2941

I was very skeptical about 2941, a high-end restaurant located in a Merrifield, Virginia office park. I know I’m a snob for not wanting to leave town, but still, its much-touted view is of “the shores of Fairview Lake”? Fairview Lake is wholly artificial, and its opposite shore is cluttered with tract housing.

But, as unlikely as it seems, the owners of 2941 have pulled it off; they’ve put a restaurant in this awkward location that holds its own with anything in the city, offering solid food, solid service, a knowledgeable bar, and a general atmosphere of refined, stylish competence. Restaurants in Tyson’s Corner and Reston have been attempting this for years and almost completely failing, so it is a real achievement. Even Fairview Lake is more credible than it sounds.

Good work all around. Recommended.

Consistently well-executed new American cuisine. Sunday brunch is buffet-style, which never shows a restaurant’s best, but the food was very good. Save it for a special occasion, though, because it’s currently $38 per person.

Service was young, but enthusiastic. The heirloom tomatoes from the chef’s garden were fantastic. When the tuna I ordered didn’t come out rare, I was going to go ahead and eat it anyway, but my server noticed my expression from across the room, came over and asked what was wrong, and insisted on fixing it. Later in the evening, the chef himself came out to make sure all was well.

Desserts were mouthwatering. All in all, definitely worth a trip, even if it does sit on the “shores of fairview lake”. I shudder just typing that! To be fair, however, the view is quite nice, and the space is innovative. Personally, I would prefer the decor to be a little less modern- the architecture itself is so modern that it really needs a counterpoint. Ah, well.