Blue Ridge is a new DC restaurant that opened in the summer of 2009. It offers home-style Americana with a mid-Atlantic flair. The very spare, mostly wooden interior is all soothing grays, with an assortment of patchwork quilts hanging on the walls to contribute to the food's focus. There is a lovely outdoor seating area in the back garden. I would eat out there if the weather was nice! Overall, this restaurant, set in a moderately busy section of Wisconsin Avenue, is an up and coming locale worth checking out.
The wine list at Blue Ridge is not huge. But it is a great value. They have quite a few local wines - Maryland and Virginia, as well as California and some French in a reference to Thomas Jefferson. It is hard to find a bottle of wine over $60. Lots of by the glass options - also half glass. I had the French Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Blanc 2006 from Languedoc as well as a half glass from Virginia’s Abermarle. The Abermarle 2008 was a Rosé and tasted of strawberry and melon and was a bit spritzy.
The menu is mid-Atlantic, as clearly stated all over the place. They have well-edited cheese and charcouterie sections that come from locally sourced areas. Benton’s ham was on the menu as well as Cabot cheese, etc. We ordered from the cute appetizer selection - people sampled the popovers, the fritters, the deviled eggs, the carrot and radish salad (yum!), and the broiled oysters, oh and the bibb lettuce salad as well. I really liked my carrot and radish salad, it had a nice dill edge, and wasn’t too sharp.
For entrées, everyone went with fish. I had the rockfish, my Dad the bluefish, and the other two diners, the catfish. My fish was cooked to perfection, with a nice grilled exterior and a moist interior. It came with a lovely buttermilk dressed fennel salad, which was light and refreshing. The potatoes, however, were over done. They were “smoked” until yucky. I might order a different side if I were to eat the dish again. Overall, the bluefish was also a huge hit.
For dessert, the menu is really small. Very homey options - apple crisp, carrot cake, and then, I kid you not, 4 types of root beer floats, depending on your beverage selection. I went with the Kurtztown Sasparilla and vanilla ice cream. It was tasty enough, but kind of a weird option. The carrot cake was also ordered, and boy was it deconstructed - a slab of carrot loaf and a bed of cream cheese frosting. However, I understood it to be tasty. The apple crisp looked delectable and turned out to be the most traditional option.
Overall, an interesting option that does serve up regional faves. I liked the relaxed atmosphere, but this new restaurant could work out some kinks.
