‘Bottle Necks’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

2941 is a lot of things. Gorgeous: with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Delicious: From a beef tartare amuse bouche to a delicious lemon dessert our meal was rich, creative and certainly french–nouveau. It was also Expensive. Capital E. Matt first took me to 2941 for my birthday, we heard great things about Anthony Chavez’s pastries and headed over for wine and dessert. That alone was a bajillion dollars, so we were hesitant to try dinner there, knowing tasting menus ranged from $55 to over $120 per person. We’re meager young professionals, trying to live off a lobbyist/PR and a teacher salary, folks. So when we heard word 2491 was having a $44 tasting menu in honor of Obama, we rushed to make reservations to finally taste Chef Chemel’s actual dinner food.

2941 courtesy of 2941 Web site

So when we got to 2941, we checked in – we heard the menu was offered at the bar and lounge, and were happy to sequester ourselves for the cheap food. No problem. But they looked at us like we had three heads when we mentioned the $44 menu which we had read about here, here and here. Ever elegant and accomidating, John Leinhard, Director of Operations kindly agreed to allow us to do a 3-course tasting menu for the $44. Classy. (Note to you: this offer was only good for January, so don’t try conning John!) And boy, were we grateful.

Chemel changes his menu nightly, so you should never expect the same thing twice. But know this: the man can cook.

We started off with a trio of amuse bouche, compliments of the chef. The shining star on the plate was a delicious beef tartare on toast with a bit of a kick at the end. The bread also arrived and although it had probably been sitting in baskets since the start of service, the olive bread was delicious, I could have eaten that all night.

I followed that up with a lentil soup with brioche and poached egg crouton which was divine. I appreciate texture in food and Chemel tends to add a bit of unexpected crunch here and there, pairing his soft food with his solid food.

As a main course, I ordered the Beef Duo, which wound up being beef two ways – a beef cheek and a nice beef sausage over mustard yukon golds. I will have food dreams about those mustard potatoes for years to come. Matt had the bacon-wrapped squab. I pretty much felt like I was a judge on top chef, this is not food for the timid. Nor is it food for those of you who enjoy Ruby Tuesdays.

We finished up with this LOVELY lemon dessert, I swear Chavez is a miracle worker – everything from the coffee shmear on our plate to the chocolate mousse swirl on top was delicious. If it weren’t so sophisticated in there I’d have licked my plate. I would have, I swear.

The wine list is comprehensive, and they’re well known for it. I love dessert wine, so the multitude of Muscat, Muscato and Bracchato to choose from thrilled me. They offer quite a few wines by the glass.

2941 is fancy-pants but not stuffy. We (as per ususal when I do my We Love Foods at fancy places) brought down the median age, but the scenery is gorgeous, the location makes you feel like you’re miles and ages away from DC and the food is impeccable.  Next time you’re looking for your WOW factor over dinner, and you’re ready to try some top notch modern food, take a drive out Rt. 50. It’ll be well worth your money and time.

2941 is located at 2941 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church, VA. For more information, call (703) 270-1500.

Katie

Katie moved to DC in 2007, and has since embarked upon a love affair with the city. She’s an education reform advocate and communications professional during the day; at night and on the weekends, she’s an owner here at We Love DC. Katie has high goals to eat herself through the entire city, with only her running shoes to save her from herself. For up-to-the-minute news and reviews (among other musings), follow her on Twitter!