Inaugural Dining: Reston's PassionFish

By JULIETTE ROSSANT After noshing on steak and seafood at a power lunch at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak in Washington DC (see previous review), it might be time for a change. In the 1960s, the change the country needed was a move away from suburban track housing to real new towns. The first and best of these is Reston, Virginia. The heart of Reston lies Lake Anne, the stunning village center, complete with a beautiful pedestrian village square, shops, bookstores, and some of the best modern architecture in America. Nearby is Reston Town Center, whose food scene has now added PassionFish. Stay here for the inauguration and ride the metro into the city for an inauguration ball. Or take the metro out of crowded downtown Washington and come here for the ice-skating, catching a movie, shopping, and then eating at PassionFish. Super Chef found this newly opened gem of a seafood restaurant, a few steps away from the ice rink, serving restoring food. PassionFish is celebrating Barack Obama with two cocktails: The Spirit, that includes champagne, white grape juice and St. Germain – perfect if the weather is good - and The Dream with bourbon, apple cider, honey, and caramel, garnished with a cinnamon stick and served warm –if the weather turns nasty. Blue and white tiles dominate the two story space, chandelier of glass balls, like so many bubbles, and big, and comfortable banquets. A staircase seems to float above a glass and stainless steel wine cellar. It's a light and welcoming place, with ice-cold seafood and hot soups to start. The chef, Christopher Clime, sent out a little jar of smoked Great Lakes Whitefish Rilette and toast to start. It surprising light and yet buttery. The Raspberry Point oysters from Prince Edward Island are peppery and go well with the Duxbury Creek oysters set on a platter of ice. If the weather is especially cold, dig into Blue Crab and Corn Chowder, thick with fresh sweet corn, still crunchy, and chunks of Chesapeake crab. Super Chef tried the creamy Shrimp and Hopping John Grits, with a pile of sweet shrimp and Tasso in a slightly sweet sauce. The fat Chesapeake crab cake came on a home-made brioche bun and a pile of perfectly crisp sweet potato fries and Old Bay tartar sauce. There is also a sushi chef and plenty of large fresh salads. Be sure to try the desserts, especially the Key Lime Meringue Tart with White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream or the Chocolate Mouse Praline Crunch with Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise. Both are rich and not too sweet. PassionFish is owned by Passion Food Hospitality, which runs DC Coast, Ceiba, TenPenh and Acadiana in the capital. During Inauguration Season, from January 16, 2009 through January, 22, 2009, all the groups restaurants are featuring a prix fix of amuse bouche, appetizer, entree, and dessert for $44 in honor of the new president. Previous articles: Inauguration Dining: Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak DC New York Lunch: Bar Breton Christmas in New York: Bar Boulud Inauguration Dining: Four Sisters [Chefs & Politics - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews, restaurant reviews --> back to Super Chef