100 Best Restaurants 2008: Vidalia

Share | Print

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Cynthia Hacinli , Dave McIntyre

Write your own review

No. 8: Vidalia

Vidalia

1990 M St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-659-1990
Fax: 202-223-8572

Cuisines:
American, Southern, Modern

Opening Hours:
Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu:
Evening: 05:30 PM - 10:00 PM Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri:
Afternoon: 11:30 AM - 02:30 PM Fri,Sat:
Evening: 05:30 PM - 10:30 PM Sun:
Evening: 05:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Dupont Circle
Farragut North

Price Range:
Very Expensive

Dress:
Business Attire

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Recommended

Special Features:
Party Space

Parking:
Valet

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
Mint julep; smoked golden trout with roasted-onion purée and steelhead roe; braised pork cheeks with red cabbage, hot pickle vinaigrette, and cracklings; pumpkin soup with chestnut-filled agnolotti; shrimp ’n’ grits; Southern cassoulet; apple-cider doughnuts; lemon chess pie.

Reader's Rating:

3.3 out of 5

Read Reviews | Write a Review

Cuisine: Surpassingly rich Southern comfort. Its refinement bespeaks a classically minded French kitchen, but its generosity of spirit could come only from below the Mason-Dixon Line.

Mood: The clean-lined dining room mirrors the lightness and simple elegance that chef R.J. Cooper’s food strives for.

Best for: Persnickety diners, traditionalists who turn up their noses at small plates, lovers of cream, butter, and bacon fat.

Best dishes: A plate of molasses-marinated yellowtail hamachi as bracing and fresh as any sushi bar’s; hand-rolled pumpkin cavatelli with crispy sweetbreads and chanterelle mushrooms; definitive shrimp ’n’ grits; saddle of rabbit stuffed with sweetbreads; roasted breast of partridge with applewood bacon, squash agnolotti, and braised onions; lemon chess pie and pecan pie, each so perfectly rendered that you’d swear you were in the deepest South.

Insider tips: The wine list, under the direction of Doug Mohr, might be the most interesting in the city. If you can afford it, get a wine pairing with each course. If not, there are good wines by the glass and even half glass. Regulars swear by Mohr’s happy hours, featuring a changing lineup of wines and free canapés.

Service: •••

Vermilion

Corduroy

Reader ReviewsWrite your own review

um, no.

lmitchell1981 — June 26, 2009 8:08 PM

really, what's the big deal about this place????

I was drawn to the chalkboard sign outside, which read 'Three Course Lunch $19.90.' Who wouldn't want to eat a three course lunch for under $20 at one of DC's 'finest restaurants'????? Maybe More ...

Report the content

Layers of an Onion

cs2aq — March 8, 2009 9:40 AM

From outside Vidalia looks unimpressive, but I discovered the setting is far more comfortable than the outside indicates. The lounge is most inviting. Low couches beg to sunk into after a long day at work. The dinning room is more formal, but More ...

Report the content

Innovative & well balanced food

AlexandrianFoodie — February 23, 2009 8:53 AM

If Vidalia's food & service are to entice new customers during Restaurant Week, it worked. Food was well balanced & innovative. The goat rouladen was amazing with layers upon layers of flavor. Shrimp & grits had nice flavor though the shrimp was a More ...

Report the content

Read All User Reviews >>