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

[thetrain]

Hmm. I'm intrigued by your calorie-laden flavor bomb and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. What if I roll in there about 10:00 tonight? Does anyone know what time their kitchen closes (either location)? I don't see hours posted on their web site...

The kitchen closes at 10pm Mon-Thurs. Fairly certain its open until 11pm on Friday/Saturday nights.

[dcs]

The carrot hummus with spiced lamb, crumbled feta, and pita was listed among the "Smalls" at Ballston for lunch today and was anything but. It sounded weird enough to try and it turned out to be very good. The hummus blended with carrots was a good idea just on its own, but it really was enhanced mightily by the spiced lamb* and crumbled feta. This all came with a generous portion of pita and it really was enough for a lunch by itself. I also had the swordfish club that was marred slightly by the use of a tomato slice with a section of hard white tomato core and lemon parsley chips that suffered perhaps from too much lemon.

*Note to NolaCaine: Yes, the spiced lamb was slightly oily.

[eatdrinkmore]

I checked out Rustico Ballston at lunch the other day and tried the Squash Salad topped with Chicken. It was really good, a little heavy on the dressing but otherwise very enjoyable. The price was not great for lunch spot however $20 w/tip for a salad is a bit much for lunch in my book.

Several friends of mine have visited for dinner and have complained about the noise level.

If anyone from NRG is reading, any plans to reduce the noise level of the restaurant?

[goldenticket]

Several friends of mine have visited for dinner and have complained about the noise level.

If anyone from NRG is reading, any plans to reduce the noise level of the restaurant?

If the original location is anything to go by, the answer is probably 'no'.

[DonRocks]

Several friends of mine have visited for dinner and have complained about the noise level.

If anyone from NRG is reading, any plans to reduce the noise level of the restaurant?

I had dinner at the Ballston Rustico last night (Grilled Pizza ($16) with San Marzano sauce, mortadella, capicola, salami, and smoked gouda). Are you sure NRG wants to reduce the noise level of the restaurant? Big Bang-Boxes are all the rage right now.

I look at the deliberately high-volume, "high-energy" style of many restaurants that are opening these days, and feel like this guy.

Tears,

Crocodile

Done,

D.

[eatdrinkmore]

I had dinner at the Ballston Rustico last night (Grilled Pizza ($16) with San Marzano sauce, mortadella, capicola, salami, and smoked gouda). Are you sure NRG wants to reduce the noise level of the restaurant? Big Bang-Boxes are all the rage right now.

I look at the deliberately high-volume, "high-energy" style of many restaurants that are opening these days, and feel like this guy.

Tears,

Crocodile

Done,

D.

Change of plans, just got back from a fabulous dinner at Rustico. We really enjoyed the Grilled Pizza and the Short Ribs. Both were excellent.

The sound was awful, super loud, I downloaded an app for my iPhone which clocked the sound at 85+ decibles.

Still a great spot, especially for Ballston. When we were leaving the had about an 45min to 1hr wait for a table, not doing too bad for a Wednesday night.

[dcs]

The sound was awful, super loud, I downloaded an app for my iPhone which clocked the sound at 85+ decibles.

link

•Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) – this is hearing loss due to exposure to either a sudden, loud noise or exposure to loud noises for a period of time. A dangerous sound is anything that is 85 dB (sound pressure level – SPL) or higher.

I don't want to to think about what happened to my hearing at those Clash concerts.

[sklarithy]

Had dinner at the Alexandria location tonight. Wait was 30 minutes so we decided to eat in the bar area. Started with the carrot hummus which was great. Decided to try the slow roasted duck for my entree. Was one of the worst dishes I've had this year. Tough, salty duck on a bed of overcooked dirty rice. Was very surprised based on everything else I've tried at Rustico. The gf had the spicy shrimp pizza on chickpea crust (gluten allergy) which was pretty good. The shrimp was plain needed some form of seasoning or marinade.

[ktmoomau]

After being in a pretty bad car accident last Monday in which my car was totaled, I was in a despised rental car this week. Saturday I decided to use said rental to take a bunch of old coats and blankets to goodwill. Sitting stopped in that parking lot to exit the lot a woman backed into my rental car. Thank goodness my husband was present because this sent me into a panic attack about not being safe no matter what I do or where I drive.

Getting home I wanted dinner and it could not be anywhere that required driving. And I wanted a nicer dinner and wine, lots of wine, or gin and tonic. We decided to go give Rustico a try because their menu is much more gluten free friendly than Willow. Hopped over there and a wait for a table was 45 minutes! Sheesh, I didn't expect such a draw, but good job guys. Luckily while ordering drinks a table at the bar opened up so we only waited about 5 minutes for a table.

Hubby got a couple different beers on tap. I stuck with gin. He got a burger- per normal. I got the braised pork shank with apple and potato puree and cabbage with jalapeno caramel. Now I will just start by a slight suggestion- perhaps don't call it a caramel, why not just say a glaze. That part of the description almost made me not order the dish not knowing what this would be, but it was just a sweet and a little spicy glaze that was actually great.

The pork was really tender, I think the glaze kept even more juice in. The puree was really outstanding in flavor. I loved the potato texture with hint of apple in the taste. The sauce was great, and the cabbage added needed crunch. The whole dish just came together really perfectly.

And Hubby's french fries were really good, nice and crisp just the way I like them.

[DanielK]

After being in a pretty bad car accident last Monday

Well that's a pretty interesting way to start a review.

You're ok, I hope?

[ktmoomau]

Well that's a pretty interesting way to start a review.

You're ok, I hope?

Concussion, fractured rib (not bad) and some contusions, but pretty much walked away ok and am ok now, save for feeling like I have a giant lit sign above my head saying, "No, no please hit me." Car Totaled, but did what it was supposed to do and protected me very well during the accident.

[DrXmus]

A group of us visited the Ballston location last night. We called ahead from Vienna and only waited about 10 minutes at 6:45P on a Saturday. The place was packed, even that early.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, but the appetizers were not appetizing. The salt cod fritters tasted like potato croquettes. They weren't bad potato croquettes, but there wasn't enough baccala to taste it. We also got the spinach and feta dip with crostini. It was just "meh." On the other hand, my walnut gnocchi with broccoli rabe pesto was delicious. The pesto had a nice, bitter bite from the rabe and it was on the bottom of the dish, so I could regulate how much of the sauce I actually ate. I can see how it'd be overwhelming, but there a tasty, cheesy sauce coating the gnocchi so that the pesto wasn't essential for the dish to be great. Mrs. DrXmus had a mushroom and pepperoni pizza which was delicious. The mushrooms were intensely flavorful and the pepperoni had a great spiciness to it. Great crust with flavor, too. One of our friends had a chef's special, 24 hour marinated flank steak, which she loved. Another friend had a pizza, too, but really enjoyed his salad with a layer of very good ham on the bottom.

The pros: great beers, great entrees

The cons: mediocre appetizers, parking

[ktmoomau]

Was at the Ballston location: Their gluten free crust has gotten better! It now has little holes in it that I think perhaps help it be crispier and not as dense. I had the grilled pizza and it was just awesome. Their San Marzano sauce is really good, just fresh and tasty. Meats were all very good, I really liked this pizza.

I sent their bartenders into a tizzy when I asked if they could make a Ramos Gin Fizz, but I had one recently and really wanted another, bless their hearts, I should have just asked for a gin and tonic. But I got a gin daquiri (not frozen) that was acceptable, but that took a while. Note- if you want a cocktail probably best to keep it simple or mainstream.

Hubby had a beer that was fermented with wine that I actually liked, will have to remember that.

[weezy]

Lunched today at the Old Town location to celebrate (what was formerly known as) Secretary's Day. Yes, a day early, but we wanted to beat the rush. All the 4-tops were taken on the patio so we ate inside. Service was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive. All the entrees were well cooked and delivered to proper person -- no plate auctions at tableside. None of us were being adventuresome today, but all the basics were handled well: Ceasar with grilled flank steak, margherita pizza, flat iron sandwich w/ blue cheese potato salad, and crispy salmon sandwich w/ housemade chips.

Two tiny imperfections: the homemade chips tasted like they had been held for a while, not stale but the heat to them came from a heat lamp or a quick slide into the oven, not the lingering heat from the fryer; and Boss got the crispy salmon sandwich that was served on what would have been 4 slider buns that hadn't been cut apart, that turned out to be messy to eat, as the mini-buns split away from one another as he would take a bite from a different area of the sandwich and then fillings dropped out. It would have been better served as 4 salmon sliders or 1 large bun. No beer samplings or wine for us today.

[eatdrinkmore]

The pros: great beers, great entrees

The cons: mediocre appetizers, parking

There is a hidden parking garage Randolph that serves Rustico.

[Pizzaandbrew]

There is a hidden parking garage Randolph that serves Rustico.

Its so hidden I parked steps from the elevator door on a Saturday night at 7 PM. Take advantage of it while you can!

[ktmoomau]

Was at the Ballston location last night. Got the gluten free grilled pizza again. I really like that pizza. It doesn't have a lot of cheese, which I like and the I really like the tomato sauce and the meat on it. It just doesn't feel as gluttonous as some pizzas. I love the meat with a little bit of crispness on the edges.

We were with friends who love beer and really enjoyed exploring the list. I am not a big beer drinker, I have had one glass there before that I loved- Abbaye de St. Bon Chien which was very wine like beer that I really liked, but it wasn't available by the glass that I saw and the bottle was $44 (it is a 25.4 ounce bottle) so I decided against that. But I really love that beer, and that is the only beer I have ever even really enjoyed for more than a couple sips. I am just not a beer person, I have tried and failed. But apparently I like very pricey wine/beer.

Everyone had salads and pizzas and we just had a casual nice evening, which was good since it was a long brutal day. I didn't realize I could call ahead for a table, btu am happy to know that know, should save us some time in the future. Although we always luck out and find a seat at the bar. There is a lot of outdoor seating available now, which is really nice. I also saw that it looked like Buzz was getting closer.

[VABoy]

On Saturday, Rustico Alexandria posted on their Twitter and Facebook pages: “Come on down, we will be open unless we are blown away, or at least until our power goes out.” When I arrived around 9:15pm I was told they were about to close. Uncool.

If Rustico is using social media to boastful about staying open during the storm, then they also should have used social media to inform people they were closing early.

[JBag57]

A pretty reliable source told me that Chef Steve Mannino is leaving Rustico to become something like "Director of Culinary Program" for American Tap Room.

[DonRocks]

A pretty reliable source told me that Chef Steve Mannino is leaving Rustico to become something like "Director of Culinary Program" for American Tap Room.

And I'm pretty sure I know who is replacing Steve Mannino and it is a good choice.

[jiveturk21]

Before I rip apart Rustico in Ballston for the service debacle that we had to deal with on Saturday night, let me first say that the beer was cold, the drinks were flowing and the food, for the most part, was great.

With that being said, how many times can a server use "we're busy" as an excuse for screwing up everything all night long? Him routinely forgetting to bring out drinks - we're busy. Him constantly pushing us to place our orders when we told him, repeatedly, to slow the hell down - we're busy. Him never once clearing a plate from our table all night, making for a comical situation when the food runners came out with our pizzas and had no where to put them - we're busy. Him not even asking us if we wanted dessert, even though we asked for a dessert menu several times - we're busy. Him disappearing for 20 minutes after we asked for our bill - we're busy.

Listen, I know that you are busy, but being busy (it seemed like typical weekend night traffic) isn't the reason why you suck as a server, you sucking as a server is the reason why you suck as a server.

But, he got the last laught, didn't he? Party of eight, 18% gratuity added to the bill before being delivered to our table.

[DanielK]

But, he got the last laught, didn't he? Party of eight, 18% gratuity added to the bill before being delivered to our table.

Regardless of restaurant, that's when I call a manager over and insist on reducing the auto gratuity.

[CrescentFresh]

Listen, I know that you are busy, but being busy (it seemed like typical weekend night traffic) isn't the reason why you suck as a server, you sucking as a server is the reason why you suck as a server.

Heh heh heh.

[Escoffier]

Feeling the need for some sustenance (and about three courses of food and dessert) Grover and I hiked over (okay, we drove) to Rustico in Alexandria. Matt, who had been one of the managers at Vermilion, has now taken the manager position at Rustico and so we used OpenTable to warn him we were coming and to ask that the kitchen surprise us. We wanted either paired wines or beers so we left all decisions to the chef and Matt. Here's our Friday evening dinner, comments to follow the courses:

Canape (or amuse bouche if you prefer): Deep fried Deviled Eggs with caperberry remoulade. Too much of a good thing, you ask? Addictive I respond. What a great thing to do to one of natures finest foods.

From now to the end of dinner, Grover and I had different dishes so you're going to see lots of food.

First Course: I had - Carrot Hummus with spiced lamb, crumbled feta, accompanied by grilled pita. The beer was a Naturtrub Brauerei Pilsner. A surprising first course. The lamb had a nice touch of spicy, the carrot hummus was definitely different but in a nice way and the beer was excellent.

Grover had -Boston Bill Lettuce with manchego, dried cherries, almonds, granola, and a honey-sherry vinaigrette. The beer was a local, the Derecho from Port City Brewing. There were a limited number of cases of this beer and Rustico was fortunate to get a couple of cases. Suffice it to say, there was not a crumb left on either plate.

I did get to sample the Derecho and it was nice and hoppy and (not being a beer drinker) surprisingly good.

Second Course: I had - Grilled Atlantic Halibut with tomatillo gazpacho, avocado, yellow corn fritters with opal basil. The halibut was a perfect complement to the gazpacho. I have never had gazpacho like this before and I could have gladly eaten (drank?) more. Very refreshing. The corn fritters were light and the corn was sweet and with just the right amount of crispness. The beer was EPIC Wit from Utah.

Grover had - Crab Pappardelle. Perfectly al dente hand-cut pasta with blue crab, zucchini ribbons, squash blossoms, and aleppo pepper. Grover really likes home-made pasta (Tony Chittum always makes a pasta dish for her every time we eat at Vermilion) and this one did not disappoint. (When she was momentarily distracted, I grabbed a bit of pasta but I wasn't fast enough to get any of the crab). Her beer was Dortmunder Gold (I immediately thought of Donald Westlake's wobegone anti-hero, but the beer was a success unlike that Dortmunder).

Third Course (the main Entree): We shared a Hickory grilled Pork Chop with Chorizo fried rice, green beans, and black cherry mostrada. First the pork chop. It came to the table sliced from the bone, resting on the fried rice. Now, if you know Grover, she's pretty picky about rice. I managed one forkful and she got the balance. I can't remember a time when she's said "the rice was amazing". This was the first time. Okay, back to the pork chop. Perfectly cooked, juicy and extremely tender. Of the three pieces, I ate two, she ate one and I managed to grab the bone end. Pure heaven. The green beans didn't stand a chance in comparison with everything else on the plate but they seemed to disappear along with the pork chop. The beer was Reunion Ale.

For the second Entree: Pizza. After all, one of the things Rustico brags about is it's pizza. I"m going to list the ingredients first and then the overall impression. This was the Pizza Alto with Speck Ham, black mission figs, blue cheese, with arugula and oregano. I had a moment of trepidation with the combination but (with flagging appetitie) gave it a shot. DAMN! the flavors danced. The sweetness of the figs, the tartness of the blue cheese, the saltiness and flavor of the speck. We managed to eat one piece each but agreed that it would make a fine lunch. (It did). The crust has improved to the point where it was almost the same texture and yeastiness of the crusts we got in Naples. Just the right amount of char and chewiness. This is probably the most appealing pizza crust I've had in a long time. The Beer was Duchesse De Bourgogne. This happend to be one of the beers I do know and really like. The subtle cherry flavor set off the speck, fig, and blue cheese nicely. This glass left the table empty.

Dessert: I had - Rustico Donuts with powdered sugar and chocolate fudge sauce. Beignets would be a better description. The last time I had really good beignet was in the French Quarter in New Orleans (where else?). Well, these are at least the equal. You can call them what you want, I called them gone. I'm a chocolate lover and there was almost as much chocolate left at the end of dessert as there was when the plate came to the table. You don't need anything to garnish these donuts, they stand quite well all by themselves.

Grover had - Nutella Cheesecake with raspberry sorbet and candied hazelnuts. We decided that we might possibly explode if we ate anything else so we had this packed to go once the sorbet was gone. A great decision and I'll tell you why shortly. The beer was Troegs Java Head Stout. Brewed with coffee beans, it's the perfect way to end a great meal without actually drinking coffee.

Now, about that left over pizza and Nutella cheesecake. Monday, I worked from home so it was a perfect time to see how well the memories measured up to (reheated) pizza. It more than passed the test. We each had three slices and they were gone by the time lunch was over. The Nutella Cheesecake....it didn't stand a chance. Devoured mercilessly.

Rustico may be known for it's beers (and it really is) but new chef, new menu, new ideas and new manager make a fine combination. The dining room is loud but it's a happy loud, a people enjoying good pizza and beer loud so it's comforting in a strange sort of way. The last time we were there we were somewhat disappointed in the food, not this time. It looks like Rustico is back on our serious food consideration rotation. Dinner was $130 with tip which is an amazing bargain when you consider the quality of the food and beer and service.

[lperry]

We had lunch at the Slater's Lane location this week.  We split the butternut squash/spinach salad and a pizza.  The salad dressing was balanced and nicely flavored, but I thought the squash was in too large pieces for being raw (1/4 inch-ish strands).  Mr. lperry liked it better than I did.  We also had the roasted mushroom pizza on the chickpea crust.  The crust has changed over the years, and it is much better in both flavor and texture than it has been in the past.  At our lunch, it was less crispy than usual, but the flavor was quite nice.

One pet peeve of mine, and it won't apply to many people, but the Diet Coke almost always comes flat at Rustico.  I need some lunchtime caffeine in a fizzy delivery system, and they don't have Coke Zero, so I get Diet Coke.  The past two times we have been, and four times overall that I can remember, the drink has been flat, and the scenario has played out in an identical fashion.  I wait through the first course with no drinkable drink, ask a couple of times and am told they are working on it, and they inevitably bring me something else.  This time it was an iced tea that was pretty weak.

Overall, though, a solid meal with good service.  Also notable, Mr. lperry has celiac, and he has never been poisoned here.  They are very careful with their gluten free pizzas, something that is much appreciated.

[SeanMike]

I just went to the Ballston location. Like usual, the service was prompt and friendly. I had the Boston Bibb salad with flank steak, and I'll be honest: it was fantastic. One of the best salads I've had in ages. Like lperry said, I do think some of the pieces were cut a bit big...

The *ONLY* thing that keeps me from going there more is the price on draft beer. Sure, there are some $6 pints, but for the most part, it's $9+ tulips or other small glasses. I'd really like some options for a beer that'll last me more than a couple of minutes...

[dcs]

The $12 half order of seafood and linguine is not a bad bar food order after the gym at sport and health in Ballston.  Tasty with half the carbs you don’t need.  

[Kibbee Nayee]

Went to the Ballston location for lunch today. I ordered the Cubano, because I have been on a continuous quest for the real deal in the Washington DC area -- so far, about two decades into my quest, the scorecard is about 5% hit, 95% miss. Rustico is another entry in the "miss" column, with shredded instead of sliced roasted pork, and a scant little pickle, on an overly greasy and uninteresting bun. Meh.

Still searching for the perfect Cubano in the DC area. Closest to date were a lunchtime special at Acadiana about 5-6-7 years ago, and a version at Blue Iguana in Fair Lakes about two owners ago, when the menu tended towards Louisiana and Gulf fare. Otherwise, there are a lot of pretenders out there.