Yet again, I’ve ventured to Virginia!  This time, it was for Farrah Olivia during Restaurant Week with P3.

  • Food:Offering their entire menu during RW (with a few extra charges for some dishes), it was an overall outstanding experience.  P3 ordered the painted soup with fruitwood smoked apple, gingered squash, and beet cider.  P3 loved the smoky apples and the soup had a great creamy flavor.  I ordered the shocked escolar with soy pearls, pickled quince, and wasabi.  Now I didn’t know this, but escolar, if eaten in large quantities, *ahem* can cause some gastrointestinal problems.  This quantity, at least for me, did not.  Then P3 ordered the chicken breast with curry banana crust and quinoa salad.  The banana crust was phenomenal with an amazing sweet and crunchy texture.  The quinoa salad was also really good.  I ordered the pork loin which was really moist and delicious.  For dessert, P3 ordered the citrus fruits with lemon cheesecake, candied citrus segments, and thyme syrup.  I ordered the chocolate brownie, toasted marshmallow, and raspberry-beet sorbet.  While P3’s was good, I loved mine — and I don’t even like marshmallows that much.  For $15 each, we chose the wine pairings with each course.  Wow was that a good deal! 
  • Service: P3 thought our server was coming over a bit too much, but I thought she was being very attentive.  She also clearly knew a lot about the menu and was able to answer all our questions. 
  • Atmosphere:Next door to a Balducci’s, the exterior is deceiving because inside, there’s such an outstanding restaurant.  It’s a small dining room — only about 20-30 tables.  The interior is warm and inviting, filled with browns and greens. 
  • Attire: Business casual
  • Price: $$$
  • Overall:I loved it.  The food, presentation, and service was phenomenal.  This was my favorite restaurant to try during Restaurant Week because I felt I was given a lot of great menu choices.  I definitely recommend trying this place out if you haven’t already!

Details:

  • Reservations required.
  • Hours: Tue-Sat 11:00 am-2:30 pm, 5:30-10 pm, Sun 11 am-2:30 pm, 5-9 pm
  • Address: 600 Franklin St.; Alexandria, VA 22314
  • Ph: 703-778-2233