Roundup of Area Restaurant News

I don't get over to the Wilson Blvd area much anymore (y0u know how that River creates an impossible boundry to cross...), but two new restaurant happenings may get me there soon.

Eventide, just across the street from the Clarendon metro stop, FINALLY opens today. This is a project that has been in development for well over two years. Now, I'm not normally a huge fan of the multi-concept restaurants, but this one looks like it could be a little more smooth than say, Mark and Orlando's. There is a lounge with sharable small plates (foie gras stuffed dates, roasted olives, pate, tuna sashimi - $5-10 range) and upstairs a more formal dining room (lobster tagliatelle, braised lamb shank, roasted duck breast - $20-27 range). I would also expect this place to be jammed for their Sunday brunch. And that rooftop bar should become a perfect grown-up alternative to the Clarendon Ballroom madness come summer.

Just up the road from Eventide comes a new location for Ray's, the Steaks. "Improprieter" Michael Landrum has moved his... "non-traditional" steakhouse just up the road from the former location, and in doing so, has tripled the size of the restaurant. Since Ray's is known for being a great value (quite a few meat choices for less than $20, all come with gratis mashed tatoes and creamed spinach), he's well-positioned to stay busy during the economic slowdown. The biggest benefit of the new digs? They now take reservations. 1/3 of the restaurant will be devoted to advanced reservations, 1/3 to a same-day phone ahead wait list, and 1/3 to walk ins. This is HUGE, as the old place had a pretty complicated system in place to manage the heavy traffic. As a bonus, Landrum will be opening Ray's the Catch (yes, seafood) in the old location later this year.

And for the Tyson's Crowd out there, a few well-known area restauranteurs have joined up to bring you Inox, an upscale joint filling the void left by Maestro's closing last year. The tasting menu and an excellent wine program is the set-up here, but it's not for those with light wallets, the tasting menu sans pairings is in the 90$ range (though early reports say it's worth the cash). It will be interesting to see if Inox and 2941 can both make it at this price point in Fairfax County.