Rustico

I know, I know, this blog was going to be about DC, but I can't help it. There is a great restaurant, Rustico, in one of the oddest places in Virgina. If you take the GW Parkway south toward Alexandria and turn right on Slaters Lane you come to a Trumanshowesque sort of town. There you have streets of condos and townhouses, a couple boutiques, a creamery, and Rustico. Once inside however, you forget about your odd surroundings. Rustico is dark yet large and airy. The high industrial ceilings are paired with the comfortable bar seating, several fireplaces, couches, and leather booths. But really, the best part about Rustico is its pages and pages of beer selection, and its wonderful food. We recently learned that Bells Two Hearted Ale is powerful, hoppy, and not for the faint of heart. I decided to stick with the much lighter Brooklyn lager.

The menu is small, but every dish I have had there has been excellent. My first time at Rustico I had the duck confit pizza with brie and arugula. It was superb! Their soup trio is also very suprisingly tasty. This time around at the urging of my friend I had the mussels and a caesar salad. Again, both delicious. In fact, the mussels were some of the best I have had. So, if you every get the random urging to cross the bridge and venture out of DC stop by Rustico, but don't stay too long!

Daily Candy's write up on Rustico: click here