Maple Ave Restaurant in Vienna reopened its dining room after almost a year and a half of takeout and private parties on August 6. That means that, having arrived in town in the thick of the pandemic last year, I had never gotten to try it. But now I can say that its four-course $55 menu is one of the coolest deals available on the region’s fine-dining map.
Not that Maple Ave is exactly a jacket-and-tie-type destination. I saw a lot of Hawaiian shirts and casual dresses when I dined there. Really, it’s a comfortable neighborhood joint that happens to offer carefully sourced and planned tasting menus.
For her first bill of fare back, chef Justė Židelytė is offering a roster of her greatest hits that happen to fall into season. That translates to dishes like pink gazpacho made with chilled summer beets, and creamy mushroom-truffle risotto that’s punctuated with chunks of summer squash and kernels of burstingly fresh corn. That risotto is especially interesting for its low ratio of rice to veggies. It achieves delectable risotto status with surprisingly little rice, making me feel a little less guilty when I nearly licked the plate.
Other highlights on the menu include a boudin noir paté that has got to be one of the top 10 prettiest blood sausage dishes ever created. Check it out:
The round of paté is deeply savory, but doesn’t have a strong mineral taste as some boudin noir does. Buttery croutons, fresh yogurt, and a knotted crown of cucumbers gives the combination a bright, summery feel.
But nothing on the menu can quite compete with dessert. The bittersweet chocolate mousse is anything but boring. A pool of caramel and big chunks of fleur de sel enliven the dark, egg-shaped dollop of mousse. But it’s crispy crumbs of rye bread that sent my brain back to glorious meals in Eastern Europe. I look forward to many more such delicious innovations at Maple Ave. 147 Maple Ave. West, Vienna
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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