Tallula, Washington Blvd in South Clarendon - Chef Rob Rubba Replaces Nate Waugaman, GM Michael Williams Replaces Matt Molaski - Closed

[Escoffier]

Grover and I and our soon to be departing neighbor took ourselves to Tallula last night for a 5 course tasting menu. I must say, the menu has been updated quite nicely. Following are the courses and the wines that accompanied them:

Starters: Chilled Asparagus soup w/creme fraiche Adam Cremant Sparkling White

Second Course: Black Fig Galettes - The most interesting dish of the evening. Figs in a delicate pastry shell with cheese (which unfortunately I didn't note). An adventurous dish with contrasting flavors between the figs and the cheese. Excellent. I could have made a meal of this by itself. Peter Stoller's Riesling

Third Course: Sea Scallops on a bed of Carrot Risotto. I never thought that carrots and risotto would make such a nice taste combination. The scallops were crusty on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside and were just right.

Fourth Course: Garlic encrusted Lamb: Two very nicely done, tasty pieces of lamb. Done to medium-rare perfection. The garlic crusting was very well done.

Fifth Course: Dessert!! a sampler of Peanut Butter Pie, Cinnamon Sorbet, White Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecake with Strawberries and Lichee sauce. Needless to say, even after everyone was complaining about being full, there was very little left.

We finished with coffee and made our way home satisfied and full. Many thanks to Josh for planning the menu, Matt for putting up with us and the excellent service he provided and to Elizabeth who managed to keep everything running smoothly.

BTW: Josh, the little one is quite a handful. Congratulations.

[Dave Pressley]

Grover and I and our soon to be departing neighbor took ourselves to Tallula last night for a 5 course tasting menu.  I must say, the menu has been updated quite nicely.  Following are the courses and the wines that accompanied them:

Starters: Chilled Asparagus soup w/creme fraiche  Adam Cremant Sparkling White

Second Course: Black Fig Galettes - The most interesting dish of the evening.  Figs in a delicate pastry shell with cheese (which unfortunately I didn't note).  An adventurous dish with contrasting flavors between the figs and the cheese.  Excellent.  I could have made a meal of this by itself.  Peter Stoller's Riesling

Third Course: Sea Scallops on a bed of Carrot Risotto. I never thought that carrots and risotto would make such a nice taste combination.  The scallops were crusty on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside and were just right. 

Fourth Course: Garlic encrusted Lamb: Two very nicely done, tasty pieces of lamb.  Done to medium-rare perfection.  The garlic crusting was very well done. 

Fifth Course: Dessert!! a sampler of Peanut Butter Pie, Cinnamon Sorbet, White Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecake with Strawberries and Lichee sauce.  Needless to say, even after everyone was complaining about being full, there was very little left. 

We finished with coffee and made our way home satisfied and full.  Many thanks to Josh for planning the menu, Matt for putting up with us and the excellent service he provided and to Elizabeth who managed to keep everything running smoothly.

BTW: Josh, the little one is quite a handful. Congratulations.

Please let it be known that this tasting menu was pulled off without Josh, Chef Nathan or myself in attendance. Nate was at a wedding, Josh was at a black tie event and I went home early with a 104 degree fever. All kudos should additionally go to Chris Parks, our sous chef, who cooked your courses himself in Nathan's absence. I'm certainly happy to hear Elizabeth and Matt did well tableside, nonetheless.

Sorry we missed you! Catch you next time. (I swear I'm not avoiding you three!!)

Cheers!

[Josh Radigan]

I concur with the earlier post. I placed the menu out and di the pairings just before I had to leave for an event, elziabeth and all did a great job. Glad you could enjoy, and hopefully next time in I will have my little boy there.

[mdt]

Third Course: Sea Scallops on a bed of Carrot Risotto. I never thought that carrots and risotto would make such a nice taste combination.  The scallops were crusty on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside and were just right. 

My last trip, a slow Monday night in the restaurant, my friend ordered this entree and I will say that the flourescent orange risotto makes quite a statement (not good IMO) on the plate. It was rather loose and quite bland with no carrot flavor. Too bad as the sweetness of the carrots would probably have gone well with the green curry and scallops. The scallops that were placed on top were good, however. I had the pork chop that was served on comte cheese polenta. The chop was nice, but the polenta tasted like plain polenta to me.

The best part of the meal were the Amuse Yourself items that we had; duck spring roll, open face meatloaf sandwich, and the jalepeno popper (nice and spicy).

Not looking to rush back for dinner, but would not mind some bites at the bar with some wine.

[cucas87]

I had my first meal at Tallula tonight. I am very impressed and very happy, especially since it's so close to my home. I joined Grover and Escoffier and some of their non-Rockwellian friends. We had three courses that were very nicely paired with wines, as well as dessert and coffee. And now the scoop:

First course: "Foie Gras for Breakfast." This was amazing. A piece of grilled foie gras on French toast with a fried quail egg on top and some maple syrup drizzled on the side. Served with a shot of an intense and creamy strawberry smoothie. Sweet, salty, smooth, crunchy, I can't say enough good things about this. One member of the group is vegetarian, and she had a flaky and creamy mushroom strudel. The wine was an Austrian Gruner Veltliner that was terrific. I cannot recall the name, but if you went to the Austrian wine tasting at Tallula a few months ago, you likely tried it.

Second course: seared yellowfin tuna with a sauce of olives, morel mushrooms, dates and pistachios. This was phenomenal. Paired with a French blended white wine, that was very nice and so very good with the tuna.

Third course: mushroom ravioli in a rich lamb sauce (and, of course, a non-lamb sauce for our vegetarian diner). Rich, a little smoky and spicy, this was paired with a French pinot noir, a 2003 Monthelie.

For dessert, we had a dessert sampler plate, which included the buttermilk panna cotta with seasonal fruit (I tried to think of how I could distract everyone and sneak it off the serving plate and into my purse, but I couldn't come up with anything plausible); angel food cake, vanilla bean cheesecake,peanut butter pie, 2 sorbets:honey and ginger -- ,which were served with homemade cookies, devil's food cake with a white chocolate mousse and caramel sauce. These were all wonderful. And we had a late harvest Blossom riesling from the Okenagon valley. I could not eat or drink another thing, but some of us ordered coffee, espresso and cafe latte, and everyone seemed happy.

Tallula was in great form tonight. The menu, food, wines,and service were excellent. Great thanks to Chef Anda, Josh, Elizabeth and Derek and everyone else involved in [making our evening so nice.

[Escoffier]

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.

Let me say in defense of Tallula that I have had some of the best, most adventurous food I've ever eaten at Tallula. If you are daring in your menu selections, the food is the equal to any I've eaten in NYC. While I have to agree that there are mediocrities on the menu, there are gems as well. See Claudia's earlier posts on the dinner for seven we had and the wide variety and selection of well-balanced, well-thought out food we had. I don't think any restaurant owner/manager/chef sits down and tries to hit the lowest common denominator. The only places that do that serve generic fast food which doesn't challenge anyone and attracts only the easily satisfied.

[mdt]

Let me say in defense of Tallula that I have had some of the best, most adventurous food I've ever eaten at Tallula. If you are daring in your menu selections, the food is the equal to any I've eaten in NYC.

Tallula, daring in their entrees? To me more like daring in what to order. The Amuse Yourself selections have been far better than any main I have had their in my last couple of visits. Not to mention their price point is pretty close to Corduroy.

[DLB]

Tallula, daring in their entrees? To me more like daring in what to order. The Amuse Yourself selections have been far better than any main I have had their in my last couple of visits. Not to mention their price point is pretty close to Corduroy.

he cheese plates or a good deal, as well as the wines. I have not been a few months, but I am glad we have a place like this in the hood. The short ribs are pretty damn good but not daring

[Josh Radigan]

Thank you to all who have taken time to post their comments on this topic. After reading through them I realize that while try to give 100 percent everyday, sometimes we do not meet those expectations of others.We welcome everyone to continue trying us out, exploring new wines, new menus, and hopefully we can turn some of those who have had an up and down experience with us into smooth sailing. Thank you for the kind words, the thoughtful criticism, and hope to see ya' all soon.

[Escoffier]

he short ribs are pretty damn good but not daring

I agree, but have you tried the Foie Gras Breakfast? A concept brought to a very tasty fruition. Grilled Foie Gras on a triangle of french toast with a fried quail egg on top and maple syrup on the side. And the best part, a strawberry smoothie that tasted exactly like fresh strawberries...I'm making myself hungry.

[DonRocks]

I agree, but have you tried the Foie Gras Breakfast? A concept brought to a very tasty fruition. Grilled Foie Gras on a triangle of french toast with a fried quail egg on top and maple syrup on the side. And the best part, a strawberry smoothie that tasted exactly like fresh strawberries...I'm making myself hungry.

I haven't had the Foie Gras Breakfast, but I've had foie gras twice at Tallula, and both times I was looking around to make sure I hadn't mistakently walked into Maestro.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Escoffier]

Grover and I took our soon to be departing neighbor to Tallula on Saturday night for a early sendoff/she has packed the kitchen and can't cook anyway dinner. We were lucky enough to sample some of the dishes that will be on the Summer menu...The menu follows:

1st course: Croquette (Bresaola and sheeps milk) with spring peas, chanterelle mushrooms and a smoked tomato sauce.

Wine was Bucci Verdicchio, light with a spring flower bouquet, lemon zest. It added just the right accompaniment to the cheese.

2nd course: Foie Gras with carmelized pineapple with red chilli gastrique and vanilla syrup.

Wine was the Schaetzel Reisling 'Kaefferkopf'. Roasted pineapple in the nose, soft spice finish. This wine complemented the pineapple with Foie Gras perfectly...and the Foie Gras and the pineapple...sweet, spicy, tart, everything you could ever ask for in flavors.

3rd course: Corriander crusted Scallops with a spiced carrot cappucino and green curry.

Wine was lazy Creek Rose. 100 percent Pinot Noir, french oak aged, bright strawberry and herbaceous mouth feel. When this course was served all conversation came to a halt and the scallops seemed to simply disappear. I'm not a big Rose fan, but I bought a bottle of this wine right after this course. I even made them bring it to the table. It is that good.

4th course: Smoked Beef Tenderloin with duck fat fried potatoes, black truffles, and roasted garlic jus. We couldn't do complete justice to the tenderloin but the smokiness added a marvelous note. I wish I could have eaten more it was so good. Very tender and tasty.

Wine was Beau Site St Estephe, dry, currant notes, old leather and smoke.

And, even though we tried to end on a dessert note, the best we could do was a bit of ice cream, a nibble of cheese cake and a soupcon of peanut butter pie...(so much for restraint)...needless to say, we were stuffed, satisfied, sated and full...I think Chef Anda has come up with a great new menu and once again Josh R. paired wines that complemented the food without overpowering it. A great dinner all around.

Thanks Elizabeth...Dotty thinks you're the greatest and wants to know if you're married...she has a grandson who is single...

[Baccala]

The new spring menu is out at Tallula and if I say so I think it is one of the best that I have seen since the opening. Based on what I had tonight I look forward to going back to try more of the menu items.

For Apps I had the Herb Pappardelle fava beans, rainbow chard, choizo, coddled egg. The flavors and the textures worked great together and were perfectly prepared. It was a well balanced dish. I would love to see this as main dinner course. My wife had the Baby Burger and the Liptaur on Crostini, the standards which are always good.

For the main course I struggled between the House-Smoked Beef Tenderloin, which comes with duck fat fried potatoes, black truffle, glazed carrots, Zinfandel reduction and the Duo of Niman Ranch Pork brined pork chop, braised belly, broccoli & cheddar cheese, whole grain mustard jus . I opted for the pork due to the pork belly. I liked the idea of the belly and the chop (is that weird) on the same plate. The belly had a nice crisp skin, was prepared perfectly, and slightly seasoned to allow the flavor and quality of the meat to speak for itself. The chop was also well prepared and had a good amount of flavor. The mustard jus was perfect for the meat. The broccoli was a good addition to the dish; however I miss the mac and cheese. My wife opted for the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, with sweet onion marmalade. It was decent, but not great. The seasoning overpowered the crab flavor for her.

For desert we had the Cheesecake, which is always well prepared.

I look forward to going back and trying the other offerings.

[Dave Pressley]

Given the weather prediction for the upcoming week it's time to revive this thread. Other than those mentioned (Hank's, Legal Seafood, Kinkead's), where else can one go for a good lobster roll? Is it still on Zola's menu?

 

At the risk of sounding self-serving, I can tell that Nathan Anda is running a pretty mean mini-lobster roll on the Amuse menu at Tallula. Mostly meat with just enough bits of celery and mayo to bind it. As a former Rhode Island resident, I can attest to its authenticity and top notch flavor. I have an obvious attachment to Tallula and Nathan's cooking, so please take my recommendation as it is meant to be...honest and as impartial as I can be.

[DonRocks]

At the risk of sounding self-serving, I can tell that Nathan Anda is running a pretty mean mini-lobster roll on the Amuse menu at Tallula. Mostly meat with just enough bits of celery and mayo to bind it. As a former Rhode Island resident, I can attest to its authenticity and top notch flavor. I have an obvious attachment to Tallula and Nathan's cooking, so please take my recommendation as it is meant to be...honest and as impartial as I can be.

 
What kind of lobster? Frozen or fresh? When was it last swimming? What part of the lobster? How is the roll prepared and where is it baked? What type of mayo? What type of celery? Any other type of seasonings or spices?

[NotQuickDraw]

What kind of lobster? Frozen or fresh? When was it last swimming? What part of the lobster? How is the roll prepared and where is it baked? What type of mayo? What type of celery? Any other type of seasonings or spices?

   
Left handed lobsters only please

[Nathan Anda]

What kind of lobster? Frozen or fresh? When was it last swimming? What part of the lobster? How is the roll prepared and where is it baked? What type of mayo? What type of celery? Any other type of seasonings or spices?

   
Growing up in New Hampshire, I met the lobster roll at an early age and have tried my best to replicate the simplicity of them and at the same time forget what they taste like (I hate lobster). We only use fresh still moving lobsters (both right and left handed) and the mix is made up of the whole lobster. We make a tarragon aioli seasoned with a bit of sriracha sauce and lemon juice to complement the lobster. The only filler is some finely diced celery (the green kind with leaves). The rolls come from Uptown Bakery and we cut them down the middle, scoop out the inside and then cut the sides off for them to resemble a mini New England hot dog roll. People seem to like them.

 
You should give 'em a try!!
Nathan

[NotQuickDraw]

What kind of lobster? Frozen or fresh? When was it last swimming? What part of the lobster? How is the roll prepared and where is it baked? What type of mayo? What type of celery? Any other type of seasonings or spices?

But what kind of lobster roll would this make?

"Maine Man Pulls Up Rare Two-Toned Lobster" on nbcnews.com

[DonRocks]

Tallula, Tallula and Tallula...my favorite 'go-to' places when I want good food and wine at a feel like you're stealing it price.

Tallula has constructed a new smoker in the garage around the side of the building (it was apparently just finished today).

[Escoffier]

Tallula has constructed a new smoker in the garage around the side of the building (it was apparently just finished today).

If you happen to see anything with pastrami offered on the menu, forget everything else and order it. We were lucky enough last night to be given a small sample of the home created pastrami. Only one thing to say and Grover said it; "better than 2nd Avenue Deli, much better than 2nd Avenue Deli". Could it be that real pastrami has come to NoVA?

[Escoffier]

At the risk of sounding self-serving, I can tell that Nathan Anda is running a pretty mean mini-lobster roll on the Amuse menu at Tallula. Mostly meat with just enough bits of celery and mayo to bind it. As a former Rhode Island resident, I can attest to its authenticity and top notch flavor. I have an obvious attachment to Tallula and Nathan's cooking, so please take my recommendation as it is meant to be...honest and as impartial as I can be.

And I'll attest to what David said. I had the lobster roll on Friday night and would gladly have cancelled everything else we ordered and just eaten them for dinner.

[MelGold]

Chef Anda debuts his new fall menu tonight at Tallula.

Click here for a preview

[Pizzaandbrew]

If you like Chef Anda's food and you like beer, you won't want to miss the latest in our Rustico-sponsored Beer Dinners at Tallula. Tuesday, November 7th starting at 7:30, Jim Cline, the GM of Rogue Ales will take us through some of the latest and more interesting members of their portfolio paired with Nathan's food.

1st Course - Grilled Cheese Sandwich with aged Grafton Cheddar, roasted shallots and tomato-chipotle soup paired with Rogue's Monk Madness

2nd Course - House-made Chicago-style Hot Dog with pimenton gaufrettes, house-made ketchup and Brutal Bitter Mustard paired with Rogue's Brutal Bitter

3rd Course - Pan Seared Hudson Foie Gras with ricotta pancake, gianduja milkshake and chocolate-framboise sauce paired with Rogue's Hazlenut Nectar

4th Course - Roasted Rack of Venison with sauteed swiss chard, smoked potato puree and juniper reduction paired with Rogue's Juniper Pale Ale

5th Course - Braised Beef Cheeks tesa, apple & celery root puree, braising jus paired with Rogue's Chocolate Stout

6th Course - Classic Porchetta fennel and pork stuffed loin, Old Crustacean Barleywine Zambaglione paired with Rogue's Old Crustacean Barleywine

7th Course - Coffee and House-made Donuts

$75 per person includes tax and gratuity. Please email Chris Schaller at chriss@rusticorestaurant.com or call 703 224 5051 to make your reservation

[FunnyJohn]

You gonna have a TV set so your guests can watch the election returns? This is a political town, afterall. You might sell some additional beer for those who may want to drown their sorrows when the results come in.

[Dave Pressley]

You gonna have a TV set so your guests can watch the election returns? This is a political town, afterall. You might sell some additional beer for those who may want to drown their sorrows when the results come in.

Tallula has two flatscreen TV's in the front non-smoking bar as well as two more in the back (smoker friendly) lounge. Some of our TVs will be on the election results...some will be on reruns of Family Ties or What's Happening?!

[legant]

With Virginia travel documents reinstated -- under duress -- crossed the river and had dinner with txaggie, cjsadler and a non-DRian at Tallula. The conversation was quite lively which may have distracted from the enjoyment of the food.

Txaggie’s tuna tartare was quite interesting. Raw meat has never appealed to me, but I think I’ve turned that corner. I had the Goat Cheese Ravioli. My only complaint was that there was not enough to pass around the table. Non-DRian had the soup. I believe cjsadler had several amuse yourself dishes -- baby burger, pulled pork, duck spring roll and the corn dog. Granted, these are meant to be two-bite items, but when you have four people…

Our waiter (Matt?) informed us that they were out of the short ribs and pork. However, after mustering up enough crocodile tears and putting on my best lost puppy dog face, he was able to “find” one last serving of the pork. (Way to go Matt!) I’m glad he did; the smoked mashed potatoes were out of this world. I’d go back to the Commonwealth just for those potatoes. Cjsadler had the scallops; the salsify and cabbage were also quite good. Txaggie had the salmon w/ gnocchi and leek fondue. Although Non-DRian had the duck, he was slow to share. After seeing txaggie, cjsadler and me passing plates around, he finally got the idea. I suspect rather reluctantly. Or, maybe he was trying to keep the duck all for himself. After tasting it, I could understand why. It was my favorite dish of the evening. Now if Tallula would pair the duck with the mashed potatoes I would actually consider relocating to Virginia.

Don't remember the wine, but cjsadler did a good job of selecting it. Especially considering the table had pork, poultry, shellfish and seafood.

Did we have dessert? I honestly don’t remember. I was so blown away by the meal that anything else was secondary.

Would I go back? Definitely. For the duck and potatoes alone--hint, hint. The bar seemed quite inviting; I can imagine as a solo diner enjoying a glass of wine and several amuse yourself dishes.

[MelGold]

Tallula & Rustico are teaming up for their fifth in a series of beer dinners. This month's dinner is on Monday, December 18th at Tallula featuring The Beers of Merchant du Vin. Full menu & reservation information here.

Hint: Good pre-Christmas or mid-Hannukah gift for the beer lover in your life!

[New Foodie]

I haven't had a chance to read through the whole thread yet, but I had a couple of quick questions. I'm planning to head to Tallula next Friday with a couple college friends that I don't see often for a holiday dinner. What do people recommend from the menu these days? I've never been before, so I'm looking forward to it! Also, what's the closest available parking? Do they have a lot or is it all street?

[cucas87]

Food: my favorite items include the goat cheese ravioli in the lamb sugo (actually, order a bowl of the lamb sugo or order anything that comes with that lamb sauce) and the foie gras, and from the "amuse yourself" menu I've enjoyed the mini burger and the duck spring rolls. I've had very, very good experiences at Tallula.

Parking: I think I recall reading on the Tallula website that they have a small parking lot to the left of the restaurant, but I've never parked there. I have had an easy time finding parking in the lot for the dry cleaners (on Pershing) or on the street behind Tallula (the one that runs parallel to Washington Blvd).

[MelGold]

I haven't had a chance to read through the whole thread yet, but I had a couple of quick questions. I'm planning to head to Tallula next Friday with a couple college friends that I don't see often for a holiday dinner. What do people recommend from the menu these days? I've never been before, so I'm looking forward to it! Also, what's the closest available parking? Do they have a lot or is it all street?

There's a lot next to the restaurant, as well as the country club cleaners strip center around the corner on Pershing. Please don't park on Daniel if you can help it (our neighbors thank you).

As for favorite food items I tend to recommend (besides foie or the lamb sugo which are both excellent): the chicken empanada on the Amuse Yourself menu, the fried green tomato "salad", the scallops or the rib eye. I had the braised short ribs the other night and enjoyed every last bite. Indulge in dessert...the apple strudel was big enough for a few to share the other night but I kept it all to myself because it's that yummy.

[New Foodie]

I forgot to post about my visit back in December, but since I just went again on Monday, I'll write about both now!

December was my first visit to Tallula and I was catching up with two college friends I don't see very often. They complimented me on picking the location and although I cannot remember for the life of me which wine we had, I can recall that it was delicious. Although the menu is different now, I had the pork chop with mashed potatoes. Seems like a simple, down home meal, but there was nothing to complain about with this one. Moist and flavorful. My friends had the scallops and whichever pasta was on the menu and both cleared their plates. We're meeting up again this month and they made me choose the restaurant again because they were so smitten with Tallula.

This past Monday I was there celebrating a friend's birthday and we were lucky enough to be in the cozy, round, corner booth. We all started out with an amuse (baby burger, risotto fritter, steak tartare, ceviche and crab potsticker). I can't speak for the others, but my baby burger was awesome...better I think than the corn dog I had the previous time. The condiments on it were great at enhancing the burger itself.

I had the Duo of Pork as my entree (yes, I dig on the swine). This dish consisted of belly, loin, figs, spaetzle and red cabbage. I think overall I preferred the spaetzle to the cabbage and the belly to the loin. It was all good, but the loin was a little on the dry side. The belly was moist and tender like belly should be. And the spaetzle was so well seasoned. Three of my dining companions had the scallops (with sunchokes, trumpet royales, apple wood bacon, vanilla-saffron emulsion) and the small bite I stole of the scallops was buttery and soft and smooth. I'm not a huge scallop person, but I would definitely consider ordering this dish. Much like Tom's scallops at Corduroy, these would make a scallop lover out of anyone. The last friend had the venison (bacon crust, blueberry-thyme bread pudding, chocolate-Framboise sauce). Venison tends to be a little gamey for my taste, but she asked us if we would mind if she gnawed on the leftover bones to get the last of the venison and bacon off. I think she liked her meal

We were all too stuffed to order dessert, but the menu was quite enticing. Although it's a bit on the splurge side for me (when I factor in wine, entree, and other stuff), it's definitely on my list of places to return to. Especially with the ongoing menu changes and always finding something new. I think I remarked when we first got the menu that were wasn't one entree that sounded unappetizing to me...tough decisions!

[Josh Radigan]

OK ,but what is with the Tom comment. If someone wants to post on his chat, then by all means, please do. But your response seems to indicate that I am upset at your posting with Tom, where as I never once make one comment about tom's chat. when restaurants try new items or even put in place a concept that was meant to be the original concept, we take our bumps here and there. we expect that, and as I said before, we appreciate your comments. We look forward to seeing you soon.

[mtwright72]

Also....

Victory Beer Dinner on Tuesday March 6th

[Josh Radigan]

Bill Covelesky, brewmaster at Victory, will also be here for that March 6th Dinner.

[Escoffier]

With all the new chefs coming to Vermilion and Rustico, one of the best chefs of the NRG is being (temporarily) overlooked. Chef Anda is one fine chef. We trudged out through snow, slush and general unpleasantness to Tallula last Sunday night. We got there early and so had the place to ourselves until people started arriving around 7:00pm. We ordered the ceviche and the corndog for appetizers, followed by scallops for me and the duck breast for Grover. The ceviche was extremely good (it could have been bigger, I wouldn't have minded), lots of fish in a small, taco shell like bowl. Tart with a nice fish flavor without being overwhelming. Grover wouldn't give me a bite of the corndog so I'm going to assume she liked it. The scallops were served on a vanilla infused reduction that added a contrasting sweetness to the scallops. They were cooked exactly right, not tough, not stringy, the exact amount of mouth feel. We didn't get dessert because we were both pleasantly full. Our server Sarah took great care of us. All in all a very pleasant way to spend a snowy (slushy) Sunday evening.

[purplesachi]

Bill Covelesky, brewmaster at Victory, will also be here for that March 6th Dinner.

is there a menu for the dinner? i don't see one on the rustico website like i did for the brooklyn brewery dinner.

[MelGold]

is there a menu for the dinner? i don't see one on the rustico website like i did for the brooklyn brewery dinner.

It is up on the Rustico site. (my last official task scratched off the to do list)

[Cooter]

Does anyone know if they still allow cigar smoking at Tallula since EatBar has opened?

Thanks!

[Josh Radigan]

yes, in the back bar.

[mtwright72]

We also have a rotating stock of cigars available to purchase if you come empty handed. Also, the 3rd Thursday of the month is a cigar night featuring different cigars and drink pairings.

[mdt]

We also have a rotating stock of cigars available to purchase if you come empty handed. Also, the 3rd Thursday of the month is a cigar night featuring different cigars and drink pairings.

Hmmm, sounds like a good place for a DR.com HH Eve. Will the first date be March 15th?

[FunnyJohn]

Hmmm, sounds like a good place for a DR.com HH Eve. Will the first date be March 15th?

Beware the Ides of March Particularly if you are adverse to cigar smoke.

[mtwright72]

Hmmm, sounds like a good place for a DR.com HH Eve. Will the first date be March 15th?

It will...the Ides of March we will have a nice selection of cigars to choose from (or bring your own), and we will have some great aged rums in to enjoy with our smokes, no Bacardi allowed (and no Philly Blunts).

[Dave Pressley]

It will...the Ides of March we will have a nice selection of cigars to choose from (or bring your own), and we will have some great aged rums in to enjoy with our smokes, no Bacardi allowed (and no Philly Blunts).

As long as Swisher Sweets and Mango Malibu are still allowed....

[Pizzaandbrew]

For the beer drinkers out there... The latest in our "Rustico-sponsored" beer dinner series is this Tuesday

Victory Beer Dinner

With Special Guest

Brew master and Founder

Bill Covaleski

Tuesday, March 6

7:30 PM

$80/person includes tax and tip

Course 1

“Popcorn” Lobster

trio of sauces

Served with Prima Pils

Course 2

Seared Diver Scallop

coriander, beets, paddlefish roe

Served with Golden Monkey

Course 3

Roasted Squab Breast

confit leg, fig puree, foie gras reduction

Served with Victorious Dopplebock

Course 4

House Made Pastrami

split peas, sauerkraut, cabernet-black pepper sauce

Served with Hop Devil

Course 5

Roasted Duroc Pork Loin

fennel pollen, poached egg ravioli, orange-chile gastrique

Served with Hop Wollop

Course 6

Deep Fried Chocolate

bruleed banana, Loretta ice cream

Served with Storm King Stout

If you're interested, contact me at Rustico, 703 224 5051.

Chris

[Josh Radigan]

If you can't make the dinner, but want to stop by we will also be serving a tasting trio of the Golden Monkey, Victorious Dopplebock and Prima Pils in the front bar through out the evening as part of our Tasting Tuesdays line-up.

[DonRocks]

Why doesn't Eat Bar (or is it EatBar) have its own thread?

[Have been meaning to. In general my rule of thumb is: a place gets its own thread IFF 1) separate space 2) separate menu 3) "main restaurant's menu not available. Number 3) is why Palena Front Room doesn't have its own thread, btw - because you can get the entire menu there. Not sure if you can get Tallula's menu at EatBar or not, but it's enough of a "separate entity" that it merits a separate thread regardless. Check back in five minutes...]

[Dave Pressley]

Not sure if you can get Tallula's menu at EatBar or not...

For the record, you cannot get EatBar's menu in Tallula's dining room and vice versa.

[MelGold]

For the record, you cannot get EatBar's menu in Tallula's dining room and vice versa.

Good luck, Shaggy!

[Nick Freshman]

I just wanted to compliment Nathan and Tallula on a terrific New Year's Eve dinner last night. The dining room was not packed, but nice and full. Service was good despite our waitress getting double sat with us (eight people) and a neighboring ten top. The menu offered five courses, each with two options and there were no misses, in my opinion. Of particular note: a trio of oysters with a couple deep fried and serve on a real remoulade with a healthy kick, fresh on the half shell and a frothy oyster stew with paprika. Also, both main courses, a smoked veal loin and braised beef cheeks were delicious. I have to give the slight edge to the cheeks which tasted like they had been slow cooked for days. The prix-fixe price was $80, higher than last year and high for Arlington, but I would argue that the food justifies the price--nobody in my party felt slighted by either the quality or the quantity.

Hard to set aside is the tremendous wine value: we had three bottles of a terrific Sancerre and two bottles of a very good Shiraz, both about $30. Tack on a casual, but stepped up atmosphere and ducking the amateur hordes downtown, and I'd say it was a total home run. Of course, I live in the neighborhood and I am absolutely geographically biased...