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Persimmon, Downtown Bethesda - Chef Damian Salvatore on Wisconsin Avenue and Walsh Street - Back Open After Renovations


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I'm not sure how helpful this will be, ...I was there about two months ago, but we were dining with my in-laws, so I had 3-4 Johnnie Walker Blacks (before they could open the two bottles of wine we ordered) and have been trying to block out the whole experience ever since it happened. Not because of the food or service, mind you.

The place looks better than ever, with only one terrible table just inside the door, and an attractive bar area to wait at if your table is not ready. Service is more professional than ever. It took me a few minutes to grab the waiter initially, but as soon as he understood my predicament he clearly took pity on me and "kept them coming." The wine list is better than ever. It was easy to find a nice, affordable gruner veltliner and an expensive, but fair, Oregon Pinot. Putting together a meal is easy too. I don't recall exactly what I had (the scotch), but I recall it being difficult to make a decision and I tasted everyone's first and second courses and there were many more hits than misses. I do remember that more than one dish was served in a wide, shallow bowl surrounded in a broth, rather than a sauce, which I don't remember the menu describing very well and you might want to be aware of if you don't like that sort of thing. I was surprised, because I thought the whole "broth" thing, which was immensely popular at Seasons a decade ago, was pretty much out of style by now.

Finally, it was a Sunday night and Damion Salvatore (sp?), chef and owner, was not in the house that evening (I asked because he was sort of a classmate of mine in high school), and it didn't seem the place missed a beat without him

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Has anyone been there in the past few months?

Figure on finally trying Persimmon for Bethesda Restaurant Week [starts today folks!].

Yes, we sent there about 2 months ago. Very good food, service was great though the dining room was drafty and not heated very well. I can't remember what we ate but do recall that all four of us thought it was very good.

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How many times have I said, "need to try Persimmon one of these days?" And so finally I have, and what a shame I waited so long. What a wonderful dining experience. The room is lovely and comfortable (though some tables were too close together). The service was spot-on. Friendly but professional, timing was fine. Only one minor issue - I had soup and salad (no surprise there) and my friend ordered only a main. It would have been nice if the waitress had asked if I wanted to wait for my food until my friend was served - particularly as it was gazpacho and came out right away. But the waitress not only didn't blink an eye when I asked to see the dessert menu before the meal...I rarely order dessert, so I wanted to see if there was anything I would want for dessert before deciding what to have for dinner - she actually took this craziness in good humor.

So, I started with a drink called Ginger Delight. The fresh citrus and fresh ginger came through beautifully. I like spice and bitter flavors, not sweet, and this drink was perfect for someone like me, though I normally prefer good quality liquor unadulterated with any kind of mixers. The bread was fresh but nothing special; it was served with a small pot of chicken liver pate that I didn't taste, but my friend thought it was very good. I had the mixed field greens salad with figs and toasted pecans. The pomegranate-quince vinaigrette was applied with a very light hand and all the flavors sparkled. The gazpacho was refreshing though it could have used a bit more heat. My friend had a perfectly cooked piece of fresh, wild rockfish over lemon gnochi. Absolutely delectable.

Desserts. Good thing I looked at the dessert menu before I ordered dinner as there were at least three things I wanted to try - a lemon rice pudding with rhubarb something, a Key Lime tart, and what I ultimately chose, which was a Blueberry Mirror Cheesecake. What caught my eye on the menu was the sour cream ice cream and lemon curd that accompanied the light cheesecake topped with an intense blueberry glaze. It was decadent and just too, too much. I would have been very happy with just a scoop of the sour cream ice cream, or just the cheesecake. Though the quantities are reasonable, it is a two-person dessert.

As a wine ignorati, I can't comment on the wine list. My friend wanted only a glass, and the waitress seemed to know the wine list well enough to help her make a selection.

My only concern was the overall menu. It seemed to consist entirely of dishes that are too heavy for this time of year, or preparations that were overly complex. Like they used to say to ladies about accessories - put on whatever you think the outfit needs, and then before you go out the door, take one thing off. Some of the ingredients seemed to be there mostly to satisfy trends. Without tasting these dishes, I obviously can't be sure that's what is going on, but it seemed that way. Especially seafood - in my view, the simpler the better with good quality, fresh seafood. It shouldn't be hidden under a half-dozen ingredients. But that's my personal preference. For all I know, each of these dishes may be exquisitely composed and balanced.

Ellen

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I was at Persimmon on Sunday because someone who lived closer wanted to take me there. I normally do not head for restaurants in Bethesda. The experience was exceptional and I very much enjoyed my Caesar salad and bouillabaisse. As a lark, imagining it being produced in a garage in Chevy Chase, I had a very nice glass of Pinot Grigio from Montgomery County. Persimmon is an example of good restaurants that provide excellent food and service and manage to stay off the radar. For those who are concerned about parking, there is a county lot around the corner.

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I was at Persimmon on Sunday because someone who lived closer wanted to take me there. I normally do not head for restaurants in Bethesda. The experience was exceptional

Thanks for the report - I've haven't been in years. Sounds like it's time to try it again.

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My wife and I got out to Bethesda tonight and had an exquisite meal at Persimmon. I had the smoked trout spring rolls with for an app and the duck breast for an entree. My wife had the green beans salad and the seared tuna entree with ramps, asparagus and truffled chickpea sauce. We split the chocolate souffle cake for dessert.

Every plate was attractively presented, timed well, served at the perfect temps (cold dishes were just cooled enough--not refrigerator cold; hot dishes were piping hot on warmed plates) and tasted great. If I changed anything, I would have ordered for myself a little differently. The sweetness on my appetizer (hoisin & peanut sauce) combined with the sweetness on my entree (sweet potatoes, foie gras sauce) felt a little cloying, although seperately each plate tasted spot on. Had I started with a clean salad or perhaps ordered a brighter, more acidic sounding dish for my entree, it would have been perfect. I fault only myself for making that error...actually now that I think about it, I should have switched entrees with my wife. Duh. (I was really kicking myself when I tasted the dessert. I just wanted to chug a quart of milk at that point!)

Service was amazing. Jeff was extremely professional, had perfect timing and made us feel like he was on top of his game while not rushing us once. He made a point of presenting the check to the middle of the table and when he returned it after running the card, he actually gave the card back to my wife and thanked her. This was HUGE points from my wife and I. (This bothers us frequently as we generally switch up paying for meals, but yet the credit card always seems to be handed back to me and I get the "Thank you, Mr. Pressley" while it's clearly a woman's name on the card and she is the one that hands it to the server originally. I know...a little anal, but whatever. This has to bother someone else, right?)

This was our first trip to Bethesda for dinner and certainly not our last, although I will admit I'll have a hard time driving past Persimmon to go anywhere else.

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Since Restaurant Week in Bethesda has been exteded through this weekend, we took the opportunity to have dinner at Persimmon last night. I was surprised by the crowd there at 7:30. There was a real buzz in the room. They seem to be offering their entire menu for this special - there are lots of interesting choices. Despite the crowd, service was excellent as was the quality of the food. It's far better than just a nice neighborhood place!

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I'm not sure why this place doesn't get more love. My wife and I went there this weekend and had a lovely time. The food was delicious - panzanella and lobster bisque to start, barramundi and roast chicken for entrees, shared sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Nothing fancy, but good solid cooking in a cozy neighborhood spot where the chef/owner probably spends all of his waking hours.

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Makes sense, although I have to say that the times I have eaten there it seemed to be jammed. However, the last time was about 8 months ago so perhaps traffic has taken a hit. While Wild Tomato is good, I always though the food quality paled in comparison to Persimmon. Let's hope the article's reference to making the new "Persimmon" more like Wild Tomato doesn't move the food in the wrong direction. I guess we'll see.

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A friend was in town recently, and the restaurant was chosen due to the dietary requirements of her teenage son.  Persimmon was the closest place with a hamburger on the menu, so we walked over for dinner.  They squeezed us into a table that was reserved for later with the understanding that we would make an effort to finish quickly.  One of our group was a little offended that it was even brought up (and repeated several times), but I thought it was kind that they made an effort to serve us on a busy night.

Dishes that were pronounced quite good included the burger, the roast chicken, the gazpacho, the Caesar salad, and the beet and goat cheese gratin.  The vegetarian selections are limited to starters, soups, salads, and the like, along with a "vegetable plate," so a light meal for those who don't want meat.  Also noteworthy is that our server admitted he did not know what gluten-free meant, but he would make sure the kitchen staff was able to accomodate the diner with celiac.  I asked for a glass of house white and got a Sauvignon Blanc, a well-balanced one, but not my favorite grape.  My fault for visiting too much with the friend and not taking the time with the menu.  Service was great, friendly and attentive.

I wish we had something like this within walking distance - a nice, solid, neighborhood bistro-type restaurant with excellent service.  Not a destination restaurant, but a reliable local stop.

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I was quite disappointed with my most recent visit to Persimmon. Like the poster above said, they do not make walk-in customers feel welcomed in the least, but in my case we did not visit at a busy time, ~4 PM and there were only 6 customers there: two at the bar, two couples at tables. The condescending waiter with the Kewpie doll hairstyle 'managed to squeeze us in somehow', told us he would kick us out if we were not gone by 6:30, and seated us at a small, chipped table by the window with a view of their planters which block the public sidewalk. He left the drinks menu with us for the entire meal, failed to clear empty sugar packets, had to be asked for drinks refills, and disappeared entirely by the time dessert arrived. Dessert was dealt to us by a blond waitress with hair half-covering her face and a voice like Tom Waits. Surprised the plate it was on didn't crack from the force with which she flung it towards the table. The bathroom was ...shabby. A dying palm tree sat covered in dust by the sink, and there was no toilet paper in the holder - rolls were scattered over the floor.

The food overall was still good. My spouse was not terribly hungry to start, and was disinclined to stay after the frigid 'welcome', but he settled on the soup, curried cauliflower. It was creamy, mild, and very lightly spiced. I always start with the mussels, had the Provencal style this time and while good, the mussels seemed to be barely market-sized. I recall being served bread with their mussels in the past, that was not the case this trip. Braised short ribs with pureed parsnips, crisped Brussels sprouts, and paper-thin fried onions on top was the main course, and was commendable. Dessert was - allegedly - molten chocolate cake, which  is supposed to be a hot, chocolate cake with a center that is still liquid. This was a warm, fully cooked, tiny, ramekin-shaped cupcake topped with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, and I would not order it again nor recommend it. The coffee was good, the iced tea execrable. If Arthur Dent had been a Southerner instead of English, this is the 'tea' concoction that would have set him off on his rant. It is not difficult to make good tea, be it hot or iced, and as it is the most popular prepared beverage in the world, it would behoove them to learn how to make it palatable.

I won't be going back here any time soon because of the service.

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Persimmon had largely fallen out of rotation for us despite being just a couple blocks away from our house as the menu has remained somewhat (ie. totally) constant since they did a format change years ago.  Plus they tend to close early (like 8:30 some nights), which means it's out of the running for a post-movie meal. Well, they've added a happy hour menu that's brought me back in spades for honestly being a great value.

If you're in the Bethesda area before 7 pm, I'd recommend giving it a try.  With Food Wine & Co gone and the Jaleo branch in Bethesda needing improvement, this is moving up to the top of our local rotation.

Persimmon Happy Hour Weekly Specials

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