8045 Leesburg Pike Vienna
571. 282.6003
chefgeoff.com

Chef Geoff ’s Tysons is the antithesis of any national midrange restaurant. There is an actual chef named Geoff behind the establishment. He lives in Metro DC with his beautiful kids and internationally known TV anchor wife, Norah O'Donnell.

He invests in this community, and he makes his livelihood from the four area restaurants that he opened. When you eat at his Tysons location, you feel like you are tasting gourmet versions of many of the familiar dishes, if not household favorites. I recently visited his location for a business lunch with three other welltraveled businessmen, including a discerning French citizen.

Chef Geoff ’s Tysons offers a convenient valet service that makes parking a breeze in this busy location. Strategically located across from the Louis Vuitton and Hermes shops, the restaurant welcomes you with cool shades of grey and black throughout. The floors are covered with fashionably black wood and gray carpeting. Directly in front of you is an attractive wooden bar, serving 30 varieties of beer, which is enticing you to come back for happy hour. Upon arrival, you are greeted by a Maitre D’ who helps you with your coat jacket as well as guides you to your table. Tables are covered with white linen and I am happy to see that black serviettes are available if you don’t want white lint all over your dark colored pants. For appetizers we asked for Tuna Sashimi Napoleon with Wasabi Aioli served over triangular flat pieces of fried flour tortillas and Mini Crab cakes with Tropical Salsa. By far, our favorite was the Tuna Sashimi. Cut in Julienne style, it is marinated with citric juices, olive oil, finely chopped chives, and white and black sesame seeds. Perfectly rounded mini crab-cakes can easily be called crab-balls. They reminded me of the perfectly round conchballs I used to eat from the street vendors in Key West. Maybe for that reason, I felt that crabballs clamored for a little lime mustard sauce to provide additional zest. For the main dish I ordered the Fettuccine with Duck Sausage, Roasted Pear and Crème Fraiche while others in my party selected the Seared Tuna Salad served with Ponzu Vinaigrette and Wasabi Salt, as well as the Shredded Beef Tacos with black bean relish, queso Oaxaca and red mole. House made Fettuccine was served with slices of fragrantly spiced house made duck sausage, in an airy crème fraiche sauce and roasted pears that gave this dish a sprightly touch. The feedback I received on both the Shredded Beef Tacos and the Seared Tuna Salad were three thumbs up. Tuna was perfectly seared with just a few millimeters of top layered cooked and served in generous medallion sizes. Fried Plantains served with the Shredded Beef Tacos instead of the usual French fries are evidence of Geoff ’s playfulness with this menu. For our dessert, we all shared a delightfully unique Spiced Pumpkin Cake sandwich served with generous mascarpone filling in the middle. Geoff combined spiced pumpkin cake-like orange colored cookies with rich mascarpone cheese filling that is found in real Tiramisu desserts. It is a true delight. At Chef Geoff ’s Tysons location, the menu pings around New American bistro cooking with an atmosphere that is buoyant and a kitchen that is uncompromising. What more can you ask for?