Sorrento Team Turns to Tapas
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Just weeks after shuttering their Ashburn store, the Sorrento Grill folks have reemerged with a new vision for their displaced property: Sorrento’s Tapas Lounge.
Partner Jay Banaei confirmed that they were forced to abandon their Ashburn post in late December because of an ongoing real estate tussle (Banaei says the original strip mall owner succumbed to foreclosure, leaving the current tenants with toothless leases), but noted that they were fortunate enough to scoop up the vacant spot directly behind their original Herndon eatery to launch the tapas project.
The latest venture plays up Sorrento’s Mediterranean focus (plenty of salads, lamb and hummus offerings), but also brings in some unexpected elements, including:
* fruit smoothies (four berry blend, guava-passionfruit-orange),
* custom coffee and tea drinks (Columbian coffee cut with Ghirardelli cocao, ginger-spiced chai), and,
* a more fully developed wine and beer program.
Menu expansions include small plates like: grilled portobello with shaved manchego, paprika-spiked chicken, smoked lamb with feta and fried calamari witih cilantro aoili. The restaurant will also field around a half dozen entree-sized platters building upon their many preexisting kebab offerings.
–Warren
Tags: Gut Check, kebabs, Mediterranean cuisine, meze, Northern Virginia Magazine, restaurants, Sorrento Grill, tapas, Warren Rojas