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The oversized steak fries accompanying the New York strip steak are perfect. Its insides are steamy, almost creamy, with an ephemeral crispy and perfectly salted skin. The beef is prime, and it shows in its rich flavor and toothsome texture.
And fortunately for dinner guests, the kitchen at The OZ. does a great job of seasoning, searing and finishing the meat to the desired doneness. Our server made the command decision to request the luscious rosemary jus from another beef dish and apply it to this plate. Fragments of melting butter topped the steak, keeping it moist and rich on its route from kitchen to table. And while the veritable shrub of well-dressed watercress may not have diminished the calories, the abundance of leafy greens counterbalanced the richness of the meat and potatoes.
With no bread baskets or chips and dip to munch on before dinner, we are grateful that the food arrives soon after ordering. The oven cured tomato and caramelized onion flat bread is indeed almost cracker flat; the tomatoes are great while the onions are more raw than caramelized. At least two salty and creamy melted cheeses make this a good starter.
The mozzarella and tomato sandwich is a thickly sliced stack of out of season tomato and rubbery mozzarella, with a little basil and an artful drizzle of reduce balsamic vinegar — all of which might be resuscitated by a little salt and pepper. The tastiest components of this dish are the nicely dressed micro greens on top and the crispy wisp of toast topped with olives and cheese.
The presentation of the smoked tomato soup is impressive. A warm bowl arrives at the table with a tiny wedge of grilled cheese sandwich and a sprig of chervil. The soup has a lovely coarse ground consistency without being too creamy, but the hickory smoke flavor is so strong that it tastes more like campfire than tomato.
In Maryland, a good crab dish should be all about the crab, which means restraint in seasoning and texture. The OZ.'s crab cake is a pile of loosely bound and lightly seasoned lump crab sandwiched between two gallettes of lacy fried potatoes, all topped with yet more lightly dressed micro greens. Ultimately, this dish respects the crab.
The fish of the day consisted of two filets of rockfish, nicely charred on the grill and topped with a plethora of crunchy French green beans, slivered carrots, baby squash and a heap of fresh herbs with a little lemon-deprived butter sauce, all perched on a scoop of lean mashed potatoes. The fish wasn't exactly swimming yesterday, but it was OK. And while it appears boneless, double check.
The dining room is a series of spaces that wrap around the hotel lobby. Our space was dimly lit with a little too much feng shui; meandering New Age musical renditions of "Hotel California," salt and pepper shakers disguised as pebbles, and numerous faux candles. Central to the lobby is a well-stocked bar as well as a trendy sushi bar. There is even a game room that sports Wii and Guitar Hero.
Why aren't people lining up for this? The main entrance on Wisconsin Avenue is not attention grabbing. Valet parking is overpriced at $10 for two hours; around dinner time, metered spots are available for a lot less. Avoid the highfalutin' bottled water at trendy prices; water by the glass is filtered and free.
The food is good, and with a little more jazz in the music and slightly brighter lighting at the table, this hotel restaurant could be a destination for the Beltway diner as well as the hotel traveler.
The OZ. restaurant at the Doubletree Hotel
8120 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda
301-664-7300
Hours: 5:30 –10 p.m. daily
Style of cuisine: Modern American Fine Dining
Appetizers: $5 - $8
Entrees: $18 - $28
Credit cards: All major cards
Accessible
www.ozbethesda.com
