A great dessert needs to be transporting, otherwise, why spend the calories?
The green tea sorbet paired with caramelized grilled pineapple in vanilla saffron sauce at the new Visions Restaurant in Bethesda took my friends and I to Japan and Hawaii at the same time. The creaminess of the sorbet melted fast next to the sweet burnt-sugar coating of the tangy pineapple spear and forced four forks to make quick work of the plate. No one complained, and it wasn’t even chocolate.
Despite it’s kaleidoscopic logo, Visions is a tiny, plain and modern space on a quiet street that seems far removed from the young drinking and sportswatching crowd that typically makes up a Thursday evening in Bethesda in mid-winter. Visions, which opened in November, is the dream of restauranteurs and former McCormick & Schmick’s chefs Tony Marciante and Iddi Diarra. As you might imagine, the menu is seafood-forward, and the best dishes we tried were swimmers.
Don’t miss the domino tuna -- a choice slab of red Grade A fish seared lightly with a crisp black and white sesame seed coating and paired with crisp-tender leaves of baby bok choy -- or the crunchy whole fish.
The kitchen is still working out some kinks. The roast chicken was a bit dry, the soups a bit cold, but the calm, conversation-inducing atmosphere and the friendly service, not to mention a nice bottle of wine split among girlfriends, was just right. It’s high quality food without the fuss.
Plus, Tony’s a Mac geek, too. I love it!
Visions Restaurant
4926 St. Elmo Ave.
Bethesda, MD
301.654.3737
photo courtesy of Visions
