The DC Traveler

UPDATE – This restaurant is now closed. 

In the heart of Tysons Corner, somewhat appropriately located next to Tiffany’s is the Colvin Run Tavern. And I recently had the opportunity to dine at what is considered, one of Washington’s top places to dine over the past few years by Zagat, Washingtonian and the Washington Post.  It’s sister restaurant, Kinkead’s on Pennsylvania Avenue, is also a DC award-winner, notably for its seafood.

The highlight is the over-the-top decadence and richness of the modern American food along with it’s stunning presentation. If you are counting fat grams or watching your cholesterol, stop reading now as this place will definitely be off limits.

Starting with a pre-dinner cocktail, the lounge is surprisingly uncomfortable and stark, looking more like a cold lobby bar at a mid-priced hotel than a lounge in a upscale restaurant. 

The restaurant boasts four clubby and comfortable rooms, which meant that the barrier walls of the interior booths were tall enough to generally dampen the conversations from the perimeter tables, allowing for a more intimate dining experience, (except perhaps for the loud college-aged girls dining with their family who had no idea what a “library voice” is - just a bit annoying).  Our table was adjacent from a small fireplace which in the winter, would make you feel warm from it’s glow and as if you were in a private dining room, perhaps at a country inn.  The A/C was adjusted low enough that some heat from a fire might have been welcomed, even with 90 degree temps outside. 

Their signature appetizer is there in New England Clams – Five Ways ($16), and it was a spectacular. The plate arrived with one large clam casino-style which I must admit was perfect in taste and texture, a small pile of flawlessly fried Ipswich clams over a creamy garlic aioli, a couple clam fritters that resembled hush puppies but were not all that flavorful, a Top Neck clam in an incredibly rich yet light creamy sauce along with the plate’s highlight — a small tasting cup of New England clam chowder.  The chowder was so rich and creamy that tasted as if it were made from an extra-heavy cream that had a fat content in the 40% range.  It had to have been the richest soup I have ever tasted. Overall, the dish was delightful and beautifully presented.

Another appetizer rated high in various reviews is their crispy Thai fried squid with a spicy dipping sauce ($11).  The squid was tender and properly cooked, yet the light batter seemed to fall off the squid upon being touched by your fork.  The accompanying spicy vinegar and Thai chili dipping sauce was good, but not multidimensional or unique in its flavor.

The beet salad ($10) made for beautiful presentation but I’m not quite sure where the chef was going with this offering.  By combining three types of diced beets, a spoonful of lentils, thin sliced baby potatoes and dressed arugula, the theme of this beautiful salad was a bit confusing.  The highlight was a piece of blue goat cheese that should have been used as the focal point with perhaps a more simple salad supporting it.

I selected the pan roasted duck breast with potato gnocchi, honey wild mushrooms and confit of leg and thigh with a foie gras emulsion for my main course.  I love duck and make it at home frequently, and I must admit that this was one of the best preparations I’ve ever experienced. The creamy reduction of duck stock combined with foie gras made the already rich duck, even more splendid.  The leg and thigh confit was exceptionally tender and rich and simply fell off the bone, having been cooked in its own fat at low temperature for several hours.  The three tiny gnocchi and 4-5 small mushrooms were delicious, but should have been doubled in quantity to balance the dish out a bit more. One other recommendation would have been to serve the entrees on hot plates (which I know is no longer fashionable, yet is still exceptionally practical); as with this type of meal, diners usually prefer to eat slowly and a cold or room-temperature plate does nothing to help keep the food warm.

Their signature dish is a thick-cut prime rib with potatoes, mushrooms and the ever-classic Yorkshire pudding served from a rolling silver cart.   

Desserts as expected, are completely decadent and over-the-top. I tried the peanut butter and bittersweet chocolate torte, with the Tahitian vanilla milkshake. The dark chocolate cookie crumb crust acted as the base for the torte, and was topped by a thick layer of a rich peanut butter confection, topped with about an inch and a half of solid glossy chocolate. And if that wasn’t rich enough, wash it down with a rich vanilla milkshake that again seemed to use that previously mentioned 40% cream. After just one bite I think my eyes rolled in the back of my head from all the richness.

An alternative dessert option, that is if you, like me, enjoy cheese as your final course, would be a sampling from their cheese cart. Seven domestic and imported cheeses are offered ($12 for 3, up to 7 for $21).  

A warm peach tart tatin with vanilla ice cream was also recommended by our waiter in advance, as it requires you to order it in advance with your meal selection.

Their wine list boasts over 300 selections and the resident sommelier is available to assist diners. Surprisingly, the Tavern offers very few wines by the glass, just 5 reds and 5 whites, which was a bit disappointing if you want to have a wider selection of wines before dinner. 

The couple recommendations I would make would be that the staff be bit more attentive. At times, it seemed as if our table was being ignored, not just by our waiter, but by the support staff as well.  It was clearly not an attempt to allow us to dine without interruption, as we shouldn’t be expected to wait 10 minutes after being seated to see a menu or to first see a waiter.  The rest of the meal also sadly lacked what should have been five-star conscientious service.

One last recommendation to the chef…put down the salt shaker. So many times at higher scale restaurants, I’m finding that the chef’s taste buds have gone numb, especially for salt.  While salting foods is necessary, too much simply overpowers and distracts from many of the dishes.  I did notice this a couple times.

Overall, I’d give Colvin Run Tavern an “outstanding” rating, but mostly for the food.  They just need to focus some attention to the details of the “fine dining experience” to put it into the “exceptional” class.

Prices – For a 4-course meal, expect to pay around $75 per person, without drinks or wine.

Dinner appetizers - $11 – $19; salads – $10 – $12,  entrees - $27 to $40, desserts – $8 – $12.  There’s also a Chef’s tasting menu at $70 per person (not available on Saturdays). Lunch entrees run from $17 to $23. 

Colvin Run Tavern
8045 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA
703-356-9500

Days and Hours - Colvin Run Tavern serves dinner daily from 5:30 p.m. and also serves lunch weekdays from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.  Reservations strongly recommended and can be booked online.

Attire – Business casual to dressy. I did see a party seated at a back table dressed as if they just finished cleaning out their basement. No wonder thy were in the far corner of the back dining room.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – West Falls Church – Orange line, then a ten-minute cab ride.

Parking – Free valet parking is available

Photos courtesy of Colvin Run Tavern.
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