Grapeseed

Bethesda bounces back with an explosion of flavors from perfectly executed dishes at Grapeseed. There was no wonder why this restaurant is often booked way in advance during my perusing of Open Table's web site in the past.

My wife surprised me with this experience on my birthday and it was one of the best gifts ever!

Walking in, the decor is pretty good. Slightly modern without feeling too posh. It's not the nicest, but I can't complain too much. The carpet has got to go though.. and that's where my complaints end.

Sautéed Calamari

Parsley, Capers, Lemon

We started with some sauteed calamari. Many of you might not know what calamari looks like without them being deep fried in a layer of breading... and I can't blame you, cause we love them that way. This dish was nice and refreshing and most of the calamari was cooked perfectly. With herbs and capers, it was delicious and I used the bread to scoop up all the sauce. The Italian's call that scarpetta and we should make it mainstream! 

Pan Seared Duck Breast

Shoestring Potatoes, Haricot Vert, Sage Cream

My entree was the duck. I love duck, and I fondly remember the first time I had it, and how good it was. I've never been able to find a place that cooked it so well it brought me back to that first time. Grapeseed has finally done it. It was so perfect, with a delicious sage cream underneath, the skin was crispy and the meat tender. It really melted in my mouth. Bravo!

Grilled Norwegian Salmon
Farro Salad, Grilled Asparagus, Even Star Arugula Chimichurri

My wife had the salmon, and it was also delicious. We really loved the farro salad underneath, and the chimichurri sauce paired really nicely with everything on the plate. I definitely want to start making farro at home.

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Blackberries, Vanilla Crumble

It was my birthday, so we finished with some nice desserts. This Greek Yogurt Cheesecake was devine. The flavors were all there for cheesecake, but the cake was so light and fluffy, while still maintaining that richness that we love so much in cheesecake. I did miss having a lot of crust, but I got over it.

Poached Pear

Port Whipped Cream, Cherry-Chocolate Chunk Biscotti

The poached pear was kind of a let down over the cheesecake. I like my dessert pears warm, and this was cold, leaving me the feeling like it was made many hours before and just tossed on a plate for my consumption. The port whipped cream was delicious as was the biscotti... but the cheesecake stole all the thunder.

Grapeseed Full Dessert Menu

All in all, it was a truly delicious meal and we had a wonderful time. We'll be back!