Chef Geoff’s Tysons Opening

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Flanked by his wife, NBC News correspondent Norah O’Donnell, restauranteur Geoff Tracy was never without a trail of guests at last night’s Chef Geoff’s Tysons preview party, peppering him with questions about his latest dining establishment.

Accompanying star attractions were floating plates of mini mushroom spring rolls, crab dumplings and tuna sashimi. Well, them and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds, who popped in for the first half-hour of the restaurant’s private tasting/viewing gathering.

Deeds, who moved his campaign headquarters from Charlottesville to Alexandria earlier this month, was present at the request of O’Donnell. “When Norah O’Donnell calls, I’m going to pay attention,” Deeds said. “She’s a great reporter.”

As for her husband’s cuisine? Deeds gave a nod to the condiment accompanying passing plates of mini duck corndogs. “I’ll tell you, that mustard burned some holes through the roof of my mouth,” he said.

Tracy, sporting his signature white coat with red script and sipping glasses of pinot grigio, said he was interested in this location—wedged in the same retail complex as Tiffany and Co., Equinox Fitness, Hermes and Gucci—because “Tysons needs a place that’s fun and unpretentious. My original goal was always chef-driven food in a very relaxed environment where everybody feels comfortable.”

According to Tracy, crews were scuttling around attending to paint spots and wiring lighting fixtures up to the last minute. “We were still on ladders 45 minutes ago,” he said 30 minutes into the event. 

Payoff is already manifesting itself, in his eyes. Tracy pointed to the 90-seat bar area, 32-tap beer rotation and beneath-bar walk-in. “I finally got the bar I wanted,” he grinned.

Chef Geoff’s Tysons opened to the public at 11:30 a.m. today.

—Susan Anspach

Tags: Chef Geoff, Chef Geoff's Tysons, corndogs, Creigh Deeds, mustard, NBC, Norah O'Donnell, spicy mustard