Food

First Look: Wild Tomato

The owners of Bethesda's Persimmon have opened a bustling, casual neighborhood restaurant in Cabin John.

The interior, decorated with a local artist's paintings; a veggie pizza. Photographs by Scott Suchman

Washington has seen an influx of celebrity chefs and international chains, but independent restaurants are going strong, too. A prime example is Wild Tomato, a new venture from Damian and Stephanie Salvatore of Bethesda’s Persimmon. Their Cabin John bistro is the epitome of a neighborhood joint: Chalkboards cheer on the Rockville High School football team, a local artist’s paintings of oversize artichokes and cabbages line the walls, and plates max out at $20.

See Also:

First Look: Ford’s Fish Shack

Best of Bethesda: Dining

While Damian, the chef, shows a fondness for French sauces and duck confit at Persimmon, he happily slings wings and pizzas here. The humbler fare—such as a Parmesan-heavy artichoke-and-spinach dip and a classic wedge salad with a buttermilk-blue dressing—can be very tasty. Pizzas are great, anchored by a not-too-thin crust that remains sturdy under the weight of such trimmings as artichokes, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, and peppers.

Salvatore falters a bit on more refined dishes—tough hanger steak with oversalted kale, too-buttery steamed mussels—but patrons don’t seem to mind: Even on a Tuesday, the place was filled with customers, from families with small children to a pair of high-school coaches. In other words, the neighborhood thinks it fits right in.

Wild Tomato, 7945 MacArthur Blvd., Cabin John; 301-229-0680. Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Starters $4 to $12, entrées $9 to $19.

This article appears in the April 2011 issue of The Washingtonian.

Subscribe to Washingtonian
Follow Washingtonian on Twitter

Follow the Best Bites Bloggers on Twitter at twitter.com/bestbitesblog

More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder