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Don't want to wait for Restaurant Week (at least at lunch) to enjoy a nice, upscale meal at prices that won't bust your wallet? Vidalia has a great 3-course tasting lunch for $19.90 that is worth checking out.
Pick any appetizer, entree (except for sandwiches), and dessert, including any of the daily specials. I think it's pretty cool that you have such free range of the menu. Our server made sure to let us know that they would be about half size portions - this is a tasting lunch after all - which kept our portion size expectations in check. As expected, the appetizer and entree sizes were on the smaller side, but with the tasty bread basket (with caramelized onion jam), by the end of 3 courses I was pretty full.
Seeing as how my originally-from-Charleston coworker always talks about the deliciousness of shrimp and grits, I tried Vidalia's version. If the real, not fancy version is anything like this, I think I will definitely have to make a trek down South. The grits were nice and creamy and came with two beautiful, ginormous prawn-like shrimp. Surprisingly, the shrimp heads were still on. If it hadn't been lunch with a coworker and not an upscale place I would have totally busted out my Chinese-ness and munch away on those juicy shrimp heads, since we all know the lovely shrimp flavor in those tasty tasty shrimp brains. Alas, it was not to be. I was sorely tempted though.
Desserts must either be ridiculously huge or they give full servings. The lemon chess pie was very good. The crust was a little too thick and hard, but the overall flavor was excellent. Tangy without being overpoweringly sour, terrific lemon flavor, and the accompanying blueberry jelly thing and cream were quite good.
People seem to have an issue with the price to quantity of food ratio when going here for dinner. I would recommend trying the lunch tasting menu.
People thought this was:
First of all, what this restaurant shows on their website and what they serve are TWO different things. I was picturing Maryland Lump Crab Meat and Ahi Tuna tar tar -- traditional American Bistro.
What Vidalia offers is some sort of weird "Southern Funk" menu. They had everything from Goat to Steaks to "Shrimp and Grits". All that was missing from this "Road Kill" menu was possum. I must say, however, when you enter the restaurant the decor is quite nice. My guest and my experience went downhill after that.
First of all (being Californians) we didn't see ANYTHING on the wine list we recognized -- do they buy their wine from Costco? And they evidently don't have a Somolie because the manager recommended a wine that tasted like watered down grape juice (but cost almost $100 bucks).
I must say, the Asian lady who was our waiter was VERY competent and nice. My guest got the Squash soup which she liked and I got the crab and ahi tuna appetizer. I did like the appetizer which was lump crab with a tuna 'skin" and melon carpaccio.
I got the house specialty which was the "Shrimp and Grits". I was leaning towards the dover sole but the waiter told me this was the house specialty for 15 years. I thought I heard her say "with shrimp heads" but didn't think anything of it. What arrived were 4 full shrimp bodies (with the nasty shrimp heads) on creamy grits. They were VERY fishy and the rest of the dish was bland. We also split the macaroni and cheese which was a cheddar and goat cheese concoction with ham (ugh, hillbilly mac and cheese?). I found the goat cheese horrifically overpowering. My normally finicky guest ate it up -- oh well.
She got the the $55 New York steak that she ordered "Rare" and it arrived medium to medium well -- I don't like rare but it was very evident the steak was overcooked. She sent it back and got another steak that looked like "grey matter and gristle". It was too rare for her but she ate it since the timing between appetizer and entree was way too long. I was shocked that even for rare there were no signs of char/grill on the outside --- not very appetizing.
We each got chocolate deserts. I got some 65%+ dark chocolate mess that tasted like rubber. She got something along the lines of mud pie that was tasty in itself but the crust was so tough, we COULDN'T CUT IT! LOL, we even mentioned it to the waiter thinking it wasn't supposed to be edible. Turns out it was -- hats off to the pastry chef!
I had to look at my "Shrimp heads" forever and it took forever to get the bill. Given the restaurant wasn't nearly full on a Friday night may speak to either the food itself or the economy or both.
People thought this was:
Vidalia was the worst dining experience I've had in the District to date. The atmosphere is pleasant, and aligned with the prices, but that's where any amount of credibility ends. The wine list is bizarre, consisting of third and fourth tier vinyards at first and second tier prices. The staff was very unhelpful with selection, and didn't understand what I meant when I asked for the somolie; perhaps because of the language barrier. I'm not sure what language exactly they spoke.
The menu is a bit byzantine, but some of the selections at least sounded promising. We started with the ahi tuna appetizer, which, disappointingly, came out as chewy slices of raw tuna wrapping tuna salad with roe on top. The resulting presentation was pleasant, but the taste was terrible, and clearly made with sub- par components.
Moving on, my date ordered the pork loin and I ordered the shrimp and grits. The shrimp turned out to be prawns sauteed with the heads on in a thin layer if grits. The pork loin was seeded with peppercorns and sliced to medallions with some kind of reduction drizzled over it. The prawns were terrible; chewy, tough, and ill seasoned; they tasted of mud and were either frozen previously, old, very badly prepared, or all three. The pork loin was completely overpowered by peppercorns and far too fatty. The resulting meals were essentially inedible.
Service was slow and unhelpful; again the language barrier was an issue as we were reduced to pointing to what we wanted on the menu.
Avoid this restaurant. It's all style and no substance. There are far better choices in the District.
I went here with my wife when we were dating and refuse to go back because right after I spent over $150 on our bill, we both looked at each other with a "I'm still hungry" look. Maybe I lack a sophisticated palate or can't appreciate the true delicacy of a fine meal, but when I pay $150 for a meal, I expect to be satisfied at the least. After eating at Vidalia, the McDonald's next door seemed like a more appropriate choice in retrospect. It's not even about the cost of the food here, because I would gladly pay twice the amount of what I was charged for a meal...if it was actually good. The catfish I got was no better than Popeye's, and the shrimp my wife got was literally A shrimp.
This place pretty much epitomizes everything wrong with downtown DC dining: bland, pretentious, and overpriced.
People thought this was:
Still not sure how this DC basement eatery is so highly respected. I have given it 3 chances, each time eager to be convinced it was of top quality that magazines such as Washingtonian claim it be. The food, though somewhat daring, is bland to taste. The presentation is perhaps the greatest achievement of the restaurant but that is diminished by the young staff that serve you and show inexperience (I actually had to help open a bottle of wine during Restaurant Week). Speaking of Restaurant Week - don't expect to get a great value from Vidalia, they will limit the menu considerably and require upcharges for the entrees you really want. Some people love it - I just don't get it.
Last year I had such a great experience at Vidalia for restaurant week that I returned again. Food was exceptional, service outstanding and atmosphere lovely.
If I could only make one suggestion is that the portion sizes really need to be a bit larger. Though quality is important, my husband did not wish to go due to the tiny portion sizes. Had cucumber soup, shrimp & grits (perfectly prepared) and meyer lemon torte...if only just a little bit more food please. The Capital Grille had 10 oz beef tenderloins perfectly prepared for Restaurant week Week lunch so guess who left the better impression? Literally, I received about 6 Tablespoons of soup, delicious as it was. Though quality is key, I felt I received more of a sample menu then a true lunch having to rely on bread and my dessert to fill my tummy.
Fabulous restaurant though.....really love it.
If Vidalia's food & service are to entice new customers during Restaurant Week, it worked. Food was… Read more »
I had wanted to try Vidalia for a long time and finally went for Summer Restaurant Week 2009. My date and I opted for the 5 course tasting dinner for $10 more. It was worth it to try more plates (the portions were smaller than the 3 course dinner), but unfortunately I wasn't overly impressed.
I had the cured cobia (swordfish-like fish), beets (pick something else if you can), shrimp & grits, onion crepe (not so much a crepe as a hefty onion filled spring roll with an egg on top), and peanut butter crunch bar. The shrimp & grits, their 'signature dish', had more onions than grits...for a place with the name Vidalia, I guess that could be expected, but I thought it was a bit too much. My favorite course was dessert (does this say something about the meal?). My date had the pecan bar, which was also delicious. He also had the cucumber soup (pretty good), frog legs (taste like chicken), mushrooms (no complaints), and lamb (he said he's had better).
I don't know that I will go back any time soon, but it was definitely a restaurant worth experiencing.
P.S. Go on a dreary night since the restaurant is in the basement with no windows... not good for a pleasant summer evening or if you've spent your entire workday indoors.
I guess I'm not on the same page with everyone else....Vidalia for Restaurant Week was a treat!! I arrived at 6pm without a reservation (was going to just eat solo in the bar,) but when the host greeted me at the back door (I needed the handicapped entrance for my broken foot,) they kindly made space for me at a table.
I ordered one of the suggested cocktails whose name escapes me, but it was like a vodka gimlet, only with bitters and tonic water - totally civilized, and a refreshing summer beverage for a humid thundery evening.
Like folks say, the pig tail (rough chopped pork in an 'eggroll' type wrapper) sounded strange, but with the dabble of bar-b-q sauce and the pickled quail egg was great comfort food to start. Next course was the shrimp and grits, and the chef's light but steady sautee of the shrimps made them savory, a little crispy and as fresh as I've ever had. The grits were a perfect complement - not too cheesy, but a nice comfy bed of goodness.
I nearly swooned when I tasted the peanut buttery, fudgey, banana'y bar that was my dessert choice. Topped off with the last sip of my wine, I was completely satisfied.
Yes, dinner with drinks cost $90....pretty top heavy on the pricing due to two $14 glasses of wine...I wish the server had suggested a bottle instead.
I'm heading to Bistro Bis for lunch tomorrow -- will be interesting to see if that's as good as I remember!!!
Overall: Satisfactory service and bland food with a few stand-outs.
My first visit to Vidalia was for lunch during Restaurant Week. The service was brisk and satisfactory, but when my companion asked for recommendations our waiter mumbled through the menu.
My dishes were very uneven, ranging from bad to great. Never having tried frog legs before, I selected the Frog Leg Velouté appetizer. The velouté was good, but the lightly battered legs were very similar to fried chicken and thus unremarkable.
Low point of the lunch was the Roasted Monkfish entree, which was bland and overcooked, with its only flavor coming from the bordelaise. Things picked up again with dessert: the Lemon Chess Square was delicious and the most visually pleasing of all the dishes.
The bread deserves a special mention, because it included pieces of lightly toasted Italian bread AND cornbread. Rare is the restaurant the serves cornbread, a dish I absolutely adore, and this was some of the best I've had.
Course Rank:
Dessert - Lemon Chess Square - Great
Bread - Cornbread - Very Good
Appetizer - Frog Leg Velouté - Good
Drink - Lemonade - Fine
Entree - Roasted Monkfish - Bad
After having had pretty great meals at Blue Duck Tavern and Central Michel Richard earlier in the week with my parents, we expected a similar experience from the similarly regarded Vidalia (#7 on Washingtonian's Top 100 Restaurants, rated 25 out of 30 by Zagat, etc.).
Vidalia did not live up to expectations.
First, the menu. It was rather eclectic. Which would have been perfectly fine, except that everything I had read about Vidalia was that it attempts to be a Southern-style restaurant. Where was that tilt? Aside from the shrimp and grits on the menu and the cornbread in the bread basket, I'm just not sure.
Next, the service. Such an eclectic menu required some significant explaining. Our interaction with our waiter was pleasant but extremely rocky due to a significant language barrier. When a menu is that eclectic and needs that much explaining and your wait staff's first language is not English, well, it just doesn't work.
Then some highlights (yes, there were some). The bread basket (including the aforementioned cornbread) was great. And the charcuterie board was amazing--again, not exactly Southern, but amazing nonetheless.
Finally, the entree horror. That might be putting it a little too extreme, but of our three entrees, maybe half of one was even decent. Vidalia's interpretation of short ribs (I am still uncertain on the exact preparation due to the aforementioned language barrier) came out extremely fatty and at an extremely lukewarm temperature. The venison loin also came out at an extremely lukewarm temperature and was simply too gamey, even for venison. The rock fish, well, there's your half-star, Vidalia. Congrats.
Dessert was not contemplated.
If you must come to Vidalia, sit at the bar for a few drinks, ask for a bread basket, and order the charcuterie board. Nothing else.
But if you are smart, you will not come here at all. Maybe I simply came on an off night, but there are too many restaurants that are spot-on 100% of the time in DC to risk it and waste your time at Vidalia.
MEH! Not catastrophically bad, but for the money, I thought it was disappointing. Yes, it was restaurant week, but seriously, for $35 I could get a lot of nice meals in this city. I don't think I'll be spending my money here again.
Frog leg appetizer was bland and a bit overcooked. Lamb was OK, but almost too rare and not very tender. Dessert was anis sorbet with cherries and a little doughnut, and that was decent, with some interesting flavors. Overall, I was not super-duper impressed by my meal and the 3 other people dining with me felt similarly. I doubt I'll return, even if it IS a very convenient location for me. I'd much rather go across the street to Mai Thai and spend half the money for a dependably delicious feast.
You know, if I were having a dinner with clients, this may be the place for me. Unfortunately, me and Chris had date night here last night - it just didn't do it for us.
Wine List - very extensive and solid. We got a nice white French wine that was delicious. The sommelier keeps this ship from sinking I'm sure!
I will say the chef is a very competent person in the kitchen. I had the crab cakes and they were very tasty. I would have liked to have had a good sauce to go with them, but they packed a lot of meat. The corn that it was over was very fresh and delicious as well. Chris got the much-hyped shrimp and grits and thought they were pretty good. Being from Charleston, I am very picky about my shrimp and grits. I didn't taste these, though.
The decor was very old fashioned. I felt like my grandmother designed the inside of this basement. Also, the music was very much that that would be inside a "speakeasy". This weird jazz - lobby music stuff.
Our server wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu as well. When asked for recommendations, he would just point to the "signature" everythings and didn't have a personal opinion about any of it. Grrr.
On to the dessert. I find the chef de cuisine solid at Vidalia, but they seriously need to fire their pastry chef. The monstrosities that are the desserts there - for $11 each - REALLY?!?! I got one of the signatures, "The Lemon Chess Pie" and Chris got the Chocolate Valhrona. Chris didn't really care for his (which is weird b/c he loves anything chocolate) and I found my pie to be too tart. Also the blackberry compote deal on the side does not play off the pie very well. It just sat there staring at me trying to choke down this $11 slice of mediocrity.
Overall, only go here if you're expensing it. And definitely go somewhere else for dessert. I highly recommend the $2.75 slice of baklava at Astor in Adams Morgan ;).
People thought this was:
Vidalia is one of those places I'd recommend everyone try once. After years of hearing various friends rave about this place, it was a bit of a let down, but only because it wasn't as awesome as they'd said it was,
The service was great, wine list was good, drinks were great. The food was great, the shrimp and grits and the kit kat like dessert are must haves. The food was not awesome enough to make my list of places to return to, but I'm really glad I went. The restaurant itself was great for close conversations and people watching.
I was a bit annoyed that their valet parking staff had put cones up around the few public spaces on their side of the street, forcing you to walk a few blocks or use their service.
People thought this was:
I saw in the Washingtonian that Vidalia was offering a lunch special so I made reservations while my mom was visiting. I agree with many Yelpers point that it is definitely a business lunch establishment.
I found the food and service fairly good as did my mom. My lunch consisted of the three course tasting menu special: consomme, crab cake and a dessert (can't remember right now). The tasting size portions were fairly big.
The food is more of a modern interpretation of southern. I would describe the decor in a similar fashion.
In the end, my mom and I both enjoyed the meal.
I'm from the south, not far from where they grow Vidalia onions, so I had high hopes for some great Southern food here on the north-meets-south border. The food was decent, but the rest of the experience was mediocre.
From the barely-lukewarm greeting we got approaching the hostess, to her crass hand-off of us to a server (yelling: "will you take 'em to 52?"), to the weird Airport Hilton lobby decor (and music), it wasn't what I expected in this price range. This place reeks of expense account-driven business meals, very much NOT reminiscent of the south.
Even in some of the south's most acclaimed dining rooms, you still feel the southern charm bubbling through and warming the room. Vidalia was sterile.
I had the shrimp and grits, which were good, but not mind-blowing. The shrimp themselves were cooked pretty flawlessly, which I commend, but there just wasn't any pizzaz drawing the dish together. I went with the "Valhrona 5" chocolate desert as recommended by our server, but for the $12, it was literally 5 bites of varying interest (from "that's pretty good," to "meh.").
Probably the star of the meal was the slow-roasted Vidalia onion we had as a side. Delicious.
It's a tough call figuring out how to rate this place... if it were on food alone, I'd go with 4 stars. If it were how I felt about the experience, it'd be two stars. I guess they'll get the average of the two.
Would I eat here again? Possibly, if someone else was footing the bill.
People thought this was:
I've been a few times and while the food is tasty, it doesn't exactly bowl me over. However, they do know there way around a pig (and vidalia onions, natch).
On my last visit there was pork in three of the five courses I had on the tasting menu, including dessert! The only two courses not containing pork were the seafood dishes (cobia and lobster). Which brings me to the cobia. Cobia is similar to swordfish and was a special that day. The presentation made it look like sushi, but it was actually slices of cured fish sitting on top of a melon-like jelly. I didn't think the taste combo was all that appealing, frankly . The next course was the pigtail croquette, which again, sounds better than it actually was. The lobster in tomato water (another special that day) was very tasty, but the star of the night was the "What's Up Doc"; rabbit and carrots! There was a deep-fried rabbit leg, a few slices of rabbit loin nicely presented with carrots, and, inexplicably, smoked bacon (does this represent Porky Pig)? In any event, it was quite tasty. For dessert: applewood bacon chocolate chip cookies and vidalia onion-bacon ice cream. It was much tastier than it sounds, trust me! They have a very extensive wine list, and keeping with the American theme, we went for a bottle of Roots Pinot Noir from Oregon which was both delicious and reasonably priced (under $60).
Service here has always been a strong point. It's located in a basement, near Dupont, but they make good use of the space. If you don't want to drop a lot of cash on a full dinner but want to see what the kitchen can do, they have a very good happy hour in the spacious bar area til 7pm that includes reasonably priced glasses of wine and bar nibbles. They also have three draft beers including Alagash White and Troegs Hopback if wine is not your thing.
People thought this was:
Great service, great atmosphere, great food. Enjoyed the five course tasting menu. Started with a cured fish (cohita?) which combined salty and sweet chocolate elements perfectly. Second course was battered frog's legs. Tender, and surprisingly hearty. Third course was lobster. The only disappointment of the night. Nice flavors, but a bit tough. Fourth course was a vidalia tart, which was very oniony, sweet, and buttery. I had the frozen soda and cherry compote for dessert--fabulous, although I regret no trying the peanut butter chocolate bar.
I ordered the three-course tasting menu during Restaurant Week. As others have commented, Vidalia seems to pride itself on presentation, giving a back seat to quantity, but paying strong attention to quality. This is not a place to go when very hungry. The small portions force you to savor each bite, which is appropriate for the dishes as flavorful as I had. For dinner, I chose:
suckling pig galantine (appetizer)
point judith skate wing (entree)
meyer lemon and goat cheese bavarian (dessert)
The suckling pic was about 3" diameter of lean, raw bacon. It was two thinly sliced pieces. Two. The appetizer also came with about 1/2 of a radish and some small pickles. The meat/bacon was very good. The small portions require me to savor every bite, and certainly every bite was flavorful.
The skate wing was incredible. It was fried and came with a buttery hollandaise-like sauce and a hummus-like paste, which together gave me a foodgasm. All the flavors complimented the other perfectly. This portion was reasonably-sized and provided about 3 oz of fish.
My dessert was non-traditional as it wasn't very sweet. It came with a small scoop of chevre, a sprinkle of raspberry applesauce, two mini mini cornbread pieces, a sprinkle of olive oil and tiny pieces of fried olives. Somehow it worked as a dessert and I really enjoyed it.
As my charming dinner companion commented in his review, our server seemed to be in-training. This was one of, if not the first time my order was written down in DC. Not the quality of service I've come to expect at classy restaurants. He also ran away after we said we weren't going to order cocktails but wanted wine. Apparently, cocktails and wine are ordered separately? Our dinner was at 6:30, so it wasn't because the bar was closing. Otherwise, the service was good.
People thought this was:
The 3 star description above says it all - Vidalia is A-OK. The food is enjoyable, but it didn't exactly knock me over. The GF and I checked out lunch during Restaurant Week - I don't know if that had something to do with it, but the previous reviewers seem to feel the same way.
Service was very good. Our waiter was very knowledgeable with everything on the menu and was very attentive with questions about the menu. I ordered the rabbit mortadella as an appetizer - it was just ok. It seemed like they tried to compensate for the mild rabbit by curing it with A LOT of salt. Too much salt. It overwhelmed the entire dish. The arugula and vinaigrette would have paired nicely if I could have tasted them. The GF fared much better w/ the cucumber/heirloom tomato soup. Absolutely delicious...made me jealous of her choice. My entree was the pork cheeks - very tasty stuff, but the portion size was really freaking tiny. I guess their idea of etouffee is 5 or 6 pieces of pearl pasta in the sauce. Weak...I just finished up an hour ago and I'm already hungry again. My GF's lobster and pork belly was simply ok - nothing very remarkable going on. I had the peanut butter crunch bar to finish, and it was tasty, but oddly similar to a Little Debbie snack, even with the banana compote. Again, just OK (notice a theme?). The GF's lemon pie was far too sweet...I'm pretty sure her feet didn't touch the ground once after we left.
I agree w/ previous reviews - this place knows how to do their pork, but I just wasn't wowed. I probably won't be back unless it's on work's dime :-)
People thought this was:
I'm surprised at the negative comments. I too came here during restaurant week and had a very pleasant experience. Not every dish set me on fire, but most were quite nice, none were bad. My table of four shared food with each other so I got to taste a lot of the dishes. I'm not too into breaded food so the frogs legs and monkfish were just so-so. Everything else was tasty and some of the dishes were quite creative, so 3 stars for the food and an extra star for the atmosphere (lively, relaxed, clean, fancy but not stuck-up) and the friendliness of our waitress. She said "excellent choice" after nearly everything we ordered. We knew it was a schtick, but we were all suckers for it anyway.
Went for RW opted for the 3 course tasting menu. 3 stars for service, 3.5 for first & second course, and 5 stars for dessert
The bread basket included an onion focaccia and corn bread served with an onion marmalade: The focaccia was somewhat dry and unimpressive, but the corn bread was quite tasty and I really enjoyed the marmalade.
Rabbit Mortadella with rabbit bacon, spiced pecans, arugula salad, & truffle honey: It was good, however, the pecans and truffle honey really helped to bring the flavors together and round out the dish and both were used VERY VERY sparingly - in fact, there wasn't enough to have even a small amount in each bite.
Pork Cheeks with crayfish & okra: very well prepared, the pork was succulent, tender, and well flavored while the okra was still slightly crisp and the crayfish provided a subtle sweetness to round out the dish.
I was also able to sample the cucumber soup with heirloom tomatoes that my fellow diner ordered - delicious, creamy, subtle onion flavor, and refreshing.
Desserts were AMAZING
Peanut Butter Crunch Bar with sea salt caramel sauce and banana compote. Atop the very crunchy bar were two mousse like components that were peanut butter and chocolate flavored. All of the flavors and textures worked extremely well together - I will dream of this dessert!
Meyer Lemon & Goat Cheese Bavarian with olive oil geniose and candied black olives: I'm pretty adventurous, but I was a little nervous about the black olives - however, they were used very sparingly like a sprinkling of salt to bring out the flavors. The goat cheese flavor really came through and was satisfyingly creamy. The cake portion wasn't super exciting but overall a beautiful dish.
Service was decent and the ambiance was somewhat noisy and crowded (what can you expect during RW?).
My BF and I went here on Saturday night during Restaurant Week. The restaurant, although underground, is very cheerful and you cannot tell that you are subterranean. The food was exquisite. I had the grilled octopus (it did need a bit more flavor to it), the shrimp and grits (perfect), and the peanut butter dessert bar. I would go back alone for the dessert. My boyfriend had the cobia (he loved it), veal cheeks (I sampled and also liked), and the lemon chess pie (normally I'm not a fan of tart pies, but this was very nice). the only complaint I have is that the meals were very small (almost tasting portions).
Our server was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable about the wine list, refilled our bread basket twice (what can I say? it was way tooooo good!), and just generally very helpful. I am still surprised we were able to get a last minute reservation for Saturday night during restaurant week, but very thankful that we had the chance to check out Vidalia! We will be back!
Vidalia might have eked out four stars from me had I not constantly encountered endless glowing reviews from every food critic and magazine in town. Alas, the hype was this restaurant's own worst enemy.
I suppose there wasn't anything incredibly wrong with Vidalia, but compared to: a) Bistro Bis (which I'm a fan of), b) the buzz and c) other comparable restaurants of its supposed caliber, there wasn't anything more than right about it either.
I blame this partially on location, because the space is pretty bland. It could also be more of a lunch place given the proximity to businesses, but their dinner was, like everything else, just fine. As someone who can recall a good dish years later, I can't tell you a single thing I ordered (admittedly, this was also over a year ago, but not even dessert? bad sign). Except the bread! The bread was buttery and good.
To be fair, Vidalia is unoffensive and I didn't walk out hungry or dissatisfied with a specific dish (that too, I would have recalled). It seems the issue is that it's pretty unmemorable. Clearly everyone else seems to love it, so I'd be open to 2nd chance, but right now there are simply too many other places I want to try.
People thought this was:
Since I was in DC for the weekend, I was treated to a fabulous dinner at Vidalia. The dishes were delightful and savory in every bite. Service was impeccable and our meal truly memorable.
After the waiter took our drink order, a plum cocktail and a glass of wine, one of the servers brought to our table a sample of chef's tonight's complimentary dish. A yogurt/dill/mint gaspacho, crostini with tomato jam and anchovi on top and something else which was very savory, but apparently was not too memorable :-/
Promptly after, the server brought a bread basket with corn bread, butter roll, and onion bread accompanied with whipped butter and vidalia onion spread.
Our first course consisted of sous shad filet, and the suckling pig galantine which were delectable. The flavors worked really well together, although I had a little trouble cutting the pork slices. They both featured very bold and mature flavors.
The main course consisted of the vidalia crab cakes for ME, and the pork for my boyfriend. The crabcakes were amazing. They were barely pan fried, and with the touch of the fork they would fall apart. They were complemented VERY well by the sweet corn maque that was underneath, and the hint of pork/bacon in it brought out the flavors and tenderness of the crab meat! 5 ***** :)
The pork was one hefty piece of meat (as you could see by the pics), and it was really juicy packing flavor and substance. The creamy polenta was very strong and almost tart, and even by itself it was worth ordering the entire dish. Married beautifully with the pork!!!
Dessert called for a chocolate fix so we ordered the valhorna five, and five bitesize arrangements all celebrating chocolate came to the table. They were all really good, and would make anyone moan with pleasure.
We had heard about Vidalia's classic lemon chess pie so we decided to get it. It looked so good, i forgot to take a snapshot before i dug my fork in! It was really fresh with a cooling aftertaste. Would definitely get again.
Vidalia's rooting points
- very classy interior
- accoustics do not make lip reading mandatory
- very reliable combination of flavors
- valet parking
Vidalia onion drawbacks
- there's not much of a trendy vibe (unless you might be sitting in the lounge/bar area)
- little flies like fine dining as well, so be sure to be welcoming to these little friendly buggers (it seemed like my plum cocktail was really popular amongst flies, as one camped on the rim of my glass for quite a while)
- taking pictures of food "might" attract uneccessary attention.
overall really good experience; So for a glass of wine, a cocktail, two apetizers, two main courses, and two desserts (one paired with a glass of port wine), the total came to $150 sans tip. Our waiter was very attentive, never bothered us, just KNEW when to come over and work his tip :))
p.s. and they left my empty plate in front of me while my boyfriend was still enjoying his pork leg without me needing to ask. THAT's fine dining :))
People thought this was:
It's #1 on my top Sammy Kershaw songs list. It's #7 on Washingtonian's 2009 Best Restaurants list. And it's been on on my personal hit list for a while. In short, Vidalia was an absolute delight. The service gives you the impression that Vidalia is a restaurant that has been in DC for a while (16 years according to our host) and doesn't feel the need to frantically impress its patrons. As you might expect from a Southern-influenced restaurant, the people at Vidalia are calm and unhurried. I like.
In my opinion, the ambiance is only OK. It's below ground, but it doesn't feel that way (a good thing). That said, it just didn't have anything distinctive or interesting about the interior...the decor reminds me a of a restaurant within an ordinary hotel. However, the plain surroundings bring the focus back to the FOOD (yes, a good thing again). Vidalia's menu is not for the picky - it's for trusting eaters who appreciate unexpected combinations, new textures, and a little "adventure" in their fine dining experience. We started with the grilled octopus, which comes most notably with chorizo and avocado. We also got the cucumber soup. This octopus is NOT like the little grilled white calamari rings you get at typical restaurants; this is LEGIT octopus complete with the little suction thingies on the tentacles. Just saying. The cucumber soup was absolutely delicious and the presentation was cool - they pour it at the table. Make sure you like roe if you order the soup because the pile of plump roe in the middle of the soup comes on strong.
For our entrees, we had the crab cakes, which were magical. Not at all breaded; big chunks of tender crab that just fall apart; a fun kick of spice at the end. And not at all the greasy fried taste you get from most crab cakes in this city. Some of the best I've had. Dessert was pecan pie with bourbon ice cream, which was good, but my mom makes it better. :) Oh and we also got a side of vidalia onion which was so unmemorable that I almost forgot to mention it.
We sampled several wines (and subsequently were the last to leave at 11:30pm with strong-to-quite strong buzzes going). The Robert Stemmler 2004 Pinot Noir was absolutely beautiful and a 100% spot-hitter. We also sampled three dessert wines, although the only one I can remember is the Lillypilly, which was sweet without being at all syrupy.
Oh! And definitely check out the Mon-Fri happy hour at Vidalia from 5:30-6:30 where you can drink wine and sample hors d'oeuvres in the bar.
People thought this was:
I tried this place out during RW and it seemed promising upon entrance. However they sat us right next to a service station and I sat through the sounds of silverware and dishes right behind which was very distracting (and annoying with waiters squeezing behind me all night). Our server was arrogant to the point of almost rude. I will say he lightened up towards the end of the meal, though. We sat at the table for approximately 10 minutes before he even greeted us and when I asked him to explain the menu he spoke down to me like "you must not get out much" which I was particularly bothered by (I'm an attorney and he waits tables. Game over.).
I read some of the reviews below, and I have to agree the food was just ok. The portion sizes left a lot to be desired; mine and my sister's were ok, but our 6'4 father ended up with 3 quarter sized pieces of cobia as an appetizer, and literally 5 or 6 bites of lamb as his main course. It was embarrassing.
I have had so many great experiences in this city and its surrounding suburbs. I don't see how this place stays in business.
SO forgettable. Party of 4 on a Sunday night for RW.
I'll start with service. There was nothing wrong with service at the actual restaurant- hosts, servers, and bussers. There was nothing good about it either. Here's my main bone to pick with Vidalia...imagine our consternation upon calling on TWO different occasions well enough ahead of time to have our party extended by ONE only to be blatantly refused each time and showing up at the restaurant to empty tables EVERYWHEREEEE.
In terms of ambience the restaurant isn't anything too special. Just looks like it jumped straight out of a Pottery Barn catalog. Which isn't to say I don't like Pottery Barn because I love it, you would just hope that one of DC's higher ranking restaurants would have a bit more flair to it. We were in one of the enclaves in the far corner and they really have to do something about managing sound. With a fully-seated party at each of the 4 tables (three 4-tops and one 6-top) everything echoed and was waaay too noisy. The bar area looked like it would be fun to hit up for cocktails for happy hour or wknd boozing. I don't think they would be hurting anyone if they dimmed the lights A LITTLE BIT either. I know dark restaurants are a pain, but I think it was a bit too bright for a restaurant.
Our party did a lot of sharing bites so I'll go through all the dishes I can remember.
First Course Dishes: Smoked pasta w/rabbit pancetta- wasn't served warm enough but had a nice smoky flavor. Pork belly-pork belly is usually amazing. I don't quite remember anything about it. Can't really be a good thing. Veal cheek- I'm not quite sure about paying $35 for something that just tastes like grocery store salami.
Main Course Dishes: Skate Wing- small portion. Whatever sauce was served with the skate wing wasn't very pleasant. Shrimp and Grits. I really want to understand why others rate this so highly. I SINCERELY hope that this dish is different outside of restaurant week. I couldn't imagine paying full price for the dish if it was served the way it was. It was just that: SHRIMP AND GRITS. It was totally void fo the complexities, subtleties, and distinctive flavors you expect from a 3+ star restaurant.
DESSERT: It's always so disheartening when dessert is the best part of everyone's meal at a restaurant not known for desserts. My peanut butter and jelly dessert was FABULOUS. I don't have too much to say on the other desserts because I was too busy savoring mine. The people that ordered the Chess square and the other lemon dessert were quite happy with theirs.
They did have pretty good iced tea though.
People thought this was:
3 1/2 stars. background info:
- this is restaurant week, so some things were not up to par.
- my girlfriend and i tried the 5-course tasting. in order to try the most dishes and report back, we didn't overlap any meals except dessert.
- this is a very long review...sorry! i tried to be thorough.
**the ratings for each dish below are out of 10**
first course:
toigo orchard cucumber soup for her, rabbit mortadella for me. the cold cucumber soup was delicious. it had a great color and texture, and was very refreshing. the heirloom tomatoes were ripe and firm, and they provided the soup with a certain freshness and complementary flavor. a pretty good way to start. (8)
the mortadella was all right, if you like eating cold cuts in a sophisticated restaurant. the greens were fresh, the bacon added some depth of flavor, and the vinaigrette was pleasant. (6)
second course:
grilled octopus for her, heritage pig tail croquette for me. the octopus was cooked pretty well, though not as skillfully done as the octopus that i've had at Zaytinya. i didn't think it was seasoned all that well, either, but the gf seemed to enjoy it (and actually remarked that it was better than Z). (6.5)
the croquette was fairly small, probably 2" x 2", but it was like cracking open a culinary gift box. as soon as i sunk my fork into it, the aroma of its contents seeped out and took me by surprise. it was seasoned fairly well, but still had a very subtle flavor. the pickled pheasant egg had some kale sprinkled over it, and its mild acidity was a nice contrast to the croquette. (8)
third course:
shrimp and grits for her, and slate roasted maine monkfish for me. her shrimp and grits were great. the grits had a tantalizing richness to them, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. the chorizo and onions just made it that much better. (8.5)
they missed the mark with the monkfish. it was undercooked, chewy, and not at all flaky as i had anticipated. it was also poorly seasoned. the bordelaise sauce was extremely subtle, and did not bring out the fish's overall flavor at all. the spinach gnudi had an interesting texture and flavor, but was a throwaway in the end. (4)
fourth course:
caramelized vidalia onion crepe for her, braised red waddle pork cheeks for me. the crepe was not what she expected, in that it was more like a huge onion dumpling. the presentation included a perfectly fried hen egg on top that was very appealing. overall, i thought the dish was good. the onions, being caramelized, were very sweet, almost too sweet, but the egg was there to tone down the overall vibe. the tomato-goat cheese emulsion had very little flavor, and there was very little of it on the plate anyway (think a thin brush stroke on the side). still, the presentation was nice and the egg and onion crepe was an interesting idea, which worked for the most part. (7.5)
the pork cheeks were very tender, and had a nice flavor to them. the crayfish were a salty, tasty addition to the dish, though the okra was admittedly slimy, as it usually is unless it is battered and fried to hell and back. overall, it was one of my favorite dishes of the evening. (8.5)
dessert was a pecan bar with vanilla ice cream. it was very sweet and enjoyable, but not spectacular. (7)
final thoughts:
- at least two of the dishes seemed like they were sitting under the infra-red light for an extended period of time, because the dish itself was hot and/or the food itself had that sort of look and texture to it. the beef cheeks were a notable example of this. had they not been sitting around for 5-10 minutes, they would have been a solid 9. again, this is a caveat of restaurant week, so it wasn't totally unexpected.
- the portions were about right, especially for 5 courses. i was very full by the end of the meal.
- the waiter wasn't terribly well-versed in wines, and suggested one for my gf and she decided to just go with it. he said it was from Russia, but i have never heard of white wine coming from there. i don't see it on their website. also, it was $21. ouch. otherwise, i didn't really challenge his knowledge, but he did push the steak and its $12 upcharge, which led to an awkward moment while i was ordering.
- service was prompt at the beginning, and slowed down by the 4th course as the restaurant became busier.
overall, with the ridiculous Russian (??) wine, it came to about $160 after tax and tip...during RW. was it worth it? probably not. it was merely enjoyable, with ups and downs. will i be back soon? no. there are fifty other restaurants around DC that i would like to try before going back.
thanks for reading!
Restaurant week menu! $35.05 for Appetizer, Entree, and Dessert.
Okay, I'm not going to comment on the prices except for the fact that this place is obviously expensive.
That said, my boyfriend and I LOVED everything about this place. The service was great. They made us feel welcomed and everyone was helpful. The food was soooo good. Like to the point that it was almost worth the price despite the amount you get. It's not something that we'd be able to afford everyday but every restaurant week from here on out I would be super tempted to go.
People thought this was:
Vidalia has a very good lunch deal, $20 for a 3 course set, so my friend and I went and had a very enjoyable meal.
To start with we had a lovely bread basket filled with interesting items accompanied by salted butter and apple butter (I think). Obviously they have put a lot of thought into their presentation and quality of the food is top notch.
All of the food was lovely. We had the hampton lane salad, crispy pig tails, crab cake, monkfish with braised vegetables, goat cheese panna cotta, and meyer lemon chess pie. All of these were lovely and the very gracious bartender, Larry, helped us choose some nice wines.
They offer 2 ounce tastings of several wines, which I really appreciate since I am not a big drinker, but I do like wine.
My one and only gripe about Vidalia would be that their menu would imply larger portion sizes than in reality. For example, the menu describes "crispy pig tails" as an appetizer, so we were quite perplexed to receive exactly 1(one) 2" croquette and a microscopic salad. That said, be prepared for very small portions, as evidenced by my photos.
Ultimately the portion sizes were not a problem and we couldn't finish our desserts anyway, but it's quite humorous to see such large plates and dainty little morsels.
People thought this was:
Another overrated restaurant that deserve no more than 2 stars. I can say the food was ok but the services were undoubtedly below average. Not a wise choice for me, I wouldn't go back.
People thought this was:
We had to take clients to dinner last night after a conference and this restaurant came highly recommended. The actual space is clean and linear and settling which lets the food stand out.
I found the complexity of the menu way overwhelming...I'm not a foodie, I just like good food, so a lot of the selections were just way over my head but I could recognize enough to find things I thought would be good together. The multiple selections that form each course for a full four course meal seemed like WAY too much food for me so I ended up just pulling off one item for my appetizer and another for my entree. The food was interesting and complex but approachable and delicious. The service was impeccable.
I don't mind dropping a little bit of money for a good meal with great service and atmosphere and this place had all of that. Everyone in our group that night seemed to really like the place.
People thought this was:
really, what's the big deal about this place????
I was drawn to the chalkboard sign outside, which read 'Three Course Lunch $19.90.' Who wouldn't want to eat a three course lunch for under $20 at one of DC's 'finest restaurants'????? Maybe 'course' is French for 'microscopic' because that is what I got for $20.
Once seated, the waiter described the said special as 'slightly smaller' in portion size than the normal fare. An alarm should have gone off in my head then. When my 'first course' arrived, it was a few stringy pieces of salad (you know, the type you normally throw out in the salad mix?) with a teeny teeny piece of goat cheese. Whatev. The next course should make up for it.
Well, ha. The second course, a 'pasta' dish, arrived and my jaw dropped. Really, guys, who are you tyring to fool? It was two teeny (again a diminuative adjective) stuffed pasta tubes. Teeny, as in pinkie finger. The waiter saw my shock, and my companion, who ordered a $14 'adequately portioned' salad, also was in shock. We really thought they were pulling our leg. The teeny salad was sent back, but it only returned with a few more scrappy pieces of 'lettuce.' My 'pasta' dish was given a few more tubes, but we were still pretty dissatisfied. Come on, folks, you can't even try to make the customers happy?
The manager came over to our table, more to look down his nose on us than see if he could help. 'The salad?' he said. 'Oh, you didn't realize it was fancy?' Fancy, wtf? Do salads now have different classes? Am I missing something? I thought they just came in portion sizes: side or entree.
We tried to send the salad back but the waiter refused (my companion got teary-eyed trying to explain no); when the check came, everyone acted so gracious that we were not charged for the salad. I was charged for my 'courses' although I left before the dessert came.
Leaving, my companion said something about the chalkboard being misleading to the hostess. She coolly replied, 'Oh, the courses? They ARE courses: tasting courses.'
Teeny portions, teeny service, major disappointment.
People thought this was:
This place was better than I expected.
My wife and I went there for our 2 year anniversary and we both left very happy customers.
We got there early and grabbed a drink at the bar during their daily happy hour. The mint julep was recommended so we got it. It was tasty but they did put a lot of alcohol in it...but then again, that's a good thing since the drink itself cost around $10. During happy hour they bring out a variety of complimentary amuse-bouche which were very creative and tasty! Service at the bar was very good!
Dinner was just as good. The variety of breads were all good so we got ourselves a 2nd helping. My favorites were the pig tail, shrimp & grits and the warm pecan pie. Our server was really good and knowledgable!
Our meal was awesome....and we'd go back again.
Let's review a few highlights of lunch at Vidalia:
1) THREE for $19.90! As in, three delicious courses for the extremely reasonable, very low, almost ridiculously cheap price of $19.90, part of the anniversary/holiday weekday lunch special. As though this wasn't excuse enough to escape work for a long lunch break, Vidalia's reputation had us rushing to the table.
2) Bread... Oooh. Ahhh. Cornbread, Onion Foccacia, and Parker House Rolls - a bread-lover's paradise! All of these definitely do NOT fall into the health food category, but the breads' guilt-inducing goodness alone is reason enough to return as far I'm concerned. =)
2) Pumpkin soup. A classic, done perfectly! Served in a big (maybe slightly too shallow for my soup-shoveling taste) bowl with a garnish of minced quince and a couple bite-size, deliciously fresh ravioli. The quince gave a nice little crunch and sweet tang to the very smooth soup.
3) Chicken Fried Steak. My first time eating this, and (unfortunately for my cholesterol, hope my doc doesn't read this!) probably not the last! The meat was still tender and juicy underneath a light crispy crust. Served on a bed of ridiculously smooth whipped potatoes and some tiny baby mushrooms (I can't help but call them "poppers" - they popped in your mouth!) and some greens (collards?). Pretty delicious. Beautifully presented.
4) Pecan pie. A nice-sized square of sweet nutty perfection! (but not TOO sweet, just the right balance.) Accompanied by two dainty spoonfuls of caramel ice cream lightly tinged with bourbon and perched on a little crispy praline lace cone!! While my dining companions couldn't stop gushing over their lemon chess pie, I quietly devoured every last speck of my pecan treat. Great choice for anyone who appreciates a good classic pie!
4) Friendly service, uncluttered and bright basement dining room; although busy at lunch, the noise level was low - no need to shout to carry on a conversation.
I also tasted the shrimp and grits that my dining partner ordered - I think this dish was perhaps even more delicious than the chicken fried steak! In summary, I felt like the food was pretty rich and very filling, decidedly NOT light fare (and this was my impression after just three petite courses, I can't imagine making it through the entire four-course dinner menu!!!). But no detail was overlooked: the presentation was impeccable, the menu large and varied (even at lunch), and the service excellent.
While perhaps not for everyone, I think Vidalia is definitely worth checking out!
People thought this was:
Cheapskates of the world unite for the anniversary lunch special: $19.90 for three courses. Our waiter indicated that the serving sizes for the tasting menu would be a little smaller, but I left the restaurant with that really good almost unpleasantly full feeling. The whole menu is open for this option, which is pretty amazing - and the place wasn't overly crowded like I've heard it gets during restaurant week.
Overall, the restaurant had a much less stuffy vibe than I anticipated. The decor was spot-on. I liked the warm colors and clean lines, as well as the lounge area by the bar. The dining area is nicely segmented, so I didn't get any of that mess hall feeling. Service was decent - really friendly if a little slow (come on, dude - I have to get back to work at some point ... to do a bunch of important work ... or write my yelp review). And the clientele was pretty varied - the usual business lunches and rat-race people escaping the office, as well as some more casual diners.
Bread: the corn bread and parker house rolls were like manna from heaven. It's hard to screw up corn bread, but this was the best I have ever had. The texture was just the right amount of crumbly, the salty/sweet flavors were perfectly balanced, it was served at just the right temperature ... and the rolls were everything they should have been - so buttery and sweet and salty and flaky and warm and amazing. There was also focaccia in the basket, but I didn't try it since I was already ruining my lunch with a hunk o' corn bread and a little butterball biscuit.
First course: bean soup. Floating with the beans were eensy-meensy bits of carrots, assorted pork parts and straight-up fried pork fatties. The broth was a little on the salty side, but had a great aroma. I was frustrated with the shallow bowl ... it was hard to get those last delicious little bits out, but I made it happen - it was well worth it. Oh, and I loved that the bowl was brought to the table with the hearty bits in it and then the waiter poured the broth over it all. Fresh!
Entree: shrimp and grits! I couldn't believe I ordered this - I never enjoy/eat grits, but I had to see what all the fuss was about. When the plate came, seeing the two whole shrimp hit me like a ton of bricks ... I don't really want to see the entire animal I'm about to consume, but I thanked the little creepy-crawlies for my lunch and popped their heads right off. The grits were deliciously buttery, and the sauce had great seasoning. Little cubes of sausage gave a nice bit of saltiness to pair with the sweet shrimp. I cleaned this plate, too - big surprise.
Dessert: lemon chess pie. I'm such a sucker for "signature dishes," but I chose the right adventure on this course. I was a little intimidated by the size of the serving, but I had zero trouble finishing my slice. The custard was just light enough - not too sweet or tart - and the crust held its own. Whoever thought to serve this with chantilly cream and huckleberry compote should win an award - well, he or she probably already did. Dessert was definitely the highlight of my lunch ... and daydreams of it will probably lure me back in for another meal.
People thought this was:
Lush with cream colors with darkbrown complements and off white light bursts. The table was simple and elegant almost to bow to the main show that would be on your plate.
Although it was DC Restaurant Week their prices aren't that expensive. They have several items that are on the lower price scale. Trust me - Ive been to 1789- now THAT is expensive. Vidalias is not so bad. It just depends on what you get.
We had a jovial joking server;struck a good tone for brunch.
As for the food - OMG!! Im from the South and this Southern menu had several dishes that almost put the authentic to shame.
Had Red snapper appetizer- fancy and tasty in 2 small bite sized twirls.The brisket was serendity on my fork and made me reach for the cornbread to -dare I say it - SOP IT UP! There was a heavenly au jus that was just sending my taste buds to cloud nine. Its like eating something and for that moment that its in your mouth - you think you may have discovered the meaning of life. But then you swallow-lol- and you have to have another bite to recapture the moment of epiphany. lol
The sides come in castiron bowls hot with mac n chz,; black bean casserole with a slightly confusing green crumb topping of some sort;, and delicious!greens with hidden brown sugar.
The DESERT to have is: the GA pecan bar.
You will lick the plate. If Im there, you won't be alone!
BRAVO, Vidalias!!
People thought this was:
My colleague and I decided after a long day of work we deserved to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. A friend of mine had told me that it was a bit on the pricey side, thus the company was to pay for it.
I'm not sure what I expected when I thought of "Southern with a twist", but the decor is not what I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised how understated the decor was - with only a hint of pretention. The bar area is best described as a well lit lounge vibe.
Our server was so fun - he had an accent that made a light white fish sound sexy. He highly recommended the barrimundi (spelling?) and a nice pinot noir that complimented it perfectly.
And then the bread came. This was the first time during the meal when I made inappropriate noises of pleasure after taking a bite. The cornbread was light and fluffy - the entire basket was gone in 2.5 seconds.
Dessert was the highlight. Wilson, our server recomended the chess pie, I really wanted the pecan pie. I'm glad he was forceful in his recommendation because the chess pie was DIVINE.
People thought this was:
When the entrees arrived, they were so pretty that four of us busted out with our cameras. "It's like Top Chef," my husband whispered, as he puzzled at his entree's white bubbly foam ("Smoked bacon emulsion"). I had the beets with shaved horseradish, and oregon mushrooms with brussel sprouts: both dishes were small, but so tasty and full-flavored that I felt stuffed afterwards. The hit of the table, though, was the creamy and delicious grits that came with jumbo shrimp. Everyone agreed that the grits were very good.
Entrees cost around $30. I wouldn't eat here every day, but it's not a bad spot for special occasions.
People thought this was:
I'd be willing to give it another chance due to the circumstances (Restaurant Week), but my meal (the main course anyway) on Friday night was underwhelming. In fact, come to think of it, if describing my three course meal as a sandwich (much as my waiter described my main corse as one), I'd say it was some top-notch, homemade deliciousness for the bread, with some expired Oscar Meyer bologna right in the middle.
I started with the smoked pasta with rabbit pancetta, which was a tasty first dish - very unique flavoring, and got me excited for the main course. Unfortunately, the excitement abated when I received what our server called a "flounder and ham sandwich" since the ham was baked in. Interesting and unique for me. Out comes the dish, and yes, it was unique...unfortunately the main thing I tasted was extremely dry and overcooked fish, ruining what looked to be a good presentation (these guys have the Mac "whitespace" thing down to an art...lots of room on their plates around the relatively small portions).
The dessert may have saved the meal - very, very tasty. I had the Georgia pecan pie, and my friend had the PB&J, a small slice of peanut butter pie-looking-thing with a nice slice of jelly on top. Both were delicious, and made the underwhelming main course slightly more acceptable.
Now, I realize it was Restaurant Week, but having gone to many other joints over the years and experienced top-notch service, tasty meals, and full options on the menu (Zola, 1789 in particular come to mind), it's hard to give Vidalia a pass on the poorly prepared main course. I'd give them 2.5 stars if I could, but I wouldn't call this place A-Ok...so 2 stars it is.
People thought this was:
Washington, DC
Category: Italian
Washington, DC
Category: Italian
Washington, DC
Category: Seafood
Washington, DC
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Category: Seafood
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