Vidalia

Review by capitolfoodies on August 28, 2009

Vidalia, owned and managed by experienced and respected Chef Jeffrey Buben and his wife Sallie, is presumed to be one of the finest restaurants in Washington, D.C.. To date, the restaurant has received a wealth of recognition including the prestigious DiRona Award by the Distinguished Restaurants of North America. It wasn’t just the hype that made Parry and I eager to sample this restaurant it was the immaculate reputation of James Buben. Much to our horror and surprise, Vidalia turned out to be the worst dining experience of Restaurant Week.

Parry and I were hungry. I know that those of you kind souls who are following our culinary adventure and graciously reading our reviews will wonder how that was possible since I had lunched at 2941 the very same day. But we were, ravenous in fact. As such we opted for the five-course tasting menu.

Parry started with Vidalia’s Rabbit Mortadella with red mustard greens, spiced pecans, rabbit bacon and truffle-honey vinaigrette. I am ethically opposed to eating rabbit so I didn’t partake but Parry described the dish as something short of good. He found the mortadella a little bland and the dressing more honey than truffle.

My starter of Toigo Orchard Cucumber Soup far exceeded my expectations. The soup, which was served chilled, burst with flavor and I couldn’t help but wonder how Chef Buben’s team made a cucumber taste that good. If only the following courses were half as pleasing as the soup.

Parry’s Grilled Octopus was bland and rubbery and my dish of Frogs Legs served in a parsley emulsion proved tough, tasteless and flat. The next course, Vidalia’s signature dish of Shrimp and Yellow Corn Grits provided us with a sampling of severely overcooked shrimp in a sea of rich and creamy grits.

By the time our fourth course arrived we were nervous. Parry ordered the Shenandoah Lamb Shoulder with eggplant caviar, pot belly farm fig mostarda and grilled garlic while I had selected the Braised Red Waddle Pork Cheeks with crayfish, okra, guanciale, étouffée. They sounded great on paper but based upon the previous courses could the kitchen really deliver these complicated dishes? The sour expression on Parry’s face after the first bite of lamb told me all I needed to know. Nothing frustrates Parry more than a piece of dull, poorly cooked lamb.

My dish fared slightly better. The pork cheeks were tender but lacked the richness that usually accompanies this dish and the crayfish, well, in reality they were two of the tiniest pieces of crayfish I have ever seen or eaten and they were so overdone that one would best describe their texture as wallpaper-like.

At this point in the meal, Parry and I seriously debated skipping dessert. We’re glad we didn’t. My dish of Meyer Lemon and Goat Cheese Bavarian with black berries, olive oil génoise and candied black olives boasted complex flavors including a delectably rich and creamy cheese topping. I could tell that the chef hadn’t skimped on ingredients because the cheese was of superior quality. Parry’s Georgia Pecan Bar was ripe with lush caramel and savory pecans. We both agreed that dessert was by far, the best part of dinner.

After we paid the bill and were preparing to leave the server asked how we enjoyed the meal. Parry and I exchanged looks. This is that embarrassing part of a bad meal where guests feel compelled to lie. We opted for the truth.

Parry asked to speak with the manager and seconds later Michael Nevarez, the General Manager of Vidalia appeared. We carefully and somewhat gently explained that we had been eager to dine at Vidalia because of Chef Buben’s reputation and the rave reviews many have afforded the establishment but that we were gravely disappointed in the five-course tasting menu because so much of the food was either bland or overcooked.

I suspect many of you will doubt what you are about to read but Parry and I swear it is the absolute truth. Mr. Nevarez responded by telling us that the dishes we were served fell short of our expectations because it is Restaurant Week and that in order to provide the five-course tasting menu at the price of $45 the chefs had to cut costs and use inferior ingredients. I swear Parry’s mouth slipped open during this horrendous explanation. I wish I’d had a camera with me to capture it.

My response differed from Parry’s. I looked right at Mr. Nevarez and asked why Vidalia would risk their fine reputation by participating in Restaurant Week if doing so meant serving shoddy food. His response? In this economy, Vidalia wouldn’t survive if they didn’t especially since Congress is out on a break and business has been so slow.

Mr. Nevarez was making me feel badly for Chef Buben and his wife but only for a second and not for the reason you may assume. I started to wonder what comments like that could do to tarnish the reputation of a respected chef like Buben and then I remembered he or Sallie hired this individual to run his operations so who really is at fault here? And more importantly, Parry and I can only assume that Chef Buben and Sallie are aware of the happenings at Vidalia and that means they approved of the cut-backs to the food budget during Restaurant Week that according to Nevarez was responsible for the absence of flavor we experienced.

To add insult to injury, Mr. Nevarez tried to tempt us to give Vidalia another shot by offering us free champagne if we returned during a normal week. We politely explained that our complaint wasn’t designed to score free alcohol and that quite frankly we didn’t appreciate the offer. We further explained that we love food and that’s why as new residents to Washington we are sampling 6 restaurants in 5 days, to determine where we want to dine this year. Our response didn’t penetrate and Mr. Nevarez dismissed us with a smile and brisk handshake.

Here’s our dilemma. Tonight, we are scheduled to dine at Bistro Bis, the other restaurant owned by Chef Buben and his wife. After our horrific experience at Vidalia I want to cancel the reservation. Parry thinks we should give it a try. Maybe he argues, Chef Buben is more committed to French food than he is to high-end southern. I seriously doubt it.

Review by bettyjoan on August 13, 2007

Review by nandito88 on May 8, 2007

For a Friday evening, it was a very relaxed atmosphere, not hectic. The service was friendly and efficient. Food was great. I had the lamb while my companion had shrimp and grits. While it's a high quality experience, you definitely pay for it. It's helpful, though, that they have a tremendous selection of wines by the glass if you don't feel like paying for a whole bottle of wine.

Review by crazy_bartender on July 31, 2006

came here with bunch of friends for dinner, around the bar area. nice bar and decent bartenders. they have pretty good selection of wines as well as cocktails. the foods for me is kind of mediocre though ... I had the rabbit cassoullet and my girlfriend had shrimps and grits. both were underwhelming to our palates.
but the service was great that night.

Review by mkrisetya on August 3, 2005

The new decor tries too hard to make the windowless Vidalia give the illusion you are somewhere in Soho rather than underground on the corner of 19th and M. While the make-over falls short, the food continues to make Vidalia one of the best places to eat in Washington. Chef Jeffrey Buben elevates Southern comfort food like cassoulet, liver and onions, chicken dumplings, and onion soup to new heights. Each dish is as reassuring as it is delicious.

Review by mikegaw on January 14, 2005

I believe that Vidalia is one of the best of the best in DC. I appreciate that they can do down home cookin' (you can get mac and cheese on the side here) with some really exquisite touches. Although we ate here during Restaurant Week, the food did not suffer and the service was attentive. Each of my three courses was excellent: sweet potato soup, country cassoulet, and a pecan tart. The wine list is extensive, offering many reasonable choices at the sub-$40 level (and, of course, many more above $40). Even the breads (cornbread and onion brioche) and the spreads (including a scruptious onion butter) are fantastic.

Review by gmmmm on November 9, 2004

Review by hahn74 on August 31, 2004

Decent food served up in an atmosphere that attempts luxury but fails when you realize that you are sitting so close to your neighbor that you can count the change in his pocket.

Good food but at a price.

Review by zazou on July 20, 2004

This place is just so overrated! The food is good but not worth what people say it's worth! I have been there twice. The first time I was not impressed but I decided to give it another shot because I thought it might have been a bad night. Well, the second try wasn't impressive either. I won't go back. Way too expensive for what you get.

Review by JimelaNic on June 21, 2004

Went on a Friday night and had no trouble getting a table, even though the place looked pretty busy. The food was spectacular. My only complaint is that they had run out of one of the specials by the time we got there. Resist the temptation to fill up on the cornbread and onion foccacia in the bread basket- you'll regret it later. The service was excellent- our waitress was very attentive. The other member of my party remarked "I had forgotten how nice it is to be taken care of in a restaurant." I heartily agree.

Review by laurenhn on May 24, 2004

Overrated and uneven- most entrees were disappointing, but the warm focaccia and popovers, not to mention the amzing desserts (don't leave without a chocolate sampler) were great.

Review by bermanmatt on May 15, 2004

Vidalia, as always, provided an excellent alternative to the norm in DC's fine dining scene. By combining a modern dining esthetic ("New American") with southern classics (fried chicken, shrimp and grits, rabbit "burgoo"), Vidalia manges to hit a diner on several levels; it's both fine dining and comfort food, rolled up in one.

While much of the heaviness of comfort food has been allayed by the careful preparation at Vidalia, the restaurant is probably not the place togo if you are looking for a truly light and healthy meal. Come with an appetite, and by no means skip out on the mac and goat cheese side.

Review by llangbaum on January 27, 2004

Vidalia's redesign was definitely worth the wait. The restaurant is now on par with other "hot spots" in the District, as DC tries to develop a style comparable to other major cities.

Vidalia's look is terrific, but so is the food and service. I had a problem with my tuna steak, and not only was it replaced very quickly, but I was also given a complimentary glass of wine to have with my meal (I had finished the wine we ordered as a table). Dessert was also heavenly.

The only complaint I would have is that the waiter was a little too present and overbearing, and I would have liked him to be a bit more hands-off. But a small criticism relative to the wonderful evening. And we had been sitting there for 3.5 hours!

Review by petersjm on January 16, 2004

When Vidalia Restaurant recently reopened after a month long renovation, they helped to alleviate one of the main drawbacks of their restaurant: dining in a dark, windowless basement. The new setup is much brighter, with a wall of lit textured glass dividing the dining room and a much more agreeable layout. Fortunately the kitchen didn’t do much changing during the hiatus – Vidalia is still the place to get some of the best food in DC and boasts a long and reasonable wine list to boot.

To begin a meal at Vidalia takes a restraint few people are able to muster: limit the amount of bread that you eat. The baskets of piping hot breads are simply so fantastic that I often have to remind myself that I have come for a full meal, not a carbohydrate overdose. The buttery focaccia with caramelized onions baked into the top is practically sinful. The golden cornbread is so moist and sweet that served next to a helping of cooked peaches and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it would make a first class dessert.

The butternut squash soup is rich and creamy, but its smoothness is interrupted by the bits of toasted pumpkin seeds which stick easily to the teeth. This minor flaw is forgotten, however, when a taste of the homemade marshmallow placed in the center of the bowl finds its way to your spoon. The salads are decent, ranging from cold asparagus spears served with frisée and a tomato-citrus relish to a simple plate of field greens livened up by spiced pecans, oranges and a sweet onion vinaigrette.

Chef Peter Smith is creative with his entrées, putting new twists on classic southern dishes. Viola’s Chicken and Dumplings is a far cry from the usual monotone gray plate of chicken pieces and dough. The dense breast of chicken is sautéed to a light crisp and comes atop a variety of vegetables with the tiny poached dumplings circling the rim of the plate. What brings this dish together and takes it a notch above grandma’s recipe is the cream “gravy,” which is deliciously poured over the entire entrée. The meats at Vidalia are also winners. I’d suggest the pork, served with turnip greens, sweet potato soufflé and fried apples, or the veal.

My favorite part of a meal at Vidalia comes after the entrée and before the dessert – if you can make it that far. Fromager Mark Sutherland has put together a great list of cheeses from runny to hard, from mild to majorly pungent. The offerings are listed by their type of milk: either cow, sheep or goat, and are served with a fresh fig, nuts and a quince pâté. Ask to speak to Mark, who is more than willing to walk you through the menu and can give you tips on the perfect wine with which to pair your selection. I like the bleus and the Timson, a nice Vermont cheese.

When I am able to make it to dessert, I order the chocolate bread pudding, a rich and dense treat sweetened by the side of chocolate ice cream. The Georgia Pecan Pie is served warm, with a gooey layer of filling under the crunchy pecans. Another notable choice is the Southern Sandwich. Think peanut butter mousse, kahula cake and banana ice cream. Yow!

Vidalia is always changing their menu to keep up with the latest tastes and the freshest ingredients, so be prepared for surprises. Luckily, it’s pretty hard to go wrong.

Review by kgdc1 on January 13, 2004

Start with a drink at the bar. The mixed olives, spiced pecans, and breadsticks are quite a treat. At the table, the cornbread and vidalia onion topped focaccia melts in your mouth; especially if you spread some of the Vidalia onion butter on top. Be sure to try the crabcakes. Get the shrimp and grits. Don't leave without trying the pecan pie. And you're done! You've just visited Toombs County, Georgia: birthplace of the Vidalia!

Review by lindaeroth on December 15, 2003

Vidalia was recently renovated. As a below-street-level restaurant, it faced a challenge. The lighting,new decor, new bar and communal wine table are amazing additions. Some dishes reamined -- but bumped up a notch in flavor (not spiciness). There is nothing more decadent than macaroni & cheese with truffle oil. Lunch Salads are great deals, and breads are so good you have to pace yourself so you don't fill up too quickly. Viola's chicken dumplings and the crab cakses are my favorites.