You Don't Have to Go Home But You Can't Stay Here (Restaurant Review: Indigo Landing)

Last Sunday, we gave Indigo Landing another try. This time we actually found a parking space on the first go 'round and enjoyed a 7:30 dinner. They have a nice bar overlooking the water but this was our first venture into the dining room.

Our view to the left...


straight ahead...


to the right...


Ahhhhh.

Ambiance: 25/30. Although it may not be obvious from these pictures, the restaurant is across the water from [insert name of doddering, folksy president who wasn't my grandpa] National airport and you could see the airport tower if the photo quality was better (camera phone quality leaves something to be desired). Periodically, you'd hear the planes overhead but it wasn't really intrusive. The room was pretty, too, but it's the view, with the Washington Monument and the Capitol dome in the distance and the occasional bobbing sailboat in the foreground, that continues to sell the place. People were anywhere from casual to chic in dress.

Service: 28/30. The service was pleasant, efficient and knowledgeable. We were seated promptly and given a very nice table. A question about a particular wine in comparison to others brought accurate information. (And they had a decent selection of wines, too.)

Food: 23/30. They've changed chefs. It's no longer all about low country specialty food but a nice range of options all the same. Overall, the food was certainly good without being remarkable. We tried the Grilled Garlic Naan and Homemade Hummus as an appetizer. Hubby had the Sesame Ginger Tuna and I had the Maple Lacquered Alaskan Salmon. The naan was chewy, the hummus good but could have benefited from a lift of lemon or garlic or something. Similarly, the fish was fresh and tasty but nothing outrageously fabulous. The high point of the meal came with the arrival of the bread pudding, complete with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream and bourbon sauce. Excellent!

Vegetarian Options: 5/30. Not much here for vegetarians outside of salad and the above mentioned appetizer.

Cost: 25/30. Pretty reasonable considering this town's penchant for over-inflated prices. Appetizers list for $6 to $9 and mains are mostly around $20 but you can get a sandwich for as little as $8 or a Filet Mignon for $29.

Bonus: +2 for the free parking. +3 for the bread basket because gotta give extra points to any restaurant that serves a warm assortment of breads. But keep reading...

The evening wore down and as the sun shifted, we could squint and almost pretend we were some place tropical. Ahh... Just about the time I was thinking someone ought to bring me something in a coconut,


the lights in the dining room came up full force. I joked "Last call!" and asked the waiter what was going on. He basically told me, it was, indeed, last call. The hour? 9:00. How rude! -5! No bonus for you!

Overall: 21/30.