Finding Love in Fairfax 03.16.2011

Back in August, I was having dinner with some colleagues and asked Eric if he could recommend a restaurant in Fairfax -- an area as alien to me as Rio.  Eric came up with Villa Mozart, which is neither German, nor a villa.  The three of us showed up there a tad early, and I immediately became doubtful of Eric's choice -- not a first, but a rarity.  

The maitre d' was rushing around in an empty restaurant, presumably getting ready for dinner seating.  The restaurant slowly filled up, but not completely.  Sure, it was a Wednesday, but after I tasted the food, it was beyond me why Villa Mozart wasn't packed.  And that sentiment was confirmed the second and third time I ate at the restaurant.

The restaurant space is small and the decor very crisp, but not cold.  There is no bar, so don't plan to arrive early to wait at the bar.  The hostess will, however find you a glass of wine while you're milling about in the front hall.  

I've now had dinner twice at Villa Mozart, and most recently, lunch.  The second time I went to the restaurant for dinner, the space could barely contain the many diners.  During my recent lunch, I was at one of two seated tables.  My two companions and I agreed that the meal was outstanding.  

To start, I had the beef carpaccio, which had a thick sun dried tomato sauce underneath.  I could not pin point the sun dried tomato taste because I it -- oddly -- reminded me of Indian pickles.  I finally asked the waiter.  The carpaccio was delicate -- sliced beautifully thin.  The taste was mild, but a solid combination with the sun dried tomato.  

For my main course, I had the gnocchi puttanesca.  I'm a spoiled when it comes to puttanesca:  Eric makes delicious pasta puttanesca with a serious kick to it.  He's has to tone it down for the kids, but it still takes my breath away.  The gnocchi puttanesca at Villa Mozart was on the mild side, but still flavorful.  I could not taste or smell the anchovies, which was okay with me, and the serving size was satisfying.  I would have loved a glass of red wine with my meal, but, alas, work and a long drive home.

My two dining companions each got creme brule for dessert, and offered me a bite, to which I said no thank you.  And this is where I may have made a career limiting move.  

"I do not like creme brule," I told the offeror.

"Who doesn't like creme brule?" the offeror asked.

"Creme brule is overrated."  I said.

Silence.

Look, I get it.  It's a custard with a crispy top layer.  But come on:  it's everywhere and it's overdone.  And so what if it has a crispy top layer?  I've seen friends using that torch and the appeal may have to do with using a power tool, rather than the taste.  I can do without creme brule.  

I was full and happy and didn't care to look at other dessert options, but had a cup of coffee.

Villa Mozart is a bit out of the way for me, but I will go back.  With delicious food and a strong wine list, why wouldn't I?  

Chef:  Andrea Pace

Villa Mozart

4009 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

703-691-4747

http://www.villamozartrestaurant.com/

Lunch

Monday - Friday

11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dinner

Monday - Saturday

5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Chez Blume 08.19.2010

It's been a while since I've written, which means there has been a lot of eating. Or life has become all-consuming. Either way, it's interesting. There has been plenty of dining out but I want to start with dinner last night at Chez Blume. We aspire to fantastic meals every night but after a day of work, a commute, kids, etc. etc., it's often not possible. We still aspire, Eric more so than me.

Eric made grilled salmon, glazed with maple syrup (salt and pepper). The orange-pink color was beautiful, and the fish tender. On the side, spinach ravioli from Trader Joe's with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I've eaten plenty of ravioli purchased from the refrigerated section of a store, but Trader Joe's is the best. It tastes fresh. I recently had truly fresh spinach ravioli at Villa Mozart in Fairfax, and this was an incredible likeness.

Earlier yesterday, I had steamed two heads of broccoli for the kids -- they love broccoli. Eric threw in a potato and made a creamy broccoli soup, which was delicious. The color was reminiscent of pesto.

Let me go back to the salmon for a bit: I do not like salmon and don't understand the fuss. Oh sure, the health benefits, but the taste? It's too fishy. So for me to eat and enjoy salmon says a lot about the preparation.

In recent years, I've made an effort with salmon because my daughter, Adventure Girl, loves salmon. Adventure Girl needs no inspiration to eat salmon, but it is important, especially as a Life Giver, to set a good example. Perhaps we'll have a moment when she's 35 and I reveal my true feelings about salmon, and she'll say:  "I don't know who you are." We'll see.

The success of last night's salmon was due to cooking time, and just the right amount of maple syrup: it wasn't overpowering, nor was the salt. Much of the salmon I've eaten in my life has unfortunately been overcooked, bordering on rubbery. And the longer salmon sits -- cooked or otherwise -- the stinkier it gets.

To drink, we had a glass of 2005 Rodney Strong Chardonnay (Sonoma County) -- perfect for a summer night. Adventure Girl had boxed apple juice from Trader Joe's.