Rustico, A Neighborhood Restaurant Group Chain in North Alexandria and Ballston

[Escoffier]

Sorry I missed you, Escoffier.  My flight back to town was a bit delayed, so I didn't get back to the restaurant in time to say hello to you & Grover.  I look forward to meeting you on the next visit!

You've managed to pick a great manager for Rustico and I know it's going to be in good hands. We're looking forward to coming back but are going to wait a couple of weeks to allow the kitchen to get up to speed before we come in and ask to be fed...

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Don't go. The beer is warm and flat.

[crackers]

Rustico (apparently pronounced roux’ stuh co) (aka Rusty’s) was the destination last evening for happy hour. It’s been officially open all of six days or so, but if anyone thinks this place will need some time to build up momentum they’d be very much mistaken. It was only with intense magic that MelGold was able to hold onto a Rockweiller table near the bar. Thanks Mel!! By the time the NCAA Sweet 16 hit the screens, it was cheek by jowl post-work yup-yups. It looks as if Rusty’s has perfectly timed its arrival with the demographic of the new townhouse and condo construction in the neighborhood.

Here’s what I loved: the whimisical floor-to-ceiling mosaic on the outside of the pizza ovens – a stunning Zagar/Schnabel-esque decorative focal point that works perfectly in the space. The cozy leather sofa and chair grouping next to the fireplace. The beer! Pages and pages of selections – I went for the firkin special which last night was New River Pale Ale. It was neither warm nor flat. It was fantastic. The service – clearly the staff are working their tushies off and enjoying themselves.

What I will return for: All of the above, and the food! We were headed elsewhere later, but I want come back to sit in the restaurant and try that duck confit pizza that hillvalley raved about, and the spinach salad.

As noted up-thread, parking in the lots was somewhat tight, but I had my pick of two spots, and there seemed to be plenty of street parking around. The city definitely should consider making this a Dash stop; or better yet, run an express Dash straight from Metro to the front door on Friday evenings. That sucking sound you hear is the sound of all those NoVa folks being pulled away from King Street toward Slaters Lane.

[Al Dente]

Don't go.  The beer is warm and flat.

?!? Really?

[Jacques Gastreaux]

?!? Really?

Yes; stay far, far away from this place, all of you.

[Al Dente]

Yes; stay far, far away from this place, all of you.

I see.....

[Free Wilma]

We stopped by last night for some post-dinner drinks and the joint was hoppin'! At 10:00 pm every table in the dining and bar section was full. We were able to snag a sofa by the fireplace and hung out for a couple of drinks. The beer was cold and tasty. The food that came by made me want to hurry back and give the menu a whirl one night when things are a little quieter. And it was definitely NOT quiet last night, both in regards to volume and level of business. At least three people in our group commented separately how much they liked the artichture / design and, particularly, the cool mosiac. If last night was any indication, Rustico is going to be a hit in the 'hood.

[Chris Cunningham]

Just returned from dinner at Rustico and the overall impression is fairly positive. Arrived at 7:45 and had to wait at the bar for about 20 minutes until a table was ready. Actually prefer eating at the bar, but wanted to sit in the dining room for a better impression of the place. Overall, thought the space design was great and the place had a very positive energy. Started with the Duck confit pizza and then my friend and I split the macaroni/cheese and the Hangar steak. Pizza was great, as well as the two entrees. Mac/cheese was very rich and creamy, but i knew what I was getting into, and enjoyed it. Service had a few slips, with regards to asking for water and not getting it for 15 minutes, and table got a bit crowded with pizza(without rack) and plates-silverware excess was an issue. Overall, not a bad place, good food and a great vibe. Alexandria has always been hurting for good places to eat and Rustico gives them a step in the right direction.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I thought I told ya'all to stay away from this place.

[Escoffier]

Alexandria has always been hurting for good places to eat and Rustico gives them a step in the right direction.

Nah, we just hide the good places from people who don't live here...

[grover]

I went there twice with my hubby (some people know who he is ).

The first time (Mar 15), I had the cider onion soup and a grilled whole fish. He had a cobb salad and meatloaf. No dessert this time. We had coffee.

If you are an onion soup lover, I recommend a cider onion soup. It has a little tangy tart taste at the end. I like it very much.

The fish was a sort of seabass (I forgot the name of the fish. Please correct me if I am wrong) grilled with red pepper, fennel and so on. If the chef made it a little spicier (addtional ginger or chilli oil maybe), it would have been perfect for me. Still it was very good!

I had a bite of cobb salad. It was really nice combination of blue cheese, sliced apple, bacon and duck confit.

The second time (Mar 24), we invited 2 ladies (Angie and Dotty).

Grover - cobb salad (you probably know why) and mac & cheese.

Hubby - Grilled squid with beans and Hanger steak.

Angie - Tomato Parmesan Bisque and Grilled whole fish.

Dotty - Grilled caesar salad and Grilled Salmon with non-spicy substitute instead of andouille hash.

Rustico mac and cheese Carbonara with Bacon, Pancetta, Peas and Mushrooms aka Mac & cheese was a quite small portion by itself. For me, the cobb salad was big so it was enough.

It was very tasty. I had to skip dessert because I was full.

Angie and Dotty told us that they enjoyed every bite. They shared an apple rhubarb crisp. Dotty didn't like it because she thought there wasn't enough fruit. My hubby's dishes were good.

It is really a fun place to go. (Monsieur Gastreaux, I am not drinking beer there...)

I am going to order a sausage pizza next time.

[grover]

I forgot to mention service.

We had Eric(1st visit) and Tim(2nd visit).

Both of them are really wonderful servers. They responded our request quickly and accurately.

The manager (I think his name is Michael) was busy to check all the tables whether the waiting staff's services were well done.

[Escoffier]

I forgot to mention service.

We had Eric(1st visit) and Tim(2nd visit).

Both of them are really wonderful servers. They responded our request quickly and accurately.

The manager (I think his name is Michael) was busy to check all the tables whether the waiting staff's services were well done.

Actually, the first time it was Aaron (but you're close). Just to reinforce what Grover said, the service the two times we've been there has been exemplary. The attention to detail and the care of the diners is great.

[Sthitch]

My wife decided to take me out to dinner tonight and she chose Rustico. I was hoping to have a real cask conditioned ale, but last night they were out. I went with a wonderful Prima Pils instead. We started with the soup sampler. I found that the cider onion soup to be a bit bland and was significantly helped by a bit of salt (actually quite a bit), the pork and bean soup could have used some more herbs, I noticed thyme leaves, but could not pick-up any flavor from them, and we both enjoyed the Tomato Bisque, but I suspect that it would be too heavy to eat a whole bowl of it.

For mains, I ordered a Sausage Pizza. It was good, but I found the sauce to be rather strange. It was a bit too sweet, and tasted more of smoked peppers than smoked tomatoes. My wife ordered the Mac and Cheese. I can’t imagine how anyone can say that this was a small serving. For the richness of the dish, I think the portion was right. I did detect a bit of graininess in the sauce, but not disturbingly so. It was a flavorful dish, and would love to order myself come next December or January (it is not really a spring dish).

I have two hopes for this restaurant, the first is that they have cask ale the next time I go, and that they expand the menu a little (especially the appetizers). It also would be nice if they offered some ala carte pizza selections.

[CrescentFresh]

For mains, I ordered a Sausage Pizza.  It was good, but I found the sauce to be rather strange.  It was a bit too sweet, and tasted more of smoked peppers than smoked tomatoes. 

Steve, How spicy was that pizza? I've had it about four times on four occasions and, unfortunately, it gets progressively worse. When I first had it, it was my absolute favorite. Far more exciting to me than the duck confit that everyone else liked. Great tasting sausage and a wonderful smokey tomato sauce that complemented the meat well. By the last time I had it, oh perhaps 10 days ago, there was so much hot pepper/chile in the sauce that you couldn't taste anything else. I need to order some food there again to see if it was just a fluke on that last visit. I hope it was.

I'll also have much to say about their beer program. But I want to pay another visit to see if their beer issue(s) were also just a fluke. I hope it was, but I'm not too confident about that. Very uncool to hear their cask was off. Although the last time I was there the selection they were pouring through it was piss poor. You may have actually been granted a favor.

[Sthitch]

It was not too spicy, only had a hint of it. I am still trying to figure out what the sauce reminded me of. It was way too sweet for my tastes, and not really much smoke for a pizza that is supposed to have smoked tomato sauce and smoked cheese.

Maybe the sauce reminded me of a thicker version of the old cardboard "Party Pizza" from Tontinos or whoever the hell made it. Next time I will go with something else.

I noticed on their website that the cask was supposed to be the Capital Chop House Amber Ale. I was not blown away by that beer when I had it from the source. Hopefully they will get some in from Europe as they tease about on the menu.

[Free Wilma]

We went tonight with the two kids to Rustico. We got there early at 5:45 and got the last unreserved table for 4. The Mac and Cheese was the resounding hit of the evening. It was perfect for a rainy night. The serving was MUCH more than enough for one person. There'd have been leftovers if everyone hadn't been picking off my plate. I had the flight of soups and enjoyed all three in their own ways. I think I'd choose the tomato bisque for a whole bowl. The Rotissary Chicken and Meatloaf were both well recieved and generous servings. Strangely, for us, there was really nothing on the dessert menu that tempted us. My husband very much enjoyed the skull splitter ale and whatever the open cask was. I tried the red sangria and found it fine; but not extraordinary. My daughter pronounced the cream soda one of the best things she'd ever tried...and she tries them all! We will be back.

[CrescentFresh]

Steve,  How spicy was that pizza?  I've had it about four times on four occasions and, unfortunately, it gets progressively worse.  When I first had it, it was my absolute favorite.  Far more exciting to me than the duck confit that everyone else liked.  Great tasting sausage and a wonderful smokey tomato sauce that complemented the meat well.  By the last time I had it, oh perhaps 10 days ago, there was so much hot pepper/chile in the sauce that you couldn't taste anything else.  I need to order some food there again to see if it was just a fluke on that last visit.  I hope it was.

On my last visit to Rustico last weekend, there was improvement to the food. The sausage pizza is the item I have always ordered on every visit and it has become my measuring device, to some extent, for the kitchen. This time, the spicy chile that ruined the pizza on my last visit was absent. But so was that smokey tomato sauce. But at least this time I could taste the sausage and cheese, and the dough is really nice. I'd like to see more sauce on this pizza. The menu says smoked tomato sauce. Use it. It was perfect the first time I had it. Find out who cooked it and have them teach.

Also sampled during our evening were the duck confit pizza and the margarita pizza. Both were on target and good. The jerk rubbed chicken drumsticks were cooked perfectly. Nice and juicy. Here, though, is where I would like some more spicing. They were kinda tame. Unlike a spicy pizza when the menu doesn't say anything about spicy peppers, I expect bold flavor when the menu says jerk-rubbed. Lastly we also had the asparagus fritto misto which were nice and crunchy outside, and tender inside.

So, we're back a few steps to the plus side at Rustico. I hope they can get the pizza right and then get it the same week after week. For now, I guess I'll call the kitchen inconsistent. But at least the last visit was positive.

[Meaghan]

On my last visit to Rustico last weekend, there was improvement to the food.  The sausage pizza is the item I have always ordered on every visit and it has become my measuring device, to some extent, for the kitchen.  This time, the spicy chile that ruined the pizza on my last visit was absent.  But so was that smokey tomato sauce.  But at least this time I could taste the sausage and cheese, and the dough is really nice.  I'd like to see more sauce on this pizza.  The menu says smoked tomato sauce.  Use it.  It was perfect the first time I had it.  Find out who cooked it and have them teach. 

So, what's really nice dough? To you, Mr. Fresh. Enough salt and yeast? Is the crust like a big fluffy handle or is the pizza browned and bubbley? I'm serious.

[CrescentFresh]

So, what's really nice dough? To you, Mr. Fresh. Enough salt and yeast?  Is the crust like a big fluffy handle or is the pizza browned and bubbley? I'm serious.

Soft inside. Yeasty. Crispy on the bottom so it snaps when you fold it in half. (Yes, you heard that right. When you fold it in half like pizza's supposed to be eaten.) And better to have the crust go crispier, like a cracker, rather than softer, like a limp soggy tortilla.

There should not be a big, fluffy handle. A more moderate handle with about 1 to 1.5 inches of space between the edge of the crust and the sauce/cheese.

Lightly browned and bubbly is good. Even a few huge-ass bubbles are nice. Huge bubbles make each pizza seem individual, like snowflakes. Really yummy snowflakes.

[CrescentFresh]

So, we're back a few steps to the plus side at Rustico.  I hope they can get the pizza right and then get it the same week after week.  For now, I guess I'll call the kitchen inconsistent.  But at least the last visit was positive.

I should add that everyone in our party who had not been there before (we're talking about 4 people) raved about the decor and, perhaps even more importantly, lost all disturbance at being made to drive across the river from Maryland.

[mktye]

Soft inside. Yeasty. Crispy on the bottom so it snaps when you fold it in half.

...

A more moderate handle with about 1 to 1.5 inches of space between the edge of the crust and the sauce/cheese.

The crust was spot-on today when I was there for lunch. But my booth-loving dining companion deemed it more fluffy than usual.

[Monica Bhide]

My family and I enjoyed a lovely meal at Rustico on tuesday night. The pizza was fantastic -- I rarely like pizza and their's was wonderful (specially the crust). Hubby had the delightul sweet and spicy salmon. I have to say the portions were really big so we had great leftovers the next day. I love the idea of beer flights!

[Lauren]

We just had dinner at Rustico for the first time and can only describe the experience as underwhelming—nothing stood out as particularly good or bad. We’re big fans of Tallula and wanted to like Rustico, but I don’t think we’ll be tempted to return. The pizza was so-so, a little too laden with cheese with rather bitter sauce and flavorless crust. The pasta with sausage and cream sauce (forgot the actual name) was better. The waitress was skilled and pleasant but the timing of the kitchen was off; we waited at least 30 minutes after the appetizers before the entrees arrived. The experience wasn’t anything to complain to the manager about, but we all left with that “whatever” feeling.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

We just had dinner at Rustico for the first time and can only describe the experience as underwhelming—nothing stood out as particularly good or bad. We're big fans of Tallula and wanted to like Rustico, but I don't think we'll be tempted to return. The pizza was so-so, a little too laden with cheese with rather bitter sauce and flavorless crust. The pasta with sausage and cream sauce (forgot the actual name) was better. The waitress was skilled and pleasant but the timing of the kitchen was off; we waited at least 30 minutes after the appetizers before the entrees arrived. The experience wasn't anything to complain to the manager about, but we all left with that "whatever" feeling.

Lauren:

Welcome to DR.com. Great 1st post. As far as Rustico is concerned, I tend to go there for the beer more than for the food. Although going there for beer can be tough sometimes because it can get crowded in there.

[Sthitch]

I went again last week and really enjoyed the Cobb Salad (and I generally hate salads), but I am less and less impressed by the pizza. The last time we ordered a pepperoni and salami that was over-sauced and had a very stiff crust. I did like the taste and smell of the pepperoncini that was scatter on top. Also, I had one of the worst beers of my life. It was the Duchesse de Bourgogne, good lord was it bad. It tasted like a mug of cold poorly made and overly sweetened Starbucks coffee. I generally love Belgian beer, but this was retched.

[DonRocks]

Also, I had one of the worst beers of my life. It was the Duchesse de Bourgogne, good lord was it bad. It tasted like a mug of cold poorly made and overly sweetened Starbucks coffee. I generally love Belgian beer, but this was retched.

In Rustico's defense, this beer is notorious for having serious banana-y esters.

[Sthitch]

In Rustico's defense, this beer is notorious for having serious banana-y esters.

I wasn't blaming them, A warning from the waitress might have been nice, but she did give me a strange look when I ordered it.

[DLB]

Rustico is a prime example of the mediocrity that is generally accepted by the eating public and perpetuated by owners. At best this place is an ok local destination to go to in a bind. In my opinion the owners should have focused on making their other restaurants the best they can be, before expanding. I frequent Tallula and Evening Star, which suffers from inconsistent kitchens and lackluster menu concepts, which all seem like they were lifted from other sources.

Wow

[MelGold]

Rustico is a prime example of the mediocrity that is generally accepted by the eating public and perpetuated by owners. At best this place is an ok local destination to go to in a bind. In my opinion the owners should have focused on making their other restaurants the best they can be, before expanding. I frequent Tallula and Evening Star, which suffers from inconsistent kitchens and lackluster menu concepts, which all seem like they were lifted from other sources.

Ouch!

I know that the chefs and owners at all our restaurants try to be the best they can be, regardless of new ventures within the group. We welcome constructive critiques of every aspect of the dining experience...and let me assure you that we take every bit of praise, criticism and backhanded compliment we receive very much to heart.

I respect the opinions of many on this board, and hope that y'all would feel comfortable PM'ing or emailing me with any suggestions you might have to help us achieve a level well above "mediocrity."

[edenman]

Ate at rustico last night for a friend's birthday. I shared the crab dip (i don't remember the details but it was good) and had a pepperoni and salami pizza with peperoncino. The pizza was good, but I wasn't blown away. I remember the burger being excellent on my previous trip there, and the homemade ketchup (smoked red pepper?) being truly great.

All that said: the beer selection is fantastic, and the service was great both times I've been. Last night in particular, the waitress misheard my first beer order and brought the wrong thing (I ordered the stoudt's double IPA but she brought a pint of scarlet lady). When I asked what the pint was, she realized the error and let me keep the scarlet lady while she went to go get the replacement beer. I followed it up with the breckenridge oatmeal stout, not a common beer out here (i don't even know if the brick/RFD has this...anyone know?) which was great. If this place was easier to get to, I would be there on a regular basis.

Ok, that's all. </rave>

[MelGold]

The Dogfish Head Days of Summer Are Here!

The Dogfish Head Days of Summer won't just be your run of the mill Pint Glass Night!

From 7 to 10 PM on July 26th, Rustico will be the place to start (or add to) your Dogfish Head Pint Glass collection! In addition to our two regular Dogfish Head taps (60 Minute IPA and Indian Brown Ale), we'll be featuring two special taps of the coveted 120 Minute IPA and the rarely-seen Golden Shower Imperial Pilsner.

No reservations required - just show up on the designated DFH Wednesday! If you can't make it this month, mark your calendar for next month's Dogfish Head Days of Summer extended happy hour on Wednesday, August 23rd.

See you at the bar!

[Michael Landrum]

...the rarely-seen Golden Shower Imperial Pilsner...

See you at the bar!

Eek!

[Mark Slater]

Eek!

Eek! Eek!

[deangold]

Eek! Eek!

Is that served cold or at body temperature?

[blakegwinn]

Is that served cold or at body temperature?

Either, but it should definitely be enjoyed responsibly. You know come to think of it I don't think we covered that in my last TIPS training...

[Pizzaandbrew]

Hey All - Our next Dogfish Head Day of Summer is this Wednesday. Definitely will be featuring the 60 Minute and Indian Brown Ales (regulars here at Rustico) along with Midas Touch on draught along with some other special treats from Devin and the folks at Dogfish Head. Remember, for every Dogfish draft you buy, you get one of their uber-cool pint glasses to take with you (we have twice as many as last time). 6-9 PM this Wednesday at Rustico. Stay posted for Octoberfest plans.

[MelGold]

Tons of fun stuff coming up at Rustico:

1. Smuttynose Beer Dinner (actually being held at Tallula, but sponsored by Rustico) - October 10th...click here for more info. Head Brewer David Yarrington will be our special guest!
   
2. Our Don't Hassel the Hof Brau Fest is set for October 18th...BEER, oktoberfest inspired menu items, fun & games for the whole (over 21) family with t-shirts that are absolutely hilarious!
   
3. Chef Kearney's new fall menu debuted today. It'll be online later tonight.
   

[bonaire]

I went to Rustico for the first time tonight w/ some girlfriends. The service we had was great -- we sat in the bar and the waitress managed to handle the 37 refills of diet coke we each had. For an appetizer, I had the bbq pork on cheddar biscuits. When the biscuits arrived, I was disappointed -- I was thinking of true Popeyes/Acadiana-esque biscuits. These were crumblier, grainier biscuits. However, I was delighted when I tried them -- there's just a hint of cheddar and the pork was very tender and the barbeque sauce was pretty tasty. My friend ordered the parmesan rosemary fries to start -- they were okay, but the smoked ketchup didn't do it for us. I thought the fried pizza dough was a great concept, but they were covered in just a bit too much cheese for my tastes and again, the dipping sauce was a little too smoky (there's a trend here).

For entrees, one of my girlfriends got the white pizza and she loved it -- managed to eat half of it herself, and the other friend got the rotisserie chicken and cleaned her plate (well, she didn't eat the brussel sprouts, but some childhood fears you just can't get over). I got the caesar salad for my entree and really didn't like it. The lettuce, which was purposefully wilted, was way overdone. It too was so smoky I thought it had been left inside a closed grill for a few hours. The caesar dressing was pretty good, but I couldn't really taste much of it through the smokiness.

I had a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert which was very good. It wasn't too sweet and had a bourbon caramel sauce that was fantastic. There was an odd dollop of very bitter cream (with a slight burnt maple taste to it) that I worked around, but definitely would have the dessert again.

I'm unfortuntely not a beer drinker so I didn't get to taste any of the great beers they have, but I will say that their diet coke tap was quite cold and refreshing (yes, I'm kidding here). Overall, I'd go back but stick with items that don't have "smoked" in their description.

P.S. They have a lot of good big tvs -- looks like a great place to watch games.

[Dave Pressley]

Thanks so much for your mini "review" of Rustico. We always like to hear our guests' opinions of our work. Your comments regarding the smoked and grilled items are simply a matter of personal preference. We have a woodburning grill and a woodburning oven, so we tend to want to use them! We have several guests that don't care for grilled or smoked items and request for the "Grilled Caesar Salad" to not be grilled and also request regular ketchup. We certainly honor those requests with pleasure.

Your comment about the burnt tasting odd cream with your dessert is fascinating to me. It's maple whipped cream. Nothing is cooked, grilled or added to make it ever taste bitter. Maybe the 37 diet cokes altered your palate?

In short, we receive a lot of compliments on the exact items that you didn't care for, so I wanted to respond to your post out of fairness to our restaurant.

Again, thanks for posting. Please say hi the next time you drop in!

[edenman]

Some buddies and I are planning to go to Rustico next thursday night around 9:30...is the bar typically full around then? The website says they take reservations after 9:30, but one of the buddies is flying in, so I'd prefer to just show up, as long as we're likely to find a spot without too much hassle.

(ETA: thursday rather than friday)

[bonaire]

Thanks so much for your mini "review" of Rustico. We always like to hear our guests' opinions of our work. Your comments regarding the smoked and grilled items are simply a matter of personal preference. We have a woodburning grill and a woodburning oven, so we tend to want to use them! We have several guests that don't care for grilled or smoked items and request for the "Grilled Caesar Salad" to not be grilled and also request regular ketchup. We certainly honor those requests with pleasure.

Your comment about the burnt tasting odd cream with your dessert is fascinating to me. It's maple whipped cream. Nothing is cooked, grilled or added to make it ever taste bitter. Maybe the 37 diet cokes altered your palate?

In short, we receive a lot of compliments on the exact items that you didn't care for, so I wanted to respond to your post out of fairness to our restaurant.

Again, thanks for posting. Please say hi the next time you drop in!

Thanks for your reply Dave. I wonder if the maple whipped cream was just off that night? Want to make sure it's clear that I had a good experience -- just wasn't a fan of smoked items. As you said, everyone's got a different palate and it's great to know y'all are accomodating on those dishes.

[Dave Pressley]

Some buddies and I are planning to go to Rustico next thursday night around 9:30...is the bar typically full around then? The website says they take reservations after 9:30, but one of the buddies is flying in, so I'd prefer to just show up, as long as we're likely to find a spot without too much hassle.

(ETA: thursday rather than friday)

Thursdays around 9:30 is usually when the bar crowd starts to thin out a little, so even if it is busy when you arrive, seats will be opening up soon. (Now, of course, Murphy's Law will take effect and I'll be completely wrong!)

[DanCole42]

I'm going to my first Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurant tonight. My wife saw that they have Franziskaner on tap... I wish I could get her that excited about the foie gras at Tallula so we could finally get a chance to go there, too.

As for me, I've always wanted to try duck confit... and anything paired with bacon and brie on a pizza HAS to be good. Maybe I'll get the Cobb, too.

What's the crowd like at 6:30 on a Monday? Are reservations recommended?

[MelGold]

I'm going to my first Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurant tonight. My wife saw that they have Franziskaner on tap... I wish I could get her that excited about the foie gras at Tallula so we could finally get a chance to go there, too.

As for me, I've always wanted to try duck confit... and anything paired with bacon and brie on a pizza HAS to be good. Maybe I'll get the Cobb, too.

What's the crowd like at 6:30 on a Monday? Are reservations recommended?

You should be fine without reservations at that time on a Monday.

[DanCole42]

I love new restaurants. It makes me feel trendy. This was actually our first "date" as a married couple - so maybe I'm not allowed to be trendy anymore.

For the first time since Amsterdam, my wife got Franziskaner right from the tap - she was in heaven. Thank you, THANK you Rustico for having this on tap. I had the stout of the night, which went down smooth and heady.

Our server, Jennifer, was very friendly and, for the crazy amount of beers they have, knew a thing or two about every one we asked her about.

The only real downer on the meal was the bread. The olive oil it was served with was bitter, and the bread itself (focaccia-esque) was dry. The biggest issue was that the package seemed to be lacking in flavor. Definetely could have used some herbs or kosher salt on the bread.

Maybe this is all by design, though, since the lack of bread-eating left room for us to eat the copious amounts of delicious food that were about to be sent our way.

The parmesan tomato bisque was tomatastic. It was almost like a rich tomato pesto. If I had a complaint it would be that the soup should be lightened a bit... as it is it's very filling.

I had the oyster and andouille bruschetta over cornbread (although my wife's menu called it stew, not bruschetta). This was one of the best non-rockerfeller cooked oyster dishes I've ever had, and the andouille tied everything together wonderfully.

The burger was awesome, and having to share the fries + aioli almost wrecked our fledgling marriage. The carmelized onions were funion-o-mazing.

MelGold said that her dad drives out from Sterling to get the duck confit pizza, and I will say that I can't blame him. For some reason I was really worried about the crust being mediocre and bready (especially with my troubles with the bread early). It turned out to be that perfect mixture of cracker-crispy and doughy-chewy that I want in my crust.

One thing that stuck out for my wife and I is that the chef excels at making things taste like what they are - and this was a huge delight. So often at places LIKE Rustico you get heavily mass produced swazzle where whatever flavor you were counting on is completely masked. I know it sounds weird, but the tomato bisque TASTED like tomatoes. I could really feel the oysters and andouille. The burger didn't taste like a burger... it tasted like BEEF on a bun. I've had a lot of duck where the duck tastes like chicken... this duck didn't just taste good, it TASTED LIKE DUCK!

MelGold, who has consistently been the nicest and most gregarious DR member I've met (not that the rest are sociopaths), happened to be there for a photo shoot. Against all odds she always recognizes me, and was as friendly as ever. Seeing her there definetely made the night for us.

Like I said, they were doing a photo shoot of some of the food there. Ordinarily, such food would be thrown out after the shoot, however, MelGold generously brought some to our table. How typical that us Rockweilers are deserving of something otherwise intended for the garbage.

First up was a Mediterranean board, with several cheeses, hams, and sweets. I LIVE for this sort of thing. Combining strong and bold flavors in the mouth with things that, for whatever chemically miraculous reason, just GO together. We were struggling between getting a board or apps, and although what we DID get was amazing, when we come back we'll definetely be going after another board. There was an apple sauce on the board that would have done well as its own dish!

She also brought us a beer sampler. One that tasted like chocolate, one that tasted like fruit and nuts, one that tasted like espresso beans, and a Guinness... which of course tastes like Ireland.

For dessert we split a chocolate trio. The hot chocolate easily slips into my list of the top three hot chocolates in the city (along with those at Ray's the Steaks and at Palette). The hazelnut mouse should be its own dessert. The only weak link on the plate was the flourless chocolate cake... there was some liquor in it (grand marnier?) that was way too strong and took away from the chocolate.

So thank you to the whole Neighborhood Restaurant Group and especially to MelGold for making my first date as a married man deliciously memorable.

[CrescentFresh]

P.S. They have a lot of good big tvs -- looks like a great place to watch games.

This reminds me to say something I wanted to note about Rustico. Bonaire is absolutely right. Rustico is, without a doubt, the best place in town that I can think of for true beer lovers to go enjoy a game. Every now and then, I hold my breath and go into RFD. I do it very rarely and it's only because I occasionally get struck with a beer jones at odd times and it happens to be the closest thing for me to hit. I remember being in there recently, during the day, after lunch but before dinner. It was relatively quiet and I asked the bartender to please turn up the volume on one of the televisions. She said no. They're not allowed to. If only that unsanitary, piece of crap bar could pay as much attention to keeping it clean and keeping their beer stocked as they do to such oddball "rules" as not turning on the television volume when the place is empty so all the customers who aren't there in the middle of the day could listen to the heavy metal in case they decide to walk in.

Every time I've been to Rustico they have always been accomodating in hooking up sound to something I want to see on the TV. It's definitely my go-to place to watch a game if I'm not watching it at home. So, cheers to them!

[DanCole42]

This really is what I've been looking for. The prices and dependability/variety of a chain restaurant (for the less adventuresome, you-can-take-your-our-of-town-guests-to-and-not-worry types) with the quality and attention to detail of an independent.

Try the excellent introductory meat and cheese board that's familiar enough to not scare the plebs but well-thought out enough to please the foodies, with prosciutto and Romano paired with olives, capricolla and manchego paired with a berry compote, and shaved virginia ham and white cheddar paired with a chunky apple sauce.

"Mac and cheese" carbonara comes in a cast iron skillet and is a sure hit with peas vs. no peas carbonara purists.

They fixed the bread, making it light and adding more salt, then they took it away and replaced it with a thin herbed cracker, which is NOT the road they need to take. Give us back our moist and chewy focaccia, that we may soak up the earthy, deep cream of mushroom soup and the sauce that comes with the orange-sage ravioli.

The incoming kitchen boss [Frank Morales, formerly w/ Zola] concedes he needs to "learn to make a great pizza." You're doing well, chef, but here's a tip - get your oven hotter. Crisp is better than chewy in pizza any day. And don't you dare take away the duck confit pizza with bacon, arugula, and brie.

The beer selection is top notch, with whimsical beer flights like "Luke, I am your father:" a trip down the "dark side" of beer.

The Guinness cupcake was a hit, reminded me of a sinfully good Hostess cupcake. As for the other desserts, where's the solution for the chocolate lover?

I'm glad there's a place like this around.

[Dave Pressley]

Dan,

Thanks for the kind words about Rustico. Frank's menu will finally start rolling out in pieces this week. We did an extensive tasting yesterday and were extremely pleased with Frank's efforts!

As for the duck confit pizza--You can count on the fact that any current menu item that gets replaced will be replaced by something that is better. We have very high confidence in the current kitchen team. (Our wood oven is set to maximum temperature of 650 degrees. It doesn't get any hotter, but we will take note of your comments on the texture of the pizza crust.)

The bread situation is being addressed. Although we are dedicated to making each visit to our restaurants extremely pleasurable and value-oriented ,we are business people at the end of day and realized that many of our guests were foregoing an entire course so they could have many free bread baskets. This is not the best way to successfully operate a profitable business as I'm sure you understand.

That being said, Frank has some bread options that he will be experimenting with. The flatbread was Saturday's experiment and it was generally well-received.

Thanks again, Dan

-Dave

This really is what I've been looking for. The prices and dependability/variety of a chain restaurant (for the less adventuresome, you-can-take-your-our-of-town-guests-to-and-not-worry types) with the quality and attention to detail of an independent.

Try the excellent introductory meat and cheese board that's familiar enough to not scare the plebs but well-thought out enough to please the foodies, with prosciutto and Romano paired with olives, capricolla and manchego paired with a berry compote, and shaved virginia ham and white cheddar paired with a chunky apple sauce.

"Mac and cheese" carbonara comes in a cast iron skillet and is a sure hit with peas vs. no peas carbonara purists.

They fixed the bread, making it light and adding more salt, then they took it away and replaced it with a thin herbed cracker, which is NOT the road they need to take. Give us back our moist and chewy focaccia, that we may soak up the earthy, deep cream of mushroom soup and the sauce that comes with the orange-sage ravioli.

The incoming kitchen boss [Frank Morales, formerly w/ Zola] concedes he needs to "learn to make a great pizza." You're doing well, chef, but here's a tip - get your oven hotter. Crisp is better than chewy in pizza any day. And don't you dare take away the duck confit pizza with bacon, arugula, and brie.

The beer selection is top notch, with whimsical beer flights like "Luke, I am your father:" a trip down the "dark side" of beer.

The Guinness cupcake was a hit, reminded me of a sinfully good Hostess cupcake. As for the other desserts, where's the solution for the chocolate lover?

I'm glad there's a place like this around.

[DanCole42]

Although we are dedicated to making each visit to our restaurants extremely pleasurable and value-oriented

And they are