Fall Preview Menu at Lansdowne’s On the Potomac

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Chef Wes Rosati’s resume with the Lansdowne Resort stretches back to 2005 when he took up the sous chef’s toque at the property’s private golf club. His recent promotion to executive chef, however, means he’s going to need every advantage as an insider to guide the resort’s flagship restaurant, On the Potomac, through challenges that lie ahead such as a less than healthy economy and a floundering wine program.

What Chef Rosati does have is a dedicated culinary staff, which by all accounts looks ready for the challenge of churning out the consistently, well-rounded dishes that a restaurant boasting the label of Modern American cuisine requires.

The menu at On the Potomac changes several times a year, and Rosati’s just-unveiled fall menu was on display last Thursday at a chef’s tasting. The menu featured entrees steeped in local, organic, seasonal and sustainable fare, which is no surprise considering his upbringing by culinary-loving hippies who instilled a nose for fresh and seasonal produce.

 Even before guests set foot in the dining room, however, the deference to locavorism was apparent. The bar-in-the-round offered nibbles that maintained the locally-sourced theme including artisan cheeses from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.  Buttery, and Tomme-like “Appalachian” from Meadow Creek Dairy, creamy “Monocacy” Silver, from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Farm in Boyds, Maryland,  and Pennsylvania Noble Cheddar were paired with house-made jams, fresh roasted figs and fruit compote.

One of the favorites of the night was the Tasting of Local Squash entree. The starter, Squash Bisque, could double as a stand-in for hot cocoa well past the current autumnal nip in the air and into winter’s frost. The bisque was an almost nougat like thick squash creme seasoned with cinnamon, candied pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil. The dish was satisfyingly sweet enough to pull double duty as dessert, but not cloyingly so. Next up, a Salad of Roasted Squash incorporated bits of house-made bacon, an accent that was sprinkled like fairy dust on the Organic Bibb Salad that immediately followed. Squash filled ravioli was tasty, but also felt like a ho-hum item and less of homage to the autumnal vegetable than an exercise in route memorization.  Lastly the Arancini of Squash served as a good stand in for comfort food with its fried and cheesy goodness.

Rosati is a devotee of sustainable farming and this philosophy is represented well in the fish served at On the Potomac. Seafood at the restaurant is sourced from the Clean Fish Alliance, a broker that touts humanely raised and harvested, all-natural fish such as salmon and sturgeon (The salmon on the menu at On the Potomac, Loch Duart, comes from a sustainable fish farm in Scotland, and is the same fish that Thomas Keller serves at French Laundry). The chef’s tasting menu featured Pan Roasted American Sturgeon seasoned with a Citrus-Herb butter that seemed a better fit for the Grilled Scallops of the Surf and Turf entrée.

And speaking of Surf and Turf, these heartier menu items that feature heavier protein such as “Sticky” Short Ribs and Grilled Bone in Rib Eye Steak are modernized riffs on meat and potatoes classics. While they are sure to please those diners looking for more standard fare, they lack the whimsy of other dishes you’ll encounter in a self-proclaimed fine dining restaurant.

The currently rudderless wine program is also an indication that while the culinary staff may be champing at the bit to make Lansdowne a culinary destination, there is a notable lack of oomph to the wine program in the absence of former Creative Sommelier Mary Watson Delauder. Though the nod to local wines is appropriate and well conceived,  nonVirginia wines were a yawn and didn’t stray far from the grocery store aisle. Sparklers like Dom Perignon and Veuve Cliqueot won’t attract the younger and possibly more wine savvy clientele the dining room is worthy of and the management is trying to woo.  Also, the list by the glass is sparse as is indicated by the fact that there is only one sparkler on the list by the glass. Kind of makes it tough to head into red and white territory with your meal if you’re guzzling an entire 750 ml bottle beforehand.

Thankfully dessert is every bit as ambitious as the main menu and if the Trio of Ice Creams is any indication of the team’s culinary prowess in the sweets department, then I would head back for items like the Warm Dark Chocolate Souffle Cake, Poached Bosc Pear and Pumpkin Cheesecake.

I’m guessing any dollars that the dining public has to spend are going to be hard won by restaurants for a while longer, no matter the atmosphere or price point, and in this regard the kitchen at On the Potomac has some rough economic seas to weather.  Let’s hope Chef Rosati can keep the ship at Lansdowne afloat with consistent cooking long enough for the economy ( and the wine list) to spring back into form and get people spending money on his entrees.

–Amy Loeffler