It’s billed as a sophisticated California wine bar and bistro, but I must say, I did not get a very comfortable feeling when I entered the restaurant and looked over the wine bar. It seemed a bit too casual, colorless and cold. Definitely not what I would call hip California casual.  Based on its reputation as a DC favorite (in the “expensive” category), I had incorrectly assumed that patrons would be dressed up a bit more for a Saturday evening on the town. Yet the crowd looked similar to one found in any other “casual” or moderately priced neighborhood restaurant.

Checking in with the hostess within a couple minutes of our scheduled reservation time, turned into a bit of an ordeal.  It made me wonder if I had made a good selection for the evening. After giving my name, the hostess answered the phone which turned into about a 7-minute long conversation, completely ignoring me and my party.  We rated not even a glance or whispered “sorry”.  Even the addition of a second person at the hostess stand, after 5 minutes of waiting, who was more interesed in repeatedly checking the reservation book, then finding us a table. He did nothing except silently look at my party, which didn’t seem to help speed the process.  But eventually we were seated in a booth that was very comfortable and private.

We started off by checking out the extensive international wine list. With probably 100 selections by the glass or by the 3 ounce sample pour, the decision-making process took a while.  Luckily, our waiter was thoroughly knowledgeable about each of the wines we were contemplating, and described each one rather effectively.  We each selected a different Cabernet and when they arrived, shared a taste to determine which wine each person enjoyed the most.  Surprisingly, we all selected the same Cabernet from California for our second glass.

Their menu changes frequently and is not listed online, (only a sample menu is available), but the staff is very familiar with all the dishes and ingredients. Different from most bistros, I found the menu to offer a nice variety of more complex and seasonal dishes with a few non-traditional twists from the typical bistro offerings.

I thoroughly enjoyed my ultra-tender and rich braised lamb shank with mixed greens and white beans. The portion was more than filling.  Additionally, the phyllo-wrapped Black Cod with clams, olives and potatoes was also delicious and different. 

Our waiter was very helpful and attentive but did not intrude or over-manage our table. The no-rush attitude made us feel all comfortable and relaxed.

Dinner appetizers are priced $5.50 to $15.00 and entrees range form $25 – $35.

I would recommend Grapeseed, but don’t expect a high-end ambience. Think “upscale casual” in atmosphere, with decidedly “upscale” food.

Grapeseed
4865-C Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD  (map it)
301-986-9592

Hours - Daily from 5:00 p.m. until 10 Mon. – Thur., 11:00 Fri. – Sat. and 9:00 on Sunday.

Reservations - recommended, especially on weekends, and can be made online.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Bethesda – Red line, then a ½ mile walk.

Parking – Valet parking is available for $5.00 or metered street or public garage meter parking is available,. But check the meters for maximum times allowed and effective hours carefully. Bethesda is notorious for very expensive parking tickets and aggressive enforcement. 

Images – 1 – Grapeseed, 2 & 3 – personal collection

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The 2007 Washington, DC RAMMY Awards (Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington) are out and one of my favorite places, Lebanese Taverna, was voted as the “People’s Favorite” restaurant of the year.

And I agree couldn’t agree more. 

This crowd pleaser does one thing consistently well - serve great Middle Eastern food.

Unlike many kids that grew up in the 1960s and 70s, I was luckily enough to try foods from around the world, in Chicago. My Mom and Dad loved to dine out and enjoyed ethnic foods.  In fact, we rarely went to American restaurants. Every Sunday evening, the family got dressed up and we went out for dinner.  My folks had their favorite spots for a number of cusines.  For Japanese, we visited a traditional sukiyaki house where diners sat on the floor while the kimino-clad waitresses cooked each meal at the table.  They also had their favorite places for German, Italian, Yiddish, Cantonese, seafood, as well as some other ethnic foods. Plus my Mom had a fairly extensive repertoire of ethnic meals that she made often.  So starting young, I learned to enjoy ethnic food when we dined out (or I went hungry).

And the Lebanese Taverna is a place most people who love good ethnic food can quickly fall in love with. The owner’s family had just escaped civil war-torn Lebanon on a cargo ship in 1976.  Tanios (Toni) Abi-Najm Toni started the restaurant when he bought a small Arlington pizza and sub shop named Athenian Taverna. To save money, he changed only part of the restaurant’s outdoor sign, to Lebanese Taverna.  Loyal clients grew quickly and now LT is a Washington mainstay.

They also operates three cafes (in Rockville, Silver Spring and Annapolis, MD) and a Middle Eastern grocery market in Arlington.  The market also hosts cooking lessons in the basement catering facility. I’ve attended one of their evening cooking classes and it was a fun and educational cooking experience (hint – great for a date).  I also learned to make several great Middle Eastern dishes, including their signature Camel Wings.

But it’s the food at LT that makes a visit an experience.  And no trip would be complete without an order of their delicious and creamy hommos (hummus) and toasted pita. Their menu includes both mezza (tiny plates) and full serving entrees. 

I prefer to order a few mezza plates, then perhaps ordering a few more; giving me and my friends several dishes to sample in a slow and relaxed manner.  My favorites dishes include:

• FATAYER B’JIBNE – a feta cheese fried pastry
• SHRIMP ARAK – shrimp sauteed in garlic, onion, cilantro and arak (an anise-flavored alcohol similar to Ouzo)
• MAANEK – spiced lamb and beef sausages
• SHAWARMA – rotisserie lamb and beef served with a tahini sauce

Add to that a salad and you have a great light meal.  Their entrees are plentiful and focus on lamb, chicken and seafood and lots of kabobs.

The wine list includes some interesting offerings from Lebanon, along with Californian, French and wines from other more typical locales.  I usually order a tasty Lebanese beer.

Lebanese Taverna
Multiple area locations:

• Washington, DC – 2641 Connecticut Ave. NW
• Arlington – 5900 Washington Blvd.
• Arlington – 1101 South Joyce St., Pentagon Row
• McLean, VA – Tysons Corner Mall – 1840 G International Drive
• Baltimore – 719 S. President Street

The Joyce St. location is in Pentagon Row and offers relaxed outside dining.  On some evenings, a band plays in the town center. The Connecticut Ave. location is always busy and lively and also has some outdoor seating, while the Tysons Corner location is a bit more upscale and dressy.

All but the Tysons location closes for a couple hours after lunch (3:00 – 5:00).

I’ve dined at LT so many time but I always forget to take photos of the food. I guess when the food arrives, it looks and smells so good, I don’t want to wait. Sorry, no pics on this post.

So give it a try and hopefully you’ll agree, it’s one of DC’s “Best“.

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Post from: The DC Traveler