By: Laurie Wallin
Capital Cooking Contributor
Between the Mosaic District and
Halstead Square, the Merrifield area is really becoming a dining gem for those
outside the beltway. However, these two areas aren’t the only place where you
can dine well in that area – Trio Grill, open for one year and located off Route 29 – recently
launched their new fall menu featuring seasonal items and having never dined there, I was excited
to try it out. The first thing I noticed when I
walked into the restaurant were the warm orange, mahogany and honey tones,
large, comfortable leather chairs, four(!) wine cellars, expansive bar and the exposed brick
walls, giving the restaurant a warm, cozy feeling.
I perused the drink list, and was
happy to see a good number of wines by the glass as well as a number of
cocktail selections. With the three cellars, it’s clear that they take their
wine program seriously, and I learned that they have over 1,000 bottles
in-house – impressive. I began with a glass of bubbly (Torresella Prosecco) and
a glass of the Romanico Tempranillo – the wine pours are generous and
by-the-glass prices are reasonable. I
was impressed by two service touches – they offered a taste of their wines by
the glass (similar to when you sample the wine when you order a bottle, but not
all places offer to let you sample the by-the-glass selections) and noticing
that I was wearing black pants, the server offered to swap out my white napkin
for a black one. These touches, while small, are thoughtful, which I
appreciated. Soon after, a server arrived and asked if I wanted bread (of
course!). Trio’s bread arrived warm and was served with a delicious Fat Tire
beer and mustard butter.
The meal was off to a good start
and I was looking forward to trying some of the new, seasonal fall dishes. To
start, I ordered the Seasonal Fig and Rocket Arugula salad, with mascarpone and
goat cheese spread, roasted butternut squash, black cherries, candied walnuts,
and Saba dressing, and the Arancini, hand-rolled risotto filled with spicy
sausage, aged provolone and fontina, and basil aioli. The salad tasted like
fall in a bowl – the ingredients were extremely fresh, the cheese creamy and
complemented the tangy cherries. The dressing was on the sweeter side but not
too sweet, given the components of the dish. The Arancini was crunchy and not
greasy, the risotto creamy, and was accompanied by a nice pesto and tomato
sauce.
I ordered more wine to accompany
my meal as I moved onto entrees – Landmark Overlook Chardonnay and Buehler
Cabernet Sauvignon (one of my favorites – very pleased to see it on the menu
and by the glass). Trio’s menu, as they recently just expanded it, features
extensive entrée selections and I had a tough time deciding, but I settled on
one of their newer dishes, the Jumbo Shrimp and Grits with herb marinated
grilled shrimp, white stone-ground grits, crispy bacon, and white wine tomato
cream sauce and Chianti Braised Short Rib with creamy polenta, foraged
mushrooms, and rustic ciabatta. The shrimp and grits were delicious – I love
this dish but few places do it right – the grits were creamy and not too cheesy
and the shrimp nicely cooked. The short rib was tender but not too fatty, the
polenta nice and creamy and featured a nice seasoning. Both dishes needed salt,
although this was easily fixed because each table features its own salt and
pepper grinders.
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No meal is complete without
dessert, and in keeping with the seasonal theme, ordered the Apple Upside Down
Cake with brown sugar and oatmeal streusel, vanilla ice cream, apple brandy, and caramel. This is
one of their seasonal desserts and I was told that this dessert had been a
peach version just a few months ago in the summer. The cake was moist and had a
nice balance of spicy and sweet.
The restaurant also features an
outdoor Cigar Lounge and patio accompanied by a fireplace (continuing the
“cozy” theme) for those who wish to dine or hang out outside – there was quite
a crowd when I left! Trio may not be located in either Mosaic or Halstead, but
the food makes this restaurant stand out on its own, and accompanied by a warm,
cozy atmosphere, gives Northern VA diners another opportunity to have a
great meal closer to home.
Trio Grill
8100 Lee Highway
Falls Church, VA 22042
(703) 992-9200
Triomerrifield.com
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