Picasso Grille Enters Extended Blue Period

[erikv]

On a nice day get carryout from River Falls Market - as expensive as anything else in Potomac but mostly worth it.

I agree. The seafood at River Falls Market is great, albeit overpriced. Speaking of the area, how is Picasso (sister restaurant of Matisse?)

[porcupine]

I agree. The seafood at River Falls Market is great, albeit overpriced. Speaking of the area, how is Picasso (sister restaurant of Matisse?)

Honestly I can't say, as I haven't been there since it was Cafe Roval, which was also mediocre and overpriced. But I would love to hear anyone else's opinion.

[stockwatch_1999]

I occassionally dine at Picasso Grille in Potomac Village, which is the sister restaurant to Matisse in Washington, D.C.

The other day I noticed a sign that the restaurant is closed and has been sold. There is a ABC notice in the window. Any idea what's moving in its space?

[Pappy]

Loved the title of this thread.

I work next door and, yes, Picasso has closed. While sharing the same owner as Matisse (I believe his name is Fritz), Picasso never seemed to get it's footing in Potomac the way Matisse has developed a steady following in Northwest. I am sure there is demand for quality dining in this area, but Picasso just didn't deliver on either the food or the setting demanded by today's suburban diner. It did virtually no lunch business and was mostly empty at dinner through the week while paying a hefty rent. I understand the new tenant is an experienced restauranteur who promises to shake things up with wine tastings, pairings, specials, parties, etc.

In the same strip center, we have lost Potomac Deli. It's a loss in that it was a convenient source for quality deli products and services, especially belly lox, knishes, pastrami, rye bread, etc. I guess their catering operation was doing very well, but the restaurant itself was a drain. In the interest of self-preservation, they moved the catering operation out to a warehouse in Gaithersburg and dropped the retail outlet. It will be replaced by what else? Another bank.

Potomac Pizza remains, but for now is impossibly over-crowded. With all of the kids out of school, and few other options, the place is packed morning, noon and night. Their kitchen is miniscule, so getting a sandwich can literally take an hour at peak times. Frankly, I like their pizza. It has a nice blistered, chewy crust when ordered "well-done."

River Falls Market (previously River Falls Seafood) across the street continues to impress me. They finished a much need renovation last year, doubling the size of the place. They now carry premium meats (prime beef, good veal, and name brand pork) and free-range poultry along with their absolutely pristine seafood and perhaps the best pre-formed, uncooked crabcakes in the city. Many of their prepared foods are excellent, especially the taboulleh (was I even close on that spelling?), seafood soups, and trucked in sourdough bread. Great help behind the counter too. The owner is happy to fill special orders, for skate for example, which is hard to find. Be forewarned, they run out of much of the seafood everyday by 4PM and everything is very expensive (I believe the crabcakes are $9.99 EACH).