VA Eats: Kapnos Taverna

My first time at Kapnos Taverna was not exactly the best experience, which was surprising because I had been to the larger Kapnos restaurant in D.C. and absolutely loved it, not to mention all Chef Isabella restaurants in the D.C. area.  My complaint isn't major though, I just wasn't happy with the food offerings on their happy hour, not to mention happy hour ends at 6pm - don't we all hate these early happy hours?!  I mean most people are done with work around that time, not cool! 

In any case, I wanted to give the place another shot, because while happy hour wasn't the best, I did order a lamb dish off their dinner menu that was incredible.  So, Mirona and I decided to meet up for dinner at Kapnos Taverna.  

The melitzanosalata is this delicious eggplant spread with nuts and feta, served alongside a warm light and airy flatbread.  I love this!

I had the best roasted brussels sprouts dish ever.  Yes, that's a bold statement, but the flavors were incredible.  Picture this, roasted brussels with pomegranate seeds, lemon zest on top a thin layer of creamy lemon sauce.  The smoky flavor of the brussels sprouts against the brightness of the lemon + pomegranate created the perfect lightness to the dish - it was ridiculously good!

The aleppo marinated short rib souvlaki was served over a bed of earthy woodsy mushrooms.  The short rib was tender and juicy, but charred perfectly on the outside.  

The salmon was perfectly made.  The meat was so tender, and the skin was perfectly crisped. The king salmon was served with haricot vert, garbanzos and tomatoes; definitely a different flavor than what I've usually seen with salmon, but I loved it.  More of an earthy flavor (yes, I'm using that word a bit too much in this post, I can't help it!).  

[Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Short Rib Souvlaki - YUM!]

Finally, for dessert we shared the lemon cake which is served covered with thyme meringue crumbles - yes, thyme meringue (so good!) and labne ice cream.  I'm a fan of desserts that aren't too sweet, and this was just the ticket!

Kapnos Taverna is just as satisfying and delicious as Kapnos and Graffiato, and all of the Chef Isabella restaurants in the area.  Delicious and definitely worth a visit!

Rating:  A