Newton's Table
4917 Elm St.
Bethesda, MD 20814
www.newtonstable.com
Newton's Table was chef Dennis Friedman's first solo effort. He opened this restaurant after working for many noted chefs including Daniel Boulud, Michel Richard, and Bob Kinkead.
It is an oasis of white table cloths, quietude, and civility just around the corner from the hustle and bustle of Bethesda's restaurant row. Alas, all good things must come to an end. The last night of service for Newton's Table is New Year's Eve.
I've had many good meals at this restaurant and wanted to take a trip down memory lane on Friday.
Cheryl, Alex and I dined well that night. I started off with a Rittenhouse Rye Manhattan and Cheryl had a nice glass of Cab.
We started out with the mushroom flatbread, which was the special appetizer of the evening. Several different type of mushrooms with garlic and cream on a grilled and baked flatbread. Very tasty. Cheryl liked it even though she generally doesn't like mushrooms. These flatbreads are going to carry over into the new concept.
The other appetizer we had was the Kobe Wontons with garlic aioli. Crispy with perfect chunks of Kobe beef. The aioli is crafted with some unexpected flavors to elevate it above the usual.
Cheryl had the special of the night, which was a smoked, pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and salad served on a Martin's Roll. This treat was a trial for the new concept which will, if everything goes according to plan, open in January.
Alex had the Fuzu, which is a noodle dish that has become popular for lunch at Newton's Table as well as Newton's Noodle downtown.
I had the Chilean Sea Bass. Crispy top and buttery-soft inside. Excellent.
Pig Brittle. Yes, it's real brittle and real pork in there. The bitterness of the caramel and sweetness of the vanilla ice cream go perfectly together. This dish will also carry over to the new concept.
We also shared the Petit Fours plate. Mini Eclairs and bites of Lemon Squares with a cream puff. The lemon squares will make an appearance at the new concept as well, albeit in a modified format/recipe.
You might be wondering how I know so much about the new concept? Well, Dennis and I have been friends for a long time. We used to sit and chat about food and the restaurant business in general fairly frequently. He also followed my posts on this blog and on Facebook and thought that a collaboration of our skills might make for a good concept. Something that's not fine-dining, but better than your run-of-the-mill neighborhood joint.
It will be called Bethesda Barbecue Company.
We're looking forward to bringing some genuine, thoughtful barbecue to Bethesda. We intend it to be a family restaurant with a creative cocktail program. We're engaging local, organic food purveyors, testing recipes and techniques, and soliciting advice from our friends, who are some of the best in the restaurant business.
Stay tuned for updates!
Not only does the food look good, it actually tastes good too! This is seared tuna appetizer. The sauce was almost buttery.
A little amuse bouche from Dennis. Nice Gougeres.
This is the tuna wrap. Nicely seasoned with some good texture from the lettuce and cabbage inside. The tuna was warm, but not hot enough to wilt everything.
