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eCITIE
Restaurant & Bar sends out many different vibes to those
that enter this adult Tysons Corner food and entertainment
emporium.
This
blatantly techie haven caters to the technology-heavy offices
of Northern Virginia within its warehouse walls that have
been converted to capture the essence of New York City night
clubs of the 1970s and ‘80s.
The
customer who is drawn into its 15,000 square-foot web could
be there for the night club atmosphere, the Sushi
Bar in the main bar area, the 20 direct connections
to the Internet for any critical missing e-mails, the music
and dancing, the social scene, the view of the advertising
banners that cover the walls, a cocktail or two at the two
bars, or the selection of flavor-infused sake.
We were
there for dinner.
Chef
Jamie Stachowski is the star of the dining room. Going
into the glass-enclosed private area takes one into the
world of a chef who has worked at Pesce and Madeo and can
show off good reviews from the recently retired reviewer
for The Washington Post, Phyllis Richman.
It’s
not like any cafe I’ve ever seen. There’s nothing shy about
eCITIE and that is echoed by Stachowski
and his style in the kitchen.
The
young chef likes bold flavors. That’s why you will find
a lobster bisque with scallop cappuccino that is so big
with the fresh lobster essence that you can imagine the
lobster baskets being drawn from the sea into the fishing
boats. The scallop cappuccino is an extra flavor sitting
as a foamy center to the dish - too much of a good thing
for my taste - why complicate the dish with another intense
sea flavor.
The
mussels with Brittany fries are a simply prepared dish that
allows the Prince Edward Island mussels show off their sea
taste. Wonderful tender fresh mussels bathed in a broth
of garlic and white wine are covered in a nest of thinly
sliced shoestring fries. The dish became even more interesting
when the salt of the fries and the fries themselves intermingle
with the broth to add another complementary dimension. Perfection.
Count
on Stachowski to challenge the palate
with combinations that move into new territory for suburban
fine dining - taking grilled squid and serving it over shaved
fennel, orange and kalamata olive salad, or a portabella
that served layered with slices of green apples and baked
with Taleggio cheese and arugula with a sun-dried tomato
pesto. Like I said - he doesn’t prepare shy dishes.
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