village bistro

After a Saturday afternoon touring the new DC museum, Newseum (everyone should go and experience this place), Que mentioned a cute boutique in Crystal City called Gossip. For those who don't know me, I have a soft spot for boutique shops. So I had to go and yes, I bought an outfit. After scouring the racks, we headed over to Rosslyn for dinner. Shopping makes me hungry.

On a tiny strip on the corner of Rhodes and Wilson, sits a row of restaurants where it's hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. After walking up and down the sidewalk, taking peeks at diners' plates, we took a seat at Village Bistro. I sipped a glass of cabernet sauvignon while Que quenched her thirst with ginger ale as we relaxed under the setting sun.

We started off with an appetizer of portobello mushrooms, artichokes, and sun dried tomatoes in a red wine sauce. Earthy, slightly sweet and tangy, it was a perfect way to awaken my taste buds. Also perfect as a topping on the complimentary french baguette. And let me tell you a little about this baguette and its friend, the butter. The bread had a crispy crust and a soft chewy middle; and the butter, oh the butter. Softened to perfection, it was heavenly as I spread the creaminess on a piece of baguette and popped it in my mouth. Another basket please! Definitely the highlight of my meal.

For the entree, I had the grilled scallops with pesto and navy beans. The pesto complimented the beans quite well which was surprisingly pleasant. The scallops, on the other hand, tasted like they had been sitting in the walk-in for a couple of days, definitely not the catch of the day, but cooked well with a nice seared crust. The sauce I assume was a red wine reduction with light cream splashed across the top.

Que had the New York Strip steak topped with sauteed mushrooms served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The steak was good and tender despite it being cooked well done. The mashed potatoes almost tasted like it came from a box. (I could be wrong.) The vegetables looked fresh enough. Right, I almost forgot, and kudos to our server who was funny, witty, and sarcastic, which made our dining experience enjoyable.

Finally, the raspberry sorbet. Cool, tart, rich and just right to end the meal. The clouds loomed over hinting at a storm but yet another perfect spring day.