Lunch at Redwood: Butternut Squash Soup 01.18.2011

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with my friend Lee at Redwood Restaurant in downtown Bethesda and have to rave about the butternut squash soup.  If you've never ventured out here, I highly recommend it.  The area has been gussied up with with high end boutiques, reliable brands (Le Crueset, Blue Mercury, Apple, among others), and fantastic eateries ranging from quick-dining restaurants to a gelato shop.  Along Bethesda Lane -- a courtyard saddled by an apartment building -- also sits Redwood Restaurant, which is owned by Jared Rager, who also started Mendicino Grille, Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Blue Ridge. 

I've dined at Redwood a handful of times since it opened and always wish I had more time to spend there.  Redwood promises fresh, organic, locally grown ingredients.  But in addition to the delicious food, the space is open, peaceful, and warm, and conducive to lingering with good wine.  Whenever I've shown up there for dinner, it's packed.  The large bar area is filled with people who I am guessing wanted a table but were happy to settle for a small space to get a bite to eat.

The restaurant also has a bar area tucked away behind a wall where people can eat on a first-come, first served basis.  Eric and I have eaten in this area several times and I have to say, it's really nice.  Romantic even.

During my lunch with Lee, I started with the butternut squash soup. I got a cup, which was a mistake.  I should have ordered a bowl, a few slices of bread, and called it a day.  The soup was not too thick and was topped with truffle butter (swoon) and chives.  And -- are you ready? -- beautiful, gorgeous, delicious chestnuts.  I loved each bite into each chestnut.  I've eaten a lot of things in my life that were chestnut flavored or eaten food with ground chestnut, but never an actual chestnut.  I know:  it's crazy.  But now, I'm sold:  whole chestnuts.

And had I not had a pile of work waiting for me after lunch, I would have had a glass of red wine with my meal.  Alas, work. 

Gastronomic Goal No. 1 for 2011:  Make time to linger at Redwood.

Chinese Take-Out 09.16.2010

My favorite item on a Chinese take-out menu is orange chicken, extra spicy if available. Several years ago, I discovered Asian Cafe in Bethesda. I was severely pregnant with Adventure Girl and had just left a prenatal yoga class. I was ravenous. Asian Cafe was right across the street from the yoga studio. I called Eric and told him to meet me there as soon as possible. The consequences are grave for leaving a pregnant woman waiting or hungry. Grave.


I was not impressed with the decor or the fact that there was not a single customer but I had a hankering for Chinese and this was going to happen. Everything in the restaurant is red, there are numerous mirrors, cheap-looking Chiense art, and not much of a staff presence. I sat in a booth in the back and asked for a menu. The waitress brought me a Chinese menu and a Thai menu. I immediately felt uneasy mixing the two cuisines but, as mentioned earlier, I was ravenous.


Eric arrived about 20 minutes later and this is what he found on our table: orange chicken (white meat, extra spicy), cold sesame noodles, fried dumplings, pad Thai, and hot and sour soup. And an orange soda. He looked confused when I asked him what he was going to order.


Aside from the lack of aesthetics, I give Asian Cafe high marks for good Chinese and/or Thai take-out. I've enjoyed eating at plenty of dives so I am not anti-dive. But Asian Cafe isn't even a dive. It's just decorated so badly. They do, however, have quick delivery. They've told me plenty of times that the wait would be 45 minutes but lo and behold, they are at my doorstep in 28 minutes.


I returned to the restaurant several times post-pre-natal yoga class during my pregnancy with Super Boy and I was always the only customer sitting in and too hungry to be put off by the bad decor, which had not changed since my first pregnancy. The yoga class would end at lunch time on Saturdays; I don't know if the restaurant gets business during the week during lunch.


Last Friday, we were over at our friends Mike and Katya's and I recommended Asian Cafe for take-out. I requested the usual to share -- orange chicken (white meat, but not extra spicy), pad Thai (no peanuts on account of Adventure Girl having a mild reaction), and fried dumplings (oh-so-good). Someone ordered chicken and broccoli (nice) and there was a beef dish I did not try. Katya ordered avocado salad, which was spicy and phenomenal. Will have to order that again.


The restaurant is located on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda, down the street from Matuba -- a Japanese favorite.


4858 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland


301-657-8388