Tag: lobster

Sea Pearl Pt 2

Earlier this year I wrote about a restaurant called Sea Pearl, mostly in regards to their brunch.  That review was pretty positive.  I’ve been back a few more times for lunch with more mediocre results.

Well Dined | Sea Pearl

This lobster roll was pretty decent, but not my favorite in the area.  It’s very herby, which isn’t bad – I just don’t prefer it personally.  I would say that Coastal Flats has better.  Also, though the garlic rosemary fries were good, I wasn’t a fan of the boring side salad that came with.

Well Dined | Sea Pearl

This burger was pretty good with the caramelized and pickled onions.  But the foie gras was unnecessary.  I can’t believe I’m saying that because it was the main reason I ordered the burger, but it just felt like it didn’t belong (unlike the stellar version at Mockingbird Bistro in Houston, TX).

Well Dined | Sea Pearl

Lastly, the Hudson Valley roll was a huge flop.  Seared foie gras, raw tuna, and green apple with a balsamic plum wine reduction.  This just didn’t work, and the foie had a weird bitter taste.  I noticed it on the burger, too, so however they are cooking their foie here is no good.

I think I’m going to be sticking to brunch for awhile.

Sea Pearl Restaurant, Mosaic Center

The new Mosaic Shopping Center in Merrifield, VA is super cool.  There’s a Target, an indie movie theater, a gym, boutiques, and cafes.  Sea Pearl is one of the larger, less casual restaurants in the center.  The website describes it as “Asian inspired modern American cuisine.”  The main focus is seafood – they have both cooked dishes and sushi – but they also have some meat dishes and a pretty good brunch (on Saturday, too, which I love).  It’s quite large and the decor is really lovely.  It’s a little on the feminine side, which would make it perfect for ladies’ brunch or girls’ night out (the drinks are good, but with DC prices).  I’ve never seen it packed, so large groups could be seated easily.

Let’s start with Brunch, because that is what I go for most often.

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Cinnamon churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce: these are super awesome – hot, fresh, crunchy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.  Love it.

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Ricotta fritters with honey and seasonal fruit (this time it was apple): these are good too, fluffy and rich.  If you had to choose only one pastry though, I’d go with the churros. (more…)

Red Hook Lobster Pound Food Truck

I have been dying to try out the lobster rolls from this famous DC food truck from the moment I first heard about them.  Red Hook serves two different styles of lobster rolls: the Connecticut (shown on top) is poached in butter and served warm; the Maine (shown on bottom) is served cold in a light lemon mayonnaise sauce (so light that you can barely even see/taste the mayo).  They are both really, really good.  The Maine allows the more subtle flavors of lobster to show through but the bread becomes extraneous, whereas on the Connecticut the butter soaked bread is incredibly delicious.  I recommend getting one of each, but if you can only get one – I would go with the Connecticut.

The rolls cost $15 each – which may seem like a lot, but the thing is all lobster.  I mean – just look at that chunk of claw meat there!  This is definitely a food truck worth stalking.

Other stars on the menu include Maine Root Sodas and locally made whoopie pies.  They also offer mail-order kits to make your own lobster rolls and you can hire the truck to cater parties!