El Manantial ~ Reston, VA

A small cozy European restaurant tucked away in a sleepy shopping center in Reston, VA. A mixture of French, Spanish, and Italian cuisines, it is an undiscovered gem to many in the area. 

I went there for a romantic supper with the hubby, and my 1^st thought was how open and inviting the layout was, especially the kitchen. I wanted to just go in, roll my sleeves up, and get to work. Naturally, I quelled this desire.

The walls were painted with scenic Mediterranean landscapes (which I believe were hand painted), the lights were dimmed for the evening’s amorous crowd. From the menu, I was very torn between three seafood items. In my experience, I only find exceptional fish at fine dining establishments, and will only order it there. Fish is a delicate medium. You cannot be heavy handed or inexperienced. It is one of the easiest ingredients to completely destroy.

My perplexing decision tonight was between the Dover sole (Pan fried whole Dover sole, served boneless, served w/ lemon butter & white wine sauce), the barramundi (Australian mild white fish, semi boneless & stuffed w/ crabmeat), and the seafood paella (steamed rice in saffron w/ shrimp, mussels, clams, squid and monkfish).

When I am in this sort of conundrum, I rely on the experts to steer me in the best direction. In this case the expert, our server, was Raoul. Raoul is one of the shining beacons that make fine dining worth the cost. He listened carefully to what I was interested in and provided well thought out and planned advice. “Will you be having the soup?” He asked. “Tonight it is lobster bisque.” That is a vigorous affirmative. With that combination, he recommended the barramundi. Off we go.

Lobster bisque, a creamy flavorful liquid concoction only made better by the crusty French bread endlessly supplied. It was one of those soothing moments like sitting next to a roaring fire on a snowy evening.

Shortly after, the main event arrived. The barramundi was regally displayed and dressed to the nines. As beautiful as it was, it could not compare to the luscious and vibrant flavor. A celebration of light citrus notes with garlic. The flesh of the fish perfectly done, light and delicious. It was accompanied by simple steamed broccoli and some carrots. The fish was the rock star of this dinner, the vegetables were not to distract from that fact.

In conclusion, wonderful food, wonderful staff, enough said.

Contact Information

12050-A North Shore Dr.
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (703) 742-6466

Website: http://elmanantialrestaurant.com/

Email: elmanantial2002@aol.com

Best 'O Veg - Part 1 - Italian

This blog, like many of the restaurants in this here US of A, tends to be more meat centric. What many of my readers may not know about me is that I am pro vegetarian and was a card carrying member for 3 full years. No red meat, white meat, or fish. I had to give up that lofty pursuit when my cravings got worse and worse. I was getting proper nutrition, so skeptics; keep your snarky comments to yourself.

Suffice it to say, in 3 years you learn a lot about restaurants and where to find the best veg food around. I will share this vital knowledge with you now grasshopper. Periodically I will throw out these Best ‘O Veg reviews. It will showcase a paticular cuisine/establishment.  Today I will post a review for Famous Luigi’s in DC, once on my vegetarian restaurant review website. Enjoy…

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Famous Luigi’s

1132 19th Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 331-7574

Website: http://famousluigis.com/

I am of the belief that on one’s 1^st visit to Famous Luigi’s Italian Restaurant, in NW DC, the pizza should be their starting point. I have had the privilege of eating their food on 3 occasions. This DC locale has been at the same building for almost 70 years. In that time they have most definitely mastered their trade.

My introduction to their groundbreaking pizza ruined me for pizza from any other food establishment. I had ordered a pizza with mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and extra cheese. Upon my 1^st bite of this masterpiece, I believe my eyes rolled back into my head.

I have always been of the school of thought that pizza was one of those foods that was good, but not worthy of culinary worship as fine cuisine. Luigi’s has single-handedly torn down my misconceived opinion in one meal.

I eat pizza from the usual places, but this pizza was beyond anything I had ever experienced. The cheese was heavy, but not overwhelming, the toppings were fresh and not overcooked, the tomato sauce was flavored beautifully and not too heavy, but the crowning point of this meal was the crust.

Normally I leave the crust. Most crust lacks flavor and texture, and does not impress me. There can be no doubt that this crust is made by scratch, and from true Svengalis of this profession. I can honestly say I have never tasted crust this good before (could you tell?). It was soft and hearty at the same time, but my favorite aspect was the lovely yeast flavor, it is what really makes this crust unique.

I have also tasted the appetizers, Melanzane fritte (fried eggplant) and the Mozzarella fritte (homemade mozzarella; breaded & fried). Both are EXCELLENT and completely homemade. The eggplant breading did lack seasoning, but all it really needed was a little salt and it was still amazing. The texture was perfect.

On my most recent visit, I finally tried their pasta (made in-house). I tasted their Fetuccine alla Luigi (homemade pasta sautéed with cream sauce & parmigiano). This is essentially their version of Fettuccini Alfredo. I also tried their Gnocchi alla bava - potato dumplings in three cheeses. I can tell you, without hesitation, that I have never tasted better.

What people do not realize, is that fresh homemade food, like pasta, looks very different than what most people are familiar with. This kind of food lacks the pre-fab/out of the jar appearance of most chain restaurants (ie: Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill). The pasta has a more yellow color, and for the 1^st time I was eating pasta at an Italian restaurant that was cooked to perfection – Al dente. At every single eatery I have been too, the pasta is always overcooked to some extent.

The sauce was a simple creation and elegant in its simplicity. It was like you could name each ingredient in it by tasting it. There is no mass-produced, from the grocery store, generic mush from Luigi’s.

My opinion is, visit this place as soon as you can, you will not regret it.

UPDATE:

Since writing this entry I have also had the privilage of trying the angel hair arrabiatta. Technically not on the menu, it is a must order. I have never eaten angel hair in a restaurant the was perfectly al dente. I could die happy now. The sauce bursting with flavor Italiano with a touch of zing. Eat eat eat!