Cocktails, three small and very good plates, and a decent dessert...all for $25 each. With really friendly service and gorgeous atmosphere. Not bad.

So, overall, Vermillion is worth a trip to Old Town. I will be back, but there are a lot of places I need to "check off my list" first. Plus...my heart still belongs primarily to sister restaurant Tallula. (And Derek.)

[Eric Reid]

Chittum, 30, who has watched over two locations for almost two years, is leaving the District for Northern Virginia, where he'll take over the kitchen at Vermilion in Old Town in mid-March

Congrats, it's more than awesome to see/hear/read what this group has been up to. I feel honored and privilged to have worked for the people that I call my friends, introduced me to my passion and taught me what it is to understand and manage a restaurant. I can't wait to see what else the NRG has to offer.

Thanks Y'all

Eric

[jparrott]

Any word on Bobby's next abode?

[DonRocks]

Any word on Bobby's next abode?

He's going to Las Vegas.

Welcome, Tony! A good move for both you and Vermilion, I think.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. Expect more musical chairs in the new few weeks!

[Escoffier]

This is just a (admittedly unapologetically favorable) quickie review. I'll do more later but these are just impressions from our dinner last night at Vermilion.

1. Tony Chittum is a fish god. If Tony Chittum is the chef and fish is on the menu, order it. Even if you don't like fish, you'll like his (maybe not, but give it a try anyway).

2. The new menu is rich, extravagant and damned tasty (and the cost well in line with the other NRG restaurants). If the courses we had last night were representative (and I have no reason to believe they weren't), you could almost close your eyes and order and be fed well.

3. The service is thoughtful, quick, informative about the food and wines and non-intrusive when it should be. The wait staff is to be commended on the excellent service. David, Brendan and Julie made our dinner a thing of delight.

4. Like every other restaurant in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, the wine selection is varied, reasonably priced and very good. I had a Venezuelan Malbec that was outstanding, it was just one of the wine pairings, all of the selected wines were excellent complements to the food served.

I'll add the menu we were served and the wines that accompanied them this afternoon when I have more time, but the two of us were absolutely blown away by the experience we had.

[CrescentFresh]

I had a Venezuelan Malbec that was outstanding

Venezuelan malbec? I've never heard of a wine industry in Venezuela, let alone one that exports. But that's okay. I'm not Mr. Vino le Grape and don't claim to be.

But outstanding? Seriously?

[Escoffier]

Venezuelan malbec? I've never heard of a wine industry in Venezuela, let alone one that exports. But that's okay. I'm not Mr. Vino le Grape and don't claim to be.

But outstanding? Seriously?

Outstanding, yep. As to Venezuelan, that might be a bit of a hazy memory. After all, it did come with the 4th course. I can't find my notes from dinner which makes it even more frustrating.

[Rick Azzarano]

After we dropped off my wife's car to get re-fixed again, we went to Vermilion. One of the changes under Chef Chittum is the addition of a "fixed price" menu of 4 courses, sort of a mini-tasting menu, and able to be paired with appropriate wines.. We were told that the menu would change periodically, in accordance with what is available. The menu last night was:

Crudo^2 (scallop with fennel and blood orange; and shrimp with horseradish, sun-dried tomatoes and basil) (paired with an Austrian white)

Rockfish with a crispy oyster and "celery three ways"(paired wit han unoaked Chardonnay

"mini rack of lamb" (2 chops) with mint taglierini and yogurt (paired with The Stump Jump)

and dessert of a bitter chocolate cheesecake (paired with "Boots" non-vintage sparkling red from Australia).

This is an excellent meal. The scallop part of the crudo was the least successful for us - we're not fans of raw seafood (sorry) but it was done well. The shrimp was really good with the horseradish bite and the tomato sourness. The rockfish was the hit of the night - done simply and supported by a celeriac puree. The lamb was done to a perfect medium well.

This is also an excellent value -- the 4 courses are $50; the wine pairings add $20 for what seemed to be relatively generous pours.

(They also had a shad roe preparation on the appetizer menu, but since we have the 4 course, we didn't get to try it.)

[Jacques Gastreaux]

The lamb was done to a perfect medium well.

Oxymoron alert!

[Escoffier]

Oxymoron alert!

Oops! I shouldn't have said lamb...

[mdt]

Oops! I shouldn't have said lamb...

?

[DLB]

Oxymoron alert!

It that's they the way they like it, then it's perfect!

[Rick Azzarano]

Actually, it was medium RARE. I mis-typed. Thanks for catching the error.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Actually, it was medium RARE. I mis-typed. Thanks for catching the error.

Whew. For a minute you had me worried, Rick.

[daveha]

Beginning Monday, June 11, Vermilion will no longer allow smoking before 10:00 PM.

We will allow smoking in the bar and lounge area from 10:00 PM until close.

We have discussed this topic at length over the past several months and we fully understand the strong feelings people have on both sides. Our hope is to allow guests who have an aversion to smoke to enjoy their meals without concern. Equally, this will allow guests who have enjoyed smoking in our bar and lounge to continue to do so.

Feel free to contact the restaurant or myself with any questions, concerns or winning lottery numbers.

Cheers- Dave Hammond

www.vermilionrestaurant.com

703.684.9669

[MelGold]

Beginning Monday, June 11, Vermilion will no longer allow smoking before 10:00 PM.

About time!

[Dave Pressley]

Will you allow smoking in the bar between the hours of 3-5:30 when there is no dining crowd?

[TedE]

Tom awards 2.5 stars

Bonus out-of-context quote:

Anthony Chittum cooks like a girl.

[Dave Pressley]

Tom awards 2.5 stars

Bonus out-of-context quote:

Congratulations to Dave and Tony for the nice review. Both of you ladies do a fine job and it's nice to see that you're getting kudos from the media as well as your guests. Cheers!

[daveha]

Will you allow smoking in the bar between the hours of 3-5:30 when there is no dining crowd?

Nope. We discussed that option but decided against it as our lounge menu is offered as soon as lunch service ends. Thanks for the thought though shaggy.

And TedE wins the Cracker Jack prize (free cocktail) for being the first to point out that line.

Tony has a fantastic sense of humor and that is a good thing as today I feel like I hit the "free joke for life" lottery.

[DLB]

Which brings me to my point: Anthony Chittum cooks like a girl

Tom is running out of ideas, 2 1/2 stars

The lone drawback is the smell of cigarette smoke in the lounge. "It reminds me I'm in Virginia," wherepatrons can still light up, a friend says on our way to fresher air upstairs.)

The power of the Post in action!

[DonRocks]

Which brings me to my point: Anthony Chittum cooks like a girl

Tom is running out of ideas

That makes two of you.

I thought it was a good, bold, premise. That having been said, Odessa Piper and Terry Theise deserve full credit for the concept of Girl Food.

[Lydia R]

We will allow smoking in the bar and lounge area from 10:00 PM until close.

Sounds like you had some after-hours business last night. Sorry, hopefully the rooftop burglers didn't make off with your recipes...

[MelGold]

Congrats to one of my favorite places away from home.

[Mark Slater]

[Pat]

I thought it was a good, bold, premise. That having been said, Odessa Piper and Terry Theise deserve full credit for the concept of Girl Food.

Thanks! I could not remember where I had read that analogy/metaphor before and google was not helping me. Part of the searching difficulty is that I thought it was in reference to a different female chef .

[christopherc]

Sunday brunch at Vermillion left us wondering if we did or did not enjoy it. Things started out well. We showed up without a reservation but after a minute to check to make sure a table upstairs was ready we were seated. Almost immediately our server showed up and asked us if we wanted a drink. She showed us where to find the wines by the glass and left. She returned in a couple of minutes and took our order for wine. After serving the wine she took our brunch order. I ordered the trout our waitress told me then that she just served the last order. While I looked over the menu again my finance ordered the Three Pork Scrapple. I decided on the Frittata. While we were waiting I noticed a popular and famous Old Town chef and his family at a table across from us. They seemed to be waiting to be served also.

Our food arrived in about fifteen minutes. I usually do not order Frittatas so I am unsure if I should complain or not. The taste was very good but it was cold, very cold. Is this the way a Frittata is usually served. The Three Pork Scrapple was delicious. Turns out Three Pork Scrapple (also new to me) is actually the shoulder, leg, I don't remember the third part of the pig but none of the usual scraps are used that makes up some scrapples. After we ate we waited twenty minutes before I was able to get our server's attention. We had wanted coffee and possibly desert but at this point just asked for the check.

While waiting for our server to return I observed that the Old Town chef and family had not been served except for wine. A young man came to their table and seemed to be apologizing. Just before we left their food arrived. I should add that thier children were extremely well behaved in particular after having to wait so long to eat. Our server was pleasant and we overheard one table that had departed earlier compliment her on her excellent service so I am not sure what the problem was. I did note that the upstairs dining room was not extremely busy and at least twice during our stay no one other than customers were in the dining room. Empty dirty plates stayed on tables too long, even when desert was served at one table. All in all we liked the food and will go back. Hopefully someone can advise me as to how a Frittata is served, cold or hot? Thanks

[DLB]

Frittatas are usually served at room temp, but they can be served warm

[christopherc]

Frittatas are usually served at room temp, but they can be served warm

Thanks for the information. I am afraid what I was served was more on the cold side then room temperature but still edible.

[FunnyJohn]

Room temperature or even "cold" accordig to recipes I've seen -- but that begs the question of "out of the refrigerator" cold or just cooler than right out of the pan. I'll bet because of health code issues -- the restaurant was playing it safe by not having an egg product lying around long enough to acquire room temp.

[mdt]

Room temperature or even "cold" accordig to recipes I've seen -- but that begs the question of "out of the refrigerator" cold or just cooler than right out of the pan. I'll bet because of health code issues -- the reataurant was playing it safe by not having an egg product lying around long enough to acquire room temp.

Cooked eggs don't have the same problems as raw eggs and this can sit out, although I have no idea what the health code states. Cold frittata? Yuck! They could have warmed it up in an oven or something.

[daveha]

Christopher-

Please accept mine and the entire staff's apologies for your experience last Sunday at Vermilion. Clearly we fell short of our goal and your expectations.

I am happy to hear that your server was pleasant and the comments you overheard from other guest more closely resemble the typical feedback we receive.

We definitely underestimated the response to our recent review. We staffed the restaurant based on the number of reservations we had and expected a corresponding number of "walk in" guests. We opened our doors early as there were a fair amount of guests waiting and it had started to rain. Before our well meaning host staff realized it, we had seated roughly a third of the restaurant before we were technically open. Our entire staff did a great job handling this early crowd but it did seem that we were a step behind the rest of the service.

Regarding the famous old town chef and his family, there is something quite humbling in falling short before your peer group. However, as you might imagine, they were very understanding of the situation. Restaurants are not perfect and one of the ways they are to be measured is how they respond to missteps. We made every effort to make their experience an enjoyable one, and in conversations after the fact we were assured that this indeed happened.

The cold Frittata is a bit of a mystery. They are baked as service begins and served as they are ordered. It should not have been cold and Tony has already spoken to his staff to ensure that this is not repeated. My apologies that yours was not prepared correctly.

I hope that the positive points in your experience will warrant giving us another try and I would like the opportunity to make it up to you. I would like to compensate you for your poor experience and I have sent details in a personal message.

Thank you very much for joining us and for sharing your experience. I very much look forward to exceeding your expectations in the future.

Cheers - Dave Hammond

Sunday brunch at Vermillion left us wondering if we did or did not enjoy it. Things started out well. We showed up without a reservation but after a minute to check to make sure a table upstairs was ready we were seated. Almost immediately our server showed up and asked us if we wanted a drink. She showed us where to find the wines by the glass and left. She returned in a couple of minutes and took our order for wine. After serving the wine she took our brunch order. I ordered the trout our waitress told me then that she just served the last order. While I looked over the menu again my finance ordered the Three Pork Scrapple. I decided on the Frittata. While we were waiting I noticed a popular and famous Old Town chef and his family at a table across from us. They seemed to be waiting to be served also.

Our food arrived in about fifteen minutes. I usually do not order Frittatas so I am unsure if I should complain or not. The taste was very good but it was cold, very cold. Is this the way a Frittata is usually served. The Three Pork Scrapple was delicious. Turns out Three Pork Scrapple (also new to me) is actually the shoulder, leg, I don't remember the third part of the pig but none of the usual scraps are used that makes up some scrapples. After we ate we waited twenty minutes before I was able to get our server's attention. We had wanted coffee and possibly desert but at this point just asked for the check.

While waiting for our server to return I observed that the Old Town chef and family had not been served except for wine. A young man came to their table and seemed to be apologizing. Just before we left their food arrived. I should add that thier children were extremely well behaved in particular after having to wait so long to eat. Our server was pleasant and we overheard one table that had departed earlier compliment her on her excellent service so I am not sure what the problem was. I did note that the upstairs dining room was not extremely busy and at least twice during our stay no one other than customers were in the dining room. Empty dirty plates stayed on tables too long, even when desert was served at one table. All in all we liked the food and will go back. Hopefully someone can advise me as to how a Frittata is served, cold or hot? Thanks

[christopherc]

Christopher-

Please accept mine and the entire staff's apologies for your experience last Sunday at Vermilion. Clearly we fell short of our goal and your expectations.

I am happy to hear that your server was pleasant and the comments you overheard from other guest more closely resemble the typical feedback we receive.

We definitely underestimated the response to our recent review. We staffed the restaurant based on the number of reservations we had and expected a corresponding number of "walk in" guests. We opened our doors early as there were a fair amount of guests waiting and it had started to rain. Before our well meaning host staff realized it, we had seated roughly a third of the restaurant before we were technically open. Our entire staff did a great job handling this early crowd but it did seem that we were a step behind the rest of the service.

Regarding the famous old town chef and his family, there is something quite humbling in falling short before your peer group. However, as you might imagine, they were very understanding of the situation. Restaurants are not perfect and one of the ways they are to be measured is how they respond to missteps. We made every effort to make their experience an enjoyable one, and in conversations after the fact we were assured that this indeed happened.

The cold Frittata is a bit of a mystery. They are baked as service begins and served as they are ordered. It should not have been cold and Tony has already spoken to his staff to ensure that this is not repeated. My apologies that yours was not prepared correctly.

I hope that the positive points in your experience will warrant giving us another try and I would like the opportunity to make it up to you. I would like to compensate you for your poor experience and I have sent details in a personal message.

Thank you very much for joining us and for sharing your experience. I very much look forward to exceeding your expectations in the future.

Cheers - Dave Hammond

Dave -

Thank you again for your response. The positive points of our visit did out weigh the missteps. We are very much looking forward to dining at Vermilion again. We didn't take into consideration the fact that the wonderful review on Sunday, which many people read on Saturday would create such a response. I think we probably came in on the tail end of the rush. Anyone who reads this will know that your response is as important as the food, wine, or service. I know that Vermilion is in good hands when the people behind it care enough to discuss even small problems with its customers. Much success.

[Dave Pressley]

Had a perfectly wonderful lunch at Vermilion this afternoon. Expertly fried & beautifully crisp softshell crab "BLT" with fried green tomatoes, pickled red onions and avocado puree was a wonderful appetizer to get things going. Cornmeal hush puppies were lighter than air and delicious. Chilled spring pea soup was a vibrant kelly green and brightened by yogurt and dill. My wife then had the burger and loved it. I had the melt-in-your-mouth hanger steak with nicely crisped fries. All in all, a great menu to choose from and very well executed. Another great meal at Vermilion--Tony and Dave are setting the bar pretty high right now for a good meal in Old Town.

[christopherc]

Stopped in the bar around 5:00 Saturday. We had the hanger steak and fish and chips appetizers along with two nice glasses of wine. The hanger steak was excellent. Cooked rare the way I requested. The steak was a good deal for the price with a large serving of greens and fries that were delicious. The fish and chips were good but if it were up to me we would do a double of the hanger steak the next time. Our bartender was attentive, helpful, and and very pleasant.

[crackers]

I have never had a bad pasta dish at the hands of Chittum, two fish courses were interestingly similar to the style you might find at Hook, meaning that they were deceptively simple presentations, but sitting atop fairly complex and well-thought-out ingredients, a Roasted Sablefish ($28) with summer-squash ratatouille, brandade, and crispy squash blossom, and also a BBQ'd Rockfish ($26) with sweet corn succotash, marjoram, and Virginia ham both had the potential to be very fine, the recipes themselves being interesting and the accompaniments well-executed, but unfortunately both pieces of fish were noticeably overcooked, and that rendered the entire entrée portion of the meal good "on paper only,"

This certainly was not my experience last night at Vermilion. My fish entree, the bbq'd rockfish, was fantastic; moist and perfectly grilled under a light brushing of smoky bbq sauce. Started with an exemplary fresh corn chowder with mussels, and a perfect heirloom cherry tomato salad with burrata and basil: summer summer summer!!! The pork-three ways was equally well prepared, and I was particularly enamoured of the carefully conceived boudin. No complaints about the service at all. Everyone was efficient and helpful, and our server informed us immediately that they had run out of soft shells. We were seated upstairs at a two-top overlooking the parade of life along King Street, which was great for people watching between courses. The only choice I regretted was the nutella pana cotta with hazelnut crepe and mascerated strawberries (sounds awesome, right?!) The crepe had spent too much time in the refrigerator, lacking that warm buttery, soft velvet mouthfeel, and the berries were not flavorful. I am sorry that Heather and Tony are no longer the team they were at Notti Bianche.

There are a few appetizer and entree selections offered in half portions at half price (including the rockfish at $14) - making a three-course dinner with a glass of wine for under $40 easily accomplished for those without gargantuan appetites.

[christopherc]

Has anyone heard what Vermilion plans to do with the Fish Market when they take over, leave as is, change menu, format, etc?