Grapeseed, Cordell Avenue in Bethesda - Chef Jeff Heineman's Cafe and Wine Bar - Closed Jul 29, 2017 after 17 Years

[alan7147]

One that comes to mind for me is Grapeseed in Bethesda. Had a great meal there last month. I find this to be one of the highlights of the Bethesda restaurant scene. There are so many restaurants downtown, but hardly any GOOD ones. Anyone have any thoughts on this place?

[JPW]

I never see Da Domenico's mentioned very often.  This mainstay in the Tyson's area has what I believe to be the best veal chop in town.  I think it is their signature dish.  The place is quite popular. 

And I never see much discussion of what I will describe as the "old guard" in the Old Town area; places such as Le Refuge, La Bergerie, Le Gaulois.

My last meal at Gaulois (about 2 years ago) was competent but in no way a stand out. However, if the weather is right it has the nicest outdoor seating in Alexandria.

My last meal at Bistro Lafayette showed it to be the winner in the Alexandria old school French cuisine battle.

[Giancarlo Buonarotti]

One that comes to mind for me is Grapeseed in Bethesda. Had a great meal there last month. I find this to be one of the highlights of the Bethesda restaurant scene. There are so many restaurants downtown, but hardly any GOOD ones.  Anyone have any thoughts on this place?

this rest had it's up and down (just one) was apparently tied to sous chef stevie fela who left for 8-10 months and then returned. i have not been there in 10 mos or so but understand it is still excellent

[Demvtr]

Grapeseed takes the crown for Restaurant Week. I hit Acadiana, IndeBleu, Poste, and Zengo during D.C.'s Restaurant Week, but my dinner last night at Grapeseed during Bethesda's Restaurant Week easily matched any of my D.C. Restaurant Week experiences.

None of my party of four had ever been to Grapeseed. I was happy to find out after being seated that the restaurant's Restaurant Week menu consisted of their entire menu, with upcharges for the filet mignon, scallops, and lobster entrees. Other than those exceptions, it was open season on the menu. I have included the whole menu below. (I shot the restaurant an e-mail yesterday asking for the menu in advance of the dinner, but they did not get back to me until today.)

Interestingly, because the menu is divided, somewhat untraditionally, into Beginnings, Middles, Ends, and "Extras" (desserts), Grapeseed is allowing diners some flexibility for Restaurant Week. One can choose an End (entree) and two other dishes from anywhere else on the menu. That's right. You can get two Beginnings and an Entree and skip dessert if you so choose. (But I do NOT recommend skipping dessert. I was still thinking about my dessert on my run this morning, and my thoughts were on the lines of, "So worth it.")

If you've not been to Grapeseed, I'll briefly describe it. The restaurant is a narrow space and was, apparently, a garage at some point, as the front of the restaurant is a (well-disguised) garage door. The atmosphere is California wine bar, with blond wood bars and tables and wine bottles lining the bar wall. There is a u-shaped bar near the entrance and a second, small bar overlooking the kitchen in back.

The bread that started the meal was soft, white and so ordinary-looking that I normally would have passed. But the tomato-garlic oil that it is served with is so flavorful (and absorbed so well by the bread) that I ended up having two pieces.

All of us ordered different appetizers. My date ordered the stuffed piquillo pepper, which is a breaded red pepper stuffed with goat cheese and fried. It is served on a small plate surrounded by two or three sauces and/or tapenades. I did not try the pepper, but the sauces surrounding it, including one that seemed to be a tomato spread, were great.

One of my dining companions ordered the field greens salad with sherry vinaigrette. I did not try it, and its presentation was not particularly evocative, but he did finish every leaf, so I assume it was a classic done well.

The steamed mussels appetizer ordered by one of my dining companions looked outstanding, with a number of mussels bathed in an appealing cream-colored broth presented in a big bowl.

I ordered the Hawaiian-style ahi tuna, and it was the best appetizer I have had in recent memory. Presented on a long, rectangular plate, a clutch of diced, grilled pineapple occupies the left side of the dish, while rectangular layers of not-too-thinly-sliced raw tuna are presented (once again) in a perfect rectangle spread across the plate like a deck of cards spread across a table. Hidden under the generous portion of tuna was a small, sesame-seed laced pile of seaweed salad, and a sweet soy sauce drizzled over the whole plate brought all the flavors together. I left not a bite on the plate.

The four of us diverged once again in ordering our entrees. My date ordered the vegetarian offering, a fairly complex dish that was well-received, though not perfect. I believe my date, who accompanied me to each of the DC Restaurant Week outings, and lacks no sophistication in dining out, was a wee bit confused by the dish, and I was not far behind her. The menu lists a "smoked potato tart" as the main course. What comes out is a pale white disc, maybe a bit smaller than a CD, that looks like an English tea biscuit and is covered with a thick layer of what my date thought was sour cream. Nothing about the presentation would make one think of a potato dish, but the flavor was distinctly that of a potato, though it was just shy of being overwhelmed by the thick cream layered on top. The roast tomato jam laid atop the cream was a good addition to the tart and enlivened the flavor. I thought the tempura shiitakes, two big, fresh mushrooms fried in a light batter, were outstanding, but my date thought they were a bit greasy. The well-prepared sautéed spinach disappeared quickly.

One of my dining companions ordered the catfish entree, and that was, by far, the most interesting presentation of the entrees. The catfish does not make an appearance on the plate; it is ensconced within a pastry-like shell, along with its Creole sauce and the "dirty rice" listed on the menu. It was fascinating to watch my friend break open the shell, and she had nothing but good things to say about the fish's flavor.

Someone had to try the red meat, and one of my dining companions did so with pleasure. The filet mignon is an enormous chunk of meat, and I was skeptical of how well something so thick could be cooked, but my friend said it was cooked just as he wanted it, and backed his words up by absolutely cleaning his plate (and then wondering aloud about whether he could get away with sopping the sauce and juices up with a piece of bread). The filet was ordered medium but, despite my friend's utter satisfaction, I thought it looked a bit too pink to qualify as medium.

I inadvertently granted myself the biggest indulgence of the year so far by ordering the salmon. Let me preface the description of the entree by noting that the kitchen was flexible enough to skip the bacon aspect of the dish upon my request. The salmon is brought out in a medium-sized, hot-to-the-touch iron skillet. The half-dozen or so clams swimming alongside the salmon filet were fine, though I am no connoisseur of clams. The aforementioned indulgence came in the form of what the salmon and clams were swimming in: an absolute pool of rich yellow butter sauce. The buttery sauce seeped into the salmon and potato cubes, making what would have been a very good unsauced entree almost hedonistic. And a flaky triangle-shaped pastry (strangely labeled as a "cracker" on the menu) sopped up the butter sauce and melted in my mouth.

After a brief respite, we faced our last course. The table got one pumpkin crème brulée, one "Chocolate Marquis," and two of the tempura-roasted banana. The pumpkin crème brulée was good, but not great. The texture was a bit thin, and the flavor emphasized spiciness over the pumpkin's natural sweetness. The Chocolate Marquis consisted of two rectangular slices of what looked like a creamy fudge covered with stripes of a dark chocolate sauce and some scattered pistachios. "Rich" would be a descriptive understatement. One of my dining companions said that he may have gained a pound from his one forkful. It was a chocolate lover's dream, but is likely too much for one person to handle if he or she is less than a chocolate addict.

The best of the bunch was the tempura-roasted banana. As described by our server, the kitchen takes bananas that have been made into the consistency of custard or pudding, freezes them, cuts them into cubes, and deep fries them in a tempura batter. What comes out is a large cube of near-caramelized bananas held together by a thin layer of tempura, with a subtly-flavored scoop of key lime ice cream slowly melting from heat emanating from the plate's star. The graham crumbs are a presentation-oriented afterthought that can barely be tasted in the mix of other flavors. Perfection is achieved in the caramel sauce covering the plate in a thin layer. This is not store-bought, cloying, thick, gooey caramel. This is a blond-colored, thin, sweet caramel that forces one to smile when it is tasted. There was no debate; the tempura-roasted banana put its menu-mates to shame.

In light of the fact that Grapeseed is, first and foremost, a wine bar, I will mention in closing that my party ordered a bottle of pinot noir. I drove, so I have no idea how the wine tasted, but I can say that it was expertly presented and appreciatively consumed by my dinner companions.

As promised above, here is Grapeseed's Restaurant Week menu:

Thank you for joining us for Restaurant Week.
From January 23rd through 29th

Guests dining at Grapeseed can enjoy a 3 course dinner for $30.06.
Our entire menu is available
However, there is a slight surcharge for some of the entrees.

Due the nature of this promotion we will not be able to split plates or make substitutions.

If you do not wish to take advantage of this special, everything is available a la carte for the listed price.

Beginnings

Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms 6
Sherry Vinegar & Truffled Polenta

Steamed Mussels 8
Smoked Bacon, Apples & Rosemary

Lobster Potstickers 12
Dashi Broth

"Shaking Beef" 10
Filet Mignon & Daikon Salad

Cornmeal Fried Oysters 5.50
Bacon Beurre Blanc

Stuffed Piquillo Pepper 6
Goat Cheese & Roast Tomato Vinaigrette

Hawaiian Style Ahi Poke 10
Wakame Seaweed Salad, Grilled Pineapple & Ponzu

Middles

Grilled Romaine Salad with Orange-Cumin Dressing, Peppadews & Cotija Cheese 8

Pipe Dreams Goat Cheese Mousse with Hazelnuts, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Basil Oil 8

Field Green Salad with House Sherry Vinaigrette 6

Celeriac Soup with Toasted Pepitas 8


Sides

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes 4
Creamed Organic Greens 5
Cheddar Mac and Cheese 5

Ends

Grilled Lobster & Shrimp Skewer 32
($6 supplement for restaurant week special)
Black Bean--Fruit Salad & Caribbean Jerk Sauce

Sautéed Atlantic Salmon 26
Creamy Leeks, Bacon, Mushrooms, Manila Clams & Dill--Sea Salt Cracker

Roasted Duck Breast 25
Israeli Couscous, Pistachios, Pickled Carrots, Sweet and Sour Pearl Onions, Sherry Gastrique

Smoked Potato Tart & Tempura Shiitakes 22
Sautéed Spinach, Roast Tomato Jam & Truffle Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted Filet Mignon 32
($6 supplement for restaurant week special)
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes & Oxtail-Mushroom Ragoí»t

Braised Pork Shank 24
Cheddar Grits, Chipotle Barbeque Sauce & Chilies Rajas

Creole Style Catfish 22
Crispy Catfish, Dirty Rice, Shrimp Remoulade & Creole Sauce

Spice Crusted Day Boat Scallops 32
($6 supplement for restaurant week special)
Sunchoke Puree, Shitake Salad & Cilantro Salt

Seared Rare Tuna 26
Potato & Ricotta Croquette, Paprika-Tomato Sauce & Baby Arugula

Extras

Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding 8
Homemade pepita ice cream and salted caramel

Chocolate Marquis 8
Thick, chocolate terrine with crème anglaise & pistachios

Chilled Lemongrass Soup 8
Coconut Custard

Pumpkin Crème Brulée 8
Creamy pumpkin custard served with brandy crisps

Warm Apple Crisp 8
Homemade vanilla ice cream

Tempura Roasted Banana 8
Homemade key lime ice cream, graham crumbs & caramel sauce

[DanielK]

Oh, that's painful - I'm going tonight, and now 7pm seems so far away...

[collije]

Hmmm... that review was great Demvtr. I've recently eaten at Zengo's & Indebleu, and look forward to my own comparison.

Had to give up my dinner reservation to Grapeseed yesterday [conflict], but am definitely doing a 8-person event on Thursday night.

[DanielK]

Grapeseed is almost a great restaurant.

Unfortunately, the "almost" creeps in to every element of the restaurant, from decor to service to food. We'll start with being greeted at the front door. The hostess smiles warmly, welcomes us to the restaurant. I mention my reservation, she punches a few keys, grabs menus, and starts to take off across the floor. No "follow me" - is she checking on a table? Do we follow? We guess correctly, and are shown to a small 2-top in the cozy dining room.

The table is not unreasonably small, but up against the wall, it seems a little bit claustrophobic. So we surrepetitiously move the table 3 inches away from the wall, problem solved. That's when the noise level starts to set in. It's not a large space, and the exposed ceiling really amplifies the voices. Add in the open kitchen, and you have, well, noise. Next time, I'll sit at the back bar. Rather than a view of the expansive wine and liquor selection as at the front bar, the bar in the rear actually looks over the open kitchen, where you get to see Chef Jeff Heineman literally tower over his kitchen staff - Jeff is far north of 6 feet tall.

Grapeseed, fortunately, is one of those places that "gets it" for Restaurant Week. The entire menu is available, with surcharges for only two dishes. Diners may choose any combination of two appetizers, salads, or desserts to go with their entree, so you really get to make a meal of your own choosing for $30. Since Grapeseed is, by creation, a wine bar, every item on the menu has a pre-selected wine to go with it, available by 1.5oz or 3oz pour, or by the bottle. In addition, they have an expansive wine list by the bottle or glass, a feat unto itself in Montgomery County.

While we peruse the menu, drink orders are taken, and bread brought to the table. The bread, very faintly echoing sourdough, is brought to life by a house-made tomato-garlic oil that makes it difficult to stop at one piece.

My wife elects to take advantage of the menu flexibility, and goes for two appetizers instead of dessert - the Cornmeal Fried Oysters (bacon beurre blanc), and the Pipe Dreams Goat Cheese Mousse with hazelnuts, sun dried tomatoes & basil oil. The oysters were well prepared - big, meaty, creamy oysters with a rich flavor, perefectly fried, and a generous 5 of them on the plate. But the sauce doesn't do them justice - it's so bland, you taste nothing beyond the fat in the sauce. Oysters like these can stand up to something with a bit more kick. The goat cheese was fine, if not revelatory, but I'm not sure where the mousse part comes in. It just seemed like a wedge of goat cheese on a cracker with ingredients strewn across the plate. My Lobster Potstickers (dashi broth) were full of lobster meat - well, they were full of shellfish, certainly, but it was hard to tell that it was lobster. That characteristic sweetness didn't come through, and the "potstickers" were actually steamed, not fried as the name might imply. Still, the dish was enjoyable, and the broth fragrant and rich, but had I paid the full menu price of $12 for the two dumplings, I might have been more resentful. To the waiter's credit, he did warn me about the portion size when I ordered. The wine paired with the lobster was a California sake, but sake has never grown on me, so I asked the waiter for a substitution. He bypassed the other wines listed on the daily menu, and instead went with the French Pierre Sparr ONE 2002. Not too sweet nor too dry, it did balance well with the dumplings.

For our entrees, whimsically called "ends", to contrast with the appetizers (beginnings) and salads (middles), my wife chose Braised Pork Shank (cheddar grits, chipotle barbeque sauce & chilies rajas), and I selected the Saut�ed Atlantic Salmon (creamy leeks, bacon, mushrooms, manila clams & dill-sea salt cracker). Hours later, I'm still wondering where the chipotle and chilis were on the pork dish. The pork was wonderfully braised, nearly carmelizing the fat, and making you question whether this bone really came from a pig. The grits were intensely creamy, and provided a great base to the giant slab of meat. Had the chef only not ruined it with a cloyingly sweet sauce drenching the plate, tasting nothing of chipotle, chilies, or, frankly, barbecue sauce. I really wanted to like this dish, and it would have worked better without any sauce at all.

The salmon was flawlessly prepared - just the slightest hint of red in the center of the light pink filet, making me unfortunately realize that I wish the chef would have gone with Pacific or wild salmon, rather than the clearly farm-raised Atlantic. Served in a cast-iron skillet, drowning in cream sauce (broth? sauce? who cares - there was not a drop left in the pan once the bread basket was refilled) chock full of clams in the shell, potato, bacon, leeks - almost a chowder. This almost perfect dish was marred by the temperature at which it was served - while the server warned me about the heat from the skillet, I wasn't also warned that the sauce was nearly boiling when it was set in front of me. My wife was nearly finished with her dish when the salmon was finally cool enough to eat, which, when my tongue needed water most, was about the time that the waiter took a 10 minute vanishing act. Luckily, I already had the glass of pinot noir paired with the salmon, though I am drawing a complete blank as to the producer and vintage.

Since my wife indulged in double appetizers, I was on my own for dessert. Normally, I'm a chocolate guy, so the Chocolate Marquis (chocolate terrine with crème anglaise & pistachios) called seductively. However, I am foremost a key lime obsessor, so the Tempura Roasted Banana (homemade key lime ice cream, graham crumbs & caramel sauce) won the day. The true star of the evening - this dish was perfect. The tartness of the key limes were a perfect match for the sweetness of the bananas, and the crispness (and lack of any noticeable grease) of the tempura batter pulled the whole dish together. The graham crumbs were a nice wave to the namesake pie, and the caramel sauce lightly grazing the plate only made me wish I was eating at home, so I could lick the plate clean.

It was an enjoyable evening - the slips in service and food were consistent enough to mention, but not severe enough to affect the overall meal. They're only a couple of steps from greatness. The total for the two of us including a generous tip was just under $100 - figure $30 more without the RW discount. That's the price point where I don't expect the glitches we saw, so while Grapeseed is certainly on my list of places to eat in Bethesda, I'd say they're on probation until they can win me over with a less-flawed performance.

[giant shrimp]

Grapeseed is almost a great restaurant.

However, I am foremost a key lime obsessor, so the Tempura Roasted Banana (homemade key lime ice cream, graham crumbs & caramel sauce) won the day. The true star of the evening - this dish was perfect.

sounds from your account that this is a place for just desserts, and you have some good pointers for the chef. the only time we ever visited this restaurant was a few years ago when a hurricane had knocked out the electricity and we walked for miles, i believe starting with greenwood, before we found anything on. grapeseed was fortunate to be on one of those blocks with juice, and we were told it had been restored only shortly before we walked in the door. i remember that the accent was on the wine, dirty tasting snails the only off plate in our meal. seafood was the highlight. our waiter put an inordinate amount of effort into looking down his nose. we certainly will be thinking about grapeseed the next time the wind disrupts the power grid and there are still pockets of bethesda left standing.

Edited January 25, 2006 by giant shrimp

[Demvtr]

I'm sorry the service wasn't everything it should have been, Daniel, but I'm glad you liked the salmon and tempura-roasted banana as much as I did!

[KeithA]

My birthday is next week and I'm going to Grapeseed for the first time. Any recommendations on dishes that shouldn't be missed?

[cjsadler]

Two Stars

"Like one of the newly svelte winners on "The Biggest Loser," the rethought Grapeseed is an inspiration."

[figureitout26]

Hello everyone it's Jeannine Hurtado, GM of Grapeseed in Bethesda. It's been a while since I've been on the site but that will change. We've been pretty busy since we remodeled last November. We just kicked off this new 4 course (first 2 courses family style and you can ask for more) Sunday dinner extravaganza this past sunday...its actually entitled "Grapeseed Sunday Suppers" and it went really well. We had tons of friends and family come in to try it out.

Basically we serve the first two courses, antipasti & pasta, family style and then guests choose their entrees and desserts. I asked for feedback from people and reviews were glowing -- the only complaint I heard is that it was too much food. Not the worst complaint since it was the first time we attempted a feat like this.

Sorry to sign on after a few months only to mention Grapeseed, but I figure it really went well as it passed the family/friends and real diners test so people should know about it.

I'm going to get back to perusing other topics and see if I can interject with anything insightful or mildly entertaining.

Happy Earth Day- Week!!!

[DanielK]

...We just kicked off this new 4 course (first 2 courses family style and you can ask for more) Sunday dinner extravaganza this past sunday...its actually entitled "Grapeseed Sunday Suppers" and it went really well. We had tons of friends and family come in to try it out.

Basically we serve the first two courses, antipasti & pasta, family style and then guests choose their entrees and desserts.

Can you provide more info on cost, course choices, etc.?

Even better, update the website with said information...

[figureitout26]

Can you provide more info on cost, course choices, etc.?

Even better, update the website with said information...

Your right it would be even better to update the website. Our elusive website configurator has been MIA. I will make sure it's fully updated in the coming days.

Heres the basic rundown for Sundays to come. The moment you sit down a variety of homemade bread and dips arrives Last Sunday we provided a liver pate, brandade, and roast. tomato w/ garlic.

First course to follow which is an antipasti course--last Sunday it consisted of Antipasti: Bruschetta – roasted garlic, tomato and basil, Asparagus grilled and chilled w/oregano lemon vinaigrette and a variety of meats and cheeses.

Pasta course is the next course which is completely homeade and moderately sized, unlike the daunting hubcap sized Bucca de Beppo portions most people equate with "family style" anything. Last Sunday it was Orchiette with chick peas & Gnocchi with meat ragout. These 2 courses, if much appreciated, can be reproduced upon request.

Entrees and desserts are served individually and the entree selected determines the per person cost. Last Sunday it was:

Salmon with faro salad ($40.00), Ribeye with escarole ($50.00),Roast chicken with panzanella ($35.00), and Sauteed Cod with roasted mushrooms ($40.00).

Look to the website in the upcoming days to see this weekends menu.

[DanielK]

Since it's a "family" meal, are there any plans to make entrees available that are more kid-friendly? I'm not asking for chicken nuggets, but a $40 plate of Sauteed Cod with Roasted Mushrooms is probably not a great deal for me to order for my 8-year-old.

[figureitout26]

Since it's a "family" meal, are there any plans to make entrees available that are more kid-friendly? I'm not asking for chicken nuggets, but a $40 plate of Sauteed Cod with Roasted Mushrooms is probably not a great deal for me to order for my 8-year-old.

Good question. It's more so family style in the style of plating and presentation. Bear in mind we do welcome kids and are willing concoct a meal for them from something that we have on hand if need be.

[hm212]

I understand that you will "concoct a meal for kids" but if I am going out with my kids and don't see it on the website we probably would just pass and go on the next restaurant.

Just my humble opinion but if you are trying for the "family dinner" you may want to add kid details to the menu and website.

Good question. It's more so family style in the style of plating and presentation. Bear in mind we do welcome kids and are willing concoct a meal for them from something that we have on hand if need be.

[Andelman]

I think there is a difference between "family-style" and what you all are perceiving as a "family dinner". I think Grapeseed is trying to do something a bit different for Sunday night service, slighly akin to what they are doing at The Majestic in Old Town. I don't think the kids items are really necessary....

[DanielK]

I think there is a difference between "family-style" and what you all are perceiving as a "family dinner". I think Grapeseed is trying to do something a bit different for Sunday night service, slighly akin to what they are doing at The Majestic in Old Town. I don't think the kids items are really necessary....

Not to argue the point, because I understand where you're going, but isn't the Majestic a bit more conservative in the kinds of dishes being served, and it's a fixed per-person price, right? If it's a table full of pasta, fried chicken, meatloaf, etc. I can bring the kids, know they'll eat, and happily take home leftovers if they set out food for 4 adults and we eat less. But it just doesn't make sense for me to bring younger kids to something like this. Which is fine if it's not the intent, hence my questions.

[DonRocks]

["Family-style supper" doesn't imply the supper is for a family, any more than "doggie-style sex" implies the sex is for a dog. If we can all agree on the definition of the term, let's please go back and note that Jeanine has now posted three times about it, and not once did she imply the meal was for kids. Not a big deal, but the original post seems to have gone off-course a bit. Cheers, Rocks.]

[figureitout26]

Whew! Nine hours (including 3 hrs on the phone with our website dude), 2 red bulls, surpise chinese food, one fortune cookie (which said i was going in the right direction ) and a sparkling water later -- I have updated our website but I am still getting some new pictures up to better show the new Grapeseed which is twice the size as the former. This whole website updating is harder than reading hieroglyphics . I hope I get better at it, and kudos to all of you who can add that to your resume. In any case the Sunday Suppers menu is up and online. Please feel free to check it out and let me know if you have any suggestions!

[Scott]

I just got from having dinner at Grapeseed tonight. I hadn't been since they expanded. It was really good. I had a "ribs" app that was actually a fish dish. It was fantastic- although, while the wine that went with it was very good, it didn't seem to go so great with the fish- I was yearning for a white. Let it be known that I am not a wine afficianado, so take that for what it's worth.

Lamb was fantastic as well and wine cab went great with it.

Brownie marshmallow dessert, which has been on the menu for a long time, was its usual good self. Vintage port really hit the spot.

[figureitout26]

I know it's a last minute posting considering that the next one is TOMORROW, but I'd figure if anyone was in the area and wanted to come over we'd love to have you...

We are hosting a wine tasting every third thursday of the month entitled "Taste and Mingle" starting at 5:30, late arrivals welcome, just let us know if you have additional questions so we can catch you up.

It fun, laid back and informative. We are focusing on specific regions and/or varietals. Last month was our first go at it, as we hit regions in Spain. Good times.

Tomorrow the tasting features Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara. An assortment of tapas designed to accompany the wines are delivered throughout.

Last but not least, our overly hyperactive wine guro Ernie will lead the shindig.

Call for reservations 301.986.9592 or pop in and let us know you are taking part. Tasting is scheduled to ended around 7:30ish. $30 a person.

-Jeannine

[collije]

Pssst, reminder that it's Bethesda's Restaurant Week right now [through August 3rd].

Had a nice smaller event with 6 other folks there. Haven't been back since the remodel, but the space does look good [got a glimpse of the private dining space too]. Can be pretty chatty noise-wise the closer you sit to the front windows/bar area, so if you can snag a table closer to the kitchen that's recommended. Got to see Rocks dining there last night as well.

All of us took advantage of the RW deal. About 8 options for the Starters, Salads, & Mains courses, and about 5 for Dessert [some Mains had upcharges]. Everyone loved their meals, and those that chose wine-paired meals were quite impressed with how well they actually paired. In particular, things particularly well-received on the Starters/Salads were the Braised Beef Short Ribs, Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms, and the Fresh Spinach Salad, Bacon, Mustard Vinaigrette, Mac ‘n Cheese Croutons. For the Mains, the Grilled Monkfish, Roasted Elysian Fields Lamb Loin, and the Pan-Roasted Chicken. And for the Desserts the Trio of Sorbets: Raspberry, Pineapple & Mango and the Dulce De Leche Cheesecake, Caramelized Pineapple, Macadamia Nut Brittle [note to Rocks, both the Chicken & Cheesecake recommendations were great, thanks!] were excellent. There's a Consultant currently that's helping Grapeseed with designing their dessert menu [can't remember who it is currently, past experience w/ helping Jeff Tunks's establishments if I remember right], very nice job. Desserts in the past were always nice, but I'm much looking forward to seeing how the Dessert Menu will evolve over time.

Overall, an excellent meal & lots of folks [many were 1st timers] that came to my event loved it. Chef Jeff Heineman is still producing good food in the kitchen.

[Jeff Heineman]

Hi, Jeff Heineman of Grapeseed here.

I have been lurking long enough I figure I may as well add something.

We are going to be starting something soon that I think will appeal to the hungrier oenophiles on this board. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, we will be hosting the first in our "You be the Sommelier " dinner series. We are doing Pinot Noirs first and it will run like this:

Several of our vendors will present their pinots just as they would present them to us. The price we would charge per glass will be included so that can be be a part of the decision making process. After tasting 4 or 5 wines per course, you will vote to decide which wines will be on our by the glass list for the next few months. Truly Democracy in action.

We will have 4 or more wines each from France, Oregon, California & a “wild card” selected by the vendors. These will be paired with five varietally appropriate courses.

I hope this will be a fun lively night (things are usually lively after 16 or so wines), that I can do again with other varietals. And if it works really well I can fire my Wine Director, Ernie.

It’s the Friday after Thanksgiving, so if you are going to be in town, plan on spending Friday night debating the merits of way too many pinot noirs.

$85 includes tax and gratuity.

Shameless Plugging can be fun.

Jeff Heineman

[Jeff Heineman]

Hi, Jeff here.

To keep you all abreast of what we're doing here at Grapeseed, a quick note.

We have had two awesome "You be the Sommelier" Dinners now. and our guests have chosen the Pinots and Cabs that we serve by the glass. They have been a blast and we would like to see some Rockwell types at the next dinner in January when our guests will be selecting some wines for our Rhones section.

Our New Year's Menu is done and we have some space available, not 7:30 mind you, but some space. We are doing 5 courses for $80 including a glass of cava. Same price as last year but one extra course. here...

New Year’s Eve 2008 Menu

Amuse Bouche

Course One

A Course Guaranteed to bring you Luck, Good Health and Riches in the coming year

Hoppin’ John Cake, Pork Belly, Organic Greens

Course Two

Chestnut Soup, Roasted Turnips, Brussels Sprouts

Or

Grilled Shrimp, Tom Yum Broth, Daikon

Course Three

Homemade Gnocchi, Wild Mushrooms, Sherry Vinegar

Or

Homemade Orchiette, Chickpeas, Roasted Tomato, Lemon

Course Four

Grilled Lobster, Pink Lentils, Baby Bok Choy, Five Spice

Or

Pan Roasted Filet Mignon, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes, Oxtail Ragout

Or

Sauteed Grouper, Caribbean Fruits, Black Bean Broth

Course Five

Chocolate Cremeaux, Orange Caramel, Devil's Food Crumb, Maldon Sea Salt

Or

Warm Spicy Ginger Cake, Caramelized Cinnamon Ice Cream, Apple-Date Butter

Mignardise

$80 per person includes a glqass of Cava

Special Wine Pairings available $20 for 5 Tastes, $40 for 5 Glasses

Very Special Wine Pairings available $30 for 5 Tastes, $60 for 5 Glasses

And we start LUNCH on January 6th.

Jeff

[Jeff Heineman]

hey, just a reminder that Bethesda's Restaurant Week is going on now.

We're doing 2 courses at lunch for $12. And 3 courses at dinner for $30. As usual you can order two appetizers if you want to skip dessert here at Grapeseed.

I've got a few changes includng new Scallop, Salmon and Portobello entrees.

Friday and Saturday are full, but we might be doing this all next week as well.

Jeff

[MMM]

Four of us enjoyed a delicious Bethesda Restaurant Week dinner at Grapeseed last night. The appetizer courses are particularly tempting including an excellent Crabcake, Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms served on soft polenta (I had that and loved it) and Cornmeal Fried Oysters. Their RW menu is on the restaurant's web site, so I won't try to recreate it here. I also had Pan-Roasted Chicken with slices of crisp sweet potatoes in a cherry sauce and some tasty garlicky greens. My husband paid extra for the Spicy Scallops which he enjoyed and our friends had Swai and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms. For dessert we tried Chocolate Cremeaux, and the Warm Spicy Ginger Cake with Caramelized Cinnamon Ice Cream and Apple-Date Butter. I had the latter and was hard-pressed to share with the others.

Very pleasant ambiance, nice wine list (and glassware) and good service combined with exceptional food make this a really good option for dinner in Bethesda. And especially this week!

[goodeats]

Bethesda has extended its RW to Saturday, Feb. 7, and it's great that lunch is only $12 pre-tax for any two items on the RW menu here. Following MMM, I chose the Warm Spicy Ginger Cake with Caramelized Cinnamon Ice Cream & Apple Date Butter for my second course, with Shrimp, tasso gravy & stone-ground grits as my first course. I really thought the Shrimp with grits (or grits-substitute of polenta today, due to a vendor issue) was going to be appetizer size, so I was all set to choose a main course as my second course, when I saw the actual dish. There was 4 big pieces of shrimp (sorry, but I am bad at shrimp varieties) with plenty of tasso that ended up being very flavorful in combination and individually and very filling. Service was very attentive and warm. Definitely worth a trip here if you can spare time this week.

[jandres374]

Bethesda has extended its RW to Saturday, Feb. 7, and it's great that lunch is only $12 pre-tax for any two items on the RW menu here. Following MMM, I chose the Warm Spicy Ginger Cake with Caramelized Cinnamon Ice Cream & Apple Date Butter for my second course, with Shrimp, tasso gravy & stone-ground grits as my first course. I really thought the Shrimp with grits (or grits-substitute of polenta today, due to a vendor issue) was going to be appetizer size, so I was all set to choose a main course as my second course, when I saw the actual dish. There was 4 big pieces of shrimp (sorry, but I am bad at shrimp varieties) with plenty of tasso that ended up being very flavorful in combination and individually and very filling. Service was very attentive and warm. Definitely worth a trip here if you can spare time this week.

I am working from home tomorrow and thinking about stopping by for lunch. What is the crowd like at lunchtime - is it difficult to grab a seat at the bar during lunch this week?

[goodeats]

Join your fellow Rockweilers at Grapeseed on Tuesday, March 24 at 7pm for a five-course dinner prepared creatively by Chef/Owner Jeff Heineman!

The cost is $

50

per person for

nondrinkers

and $

70

for

wine-pairings

, including tax and tip.

A great BIG thanks to Chef Jeff! The night began and ended in the following pictorial:

A high & middle view of our space:

Don's gift for the table (thanks!):

Passed:

Housemade Grilled Flatbread, Mussels, Preserved Lemon, Manchego

Grilled Flatbread, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, Lardo

1st Course: Spring Peas, Mint, Macadamia Nuts, White Chocolate

2nd Course: Red Mullet, Barley Risotto, Basil, Orange-jalapeno reduction

3rd Course: Grapeseed Carbonara, Guanciale, Farm Yolk, Parmigiano

4th Course: Elysian Fields Lamb, Creamed Turnip, Fermanted Black Garlic sauce

5th Course: Apricot-Hazelnut Napoleon, Dried Fruits, Vanilla

[dcdavidm]

If you could program your time machine to achieve optimal gastronomic pleasure, you would have gone back in time to sign up with "goodeats: for the dr.com dinner at Grapeseed this evening. Talk about a great event! Chef Jeff Heineman prepared a superb five-course, off-the-menu selection of outrageously good food for the seven lucky Rockwellians in attendance.

Appetites whetted by grilled flatbreads topped with roasted tomatoes and lardo in one case, and mussels, preserved lemon, and manchego cheese in another, the celebration of the season began with a salad of peas, mint, macademia nuts, and white chocolate. The colors and flavors belied the sub-normal temperatures outside and made one truly appreciate the promise of springtime.

A second course of red mullet, sourced to Brazil but tasting just off the boat, combined with a barley risotto to blend the freshness of the ocean with the graininess of the plains in a mouth filling mélange of flavors and textures.

Carbonara composed of freshly made pasta, guanciale, and egg yolk was a reminder of how really good farm-fresh eggs can be as the simple sauce for silken noodles.

The surprise of the evening, though, was the course of lamb loin with turnip puree and black garlic. The lamb was perfect, but the real treat was the turnip, simply boiled and processed through a tamis into an ethereal turnip essence.

The final course of an apricot and hazelnut napoleon was an amalgam of flavors and textures that was a fitting end to the meal.

Thanks to Chef Heineman for his creative instincts and to "goodeats" for arranging the event. Thanks, too, to Don Rockwell; it was a pleasure meeting him and sharing food and wine with him.

[MC Horoscope]

Thanks a lot to Chef, GoodEats, Don Rocks, and everyone at the table for a lovely evening! I couldn't describe it any better than in David's post.

The wines served went like this:

Chasse du Pape Blanc - Rhone Valley, France (Marsanne-Roussane)

Tavignano Verdiccho dei Castelli di Jesi - Marches, Italy (Verdicchio)

Hartford Court Four Hearts Vineyards Chardonnay - Russian River Valley, California

Di Stefano Sogno - Columbia Valley, Washington (Cabernet Franc-Cabernet)

and

Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat - South Eastern Australia

More than generous for the price!

Good luck, Grapeseed! We'll be sure to pass along the good word to our friends.

[Mrs. B]

Boy that mullet looks great. Anybody know if it's available retail anywhere?

[Waitman]

Boy that mullet looks great. Anybody know if it's available retail anywhere?

Someone needs a rouget fix, I see.

[DonRocks]

I've been to Grapeseed a handful of times in the past, and have always admired it as a solid wine cafe, with reliable food that pleases, but doesn't dazzle.

However, last night made me think back to my previous visits, and it seems like I have a history here of ordering "safe," never completely turning myself over to the kitchen. I'll never make that mistake again.

When Jeff Heineman and I were discussing last night's dinner, he told me, "I can do this at whatever price point you like," but added that he preferred doing something more upscale to show what Grapeseed is capable of. I lobbied hard for a lower price, figuring it would give more people a chance to attend the event. Well, we got the lower price point, but only seven of us attended (which is exasperating, but it is what it is). However, I think I can pretty safely say that yesterday evening, we had the best $50 dinner served in the entire Washington, DC area, bar none (bear in mind, that included tax AND tip). Due to the lower price point, the kitchen was forced to rely on creativity, rather than simply plating large slabs of protein, and I think the meal was better off because of it.

The pictures speak for themselves, but Grapeseed batted six-for-six with their courses, without a single off dish in the entire meal. I never thought I'd see platings like this coming from the brutish hand of Jeff Heineman, but the finesse and refinement on display last night was remarkable. Look at those peas, for example. The colors were spring in a bowl, and who on earth would have thought to use white chocolate in such a dish? But it worked, and so did every other dish of the evening.

I've known about the Chef's Table at Grapeseed for a long time now, but quite honestly, I've never had the motivation to seek it out. But now I'm looking at Grapeseed in an entirely different light, and it's going to be very difficult NOT to go for a tasting menu in the future (is it available outside the Chef's Table?). If this is what the kitchen is capable of producing, then Grapeseed is a much more serious restaurant than I ever gave it credit for.

Thank you to Jeff and goodeats for hosting this wonderful event.

Cheers,

Rocks.

P.S. That dip that comes with the bread is crack.

[Jeff Heineman]

Thanks for all of the kind words. It was a pleasure to prepare some fun things for you all.

I look forward to doing it again, hopefully with a larger group (a pox on those of you who ate elsewhere on Tuesday night).

(Don, the tomato stuff with the bread does indeed contain crack. Fairly high grade stuff, really.

Jeff

[Jeff Heineman]

Hey, This is Jeff from Grapeseed. We are having another Sommelier Dinner Tomorrow night, and I have 10 or so seats available.

This thing should be awesome. Five courses + Hors d'oeuvres. 14 wines to drink. Make your reservation, arrange a ride and come on by. 301-986-9592.

Menu:

On Arrival :
Assortment of plated Hors d'oeurves
Tavignano Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi -- Marches, Italy

Course 1
Fresh New Zealand Orange Roughy, Grapefruit, Peach, Tarragon
Featured Wines
Long Boat Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough, N.Z.
Seifreid Sauvignon Blanc - Nelson, N.Z.
Palliser Sauvignon Blanc - Martinborough, N.Z.

Course 2
Seared Sablefish, Sable Liver, Pickled Ramps, Corn
Featured Wines
Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc - Napa Valley, CA
Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc - Dry Creek Valley, CA
Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc - Napa Valley, CA

Course 3
Elysian Fields Lamb Loin, Lasagnette, Fiddleheads
Featured Wines
Mantane Primitvo - Pugila, Italy
Seghesio Barbara D' Asti - Piedmont, Italy
Casale Vecchio Montpulciano D' Abruzzo - Abruzzo, Italy

Course 4
Broken Arrow Ranch Wild Boar, Dried Berries, Sunchokes, Black Garlic
Featured Wines
Can Blau - Monstant, Spain
Bodegas Atteca Atecca Old Vine Granacha - Calatayud, Spain
Pazo de Arribi - Bierzo, Spain

Course 5
Warm Plum Crisp, Cardamom-Pine Nut Streusel, Orange-Buttermilk Ice Cream
Wine Pairing: Lustau East India Solera Sherry -- Jerez, Spain

Here's your chance to act like our Wine Director, Ernie, for a night.

$ 100 per person
inclusive

[DanielK]

Crap. I already have plans tomorrow night.

Everyone else, do the math.

$100 inclusive = $80 + tax/tip.

$80/5 courses = $16/course (not including the bonus "on arrival".) Assuming you split that evenly between the food and booze, that means you're paying $8/course for the food.

EIGHT DOLLARS/COURSE to dine at Grapeseed?!?

If there's any justice, those 10 spots should go in 5 minutes flat.

[Jeff Heineman]

Hey Everyone and Anyone,

We have something for you to do July 3rd!!

This Friday 7/03 we are doing #5 in our "You be the Sommelier" Dinner Series.

As always $100 inclusive.

Menu:

On Arrival :
Assortment of Plated Hors d'oeurves
Chateau de Pourcieux Rosé - Provence, France

Course 1
Line Caught East Coast Swordfish, Orzo, Grapefruit, Lavender
Featured Wines
Hopler Grí¼ner Veltliner - Burgenland, Austria
Schloss Gobelsburg Steinsetz Grí¼ner Veltliner - Kamptal, Austria
Black Ankle Vineyards Grí¼ner Veltliner - Mount Airy, Maryland

Course 2
Maine Lobster, Grilled Stone Fruits, Saffron, Fennel
Featured Wines
Domaine Weinbach Pinot Blanc - Alasce, France
Broglia Gavi de Gavi La Meirana - Piemonte, Italy
Terredora Dipaolo Greco di Tufo - Campania, Italy

Course 3
Roast Amish Chicken, Smoked Potato Gnocchi, Belgian White Ale Reduction
Featured Wines
Highlands Estates Camelot Vineyard Chardonnay - Santa Maria Valley, California
Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay - Casablanca Valley, Italy
Jean-Paul Paquet Pouilly-Fuisse Dm. les Vieux Murs - Pouilly Fuisse, Burgundy, France

Course 4
Grilled Flat Iron Steak, Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Pistou Broth
Featured Wines
Francois Mikulski Pinot Noir - Cote de Beaune, Burgundy
Cono Sur Pinot Noir - Casablanca Valley, Chile
La Crema Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast, California

Course 5
Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding, Hazelnuts, Orange Shortbread
Wine Pairing:
Alceno Dulce Monastrell - Jumilla, Spain

Call us at (301)986-9592 for reservation

[Scott]

Jeff- some feedback...

I've been to your restaurant probably about 10 times over the years. It's been very good. I took a bunch of people there last week on Wednesday night (8 of us). Everyone was new to the place and are all used to dining out at nice restaurants.

While the food was decent, I'm not sure many in our party would return. They were surprised to see so much stuff come out that was fried, while it didn't indicate it on the menu.

I ordered salmon which came with *something* obscure (I'd never heard of it before) on the menu that I can't remember- I asked someone at the table if they knew what it was, and someone thought it was tomato based. So, I ordered it (yes- I should have asked the waiter!), and it turned out to be vegetables with heavy curry. I think it would be helpful to have the word "curry" on the description on the menu, since it's such a strong flavor with usually a love/hate following (I fall into the category of "hate").

A few people ordered the crabcakes. Everyone thought the cakes were good, but that the black beans, etc. didn't work so well.

Your desserts have ALWAYS been incredible- everyone loved them. And the wine pairings are always great as well.

Just want to let you know that my party walked out thinking it was a bit "odd".

I'll be back, though- and make sure I ask the waiter a lot of questions.

[Jeff Heineman]

Scott,

Thanks for the feedback, it is always very helpful. By all means come visit us soon and the waiters, managers or I will always answer any questions about our food or service that come up.

I am certainly sorry you thought some things odd, that is never our intention.

We have four fried items on our menu and three are labeled either "fried" or "crispy". And all of our servers know how everything is cooked so just ask if an alternative cooking method is possible.

As for the salmon the locally grown squashes are in a Harissa sauce. Harissa is a North African Sauce of chili peppers (we use dried), garlic, corriander and olive oil. We add some roasted tomato to temper the heat, and again, the server should have been able to fill you in. As an aside, you won't find much Indian curry seasoning around here because, well, I don't like it.

Thanks for the feedback if you have any further thoughts or questions , I would love to hear them.

Jeff

Chef/owner guy

[RCLCOLPB]

We had a very good meal during Bethesda restaurant week. They certainly do it right. For example, you can choose 2 appetizers and an entree rather than being forced to include a dessert as one of the courses.

Len

[Scott]

Celebrated my brother's 50th birthday in the wine room at Grapeseed this past Saturday. I don't have time to go into all of the details, but everything was great- both food (filet, scallops, lamb, chicken, etc.) and service.

My mom, who is very picky in general, and especially with lamb, commented repeatedly how fantastic the lamb was and told me she wants to return.

The only snafu in the service is a few times plates landed in front of the wrong person (there were 12 of us- so easy to confuse), but overall, and especially with our main waiter and the GM (Ernie), the service was excellent.

And eating in the wine room is nice. It's chilly in there at 60 degrees, but I was really comfortable in a light sweater- I like being on the colder side when I'm drinking wine.

What recession, btw? The place was jumpin'.

[Jeff Heineman]

Don, if this is un appropriate axe it.

Hi, This is Jeff, with a shameless plug for a dinner that someone might be interested in attending.
we have a lot of wines in our inventory that are drinking very nicely right now, so we are going to do a big ass wine dinnerand drink em up.
It will be the day after Christmas. About the same time it would be good to ditch the in-laws and have a blowout dinner. It is only available with pre paid tickets, because I really can't afford to open these wines, have a bunch of no shows and just serve my mom dinner. It is $250 for the first ticket and $225 for tickets to give as a gift. Merry Merry. Call me or Ernie at 301 986 9592

Grapeseed's Really Big, Really Fancy
Wine Dinner
Take a break with us December 26th, 7pm.
Sit Down with Our Wine Guy Ernie Brice, Break Bread and Drink Blockbuster wines from our cellar.

You can try to recreate this dinner later, but
the wine alone will set you back over $1500!!

Menu

A Series of Plated Hors d'oeuvres
Veuve Clicquot "La Grande Dame" Champagne 1998 - Reims, France

________________________________________

Seared Hiramasa, Chestnut-Bacon Jam, Toasted Brussels,
Chardonnay-Chestnut Velouté
Paul Hobbs Chardonnay - Russian River Valley, California 2006

________________________________________

Parmigiano Reggiano Risotto, Winter Black Truffle
Ferraton Père & Fils "Le Meal" Ermitage (Syrah) - Rhone, France 2003
&
Jim Barry "The Armagh" (Shiraz) - Clare Valley, Australia 2000

________________________________________

Pan Roasted Duck Breast, Buttery Yukon Golds,
Foie Gras, Orange

Vérité Winery "La Muse" (Merlot-Cabernet) - Sonoma County, CA 2001

&
Vérité Winery "La Joie" (Cabernet-Merlot) - Sonoma County, CA 2001
&
Vérité Winery "Le Desir" (Merlot-Cabernet) - Sonoma County, CA 2003

________________________________________

Devil's Food Cake, Marshmallow, Ganache, Graham Sauce
Grahams 10 Year Old Port & Grahams 30 Year Old Port

Dine with Ernie as he discusses these block buster wines in depth and shares his thoughts on food and wine pairing.

[DonRocks]

Ernie Brice, the wonderfully chatty and amiable sommelier at Grapeseed, puts on entertaining and educational Friday happy hours at Grapeseed. Yesterday, he did a really fun trilogy of wines - the theme was "Varietals You've Never Heard Of."

1) Getariako Txakolina, (admit it, that's an obscure one) was good enough where I ordered a separate glass after the pairing. Served with Boquerones.

2) Cortese, in this case, a Gavi di Gavi. Served with Sweet 100s (et al) from a 15-acre Frederick farm that Jeff Heineman has been tending in his, ahem, "spare time."

3) Verdelho, from Hunter Valley and I suppose by extension, with a strong waft of new oak, served with a lovely triangle of balsamic-drizzled cheese that was reportedly cow's milk from a midwest farm, but boy it sure came across as sheep (Manchego-like) to me.

This whole thing, WITH THE FOOD, is $10. Yes, three medium-sized glasses of wine, each with its own food pairing, is $10 total, and the whole package comes with an enthusiastic tutorial from Ernie.

Fridays 5-7 PM, and each week the wines and food pairings change. Essentially, this is a free giveaway to get people in the door, and Ernie just plain oozes with enthusiasm - I enjoyed hearing his spiel. And you know what? As much as I think I know about wine, I still learned from him: I don't think I've ever had a "Txako" (pronounced 'Chako') before. Thank you, Ernie!

Absolutely, I stayed for dinner, and had (along with a couple more glasses of wine) the following small plates, listed with my favorites at the top:

1) Crack Dip (free) - that damned tomato-based dip that Grapeseed serves with their very good basket of warm bread

2) Fried Chicken Livers ($8) - three "bruschetta" with the plumpest, loveliest, most Gargantuan, multi-bite-sized chicken livers you'll ever encounter. Get this.

3) Grilled Caesar ($10) - thoughtfully divided into two plates, the thick, white, bitter ends working better with the sweetish dressing

4) Slow Roasted Pork Belly ($10) - with rapini and balsamic, the melange now a blur in my mind twenty-four hours later (not a good sign)

5) Stuffed Piquillo Pepper ($9) fried and piped with goat cheese and roasted tomato vinaigrette, coming in below the line

6) Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms ($10) with Sherry vinegar and truffled polenta, the vinegar being too dominant, and the polenta too thin

This was a nice dinner, despite a couple food items not being up to Grapeseed's usual lofty standards, and the reason may be because I'm afraid to pull the trigger on an entree - this restaurant is expensive, with commitment beginning in the mid-$20s and continuing well into the mid-$30s. I'd love to experiment and play around with the menu, but I just don't feel comfortable blindly picking - this, despite having Jeff and Jason's off-menu items in the past (does anyone remember the incredible dr.com dinner in the wine room?), and adoring their forays into improvisation and creativity.

Cheers,

Rocks

[Go for Gin]

The $10 wine/food offering on Friday's sound very tempting especially after having gone to the dinner event in the wine room. MC and I were impressed with the quality, creativity and generosity of food with wine pairings at this event, and along with the company of everyone else it made for a memorable evening. Grapeseed has consistently impressed me with its selection of wines and I look forward to taking advantage of the Friday happy hours special.

[Pool Boy]

Ernie Brice, the wonderfully chatty and amiable sommelier at Grapeseed, puts on entertaining and educational Friday happy hours at Grapeseed. Yesterday, he did a really fun trilogy of wines - the theme was "Varietals You've Never Heard Of."

1) Getariako Txakolina, (admit it, that's an obscure one) was good enough where I ordered a separate glass after the pairing. Served with Boquerones.

2) Cortese, in this case, a Gavi di Gavi. Served with Sweet 100s (et al) from a 15-acre Frederick farm that Jeff Heineman has been tending in his, ahem, "spare time."

3) Verdelho, from Hunter Valley and I suppose by extension, with a strong waft of new oak, served with a lovely triangle of balsamic-drizzled cheese that was reportedly cow's milk from a midwest farm, but boy it sure came across as sheep (Manchego-like) to me.

This whole thing, WITH THE FOOD, is $10. Yes, three medium-sized glasses of wine, each with its own food pairing, is $10 total, and the whole package comes with an enthusiastic tutorial from Ernie.

Fridays 5-7 PM, and each week the wines and food pairings change. Essentially, this is a free giveaway to get people in the door, and Ernie just plain oozes with enthusiasm - I enjoyed hearing his spiel. And you know what? As much as I think I know about wine, I still learned from him: I don't think I've ever had a "Txako" (pronounced 'Chako') before. Thank you, Ernie!

Cheers,

Rocks

Thanks for the tip, I may need to check this out. It's been so long since I have been there, do you do this at the bar? Or do you get seated? Or is it done in a special area of the place? TIA

[DonRocks]

Thanks for the tip, I may need to check this out. It's been so long since I have been there, do you do this at the bar? Or do you get seated? Or is it done in a special area of the place? TIA

It starts off at the bar, but that filled up by 5:15; then, it migrated to the surrounding tables (and Ernie was going over to the individual tables).

[jandres374]

We never usually do restaurant week because of the crowds and usually being disappointed but after 3 days of no power and the starts aligning to have a babysitter we decided to hit up Grapeseed. Looked at the menu the day of on-line and saw a hangar steak on the menu, which was perfect for me as I was seeking some red meat that day.

The place was fairly crowded when we arrived but not at capacity. We began looking at the menu at to my surprise the hangar steak was no where to be found on the menu. The only other meat option was the filet, which carried a $10 supplement. On to plan B.

Wife started with squash soup, which she said was pretty good but actually was hoping to have the gazpacho from the on-line menu but it was not available. I had the Ipswich clams which were a size portion and very tasty, maybe spent a minute too long in the fryer.

We both decided to have the softshell crabs with creole tomato sauce and dirty rice. We each received one softshell crab of a small to medium size. When I read softshell crabS on the menu I assume there would be more than one. The crab was perfectly cooked but the creole tomato sauce just did not really work for me with the crab. Th dirty rice was quite tasty.

Dessert was trio of sorbet and butterscotch pudding, both of which were very tasty.

We both had 2 glasses of wine which as usual were excellent and fairly priced for Mont Co.

Service was a little spotty. Two requests for bread and still no bread, finally flagged down another waiter who provided some. Empty wine glasses for 10 minutes with no waiter anywhere to be found. Finished our meal and again no waiter to get check, 10 minutes later we finally found him.

We go to Grapeseed often for lucnh and dinner and we will continue to dine here just not during RW.

[Toogs]

Last out the door, first to post. The DR event here tonight was great. I was especially a fan of all things vegetable. The fried green tomato on the tomato appetizer plate was my favorite bite of the night. I'll let others get into the details; I'm off to find fatback for lardo. Thanks to chef and to Goodeats for arranging all of this, and nice to meet some posters.

[Rhone1998]

I think I'm going to remember those awesome smashed potatoes that were served with the steak above anything else. It was very nice meeting so many of you for the first time, and Goodeats, thanks so much for taking the time and effort to organize this great event. You are awesome!

Dan

[mame11]

Just a quick note as the thunder rolls in this morning to say thank you to GoodEats for organizing a very fun farm dinner at Grapeseed. I forgot my menu, or perhaps it was turned into one of the many paper airplanes that sailed from one end of the table to the other over the course of the evening. I do think paper airplane races should be an activity at the fall picnic.

My favorite dish of the evening was dessert. As much as a sweets person as I am, I tend to prefer chocolate dishes for dessert but the blueberries with limoncello was a delicious treat. Raw blueberries were combined with stewed and sauced berries to provide a layer of textures as well as tastes. The limoncello was a nice complement and not too citrusy or sweet to distract from the blueberry goodness.

I don't think anybody would have complained if the tomato appetizer had included a full slice of fried green tomato as it was a perfect example of the southern delight. The potatoes were incredible, and should be a staple on Grapeseed's menu. Similarly, the corn chowder was a delight (though I would have liked more corn, but that's just me... )

Now for some constructive criticism. The portions between patrons ranged drastically. While the size of a soft shell crab is up to Mother Nature, the amount of corn chowder and bacon should have been consistent per plate. Similarly the plating of the flank steak and potatoes differed widely. I had two very small pieces of meat while other guests had more generous portions. Granted, the food was delicious so I would have happily eaten full size portions of each dish. However, my comment really is about consistency.

Again, thanks to GoodEat, dr.com members and the chef/staff at Grapeseed for making the evening so much fun.

[jigones]

Thank you to goodeats for planning great diner. On a night that started with talk of Skeeter and his French maid at the corn stand, then slowly progressed from paper airplanes (and the inability of certain members throw such planes more then 2 feet) to a discussion of how DanielK should be the next national team coach, then to a finish which included a "discussion" of how "juicing" sucks and finally "Scooby snacks" getting behind the bar and buying me a glass of Taylor 30 (bet that guy is not too happy this morning), you could say there were some laughs. Oh, let's not forget the wonderful food and pairings that were served.

Here is a synopsis:

Tomato cocktail- brought good heat and was rich. Really enjoyed it. Some members even got "choked up" over it.

Next were the Tomato Hors d'oeuvres- I thought these were very good and highlighted the tomatoes. Very bruschetta like and a great way to get the taste buds ready for what was to come.

First Course: "Mixed Grill and Fritto Misto of Fresh Summer Veggies. It was paired with an Almyra Chardonnay from Greece. I also really enjoyed this dish and think the Okra was the highlight. It is something I will definetly order again. The only thing that was out of place was the olive oil with balsamic, but it did not matter. The wine perfectly as the acidity worked really well with the dish. Surprisingly, this the second white Greek wine that I have had in two weeks that was really enjoyable.

Second Course: "Softshell Crab, Cloud Nine Chowder and Benton's Bacon". This is a dish that worked for me, but I can understand if other opinions might differ. The smokiness really came through, and while it overpowered the crab, I found it really enjoyable. I actually found myself disappointed when it was all gone (which happened rather quickly). I think that the cream-less chowder balanced out the dish really well. The pairing was an Selbach-Oster Riesling which worked really well with the smokiness of the dish.

Third Course: Piedmont Ridge Farm Beef Hanger Steak, Pecorino New Potatoes and Their Own Chili Sauce. Dare I say this dish was the highlight of the evening. Two of everyone's favorite things were on the dish (i) Holy $#$#% good potatoes/Your servers should be fired if they can't sell these potatoes/double fried potatoes (ii) The much raved about chili sauce. Good lord those were some good potatoes, crispy on the outside but soft and delectable on the inside. The pecorino also made your taste buds scream. You pair the potatoes up with that crazy

tasty chili sauce and you have perfection. Nuff said. This was paired with a Quinta D'Aguieira- Beiras, from Portugal, which in my mind was the best wine of the evening and just work perfectly with the strong flavors of the dish.

Fourth Course: "Fresh Picked Woodbine, MD Blueberries, Three Ways". Tough to follow up on that third course. Like the dish since it was sweet, but not in love with it. The Muscat and the sweetness of the dish did not work well for me. Both individually were tasty, but because after eating the blueberries the Muscat just did not taste the same, I think something with the blueberries does not work with Muscat.

Overall a fantastic evening with great food, good company, laughs and stories. There is so much more, but I cannot type anymore. Plus I am tired from my wonderful commute this morning.

[thistle]

Last night's dinner was fun-I'm just sorry we arrived late, so we missed all the introductions-I think I am forever doomed to know everyone only by their screen name (I didn't want to run around the table, scrutinizing namecards-ETA, I'm Linda & my +1 is Josh).

My favorite element of each course-the fried green tomato (hors d'ouevres), the eggplant & okra (frito mixto), softshell crab & BACON (sorry for the yell, but that was great bacon), the potatoes, spinach & the fantastic chili sauce (beef course). I enjoyed the blueberry dessert, but would have preferred it either chilled or warm, & I couldn't pick out the limoncello, so my favorite part was the little shortbread square.

I enjoyed the tomato cocktail, the Chardonnay, & the Touriga Nacional, but as some of you know, I'm a wine dummy (I prefer beer).

The food was wonderful (I appreciated that the chef came out & revealed a bit of the secrets behind the chili sauce, starting with a peck of tomatoes), the company was exceptional, thank you again, Goodeats, for organizing a lovely dinner...

[1000yregg]

Here are pictures from last night's dinner.

My favorites were the softshell with Benton's bacon and the wonderful blueberry dessert.

Kudos to Chef Jeff. I had a great meal, and it is always good to see everyone. Also, thanks to goodeats for setting up the evening.

[Choirgirl21]

I think my favorite course had to be the steak course if just for those awesome potatoes. There were plenty of really well executed tasty bites over the course of the evening, but I just get a little thrill from discovering a new way to make such an old ingredient taste so good. And since chef was kind enough to share how he made them, I can now wow my friends and trick them into thinking I am a really fantastic cook.

Some of the other highlights for me were the fried green tomato and from the same plate, the gazpacho bruschetta, as well as the chile sauce and the creamed spinach on the steak plate, and a properly cooked medium rare steak.

I also really appreciated the time chef took to explain the dishes and the sources for the ingredients, and really enjoyed chatting with him after the meal (and chef, I will be giving Debbie a scolding this weekend for not pouring you guys the new wines! )

I felt really welcome at my first event and want to say thank you to everyone for being so inclusive, and thank you to goodeats for organizing such a great event. I will definitely be signing up for another event in the near future!

[Jeff Heineman]

Sorry to have been remiss in thanking everyone for coming out. It is always interesting to put a face with a writers "name".

I really enjoyed hearing everyone's thoughts about the food and wine. I work very hard at our farm and I am glad it came through on the plate.

I will remember everyone's critiques and comments as I till up the land this weekend to get some fall crops in the ground, hoping to do it again.

Jeff

[MMM]

Tried out the Happy Hour Wine Tasting (5-7 Fridays, $10) last night at Grapeseed. We had 3 red wines from Italy, an Aglianico, a Chianti, and a Dolcetto, each one accompanied by a bite of food to complement the wine. In this case it was: a lovely slice of barely seared tuna with a wisp of sweetish sauce, a cube of raw cow's milk cheese and a spoonfull of mushroom ragout in a delectable sauce. We did not stay on for dinner but the experience was lovely - speedy, gracious service and nice food and wine pairings. The restaurant wasn't full, but humming pleasantly.

Odd coincidence department: The man overseeing the tasting (Jeff Tams ?) was sitting next to us at the bar at Gallileo III last week, where we chatted with him and got to check out the dishes he was trying before we ordered.

[Jeff Heineman]

Hi everyone,

Grapeseed will be hosting an IronChef style thingy on Friday night after Thanksgiving (11/26).

It will feature Adam, our outgoing Sous Chef vs Steve, the incoming one. We will be giving them four secret ingredients on Friday morning and they have to come up with courses foreach by dinnertime. Guests will be served both versions of each course and asked to vote on their favorite. the winning chef gets a case of Four Loko (w/caffeine).

After the event we will have a drawing among everyone who voted and a lucky guest will get a Chef's dinner for four, sometime in December. Includes booze, I make up the menu (it's a chef's dinner).

All 8 dishes $65. Ernie will come will come up with wine pairings after we announce the foods and get a look at what Adam and Steve are cooking.

We are only doing this via prepaid tickets, they are transferable, but not refundable. Call us at 301.986.9592. ask for ernie

I figured it would something fun on a holiday Friday.

Jeff

[Popover]

Had the opportunity to enjoy a meal at Grapeseed recently and on the whole enjoyed it thoroughly.

The wine suggestions accompanying the meal were excellent went a long way towards enhancing the overall experience.

On the downside, however, I found that despite several reports/reviews indicating that Grapeseed has a history of undercooking their meat this problem frustratingly persists. Two of the diners at my table ordered the filet mignon "medium-rare". Both arrived very, very blue. Although I don't usually object to a little over, or even a little under the temperature I have requested my meat to be cooked to, there is a substantial difference between a medium-rare steak and a steak that a good vet could have back on it's feet with little effort. The quality of the meat was clearly excellent, and everything else about the meal was of a quality I would expect for the price. Now my dilemma is that if I ever return and order the steak again, should I ask them to cook it "well" (assuming they will undercook it to a perfect medium-rare) or risk getting another raw steak? Yes, I know the offending steaks could have been returned at the time, but it was a celebration dinner and neither party wanted to disturb the flow of the meal by returning their meal or risk the even worse situation of other people feeling like they need to wait for you before they can eat.

It just frustrates me that what is clearly a very good restaurant would make such a rookie error over something like consistency with food temperatures.

[ktmoomau]

Was at Grapeseed last night before going to a play. Didn't have a full meal, but had some really good appetizers.

I really liked the mushroom and polenta appetizer. It had a really nice sauce and was comforting. The vietnamese meatballs were good, they had a nice little salad with them. The calamari was really good, I liked that it wasn't battered and fried. It also wasn't overcooked or really chewy, it was nice.

My mother and her SO also had the scallops, foie gras and chicken livers. All which were good. I also liked that they had a lot of things with no or minimal gluten in them.

My only complaint was perhaps portion size compared to price for some items like the piquillo pepper, which was $10 for one stuffed pepper. That seems pretty steep. The meatballs were $10 for three meatballs and some salad, again when the final bill came, it just seemed steep for the amount of food on the plate, although the food was prepared well. But the drink pours were very generous and it was a nice evening. I would go back, especially to the bar, but it just wasn't a super great value.

[jandres374]

Any news or updates on when the new venture - Freddie's Lobster & Clams will be open.

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Blogs/Table-Talk/November-December-2010/Chef-Jim-Heineman-Opening-New-England-style-Seafood-Shack/

[Choirgirl21]

I will have a good idea of opening date after our plans get through the "Instant" permitting process in Rockville. It supposedly only takes 10 working days. Go figure

Looking forward to checking out the new place when it opens.

I didn't think to post in the Grapeseed thread since we just stopped by for wine and (unintentional) snacks (unintentional because we came directly from lunch at Redwood, lol), but this seems as good a place as any to mention that if I lived closer I'd be visiting Grapeseed more often. We dropped by during happy hour and ended up having the lobster tempura with a togarashi aioli and a red ppr goat cheese dish off of the happy hour menu (each $5) and the gnocchi off the regular small plate menu. The gnocchi were delicious, but honestly I think the lobster tempura was my favorite. They had me at togarashi regardless, but it was just a satisfying dish, the lobster wasn't overcooked and it was perfectly fried. I could have eaten 3 plates myself and left happy, especially alongside my glass of Cava. Okay, fine, glasses. I also had a nice glass of sauvignon blanc off of the happy hour menu (all the wines and cocktails on the hh menu are $5 each as well).

[Jeff Heineman]

We just got some beautiful Skrei Cod in from Norway. Fantastic fish from above the Artic Circle. It is only available as part of our tasting menu, but I will have it all weekend.

FYI, it's quite tasty. and only occurs when the fish move out to spawn. They are only fished from the waters off one Norweigian Island.

Petter Dass (1647 - 1708) in his prayer to the Lord:

“And should You, Lord, foreshorten your hand

and close the Skrei-cod and fish off from Land,

We would then be made destitute.”

It's good enough for poetry.

[smokey]

Just returning from a great meal at the chef's table. The 'chef's table' at the Inn at Little Washington is really just a table in the kitchen--you can't see anything happening or feel as though you get a sense for how decisions are made or food is prepared. You pay extra for, what was for me, a disappointment. At Grapeseed it was a lot of fun--you sit at a bar overlooking the stove and see it all happen (and all for no greater price than somebody sitting at a table!). We didn't bother the chef too much, but it was fun to ask him intermittently about a piece of meat that he had chosen not to serve or something else.

As an appetizer, we shared the mushroom fricasee on polenta--very rich, very good. I ordered it with the recommended wine (whose name totally escapes me, I'll admit), which I was only so so on and wouldn't order again. For drinks, I also ordered the Toeg's Nugget Nectar which was fantastic. Tasted very much as described and just delicious. For dinner I had both the grilled asparagus/goat cheese and the grilled portobello mushrooms on aragula. They were great. The +1 had the filet mignon and subbed in the potatoes with Pecorino instead of the mashed potatpoes with horseradish, because the waitress said that the taters with horseradish were generally fairly mild, which isn't his preference. The filet mignon came out, to my mind, a perfect medium rare. I know previous descriptions have not jibed with this. I think the +1 might have preferred *slightly* more cooked, but it certainly wasn't blue. No complaints on that front. The pecorino taters were delicious. For dessert we shared an order of the butterscotch pudding, which was the only disappointment of the evening. It tasted as though the flour (or cornstarch, not sure what it came from exactly) hadn't been cooked enough. I had that 'raw' flavor that a grain-based dessert like that can have. I had mint tea, which was fine. The +1 had a latte that he said was reasonable, if a bit too milky.

Total cost was ~$134, including liquor, tax, tip, but not valet parking. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would return without hesitation.

[MMM]

My husband and I just had a lovely meal at Grapeseed this evening. We were brought warm bread with a yummy dipping sauce of olive oil and garlic and tomato, followed by our starters of fried oysters for my husband which got high marks, and gnocchi with morels for me. Normally I don't order gnocchi because they're generally heavy and doughy and unforgettable. I took a chance on these because they came with a morel mushroom sauce and they were delicious. The gnocchi were surprisingly light and the morels were wonderful. My husband had scallops next which were beautifully seared and generally perfect and I had rockfish with roasted asparagus and Israeli couscous which couldn't have been better. Our servers were friendly and professional. Gotta say the whole experience was a "10!"

[DonRocks]

On a related point, Grapeseed next door has a pretty interesing $30 RW dinner menu posted; so much so I made a reservation and haven't been in a couple of years.

I just had this two nights ago (fried oysters, grilled Caesar, skillet-fried chicken) - it's good value for the money, that's for sure. I can't say it's "Grapeseed at its best," but for $30? Sure, why not.

[DanielK]

Wait, they can do skillet-fried chicken at Grapeseed, but have to do deep fried next door at Freddy's?

Bummer.

[darkstar965]

Wait, they can do skillet-fried chicken at Grapeseed, but have to do deep fried next door at Freddy's?

Bummer.

I'm with you on the (big) preference for skillet over deep fried chicken but have to cut them a bit of slack I think. The concepts and kitchens are totally different. Freddy's is a high volume, lower priced spot really focused on lobster and clams. New England seafood shack inspired--just one trying to also appeal some to those who aren't drawn to the core concept (hence the inclusion of fried chicken at all). Grapeseed of course is more sophisticated with a much broader menu. The kitchen at Freddy's isn't set up for higher volume skillet frying (i.e., number of burners, overall space)..Skillet frying chicken in one restaurant and running it to the other would be too impractical and disruptive to both businesses.

Speaking just for myself, I tend to frequent and love Freddys for its core offerings (basically, lobster and clam everything). All the other stuff on their menu is necessary for the market (read: to ensure long term viability) but not usually what I get. Though we did have a decent portuguese steak recently and I was glad to see fresh corn hit the menu. Oh yeah, and the beer and beverage program of course--huge selling point.

[Bob Loblaw]

I just had this two nights ago (fried oysters, grilled Caesar, skillet-fried chicken) - it's good value for the money, that's for sure. I can't say it's "Grapeseed at its best," but for $30? Sure, why not.

Haven't done RW in a while, but I always thought Grapeseed was one of the few places that does it well. I especially like how they let you order two appetizers instead of dessert.

[DonRocks]

Wait, they can do skillet-fried chicken at Grapeseed, but have to do deep fried next door at Freddy's?

Bummer.

Haven't done RW in a while, but I always thought Grapeseed was one of the few places that does it well. I especially like how they let you order two appetizers instead of dessert.

I'll write this up when I can get to it, but I'm a couple weeks behind, so ... just as an FYI, Grapeseed's skillet-fried chicken for Restaurant Week is a big, thick, breast (boneless). If you like big, thick breasts (Dan Cole, Al Dente, are you out there?), you'll like this; if not, you may want to try something else.

P.S. They do not accept the Living Social deal for Restaurant Week.

[ktmoomau]

I'll write this up when I can get to it, but I'm a couple weeks behind, so ... just as an FYI, Grapeseed's skillet-fried chicken for Restaurant Week is a big, thick, breast (boneless). If you like big, thick breasts (Dan Cole, Al Dente, are you out there?), you'll like this; if not, you may want to try something else.

P.S. They do not accept the Living Social deal for Restaurant Week.

My Hubby loves big thick breasts of fried chicken, will have to let him know. (Why he married me I have no idea.)

[DanielK]

I'm with you on the (big) preference for skillet over deep fried chicken but have to cut them a bit of slack I think.

I'm referring to the Gillian Clark's Fried Chicken on Thursday special they've been doing at Freddy's. Her long-standing recipe is skillet fried, not deep fried, and as much as I've appreciated getting to have her chicken while she's between restaurants, the recipe has not translated well.

[squirk7]

Wife and I went to Grapeseed last night. While we eat here relatively frequently, and the food is always good or better, the scallops in lobster sauce and cauliflower, especially paired w/ the Gruner, was truly outstanding. One of the best meals I've had in the DC/Balto area in a very long time. But as the dish is rich, if you don't go with the suggested Gruner (which has a very interesting flavor profile, especially on the under side of your tongue), you'd want a similar 'crisper' white to work against the richness of the food. Wife had the pan fried chicken which was a disappointment; she hoped (incorrectly) that Gillian Clark's influence might have rubbed off... but no, although the breast itself was moist and flavorful.

[jandres374]

Interesting concept - pay in advance and get the Chef's Tasting menu for $35 instead of $55.

My link

[Jeff Heineman]

Interesting concept - pay in advance and get the Chef's Tasting menu for $35 instead of $55.

My link

It is kinda like our private Groupon or Living Social, but they don't get 1/2 the money.

We will be doing this every week

[MarkS]

Birthday dinner with my wife last night. This place rocks and should get more traffic on this board then it does. Business was good for a Tueday night, we were glad to get a booth in the back which was quiet and secluded. Forgot to mention that they have Half off Wine Bottles up under 100 on Tuesdays but since we were using a living social deal we were not eligible to participate. I'll be back as the savings would have been the same and I hope Grapeseed would benefit more in their pocket. Kudos on explaining this to us the moment we were seated so there were no doubts about it.

We had a 2007 Gigonda, fairly priced at 66 . One of my favorite wine regions, they had a ice selection but I would have like to see a see more at this price point. Vacqueryas would be an example. The Giogonda was great and the wine service very nice. Glasses refilled as needed but respecfully with only small and proper pours.

We had Mushroooms fricasse and heirloom tomatoes for appritizers. Both were very nice and light.

I had swordfish for my wine while my wife had short ribs. Both were executed perfectly.

We shared a lemon merrange desert, prepared with blood orage essence. A bit different but I scraped the plate clean..No complaints.

In Summary, Grapeseed does a very good job. I hadnt been there in a while and will have to make sure I get back sooner.

[Jeff Heineman]

Okay, Let's see if anybody actually reads this and/or cares about dining out this week. Here is our tasting menu for the week with a DR.com special at the bottom. We will run this menu on Friday and Saturday only.

Mushroom Wonderland Menu

Amuse Bouche

Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Arugula, Prosciutto-Truffle Vinaigrette

Sauteed Pompano, Lobster Mushrooms, Maine Lobster Cream

Grilled Australian Lamb Chops, Chanterelles, Malbec Reduction

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Oatmeal Cookies

We have wine pairings for this, of course.

It is $55.

If you mention that you heard about it on Donrockwell.com I will only charge $30. Sounds like a deal.

Free upgrade from Tastes of wine to Glasses as well.

reservations are at 301.986.9592.

if the is interest I will run a DR.com special each week

[DanielK]

Reading it and care, but out of town this weekend.

[jpbloom]

My wife doesn't do mushrooms or I would be there without question.

[Choirgirl21]

Reading it and care, but out of town this weekend.

Me too! Sounds delicious, but I will be eating my multi-course mushroom meal this week at Joel Palmer House.

[Jeff Heineman]

Me too! Sounds delicious, but I will be eating my multi-course mushroom meal this week at Joel Palmer House.

We can't all afford to zip off to Oregon at the drop of a hat...

[JPW]

Thanks, Chef!

Looks great and a great deal, but I'm already engaged this weekend. Have a hot date at the Kielbasa Factory.

It's been too long since I've been in, so hopefully we can make it soon.

Next time.

[zoramargolis]

We'll be there tonight! Sounds fantastic!

[Albert Yi]

I'd been looking for an excuse to visit Grapeseed and this special tasting menu offered a perfect reason. Since I have no friends I made a reservation for 1 at 6:30 on a Friday night, about an hour before things started to get hectic. Service was prompt and attentive, no complaints there.

The amuse bouche was grilled shrimp on some chilled noodles. This was good; shrimp had a good smoky salty flavor. Although I think I was supposed to eat everything in one bite, it was a little unbalanced otherwise. 4/5.

Next was grilled portobello with a small arugula salad. This was excellent. Just the right amount of seasoning to bring out the flavors of the arugula and the mushroom. Nothing overpowering, balanced just right. 4/5.

Then came the sauteed pompano with lobster mushrooms and lobster cream sauce. This was actually the highlight of the meal for me. The pompano was perfect: flaky, tender, with a crunchy salty crust. I thought the mushrooms were a little mealy but they did a good job of soaking up the sauce. Just a great balance of flavors. 4/5. As a side note, I'm by no means a wine connoisseur (more of a beer fan and was tempted to order the Allagash Black but decided three glasses of wine would be enough for me) but the pairing for this dish, the Jean-Paul Paquet Pouilly Fuisse, was exceptional. Bright and tart.

Next was grilled lamb chops with chanterelle mushrooms. This seemed kind of average to me. The mushrooms didn't really add much. The lamb chops were fatty and prepared well, but not memorable. 3/5.

For desert I had pumpkin ice cream with oatmeal cookies. The ice cream had a decent pumpkin flavor and the cookies followed the ubiquitous trend of adding salt to sweet things. But after three glasses of wine I can't really remember much.

Overall the meal was great and I'm eager to return to try more.

I have photos here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151166908804655&set=a.10150686072999655.414670.775279654&type=1&theater

[zoramargolis]

The pompano was our favorite dish, as well. We thought the lobster mushrooms rocked. According to Jeff, the pompano are farm-raised near Blacksburg, VA (?!)

[Jeff Heineman]

By somewhat popular demand we will do this again this weekend. Again, please mention you want the DonRockwell.com discount when you make your reservation, so we can keep track. Just for mentioning we will do this weeks Tasting Menu for $30 instead of $55. Glasses of paired wines would be $16 instead of $32. The menu is really not for vegetarians this week. I will be doing an All-Vegetable menu next week, with the same deal.

Here's the menu:

Air, Earth and Sea Menu

Friday, September 28th & Saturday, September 29th

To participate in the tasting menu all members of your party must order the tasting menu.

Thank You and Enjoy!!

Amuse Bouche

Grilled Head-on Prawns, Stone-Ground Grits, Smoked Tomatoes, Tasso Cream

wine-Thomas Labaille l’Authentique Sancerre-Chavagnol, Loire Valley, France

Duck Confit, Cabrales, Frisee, Granny Smith Apple

wine- Elena Walch Gewurztraminer-Alto Adige, Italy

Slow-Roasted Pork, Goat Cheese, Honey Mushrooms, Garlicky Crouton

wine-Chemin de Rêves Saltimbanque-l’Hérault, France (Carignan)

“Bitter & Twisted” Ice Cream, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

$55 $30

Wine Pairings Three Tastes $ 16 Three Glasses $ 32. $16

Call for reservations 301-986-9592 Please mention the donrockwell affiliation when making reservation and when you arrive

[noahcofc]

Jeff,

I was one who went to the special last weekend. Took my brother and mom. We loved the wines and thought the lamb some of the best we had ever had. How did you make it so tender?

[jpbloom]

Just back from Grapeseed and I have to say, that was a really nice meal and what a bah-gin [scroll up two posts for the details]. The prawns were the stand out but everything was very tasty and the wine pairings (slightly different from what is noted above) were perfect for each course. The only minor complaint is that even for one like me who likes bleu cheese, the cheese with the duck was a tad intense. To anyone considering this deal, go if you can. You won't regret it.

[DonRocks]

[i also want to add that I had no idea about this dinner until Jeff posted about it this morning, and there is zero money in it for either me or the website. None. Nada. This "vehicle" is available, absolutely for free, to each and every restaurateur in the DC area who has half a brain.

What Jeff did by offering this dinner is called "being smart."

So, restaurateurs, chefs, GMs ... how are your PR Reps treating you these days? Are they taking advantage of things such as this? If not, maybe you should ask them, "Why not?"

Am I going to Tweet about things such as this? Damned right I am. It's a Win-Win-Win for restaurant-website-member.

Think about it ...]

[crackers]

Chef Michel Richard and friends were enjoying their dinner at Grapeseed near our table the other night. If that isn't a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

The gnocchi with duck confit and lavender cream was worth the drive.

[Jeff Heineman]

It has been a fun and successful experience offering these deals to the dr.com community. It is quite fun to meet and chat with some members whom I hadn't met previously. A fantastic way to get feedback.

This deal will be offered next weekend as well. We will be upping the ante somewhat by doing a meatless menu. My vegetarian friends have always made a lot of noise regarding how many their numbers are, and how they want more choices etc etc etc. So we will see how this works out and I will offer up the numbers when the dust settles. I will be finishing up the menu in a day of so and will get it up right away. (meatless, not vegan. Baby steps, please)

I am looking forward to supporting this community further, and meeting some new friends.

[Choirgirl21]

We can't all afford to zip off to Oregon at the drop of a hat...

I feel sorry for you.

Was excited to see it wasn't a one time thing, although I will be out of town again this weekend (just Dewey Beach, I swear ). How about next weekend, to counterbalance all those animals you spared you do a meat heavy menu?

[Jeff Heineman]

Okay here it is: The Tasting Menu this week is a Meatless affair. Not vegan or anywhere near it, but I hope it satisfies people looking for vegetarian fare that isn't just pasta primavera and mushroom risotto. I have added a course this week as well. So it is 5 courses for $55 to the general public, and again mention this DonRockwell connection, and it will be $30. Wines are being finalized and they will be half price for you as well.

menu:

Amuse

Shishito peppers, sea salt

First course - Canapes

Bruschetta, Truffled Pecorino, Apricot-Almond Agrodolce

Radishes, Homemade Cultured Butter, Fleur de Sel Guérande

Chick Pea Fries with Herbs, Pistachio Aillade

Second course

Spicy grilled Broccoli, Tangerine Aioli, Pine Nuts

Third course

Roast Spiced Pumpkin, Vadouvan-Cashew Cream, Brussels

Fourth course

Cauliflower cooked a la Polenta, Cauliflower “Sicilian Lifeguard Style” with Fregola, Diakon Sprouts, Homemade Mustard Ricotta

Dessert Course

Dancing Thunder Apiary Lavender Lemon Verbena Ice Cream, Cookies, Honey

Reservations are at 301.986.9592. please don't forget to mention you DR.com affiliation

See you this Friday and Saturday

[DanielK]

Finally my schedule shakes out right. I'll be there on Saturday.

[porcupine]

Jeff, thank you for doing this. I would be the first in line for this menu Friday night but I'll be out of town this weekend.

[Jeff Heineman]

It is nice to see some interest in our vegetarian tasting menu. Please call early and let usknow if you are coming in, as some good times are filled up. Looking forard to a lot of fun with vegetables, as they say.

[Chris Cunningham]

There's a name for those that like playing with vegetables

[DonRocks]

I wrote this the other night, then deleted it the next morning, not because of the content, but because the writing is so terrible (the reason I don't post more isn't because I have nothing to say - I have lots to say (I've recently been to Northside Social, Screwtop Wine Bar, District Taco, and Uncle Liu's Hot Pot - and that's in less than 48 hours); it's because the effort of writing to my own standards is so taxing that I can't do it very often).

But you know what? People need to read this, so here it is.

---

Finally my schedule shakes out right. I'll be there on Saturday.

Daniel, the best way to show support for Jeff and the wonderful meals he's thrown for us is to Tweet, Facebook, and tell your friends. These prices are just plain nuts! Maybe I'll be there this weekend with Matt.

Both Jeff and Grapeseed deserve maximum PR, and they aren't getting any. That kills me, absolutely breaks my heart because people remain unaware of the most deserving deals in town, despite the dozens and hundreds of articles written about buzzy restaurants and celebrity chefs each week. Why? Why?! WHY is this not "restaurant news," Eater DC? Because we're not paying you? Where are the articles, chatters and bloggers? We support you; hell, we have an entire forum dedicated to you. Not one single time has anyone ever written me and asked for a favor, only to be declined. I've never declined anything for anyone who has asked me to do something to help them. It's not right, it's just not right. All because people are afraid to leave their petty little cliques, fraternities, and sororities. For God's sake, I've been supporting all of you for years. How about a little return courtesy once in awhile, especially when someone *other than me* is the one who stands to profit from it? I repeat: There Is Zero Money Coming In To Me Personally or To This Website. Zero!

I support events like these for the same reason I made a donation to WPFW tonight: to support local artists and to provide the consumer with a enjoyable experience to help make their lives a little happier.

It is in the diners' best interest to know about events such as this, and there's only so much I can do without sounding like a pompous ass.

THIRTY DOLLARS for THIS MENU on the most popular two nights of the week?

Amuse

Shishito peppers, sea salt

First course - Canapes

Bruschetta, Truffled Pecorino, Apricot-Almond Agrodolce

Radishes, Homemade Cultured Butter, Fleur de Sel Guérande

Chick Pea Fries with Herbs, Pistachio Aillade

Second course

Spicy grilled Broccoli, Tangerine Aioli, Pine Nuts

Third course

Roast Spiced Pumpkin, Vadouvan-Cashew Cream, Brussels

Fourth course

Cauliflower cooked a la Polenta, Cauliflower “Sicilian Lifeguard Style” with Fregola, Diakon Sprouts, Homemade Mustard Ricotta

Dessert Course

Dancing Thunder Apiary Lavender Lemon Verbena Ice Cream, Cookies, Honey

WAKE. THE FUCK. UP.