Bazin's on Church, Church Street in Old Town Vienna - Chef Patrick Bazin Comes from Occidental Grill

[WARojas]

Greetings Rockwellers,

Just got off the phone with Patrick Bazin, the former executive chef at Occidental in D.C., who is poised to welcome guests to his new namesake restaurant tomorrow evening.

Bazin has about two dozen dishes on his debut menu, including items like a Southwestern chicken soup with black beans and grilled radicchio, ricotta ravioli in a Meyer lemon sauce and a "double thick" Iowa pork chop served with vanilla sweet potatoes and braised Swiss chard. Most appetizers appear to be under $10 and the entrees top out at $26 for the crab cakes.

The restaurant is located at 111 Church Street NW in Old Town Vienna and doors open at 5 p.m. for dinner.

Just thought you'd like to know.....

[jpbloom]

I was actually just going to post about this. I heard it was supposed to open months ago and wondered if anyone knew anything about it.

[Joe H]

Well.....I happened to be looking in his window last week and he saw me. ("Who is this person looking in my window?") Patrick invited me in and spent a bit of time showing me around. There's a great deal of promise to this restaurant, which Vienna is sorely in need of. He also intends to have about 50 wines or so available, all priced with a minimal markup. Entrees in the $15 to $25 range, comparable to Colvin Run for taste and expectation. Given his background with the Occidental and his values I believe all of us in Western Fairfax country will benefit from him opening here. I wish him and his wife the absolute best; a restaurant like Bazin's on Church has been a long time coming....

[Pete]

This is terrific news for us fairfax county folks. My wife and I have been in a "culinary rut" with restaurants in our area, so I am excited to have a new place to try.

[Biotech]

Just got back from dinner at Bazin's tonight. They've been open one week and without a reservation, you are SOL until after nine. We didn't have one, but they provide full dinner service at the bar if you are okay with that. We are, and went that route.

If you are thinking about going - Go. It is awesome and just what Vienna needs. Actually, Vienna needs about 10 more restaurants of this caliber.

The space is very nice, service is professional, and food is very good at a reasonable price.

We started out with ’04 Steele Carneros Pinot Noir and ’04 Bearboat Russian River Valley Pinot Noir by the glass. I had the Panko Crusted Oysters served on top of creamed spinach and country ham in the shell with a dab of creole aioli on top. Very nicely cooked and not overdone at all. Five meaty oysters for $10. The only downside to this dish is the oysters are nestled in salt and if you slip with the fork, you end up with a mouthful of rocksalt. Ms. Biotech had the asian lump crab spring roll with asian slaw. She was in heaven. It is very generous ($11). I had just eaten crab cakes at Oceanaire the day before and was a bit crabbed out to try the spring roll.

Main courses were the braised veal cheeks with leeks and asparagus with homemade gnocchi (which were cylindrical and had been boiled and then roasted) and the flat iron steak on a mozzarella potato puree. My veal was incredible and was every bit as good as the pork cheeks served at the DR dinner. the meat literall melted in my mouth. The flat iron was nice, but I still prefer Ray's for everything steak. I had a glass of ’03 Joseph Phelps “Pastiche”, Rhone Blend and my wife had a glass of ’03 Four Vines Winery “Old Vine Curvee” Zinfandel. Both were good with the mains.

Dessert was Michel’s hazelnut crunch bars with cappuccino sauce and a warm chocolate tart. They were very good if not all that innovative.

Total damage pre tip was $115 for two. About $32 was wine. Bottles were reasonable as well.

My wife ran into chef today at the Giant on Maple Ave and told him we enjoyed our dinner. It's nice to have a restaurant like Bazin's nearby and we know we'll become regulars.

We were told by the guy that owns the buidling Bazins is in that Tom Sietsema will be starting to dine there so I suspect we'll see a review in the next few months. Let's hope he agrees about the food and I don't look like a schmuck come then.

Bazin's On Church Website

[Pete]

My wife and I had an early dinner at Bazin's last night. We did not have a reservation, which did not seem to be a problem for a Sunday night.

We started with a couple of wines by the glass. I had the ’03 Joseph Phelps “Pastiche”, Rhone Blend which was very good and wound up going well with my entree. My wife had a glass of ’04 Luna Pinot Grigio, which was fine if not spectacular.

Appetizers consisted of the Ricotta Ravioli for my wife and the Vidalia Onion Soup for myself. The Ricotta Ravioli, which looked like potstickers, came in a Meyer lemon sauce. The sauce did not overpower the ravioli and the couple of bites that I had were very good. The Onion Soup was fine, but nothing extraordinary. I found it a little too restrained.

Our main courses were apparently identical to what Chris ordered. I had the braised veal with leeks, asparagus with homemade gnocchi. This dish was fantastic, with both the meat and the gnocchi melting in my mouth. I know that this is definitely a "comfort food" dish, but I would have no problem eating this in the summertime. My wife ordered the flat iron steak with the mozzarella-potato puree. The flat iron was nice, but fell short in comparison to my veal.

Feeling pretty full at this point, we managed to share the "Michel’s Hazelnut Crunch Bars" with cappuccino sauce. They were very good, but not as good as the "orginal" or the ones served at Corduroy.

Service was very friendly and efficient. The restaurant started to fill up by the time we left but the staff handled everything well. This restaurant is a fantastic addition to Vienna and one which we will be returning to often.

[Joe H]

Bazin's seems not to have been affected by the comments in The Weekly Dish: the earliest reservation for tonight ( Saturday) is 9:30 with nothing earlier even at opening. The apparent early success of this restaurant should underscore the NEED for chef owned restaurants in Western Fairfax county and the desire for people like my wife and I to support them. I can imagine the success that Roberto, Jeff Black and others would have here. (Could you imagine a Black Salt in Reston?!?) I personally believe that the greater the popularity and success of Bazin's the sooner we will have more like it to choose from. If Clyde's, Morton's, Ruth's Chris, McCormick and Schmick's and others suffer then so be it.

It's time that Vienna and Reston moved to the next level. Tyson's? I think nine upper end steak houses are enough!

With 150,000+ square feet of retail coming on line in Reston Town Center over the next two years and the highest per capita income for a county this size in the United States-Bazin's timing could be quite interesting. I suspect there are quite a few people following it. I hope some of them read this board.

[Joe H]

We had dinner last night at Bazin's. Our table for a 9:30 reservation was actually available to us BEFORE the time of the reservation! But for a variety of reasons including a bartender whose family owns AV and who himself owned Palisades Pizza on MacArthur Blvd. we decided to have dinner at the bar. The wine list is priced with what seems like only a 50% markup. Hedges Three Vineyards was $34 and Amancaya (which I've seen for $50 elsewhere) was under $30. Bazin's has at least two remarkably good dishes which have already been mentioned in this thread. But let me underscore just how good these are to go out of your way for: the "Jumbo lump crab spring roll with Asian slaw and ginger viniagrette" is absolutely delicious and the "Braised tender veal cheeks with natural juices" are simply one of the best comfort dishes you could ever have. Flounder stuffed with crabmeat was excellent although Southwestern chicken soup was thin and lacked any depth of flavor. For dessert the pineapple upside down cake was good, white chocolate ice cream (sourced from a McLean shop which is supplying a LOT of restaurants including Foti's) with raspberry compote and macadamia brittle was better. Neither was exceptional however. Julie Bazin is a wonderful host, on par with some of the very best who run the front of a house in Europe. She goes out of her way to make EVERYONE feel special.

This has been an interesting week with my also having had dinner at 2941 and Willow for business dinners and wrapping up with Bazin's. Overall I think 2941 is superior to the latter two but I may slightly prefer Bazin's over Willow. I should note that Bazin's has more of the feeling of a neighborhood restaurant (unfortunately, it's noisy when the dining room is full from so many hard surfaces) while Willow feels "downtown" and 2941, at night, is a very special room.

Bazin's is a huge plus for Vienna and only going to become even more popular. With at least one appetizer and two entrees that I really liked and an extremely welcoming staff my wife and I look forward to returning and working our way through the rest of the menu. Soon.

[jparrott]

The wine list is priced with what seems like only a 50% markup.  Hedges Three Vineyards was $34 and Amancaya (which I've seen for $50 elsewhere) was under $30. 

keep the early enthusiasm in check for Bazin's on Church in Vienna, as the new restaurant has many rough edges to smooth, two big ones being the underachieving wine list

Shall we have this out right now?

[Joe H]

"keep the early enthusiasm in check for Bazin's on Church in Vienna, as the new restaurant has many rough edges to smooth, two big ones being the underachieving wine list."

Interesting comment from Rockwell that he seems to have forgotten to delete-where is the original post? But my wife criticized me, too. She likes Bazin's MUCH better than Willow favoring the several dishes I mentioned above over anything that we had at Willow. Overall, Bazin's is a new restaurant that has been open for only a week and a half. Several of its dishes are absolutely delicious (crab stuffed flounder, crab springroll, veal cheeks). Several are disappointing (chicken soup, at least one of the desserts). But they are still evening out the menu and introducing new dishes. As for the wine list it is limited but there are bargains. Still, this is not a restaurant that intends to compete with Maestro or 2941 for their lists. Rather, it is short and fairly priced; yes, there are a number of wines that I would hoped they would have. And they don't. Regardless, the real problem for Bazin's may be the noise when the room is full; there are a lot of hard surfaces.

Order the crab springroll and the veal cheeks-they compensate for an awful lot. A $34 bottle of Hedges Three Vineyards helps, too. It is a good red for the price. And then Vienna. Here is the real story: for Vienna Bazin's is destined to be a local treasure. Other than Bonaroti Neilsen's and the Vienna Inn Vienna does not have a lot going for it. Anita's just doesn't seem the same no longer housed in the funky Donut Dinette which it started out as.

[Biotech]

"keep the early enthusiasm in check for Bazin's on Church in Vienna, as the new restaurant has many rough edges to smooth, two big ones being the underachieving wine list."

Here is the real story:  for Vienna Bazin's is destined to be a local treasure.  Other than Bonaroti Neilsen's and the Vienna Inn Vienna does not have a lot going for it.  Anita's just doesn't seem the same no longer housed in the funky Donut Dinette which it started out as.

The first comment may be housed in the Sietsema thread.

Joe, I'm going to disagree with you on the latter comment. I live in Vienna, choosing to move out of DC to raise the kids. I chose Vienna for a couple of reasons. We may not have the downtown restaurants, but we do have some other good choices. Choices that work for many of us with small children. While I would take my almost 5 year old to Corduroy, as he's very serious and quiet in public, I wouldn't dream of taking the 18 month old to, say, Maestro or 2941. Too long with too little to do for a toddler.

What I will do is take them for kabobs, go to Panjshir II and a whole lot of other more ethnic things around here. Vienna does have a lot going for it. Vienna Inn is not one of those things, in my opinion, but nothing beats a nice slice of bread from the Great Harvest Bread Company on Church on a weekend or meandering around the store and grabbing a bite to eat at Al Nakheel on Maple.

That said, I'm one of those people that can't wait for the demand for restaurants like Bazins to make Vienna more and more attractive to chefs. The owner of the building Bazin's is in spoke to me at length one evening and would love to see more mid-range restaurants housed in his buildings. He has many apparently.

So there is hope for more stratas of restaurants, but to say Vienna doesn't have a lot going for it is a disservice to us and our business owners.

[ScotteeM]

"keep the early enthusiasm in check for Bazin's on Church in Vienna, as the new restaurant has many rough edges to smooth, two big ones being the underachieving wine list."

Interesting comment from Rockwell that he seems to have forgotten to delete-where is the original post?

It would be here.

[Pete]

My wife and I went to Bazin’s last night. At 8pm on a Tuesday night, the place was pretty well packed (and loud). We started with a couple of glasses of wine – the Joseph Phelps “Pastiche” for Paula and a Grenache for me, which was served WAY too warm. I ordered the Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Spring Roll with Asian slaw to start. This is not your traditional spring roll as it contains huge chunks of crabmeat (think Corduroy’s Mozzarella Porcupine but with crabmeat) and is delicious. The ginger vinaigrette put it over the top. Paula had the Spring Salad, which she enjoyed.

The braised veal is still on the menu; however, I wanted to try something new. My entrée was the Pork Chop with vanilla sweet potatoes, braised Swiss chard, and apple-chile chutney. The pork chop was juicy and cooked perfectly, with the chutney providing a nice sweet/spicy contrast. The vanilla sweet potatoes tasted like vanilla pudding – good if you are eating dessert, but not so good served with an entrée. Paula ordered the Seared “Dry” Scallops served with corn polenta, kimchee, and a shiitake-soy sauce. She really enjoyed this dish as the scallops were perfectly seared on the outside with a tender interior. There were at least 6-8 scallops in the order, which was a very generous portion. The corn polenta was not creamy, but more of a polenta cake, and was terrific as well.

Service continues to be friendly and efficient. No room for dessert this time, but I am looking forward to trying the rest of the menu.

[youngfood]

Has anyone tried Bazin's for brunch yet? We were thinking about trying to do one there for Father's Day.

[JLK]

Tom's review (2 stars)

[yeuxblu]

We took family to Bazin's last night. It was a wonderful first visit. Probably the oddest part was the television at the center of the bar showing Emeril and Rachel Ray, but it set the tone for a relaxed fun evening. We ordered 2 types of salad: the chop salad and a watermelon salad. The chop including olives, pistachios, garbanzo beans, carrots and green beans. It was a mix of oil & vinegar dressing that had light lemon zest. It was very nice and refreshing. I had the watermelon salad which consisted of triangular stacked slices of watermelon, yellow watermelon and feta. There was a lemon citrus sauce and topped off with arugula which made for a beautiful presentation. Not to mention yummy. The yellow watermelon caught my attention as it was a first for me and provided a more solid texture.

For the entrees we ordered the flat iron steak and the grouper special. The flat iron steak was prepared with mozzarella mash potatoes and green beans. You couldn't really tell where the mash ended and mozzarella began making a nice creamy hit at our table. The mixing of sauces and sides made stacking ideal. And the well stacked fork was delicious at least the few I was allowed to take from my boyfriend's sister. Three of us ordered the grouper special including my boyfriend's mother who normally is not a big fish eater. It was topped with a lobster sauce and had a side of spinach and grits. There was a bit of Pico de Gallo sans onions that topped the fish and gave it just the perfect amount of zest. The grits were creamy, just like my boyfriend's grandmother makes. They were the big fat granules. We loved it including the non-fish eater although she wanted a touch more salt on her fish.

For dessert we shared an order of chocolate hazelnut bar and the warm chocolate tart. The tart just melted in your mouth almost like the chocolate base for hot cocoa. The hazelnut bar was delicious too. Our waiter was efficient and knowledgeable. I think a number of the rough edges have been ironed out. We'll definitely be returning.

[Demvtr]

I visited Bazin's on Church in Vienna for the first time last night and had an almost wholly positive experience.

Bazin's was, as expected, packed when my party of three showed up for our 7:30 p.m. reservation. We were led directly to our table and, after a noticeable wait, received bread and water (in that order, and with a slight lag between the two). But the people that greeted and seated us were very pleasant, as were all of the servers, the restaurant was clearly jumping during the peak dinner hour, and we were in no hurry, so we did not mind the lag.

The menu is largely the same as the one shown online, with a few seasonal changes. The crab cakes are no longer available, the miso-marinated fish is now cod, the tuna tartar was gone from the appetizer menu (and replaced by a seared rare tuna entree), and there seemed to be one or two differences in the available salads. And an additional ravioli, filled with butternut squash, was available as an appetizer.

Two of us started with the jumbo-lump crab meat "spring roll." I put that phrase in quotes because the crab meat is actually sheathed in crisp phyllo dough, as opposed to a more traditional spring roll wrap. It makes for a dramatic presentation, with phyllo dough tendrils jutting crazily outward from the roll, which is nearly as large as a hot dog bun. The spring roll is almost greaseless, and contains a respectable amount of crab meat. The Asian slaw it is perched on is enjoyably tangy. I was hungry enough by the time the spring roll arrived that I had eaten maybe a quarter of it when I realized that it was barely warm. I politely asked the server whether the spring roll was supposed to be served close to room temperature (for all I knew, the dish was given to me exactly as intended), and he said that it was not. He took it back and reappeared fairly promptly with a whole new plate. I protested that there was no need for the kitchen to send out a new spring roll, as I had really just wanted it heated, but the server insisted, and I am glad he did. The spring roll, when hot, was ten times more enjoyable.

One of my dining companions and I decided that we would each order the potato-onion ravioli with lobster cream sauce appetizer and split one order of the butternut squash ravioli appetizer. Both dishes were stunning. My dining companion and I both physically broke into smiles when we tried the potato-onion ravioli. The lobster cream sauce was unabashedly rich and flavorful, and chunks of lobster meat were strewn all over the five medium-sized ravioli. My manners ebbing (I was amongst family), I actually used a piece of bread to get up some of the lobster cream sauce left after I finished eating the ravioli. It is a clean plate-club dish.

I ordered the butternut squash ravioli we were splitting minus the Parmesan cheese that the menu states normally adorns the pasta. The kitchen, in an abundance of caution, also withheld Parmesan cheese from both orders of the potato-onion ravioli, which briefly disappointed my dining companion until the server brought a side of Parmesan cheese out for him, but saved me from having to send the potato-onion ravioli back. I am unsure why the menu omits the Parmesan cheese normally served on the onion-potato ravioli, but the omission is something that should be remedied.

The butternut squash ravioli were the equal of the potato-onion ravioli in appeal, though they were sweet, as opposed to savory. They could have been dessert. The sauce flowing through the plate was warm, buttery, and sweet, and the ravioli were sprinkled with crumbled amaretto cookies. I have tried ravioli filled with pumpkin or butternut squash at a few restaurants in the area, and this was easily the best version of the dish I have tasted.

The third diner ordered the stuffed flounder, a roasted flounder rolled around crab meat served atop rice, with an "almond lemon sauce" that was not quite the equal of the ravioli sauces, but was still excellent. The fish, when I tried it, was a bit dry, and the person who ordered it thought so, as well, though she still found it a satisfying dish overall. It was good, in her estimation, but just unable to equal the ravioli in terms of pure indulgence.

A woman I assumed to be Julie Bazin stopped by our table a couple of times just to see how we were enjoying our meal, which was appreciated. When the issue of dessert arose, she joked that she had eaten the chocolate tart "every night for the last six months," which was enough of an endorsement for us to give it a chance. The tart is thin and shaped like a slice of pie, and is served with a small scoop of chocolate sorbet and a small, raspberry-topped mound of Chantilly cream. The chocolate was warm and had a consistency somewhere between creamy and fudge-like. I have not seen (or tasted) chocolate put to better use in a long, long time.

It is truly a rare dinner that prompts me to go straight home to make another dinner reservation at the same restaurant, but besides a few service stumbles, including multiple occasions where water and soda glasses (and my coffee mug) went unfilled and the long period before the check was brought (and collected), Bazin's proved to be a gem in Vienna's rough. I'm looking forward to round two.

[DonRocks]

Bazin's proved to be a gem in Vienna's rough. I'm looking forward to round two.

And so am I, thanks to your great posting!

Thanks Demvtr,

Rocks.

[jiveturk21]

So, after being on my list for about a year, I finally got the chance to check out Bazin's last night. While I am embarassed that it took me so long to get around to it (I do live in Fairfax after all), I can say that it definitely was worth waiting for.

Here is the deal...Fairfax County needs more places like this, particularly in areas not named Arlington or Alexandria. Do you know how hard it is to get to Arlington or Alexandria from Fairfax on a week night!? I still do it, but I always am a bit frazzled when I finally get to the restaurant.

Anyway, the decor was nice, it was a nice mix of comfortable and trendy without being too over the top. They need to do something about the acoustics in there because it was quite loud for a 2/3 filled dinning room on a Tuesday night. I can't imagine what it would be like on a Saturday night with a packed house.

The service was fine. There was a good pace to the courses and our glasses were always filled when they needed to be. I would have preferred a server with a bit less attitude (he definitely felt like he was too cool for school), but that was one guy, everyone else seemed very pleasant.

The food was solid, teetering on great, but with one thing that I would have changed about each dish...

1. Potato and Onion Ravioli with Lobster Sauce - Loved the sauce, loved the pasta, but the filling was a bit too mushy for me. I felt like it was missing a texture component because the potatoes and the onions were pureed together. It was very good flavor wise though, I just think they could make it a tiny bit better.

2. Salmon with Grits, Spinach and Lobster Bisque Sauce - The grits were the best part of our meal, they were creamy while keeping the integrity of the grit. The sauce was great too, no doubt about that. The salmon, however, was a bit overcooked. So, the dish would have been top notch if not for that, that was just an execution issue though, you are going to come across those every once in a while.

3. Braised Veal with Gnocchi, Asparagus and Fennel - The veal was cooked perfectly and the gnocchi was a hit due to the sauteeing after it had been cooked, but the asparagus and fennel seemed like a throw away. It was fine, it was cooked properly, but I kept asking myself why it was there.

4. Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tart with Chocolate Sorbet - I actually thought this was the best executed of the dishes on the night, but I prefer all of the other dishes to this one. The other dishes somewhat surprised me when they came out, they were interesting to me, but this one was exactly what I expected. That is a good thing to some people, but I just expected a little bit more, it just seemed like a good dessert to me, but nothing that I will remember next week.

The total bill for the food listed above and two glasses of wine was around $90 without tip.

Overall, I really liked Bazin's. I feel that it is a place that I can go back to and have a different experience sitting at the bar or with a bigger group of people or with a date (I was with my dad last night). That is saying a lot for me, I rarely go to a place more than once with so many other options out there, but if the restaurant offers different experiences depending on the company, I tend to go back. Personally I think they need to tweak one or two things, but I was very happy with my experience.

By the way, we got there about 30 minutes early and headed to the wine store next door. The owner (I think his name was Doug, but I suck with names) was very knowledgeable and just a pleasant guy to talk to. He answered questions when we asked, but was not too pushy. He even suggested some cheaper wines that he thought were better than more expensive wines we were picking out, which I liked. Anyway, I got 9 bottles, I am a sucker for a good wine store.

[bbq4me]

We dined at Bazin's Saturday night, 9:30 reservation but our table was ready earlier and the hostess gave us our choice of 3 tables. A nice option since the floor was packed. Initial service was slow and there were a few miscues (Wrong appetizer brought [we kept it-it was one of our top choices], wine didn't arrive until appetizers were half done; wine service was poor [waiter poured wine before allowing us to taste, realized that we were going to taste it first and then said "oh please taste it and let me know if you like it"]; we had to pour our own wine a couple of times; entrees arrived too early and they put them back under the heat which turned my wife's MR steak closer to MW when it finally arrived [my wife opted to keep it, although I would not have].

I'm not complaing though. The waiter's positive attitude helped smooth over the service issues. The food was quite good but also very rich. I think 3 of our 4 dishes had some form of demi-glace and cream--tasty for the for several bites but a little too rich after a while. Duck Confit was spectacular, firm lentils with a hint of sweetness. The Fried oysters were served on a bed of pureed spinach and little pork bits, turned out to be our favortie appetizer. The Black Cod was glazed with a miso and ginger and honey (so I'm guessing) on a bed of horseradish mashed potatoes (yes with a little demi glace and cream to finish it) and was very good. My wife's flat iron steak with bleu cheese was a little too rich, but we enjoyed it notwithstanding the temperature issue.

Chocolate tart rounded out the evening. We'd go back again, I wish there were more neighborhood joints like this. $180 for 2, included wine and tip. I think there would be great value if we had not ordered the wine since that was half the cost.

[Biotech]

My wife and I stopped in on Saturday night to do an early Valentine's Day dinner. We sat at the bar (we've been meaning to make reservations, but have never actually gotten around to doing that, rather opting to starve ourselves so we can go early enough to snag to seats at the bar).

We ordered a couple of glasses of pinot noir, figured out what we wanted, and put in our app and mains to the very pleasant young woman behind the bar. Our appetizers were very good (SO had the roasted beet salad, I had the crab spring roll which is really just a huge amount of beautiful lump crab in a thin wrapper). We get to talking, I order another glass of wine, and we enjoy ourselves. I notice our mains are taking awhile, but they are busy even early in the evening. The woman behind the bar approaches us, tells us it doesn't usually take this long, but she messed up and lost our ticket, but that Patrick is fast tracking our entrees. Not a big deal to us, we are enjoying each other and the couple next to us have become new friends.

Pretty soon after our entrees arrive (wife had the rockfish and i had the scallops - both were excellent). I'm offered another glass of wine, we order coffee an dessert and continue our date.

When I get the bill, I notice some mistakes. Looks like they stopped charging me after the first glass of wine and apps/entrees hit the ticket. I point this out and am told, no it's not an error, it's a comp. So here is a situation where the food was excellent, there was a slight glitch which caused entrees to take a little longer, and a restaurant that is so interested in keeping business with the neighbors that they are were very, very generous proactively.

I never expected anything from the situation, her apology and honest explanation it was her fault was more than enough.

To keep this about the food, though, the scallops were excellent and the polenta on the plate is everything polenta should strive to be. My wife's rockfish was probably one of the best pieces of the east-coast fish I've had. The warm brownie and ice cream was nice, but nothing above and beyond what I've had at various other places in the area (except the candied walnuts were a nice touch).

This experience is the type of service that keeps me coming back to a restaurant. They also addressed some of their noise problems with some acoustical tiles that muffle some of the cacaphony (although a full restaurant is a full restaurant).

[catharine]

I've had two very good meals at Bazin's in the past month. In September, two of us dined at the chef's table, which was a great treat. It is a two-person station with barstools overlooking the kitchen. Meals were off the regular menu, though we did get an extra treat from the kitchen. I thought the tuna tartare appetizer was excellent, though my companion noted she thought it was a bit salty. We shared the sun-dried tomato risotto with shrimp and the scallops with polenta and kimchee. Both were excellent.

Last night, three girlfriends and I had a very enjoyable meal. The new fall menu is in place and we give it the thumbs up. We shared appetizers: the crab rolls, the pupusas (cheese/pork), and the butternut squash ravioli. The crab rolls were the biggest hit for me, wrapped in shredded potato and fried. the other two appetizers did not disappoint.

All of our entrees were excellent, too. The biggest hit was the roasted pork with vanilla mashed potatoes and spinach. The meat was perfectly tender and flavorful. I thought the potatoes were perfect, but two of my friends thought they were a tad sweet. The risotto is now a mushroom variety, and was good. It could have used a little more seasoning, but the shaved parmesan and chopped tomatoes worked well when they were included in a bite. The veal milanese and halibut were also wonderful.

For dessert, we ordered the key lime pie (very coconutty, not very limely, but very good), the chocolate hazelnut bars (a la Michel Richard), and the apple cobbler with salted caramel ice cream. We agreed that the apple cobbler was the best - even though at least one of us usually prefers chocolate desserts.

We noticed that the restaurant was not very loud, though we had read that noise was a problem. We noticed some panels on the ceiling, and surmised that the panels were probably installed in response to the volume issues that were previously noted.

All in all, I highly recommend you give Bazin's a try. I hope to return soon.

[RaisaB]

If you go to this restaurant you need no other reason but the wine list. He has some small producers on there that I was astounded to see. If you go and he still has the Cirision 2004 from Rioja, order it! It is impossible to buy in Spain and he has it at a great value.

[flygirl]

We had a group of 15 last Sunday for brunch. I had the maple glazed chilean sea bass and the wasabi mashed potatoes... wonderful.

[CajunJason]

This evening, Bazin's was host to my family for a birthday celebration.

Through & through, a wonderful meal and great first-time experience for me at this restaurant. Started with a spring roll of jumbo lump crab and a basket of their bread (which is served toasted by default, but doesn't need to be). Entrees around the table included Monkfish with lobster/potato hash, beef tenderloin with truffle cream sauce (yum), Sea Bass and a leg of lamb. Everything was delicious, although the seafood seems to stand out. Then again, much to my dismay, the rest of my family prefers their red meats a thorough med-well (drives me crazy.)

Desserts included a chocolate hazelnut bar, which I swear came straight out of Happy in the Kitchen, and a pecan & maple pie which was good, but could have been stickier & gooier.

The service was friendly, mostly attentive but slightly dull. Which I'll take over bitchy & pretentious all day long. I'll definitely be back, folks around Vienna are lucky to have this in their backyard. -j

[John William G]

I ate at Bazin’s for the first time last Sunday.  It was an early meal, around 6:00, and the restaurant was not crowded.  There would have been no problem getting a table without reservations.  I had the Crabmeat Spring Roll as a starter and the Maple-Miso Chilean Sea Bass for my entrée.  The Spring Roll was very good, and the Sea Bass was wonderful.  One of our group had the Potato Gnocchi, and she was very complimentary of it.  No one had any complaints about the food.

The service had a slight hiccup as the waiter kept coming to see if there were any plates that he could take. I have never understood this desire to clear the table of a dish as soon as possible.

One feature of restaurants that I have become more and more interested in with every passing year is if the restaurant is satisfactory for us older people.  The two main issues are, first, is the restaurant quiet enough for conversation, and secondly, is it comfortable.  Bazin’s passes both tests.  The chairs are padded and comfortable.  The ceiling had sound absorbent panels on it.  Although it wasn’t crowded when we were there, I am certain it would be relatively quiet even when full.

All in all a restaurant I recommend.

[Kibbee Nayee]

34 minutes ago, John William G said:

One feature of restaurants that I have become more and more interested in with every passing year is if the restaurant is satisfactory for us older people.  The two main issues are, first, is the restaurant quiet enough for conversation, and secondly, is it comfortable.  Bazin’s passes both tests.  The chairs are padded and comfortable.  The ceiling had sound absorbent panels on it.  Although it wasn’t crowded when we were there, I am certain it would be relatively quiet even when full.

This is news. For years, Bazin's had the rap of being deafeningly loud. Does someone know if they added sound absorption features. If so, then kudos to them. I wish more restaurants would do that.

[John William G]

On 9/20/2016 at 10:49 PM, Kibbee Nayee said:

This is news. For years, Bazin's had the rap of being deafeningly loud. Does someone know if they added sound absorption features. If so, then kudos to them. I wish more restaurants would do that.

I stopped by today, and took this photo of their ceiling:

I’m certainly not an expert on this stuff, but they look like sound absorbers to me.   

Here is the photo.

Edited September 23, 2016 by John William G

[Kibbee Nayee]

OK, so it looks like they took action because they were hearing about the ear-shattering noise levels. Listening to the "voice of the customer" is a good business practice.

[hopsing]

We went here for the first time last night for a belated anniversary dinner.  I was very impressed.  The good reputation is justified.  We had the crabmeat spring roll, crispy oysters, beef medallions (a special) and the veal dish.  Along with crusty bread and a bottle of wine, a nice meal indeed.  It's a bit of a trek for Arlingtonians, but not that bad-- if I-66 isn't too backed up - especially for an anniversary meal.

[Al Dente]

We stopped in for dinner last night and were generally pleased. We arrived at about 8:15 and only about 6 tables were occupied. Our server seemed busy closing up shop, but she was generally available when we needed her.

I started with the Burnt Romaine Heart ($11) with avocado, feta, grilled onions, tomatoes, and green garlic chimichurri vinaigrette. I liked where they were going with this, but I think the raw garlic flavor and spiciness magnified the acidity of the vinegar making it too intense. I also had the Crispy Chicken Breast ($20) with prosciutto, fried eggplant, peas, Fontina cheese, and Marsala mushroom sauce. The chicken was a generously-sized breaded cutlet underneath the other tasty ingredients but it was swimming in the sauce. The flavors were great as long as I could keep a forkful from becoming saturated. We shared a side of Broccoli Frito with Pickled Pepper Aioli and Parmesan ($8). I think this was the best overall dish-- the broccoli had some crispy crunch that worked nicely with the aioli. 

All in all, a pleasant enough experience, I just think they need to tighten up the execution a bit. Two apps, two entrees, and a martini came out to $100 less tip.

[Scott Johnston]

Second Al Dente’s post. Claudia and I have eaten here twice in the last month. I also had the Crispy Chicken Breast and was equally impressed. We also ate off the bar menu one night with equally nice results. Hidden gem in the Vienna area.

[MarkS]

Went on Tuesday.  Patrick was cooking and serving and the meal was solid.  The three of us had Scallops, Short Ribs and Lamb steak. All solidly prepared and a large plate with starch and vegetable.  Shared a nibble of homemade Ricotta with figs, superb. Washed down with a bottle of Rioja Reserva, this was a great experience and a solid place I will add to our rotation.  Will certainly be back  for happy hour at the bar sometime this fall.  

[Ericandblueboy]

1 hour ago, MarkS said:

Went on Tuesday.  Patrick was cooking and serving and the meal was solid.  The three of us had Scallops, Short Ribs and Lamb steak. All solidly prepared and a large plate with starch and vegetable.  Shared a nibble of homemade Ricotta with figs, superb. Washed down with a bottle of Rioja Reserva, this was a great experience and a solid place I will add to our rotation.  Will certainly be back  for happy hour at the bar sometime this fall.  

What's in your rotation?

I have a few repeat restaurants in McLean/Vienna.  There are few restaurants that I haven't tried in the area, although some I have not gone back ever (I haven't been back to Bazin's in 10 or so years - mostly because I don't like their all over the board menu).  

Chinese:  Asian Origin (Sichuan), Lotus Garden (Cantonese), House of Fortune (soup dumplings) and China Wok (Peking duck)

Mexican - Taco Bamba (Vienna location has beer)

Upscale American - Clarity

Casual Greek - Plaka Grill

Korean - Woo Lae Oak

Neapolitan Pizza - Crust

Persian - Shamshiry, Alborz, Rose

If I had to eat Thai locally - Side Street and Essan

If I had to eat sushi locally - Tachibana and Yoshi

If I had to eat Vietnamese locally - Pho Deluxe

If I had to eat Italian locally - Bonaroti

Other than the Persian joints, all serve some booze.

[Scott Johnston]

I agree with all the choices here. I would add Amoos for kabobs and muru ( Vienna) may not have the spelling right, for Korean.

[MarkS]

You both have it covered.  We stay at the Sheraton Tues and Wed night every week.  I try to limit dining out so I don't wind up like a blimp but still need to explore the area,  I will add that the Silver Diner and Roti are good for quick salads.

Still meaning to hit Caboose Brewery.

Shamshiry we take back to the hotel so I can drink with wine I buy at Walmart!!

 

[B.A.R.]

On 7/19/2018 at 11:35 AM, Al Dente said:

I started with the Burnt Romaine Heart ($11) with avocado, feta, grilled onions, tomatoes, and green garlic chimichurri vinaigrette. I liked where they were going with this, but I think the raw garlic flavor and spiciness magnified the acidity of the vinegar making it too intense............All in all, a pleasant enough experience, I just think they need to tighten up the execution a bit. 

Stopped in for a quick Happy Hour and I really want to love this place but all four of our dishes could have used editing (see quote above). Started with a great Boulevardier, moved on to a lovely Sancerre. The Housemade Ricotta with Fig Compote just had too much compote -overpowered everything. You can pretty much cut and paste that comment on the other dishes. Charred Octopus overpowered by sweetness of BBQ sauce and did not really work for me an or my wife. Fried oysters were perfectly fried, resting atop the creamed spinach and drizzled with a sort of remoulade (wife ordered before I got there so did not read the menu). Had each oyster been perched on a tiny spoonful of the spinach, it would have been sublime (and a better food cost!)...but there was just way too much spinach on the dish which became Creamed Spinach with Fried Oysters. As Al Dente noted above, the Charred Romaine was overwhelmed by the garlic and chimichurri and was too sharp (raw garlic) and too acid...not to mention you could not see the romaine as it was buried under all of the complimentary components.

It is rare that I want less on a plate, but all of my dishes would have been much better had there been 50-75% less of garnishes

[MarkS]

Dinner last night with spouse and son.  Right in the wheelhouse as they offer a broad selection of dishes.  We had short ribs, pork chop and Branzino ..everyone cleaned their plates.  Washed down with a great Priorat and dinner was very solid.  Bazin's executes very well and at a price point below Clarity.  Bazin's was full on a Wednesday night which good to see and they have parking below and behind their establishment.