Michel

Michel - at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, 1700 Tysons Boulevard, McLean, Virginia

Chef: Michel Richard. The modern French menu, executed by Chef Levi Mezick, includes: Steak Tartar, Smoked Salmon Terrine, Mustard Rabbit, Roulade of Foie Gras, and Duck L’orange. The mostly French wine list includes over 300 bottles ranging in price and complexity and offers surprisingly affordable selections. The intimate lighting, burgundy colored furniture and high ceilings set the mood allowing for a relaxed, yet sophisticated atmosphere treating guests to an unpretentious dining experience.

For our first course, my guest and I enjoyed the braised endive wrapped in ham, blanketed in a béchamel sauce and sprinkled with crunchy bread crumbs. The dish was pleasant with a great presentation. It had an immense flavor but maybe a little too bitter on the end. For my main course, I had the Rockfish with Potato Risotto and my guest had the Ribeye. The Rockfish may have been the best I’ve had in recent memory. The fish was tender and flaky with a flavorful crispy top accented finely by the potato risotto and its sweet taste that gave it a bit of a bite and melted in my mouth. The Ribeye was admirable. Drenched in a garlic parsley sauce and cooked to a perfect medium but simply overpowered by the garlic flavor. The tater tots were unmatched. Square in shape and served hot and crispy they were only made even more enjoyable by the dusting of salt and cheese they delicately received.  For dessert we had the Chocolate Bar and upon the recommendation of our Server, a dish called the Snowman. The chocolate Bar was plated with dollops of caramel that gave it an elegant presentation, released a favorable aroma and delivered smooth, velvety finish. The snowman was a whole different story. The presentation absolutely blew us away. The dessert came out shaped as an actual snowman. The outside was formed from a sugar crusted custard and filled with vanilla sorbet. The snowman sat on top of a bed of fresh whipped cream and chocolate , accented with bits of peanuts and chocolate driblets, finished off perfectly with a chocolate hat and scarf. All of the flavors came together brilliantly.

Overall I would say that my experience at Michel was top-notch. I loved the décor and the atmosphere.  Food and service was exceptional.