2006 Dining Guide 2006 Fall Dining Guide By Tom Sietsema Washington Post Magazine Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006 Thanks to a $2 million face-lift, the space looks better than ever. And thanks to chef Mallory Buford, the menu has never been more enticing. Whether you're perched in the clean-lined bar or in the dining room, which is set off with a life-size mural of a vineyard, be sure to get a few small plates to share with your table mates: Cod brandade fritters and delicate corncakes dabbed with green tomato jam hint at the kitchen's potential, which blossoms with the arrival of the entrees. Buford makes a great seafood stew and fries a beautiful fish, but he's just as at home with ingredients that once waddled or flew, as evinced by a bursting-with-flavor brined pork chop and a spice-zapped grilled duck breast. And their plate mates and potential sides - sage-fragrant grits, sweet onion rings - are good enough to star on their own. Give or take a service gaffe, and despite the noise, Bethesda's newest place to eat is also its most exciting.
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