Dinner at Grapeseed Bistro, Bethesda, MD

I had a wonderful summer-themed multi-course dinner at Grapeseed Bistro in Bethesda prepared by chef Jeff Heineman.
Many of the vegetables and fruits came from the chef's own garden.
For starters, we had a grapeseed tomato cocktail. They used tomato water and mixed it with spices and a splash of Hendrick's gin. It was light, sweet, peppery, and I did not realize there was alcohol in it at first.

We followed with a trio of items using tomatoes grown on the roof of the restaurant.
My favorite was a fried green tomato topped with cheese. We also had a mini-bruschetta, and a cherry tomato with thai eggplant on toast.

The second course was a Frito Misto & mixed grill of summer vegetables including eggplant, squash, okra and green beans. Chef offered 2 choices of dipping sauce- a kind of remoulade or olive oil with balsamic vinegar. For this dish, the olive oil was so good I wanted to drink it.

Next up was soft shell crab, delicately yet perfectly fried, topped with a smoky piece of Benton's bacon, on top of corn chowder.
The fourth course was Piedmont Farms Beef hanger steak with creamed spinach, and Pecorino new potatoes served with a chili sauce. The meat was beautifully cooked, and I liked how the potatoes were a little smashed.
The dessert might have been my favorite: blueberries from Woodbine, MD prepped 3 ways with Limoncello. The blueberries were served raw, stewed and sauced, and the combination with the limoncello was so simple and delicious.
It was a pleasure to have experienced this seasonal menu at Grapeseed Bistro.

4865 Cordell Ave
Bethesda, MD
(301) 986-9582