This being my first post here, I want to start off by saying what a great resource this board is. I enjoyed the posts of a number of members back when they were with eGullet and followed along as this site got set up. I’ve used DR for dining recommendations on my forays to DC and as part of my burger research along the East Coast – it was here, for instance, that I found out about your treasure that is Ollie's Trolley.
So, in search of a restaurant near Vienna, where my mom was visiting, I came upon this thread. I really enjoyed my meal here.
I’d say the only real disappointment was the renovation. It doesn’t appear that much was preserved of what may well have been a quite interesting building in the course of a rather uninspired, albeit costly makeover. As noted above, the bar was ear-splittingly loud, but little of the din made it to the upstairs dining room, which was bustling but didn’t affect table conversation.
I mentioned to our server that I’d learned about the restaurant on DR. Apparently the GM, Mark, overheard me, as he appeared moments later bearing a photocopy of Kliman's review in the Washingtonian. He also told us that the restaurant had been gotten a Best of Washington nod in the December issue of the magazine, which just hit the stands that day.
The breads were quite good. The sweetrolls were my favorite; an Italian featherbread and a darker one whose name I can’t recall were also served. The butter was too warm, though, degrading the effect of the fleur de sel that was supposed to coat it.
For starters, mom and gf each had a salad – the Clarendon and the apple/endive. Both were generous and well composed. I had the Calhoun’s ham, and it was delicious, served in thin slices. The spätzle were a tad small perhaps, but a perfect complement. The sauce was flavored with maple syrup, I believe, and was really, really good. The recommended, somewhat sweet Riesling paired well with this dish.
For mains, mom had the orata, which has replaced the char but is prepared identically. Very tasty. It had a really smoky bite, which I find surprising can be accomplished with smoked cranberry mostarda. I thought it had to be bacon. Gf had the eggplant ala Grecque, which was plated as a mini tower – unusual, in that it comes from the “wood burning oven” section of the menu. The eggplant was a bit underdone, but she enjoyed it all the same. My (New England?) bollito misto was very good. The veal cheek was spot on, the breast maybe a tad overdone, and the beef not boiled but rather a bit of the very tasty grilled hangar steak. But man, the cotechino – juicy, fatty, perfectly seasoned. Just excellent. The accompanying salsa verde was well-made and a smart, delicious complement to this dish. The Barbera was another good suggestion here.
For dessert, I had two Virginia cheeses: Everona Dairy’s sheep’s milk offering was aged to dry flavorlessness. The Meadow Creek taleggio, on the other hand, was full of body and most enjoyable.
Service was prompt, pleasant, well-informed, and efficient. The only gaffe involved my ham starter, which arrived nearly 10 minutes after the salads were served. In that service seemed to run so smoothly all around us, it had to be some mishap in the kitchen. The dish was presented with an apology and a promise to “take care of it,” and it was.
I think level of cooking here is surprisingly high for the prices being charged. I’d recommend it in an instant and hope myself to return soon.
