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Very Best Restaurants: Carlyle Grand Cafe

Very Best Listing | Very Best by Cuisine | Very Best by Location

Carlyle Grand Cafe **
Arlington , $

That this Shirlington Village restaurant is always crowded comes as no surprise. Chef Bill Jackson and his crew turn out solidly conceived, beautifully cooked American food, whether it's served in the downstairs dining room, which shares quarters with the bar and has a somewhat smaller menu, or in the more comfortable and quiet upstairs room. The trouble with the Carlyle Grand these days is that you're likely to leave feeling more "handled" than served. From the portable buzzers that jolt you when your table is ready to the arrival of main courses just before you take the last bite of your appetizer, it's hard not to suspect that turning the tables over quickly is a high priority.

The cooking offers remarkably little to complain about. Appetizers on the current menu include a very good sweet-potato scone from the Carlyle Grand's own bakery, Best Buns Bread Company, served with wild mushrooms, Virginia ham, apples, and a pleasant cider-cream sauce. A shrimp spring roll with mango puree offers a nice interplay of flavors and textures.

For a main course, try one of the oven-cooked game or poultry dishes. Roast duck smoked with jasmine tea and served with plum sauce and curried greens is a cross-cultural experiment that works. Grilled fish is well cooked here. Tuna is paired to good effect with a mango relish. A filet of smoked salmon is served with basil mashed potatoes and celery-root cream. For dessert, sweet teeth will want to sink into the Chocolate Hurricane Cake.

Carlyle Grand Cafe , 4000 S. 28th St., Arlington ; 703-931-0777. Open daily for lunch and dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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