Maple Ave Restaurant serves eclectic American cuisine in the heart of Vienna, Virginia. Open 7 days a week serving lunch Monday to Friday, dinner all week and brunch Saturday and Sunday, including several tasting menus. The seasonal menu celebrates locally-sourced ingredients paired with global techniques, served with elegance and flair.We stopped by for brunch and was surprised by how small the interior was. Luckily we had a reservation and were seated right away. The windows all around provided lots of light on this rainy morning.
While the "six course chef's tasting menu for two" sounded great, we passed thinking it may be too much food. Instead, we each got a "small plate" and a "brunch plate". I started with the Empanadas filled with smoked gouda cheese, butternut squash, roasted garlic, corn, and potatoes topped with pimenton sauce. The crust was buttery and flaky with a warm and satisfying vegetarian filling. These savory pockets were a nice start.
Keith ordered the Crème Fraiche Wings. These wings have become a signature dish at Maple Ave with a no-cook sauce that relies on the smooth blending of creme fraiche, gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), oyster sauce, and the sour tang of sudachi juice, a Japanese citrus. They were more sweet than spicy, and were pretty messy. Wet hand wipes are provided.
Next, I enjoyed the Almond Ricotta Pancakes. These sweet cakes had crispy edges and a soft spongy center. They soaked up the grade A maple syrup perfectly, and were served with homefries and applewood smoked bacon. I could really taste the almond extract, which reminded me of Italian Christmas cookies.
Keith ordered the Wild Mushroom Omelette stuffed with mushrooms, piquillo peppers, and gruyere cheese. His dish came with homefries and a mesclun salad. He found the omelette to be very flavorful and filling.
All in all, we had a nice brunch at Maple Ave. The restaurant seems popular with the locals, but it was not unique enough to warrant our travel out of the city for again.
Total Rating: 3.8
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 2.5, Accessibility: 3
