Vidalia

Elegant setting and delicious food. My date and I shared the tasting menu. It's a great way to sample the menu. The food here is amazing. Everything is fresh and beautifully presented. The kitchen pays attention to every detail. Great flavors. more

Good atmosphere. Great food. more

Good atmosphere. Great food. more

Vidalia is rated $$$ but should be $$$$. The main courses average $32 and are good but skimpy. I had to eat some cookies when I got home to supplement the main dish that I had. Lowest price bottle of wine is $45 for something that costs $10 in the liquor store. Quite a formal place. Service was good, but it should have been, since there weren't many people there. more

Vidalia is rated $$$ but should be $$$$. The main courses average $32 and are good but skimpy. I had to eat some cookies when I got home to supplement the main dish that I had. Lowest price bottle of wine is $45 for something that costs $10 in the liquor store. Quite a formal place. Service was good, but it should have been, since there weren't many people there. more

One star is generous given our experience. Took my wife there for her birthday and we were five minutes late so they made us wait 30 minutes for a table. The night went downhill from there. Terrible service and mediocre food. I felt like I had been robbed when I walked out of Vidalia. Didn't make a fuss during dinner (wanted her to enjoy her b-day) but tried to reach manager later and never heard back. Vidalia is totally a junior varsity operation -- avoid this place. more

One star is generous given our experience. Took my wife there for her birthday and we were five minutes late so they made us wait 30 minutes for a table. The night went downhill from there. Terrible service and mediocre food. I felt like I had been robbed when I walked out of Vidalia. Didn't make a fuss during dinner (wanted her to enjoy her b-day) but tried to reach manager later and never heard back. Vidalia is totally a junior varsity operation -- avoid this place. more

We tried Vidalia for a celebratory dinner last night, but the restaurant contributed little to our festive mood. We all ordered the tasting menu, with different dishes all around. Standouts were the shrimp and grits and the sweetbreads. Service, however, was VERY slow, and bordered on the incompetent when they brought Fiji water instead of the fizzy water we ordered. The waiter forgot to offer coffee. There was a hair on my cheese plate. We won't go back. more

We tried Vidalia for a celebratory dinner last night, but the restaurant contributed little to our festive mood. We all ordered the tasting menu, with different dishes all around. Standouts were the shrimp and grits and the sweetbreads. Service, however, was VERY slow, and bordered on the incompetent when they brought Fiji water instead of the "fizzy" water we ordered. The waiter forgot to offer coffee. There was a hair on my cheese plate. We won't go back. more

Vidalia is a presentation restaurant; by that, I believe that a good percentage of the value of a meal here is derived on how they present the food. It looks beautiful, and they clearly think beforehand about how the food will appear in various serving dishes. Some people really enjoy this aspect of restaurants; personally, I think it is somewhat pretentious and artificially drives up price. In any case, depending on how you view it, this can either be a charm or an aggravation. Overall, although I was disappointed with my entree (and I should note that we had a server with an inappropriate attitude), I enjoyed the food. It's a good place to take one's parents or one's significant other for a moderately special occasion. However, I would not suggest frequenting the place. Pros: Dessert Cons: Not much else more

Vidalia is a presentation restaurant; by that, I believe that a good percentage of the value of a meal here is derived on how they present the food. It looks beautiful, and they clearly think beforehand about how the food will appear in various serving dishes. Some people really enjoy this aspect of restaurants; personally, I think it is somewhat pretentious and artificially drives up price. In any case, depending on how you view it, this can either be a charm or an aggravation. Overall, although I was disappointed with my entree (and I should note that we had a server with an inappropriate attitude), I enjoyed the food. It's a good place to take one's parents or one's significant other for a moderately special occasion. However, I would not suggest frequenting the place. Pros: Dessert Cons: Not much else more

$60+ for a smallish entree, glass of wine and tip in a basement?! Where are we, London? Tokyo? The Post's review noted $$$ out of $$$$. Ha! Our meals were fine, as was the service, and there's enough space between tables to encourage talking, but we couldn't get the time we requested (even tho' it was less than 1/2 full on arrival & departure) and merely fine food just wasn't worth the price. $14 for a glass of Albarino? Wow! Why does anyone eat here? This one is resting on its laurels! more

$60+ for a smallish entree, glass of wine and tip in a basement?! Where are we, London? Tokyo? The Post's review noted $$$ out of $$$$. Ha! Our meals were fine, as was the service, and there's enough space between tables to encourage talking, but we couldn't get the time we requested (even tho' it was less than 1/2 full on arrival & departure) and merely "fine" food just wasn't worth the price. $14 for a glass of Albarino? Wow! Why does anyone eat here? This one is resting on its laurels! more

We celebrated my husband's birthday last night. The dinner and service were terrific. The lemon pie was unbelievably good! more

We celebrated my husband's birthday last night. The dinner and service were terrific. The lemon pie was unbelievably good! more

If Vidalia's food & service are to entice new customers during Restaurant Week, it worked. Food was well... more

If Vidalia's food & service are to entice new customers during Restaurant Week, it worked. Food was well balanced & innovative. The goat rouladen w... more

By Tom Sietsema Washington Post Magazine Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 Grilled baby octopus? On a Southern menu? With each passing season, and ever since chef R.J. Cooper came on board, it tastes as if the long-lived Vidalia is edging away from its roots. This is not necessarily a bad thing; that octopus, set on a swipe of avocado puree and seasoned with oregano and lemon, lingered in my mind long after it disappeared from my plate. And the company that appetizer is keeping -- chanterelle-strewn risotto with crisp bites of foie gras and a froth of Parmesan; spiced duck with vanilla-braised endive; crunchy fried chicken with ham-laced green beans -- reminds me why Cooper was the most recent recipient (along with Frank Ruta of Palena) of this year's prestigious mid-Atlantic best chef award from the James Beard Foundation. The man can cook. Cooper has plenty of support, in a team of sommeliers, servers and busboys -- and owners Jeff and Sallie Buben -- who see that patrons feel like they're someplace special. Yes, the space is underground, but the sleek lounge and elegant green-and-gold dining rooms make that reality irrelevant. Besides, the lack of windows isn't what you're thinking about when you're sipping a great glass of wine or finishing every last flake of lemon chess pie. more

By Tom Sietsema Washington Post Magazine Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 Grilled baby octopus? On a Southern menu? With each passing season, and ever since chef R.J. Cooper came on board, it tastes as if the long-lived Vidalia is edging away from its roots. This is not necessarily a bad thing; that octopus, set on a swipe of avocado puree and seasoned with oregano and lemon, lingered in my mind long after it disappeared from my plate. And the company that appetizer is keeping -- chanterelle-strewn risotto with crisp bites of foie gras and a froth of Parmesan; spiced duck with vanilla-braised endive; crunchy fried chicken with ham-laced green beans -- reminds me why Cooper was the most recent recipient (along with Frank Ruta of Palena) of this year's prestigious mid-Atlantic best chef award from the James Beard Foundation. The man can cook. Cooper has plenty of support, in a team of sommeliers, servers and busboys -- and owners Jeff and Sallie Buben -- who see that patrons feel like they're someplace special. Yes, the space is underground, but the sleek lounge and elegant green-and-gold dining rooms make that reality irrelevant. Besides, the lack of windows isn't what you're thinking about when you're sipping a great glass of wine or finishing every last flake of lemon chess pie. more

The Lemon Chess Pie. Don't believe me? Go try it. Unbelievable. Oh yeah, they also serve pretty decent southern accented high end food in a comfortable setting. Pros: Lemon Chess Pie more