This tuna tartare has personality. Partnered with fermented black beans, habanero relish, pine nuts, furikake seaweed and sitting in a crater of soba, this dish is a punch of flavor and a tapestry of textures. Brine seems like it would be a simple concept, a white-lit, modern take on the nautical theme in Mosaic with much of the menu relying on the raw bar featuring oysters and clams from the owners’ Rappahannock River Oysters farms. And while there are straightforward dishes and a wood rotisserie, there’s room for embellishments. Rockfish is treated with miso in a rich, salty gravy plated with snappy beans and slinky mushrooms. Half of a roast chicken, pickle brined, still takes on the classic aspects but with pep. A side of Moroccan rice features fresh green chickpeas and heat that tingles. The caramel bombe dessert is decorated with duck fat peanut brittle. It’s the details.
Brine
Seafood | $$$
2985 District Ave., Fairfax
