Reston is a hip place.
There are so many things to be said about Reston, and if you’re talking to me, those things are all positive. One of my favorite things about Reston? The people who live there share some form of appreciation for craftsmanship and local identity. That’s a blanket statement, but I think it’s truer than not.
I think Red’s Table shares that same respect.
The menu emphasizes local foods and making things in house. Red’s Table also sits next to Reston’s Lake Thoreau.
Did I mention the owners all grew up in the area?
Add all of this together, and you get a Reston restaurant geared toward Restonites. That sounds easy, but it’s really not. When I gazed into the lake before our dinner arrived, I felt this warm sense of contentment. “I am happy to live here,” I thought.
We started out with a charcuterie board:
That’s Grayson cheese on the left, house-made speck in the middle, and a bleu cheese on the right. The pickles, mustard seed relish, and chardonnay jelly were all made in the restaurant. It was pretty tasty. I didn’t get a photo of the buns they served us beforehand, but they were the best buns I’ve ever had, and that comes from someone who outright doesn’t like bread.
After that, I had a cup of their 11 ingredient clam chowder:
The clam chowder was chunky, but not necessarily thick. People usually know two types of clam chowders off the top of their head: Manhattan-style and New England-style. This was more of a Rhode Island-style clam chowder, which is to say that the broth wasn’t as roux-y and thus lighter.
The main course was pork belly, which is a better way of saying giant, thick pieces of bacon:
Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Just the way I like it. The pork belly was served with local green beans and fingerling potatoes. Fresh, fresh, fresh.
I finished off the meal with a little scoop of cabernet blackberry sorbet. You could taste both flavors. A very “deep” sorbet, for sure. It probably would have gone on to write poetry about its transient little life had I not inhaled it.
I’m really excited to go back and try something else at this place. Those who have taken our suggestion to eat here have enjoyed it. Maybe you will, too. GO!
Peripheral Chew 