Green Pig Bistro (Arlington, VA)

This is what Arlington has been missing!

I was able to talk our way into the Green Pig Bistro last week when it had a soft opening (i.e., friends and family) to partake in their cocktails with some friends. Think custom-cocktails, a la The Gibson or PX, which take time to be made, but deliver a delicious punch. While the Green Pig (the signature cocktail) is interesting (as it uses a fat washed bourbon), my favorite is the Pimms and gin focused Almost Paradise.

A week later (i.e., last night), we returned to sample their food. Soulful and delicious. Between the eight of us, we sampled a wide range of the menu. My favorites included the fries (with duck liver gravy and cheese curds), the duck breast with farro, and the bacon cheeseburger (which I couldn't help but order). The bacon is ground into the burger itself, and the cheese provides a thick, velvety unctuousness that I covet on a burger (but only rarely find). All of the desserts looked amazing (observing what we ordered and what was delivered to other tables), and the strawberry-basil bread pudding tasted as rich as the other desserts looked.

The setting matched the food well -- country chic, with (what appears to be) reclaimed woods and rustic trinkets. I would note that, while the service at the bar during the soft-opening was first-rate, the only disappointment last night was the service: it took a while for the food to arrive and there were several instances where our drinks were empty (with our server MIA). Hopefully, this was an opening week issue which is ironed-out, as the food, drink, and ambiance make the Green Pig Bistro a place I want to return to (frequently).

Food: A
Ambiance: A
Service: C

Society Fair (Alexandria, VA)

Society Fair is the latest restaurant in Cathal Armstrong's stranglehold on Alexandria's culinary scene. And it does not disappoint. A blend of high-end grocery/butchery/bakery, wine-inspired bar, and demo kitchen, Society Fair has a little bit of something for everyone.

My first trip was a Saturday evening at the Demo Kitchen, hosted by Trey Massey. Our evening was fabulous, beginning with house-cured gravlax salad with blood orange, followed by duck two ways (breast and confit), and rounding out the meal with a golden syrup glazed citrus cake. Between the gourmet food and insightful cooking tips from Massey, my first trip to Society Fair did not disappoint.

My second trip was a Saturday evening in the wine bar area of the restaurant, where we focused on cocktails, charcuterie, and (for me) an amazing sandwich. Todd Thrasher has created a menu of "wine-inspired" cocktails which -- for the most part -- incorporate a unique wine as a part of the cocktail mix. I began the evening with an "I want to Eat an Onion Tart" cocktail, a delicious and savory drink to pair with our charcuterie. While not for everyone, the lardo was outrageously good. It was the conclusion of my meal -- the Walter sandwich (smoked turkey, gruyere, bacon, mayo, sweet and sour onions) and the Aviator cocktail (off-menu twist on a gin martini) -- that stole the evening.

My third trip was to the market, where I picked up duck fat, lard, flat iron steak, duck confit, and green sausage. Everything has been first-rate -- especially the green sausage (think kale, collards, and pork), which they apparently have year-round (and will add other varieties of greens depending upon the season!). Needless to say, I will be back.

Service: A +
Food (Demo Kitchen): A+
Food (Wine Bar): A/A-
Market: A
Atmosphere: A