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| photo of Chef Ma courtesy of the internet |
I ran into a pal and her sister recently at an event. When the sister was informed that I had a blog she excitedly told me that I must visit
Maple Ave Restaurant. She shared that she was thoroughly impressed by the food and the staff, but couldn't recall exactly where the restaurant was located.
Fortunately, with the clues provided I found the Maple Ave website and noted that the chef was Tim Ma- this name was appearing on the rosters for dinners and other food/dining events in the DC metro area. My curiosity was definitely piqued. One evening, after I long day in the office I decided to stop by Maple Ave Res.
It is easy to miss Maple Ave Restaurant (FYI. Chain Bridge Rd becomes Maple Avenue as you travel into Vienna - the restaurant is adjacent to Merchant's Auto). The restaurant has limited parking and warns diners about parking in the neighboring vendors' parking space (use the off street parking around corner instead).
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| spicy Burnese salad |
I made reservations via
City Eats and received a text message confirming my reservation. When I crossed the restaurant's threshold the staff greeted me warmly and showed me to my table in Maple Ave's cozy space. My server told me of the evening's specials and asked me if I had any other allergies besides what had been noted when I made my reservation. He then pointed out which dishes I should avoid because of my food allergies.
My dinner choices:
Spicy Burmese salad
Seared scallops
Bittersweet chocolate bread pudding
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| Two Hearted Ale |
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| A new favorite beer |
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| seared scallops |
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| bittersweet chocolate bread pudding |
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My server suggested a beer versus a glass of wine with my meal. The Two Hearted Ale was crisp, refreshing with a just a hint of citrus notes. It was nicely balanced the crunchy, innocent looking, but spicy flavors of the Burmese salad. When I finished the salad I had a few minutes to peruse the notebook Maple Avenue had placed on the table. Inside the notebook were comments from previous diners about the food, the service, the ambiance. 98% of the diners seemed to enjoy their meal, some were repeat diners. The server appeared with the seared scallops and I moved the notebook aside. The scallops were plump, tender and had slight crisp on the top and bottom. I took a small forkful of the risotto. The coconut flavor was subtly sweet and completed the seared scallops. The melting basil basil utter magic- it enhanced the flavors of the risotto and the scallops, but added another subtle flavor level. I closed my eyes and breathed in the basil and coconut. When I opened my eyes a woman at an adjacent table was looking at me. My face warmed as she asked, 'Is it good?" I couldn't speak; I simply nodded my head affirmatively. A woman at another table smiled, nodded her head as well and said, "Isn't it amazing?". The women asked me if it was my first time dining at the restaurant and encouraged me to return again for lunch and dinner (Maple Avenue offers a three course dinner special on Mondays and a two course lunch special Monday thru Friday). I returned to my reverie and silently thanked my server for recommending beer with the dish. As the server took my empty plate he suggested dessert stating ' you only live once'. After a few minutes of deliberation I settled on the bittersweet chocolate bread pudding.The bread pudding was served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I finished the dessert as well.
I now understood why my pal's sister was so enthusiastic about Maple Avenue Restaurant. Good service. Creative, eclectic dishes. Cozy atmosphere and a good selection of beverage options. In addition to beer, Maple Avenue offers for wine, cocktails and soft drinks.
As I stated earlier, Maple Avenue is a cozy spot. I strongly suggesting making a reservation before visiting. If you don't make a reservation the staff will take your contact information and contact you when a table is available.Families would certainly be welcome at Maple Ave, but I did not see a children's menu and the space is really more adult focused. It would be a great space for parent night out.
Maple Avenue's bathroom was tidy and fresh smelling. The space might be a bit narrow for those needs to be a wheelchair or requiring other assistance.
My takeaways for the evening: find out where I can purchase Two Hearted Ale to stock at home, talk to BeBe for ideas on how to make the Burmese salad at home, and find a way to return to Maple Ave Restaurant on a Monday evening and for lunch.
Thank you Maple Ave Restaurant for a lovely evening. I look forward to visiting again.
Be well,
Technicolor girl
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