David Guas, beloved in NoVA for his gumbo, roast beef debris po’ boy, and light-as-air beignets at Bayou Bakery, is not a one-trick pony. He wants diners to know that, while they’ll find pimiento cheese and barbecue shrimp at his new restaurant, “Bayou Bakery is doing Bayou Bakery.” Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen, on the other hand, is doing something newer for the chef and his wife, fellow New Orleans native Simone Rathlé.
“Selfishly, my wife and I wanted a restaurant for empty-nesters. We built a restaurant that we wanted to go to,” Guas says. “Every single thing [on the menu] is something that I crave. There isn’t a must-have — the beauty is you’re torn between not having one dish, and so you book your next visit.”
So, what does a chef crave? Amid efficient but friendly service and walls covered with vintage airline posters, diners are treated to unshowy eats like a heritage beef burger and wood oven–roasted oysters. Some of these are scores, others not so much.
The pimiento cheese falls somewhere in between. Served with saltines that Guas and his team brush with ghee and bake with a house made, seven-ingredient everything seasoning, the $8 helping is enough to bring home for another meal. Better yet, my server offered to bring more crackers when she saw that we had run out, with plenty of the tangy, pepper-punctuated cheese blend still singing its siren song.
The wood-burning oven figures into many dishes, both expected and not. Charred cabbage salad with cucumbers and green goddess dressing sounds like a great idea, but flaccid leaves marred the experience. The disarmingly spicy dressing reminded me of salad-based breakfasts I’ve had in China, which conjured happy memories, but the heaping portion was simply more than I needed of that flavor profile. As a side dish, it would be a scene-stealer.
It might work especially well with the fried quail, which is identified on the menu simply and endearingly as The Bird. Guas’ hat-tip to Korean fried chicken isn’t a neat bite. Be ready with the hand wipes for a deep-red sauce that’s gingery, sweet, and spicy to the point that my server was sure to warn my party that the dish is reserved for fans of heat. My dining companion almost asked for a glass of milk, but sides of sticky rice and quick-pickled cucumbers eased the burn. The portion of two whole birds, presented in halves, is enough to share with a friend.
You’ll want to save room, after all, for The Fish. Part of NoVA’s whole-roasted branzino trend, the dish is a standout in the crowded field, one distinct enough to almost make a diner forget the competition. That’s because the whole animal is stuffed with olives and herbs and marinated in citrus for a zap of acid that amplifies the other ingredients. Charred to perfection, it’s well worth spitting out a few pin bones to enjoy the meaty fish with crisp, blackened skin.
The crust on The Chop is similarly satisfying, thanks to time spent in a cast iron pan on the wood stove. “It’s hard to mimic that heat,” says Guas, who serves the bone-in pork drizzled with a thin whole grain mustard pan sauce. Don’t resist picking up the bone to excise the best meat of all. The fennel and green apple slaw on the side is crunchy and bright, but the plate is a bit bare on its own.
When I ordered it, I ended up sharing my dining companion’s fries. He was supping on The Steak, a New York strip cooked to a beautiful blush and served with crispy, salty potatoes. The dish comes with two sauces, a chile-flecked chimichurri for the beef and a fry sauce (a mayonnaise and ketchup combination) for the frites.
Guas conceived the desserts himself, the strongest being the chocolate candy bar, which indeed resembles an oversized Mounds or Almond Joy. However, it’s far more substantial, with its stack of flourless chocolate cake, praline crunch, and chocolate mousse, all enrobed in even more chocolate, beneath a layer of cacao nibs and coarse sea salt. On the side, a quartet of mandarin orange sections is presented cold-smoked in sticky caramel. Not everyone wants smoke with their sweets, but I do. I only wished there were more of the fruit.
Even critics have their personal likes and dislikes. I overcame my aversion to citrus desserts to give a thumbs-up to the lemon icebox, a zippy tart that’s served at room temperature and blessed with a light brulée in a graham cracker shell. Reservoirs of basil syrup and a pile of blistered strawberries are appealing enough to almost merit their own plate.
A note sits at tables explaining to diners that Guas and his family are locals — they’ve lived in the same McLean home for 21 years. The chef says, “If you stick to what you like and what you believe, hopefully you’ll find like-minded people that share that vision.” His neighbors have clearly responded. Reservations at prime times aren’t easy to come by, and Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema measured the volume of the dining room at 88 decibels. I had the most success with holding conversation when I dined early on a weekday.
The restaurant’s popularity attests to the appeal of a simple menu, filled with well-prepared food. Neutral Ground is a solid neighborhood restaurant, but unless you happen to be in McLean, it might not be worth a pilgrimage. That just leaves more branzino for in-the-know locals.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
See this: Bright, eclectic wallpaper brightens a room that looks like the home of the aunt and uncle you wish you had.
Eat this: Bayou pimiento cheese, The Fish, chocolate candy bar
Appetizers: $7–$22
Entrées: $20–$48
Dessert: $11–$13
Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Brunch is served on Sunday. 6641 Old Dominion Dr., McLean
Feature image of dinner at Neutral Ground by Amie Otto
This story originally ran in our October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
