Tasty Treats at Tallula in Arlington
Posted by Erica Sietsma at 9/7/2008 8:48 AM 
Categories: Bloody Mary,Outdoor Seating,Lyon Park,Arlington
Categories: Bloody Mary,Outdoor Seating,Lyon Park,Arlington
We headed down to NOVA to celebrate Tiffany's birthday with a "surprise brunch" at Tallula on Washington Blvd. in the Lyon Park neighborhood of Arlington. I had never been to Tallula (I rarely head into NOVA - try to avoid it at all costs because I ALWAYS get lost), but all of our Arlington brunch clubbers raved about it. None had been for brunch, but all had been for dinner, drinks or both. I will say, it looked cute from the website, but I was uber confused by the EatBar vs Tallula vs Planet Wine - why is it three places? I think we actually ate in "PlanetWine" since we had a big group and it was for a birthday, so they isolated us in front of the Wall o' Wine by the front window. Overall, I was glad I trekked down to VA - not just because Tiffany was ridiculously surprised, but because Tallula didn't disappoint.
Environment: The restaurant is adorable - we dubbed it "Tuscan Modern". While we were cordoned off in "Planet
Wine," and were not in the regular dining area, we did have to walk through it to get to the restroom and I loved the decor. There were also funky lounge-like rooms off the main dining area that I am assuming make up "EatBar."
They do have outdoor seating, but just know there are only about 8 tables and they are all two tops and it does not appear they can easily be pulled together to make a four top due to the narrow space available.
Big group? No problem. They put our group of 12 at a massive table in the front of the restaurant and it was kind of like we had our own little restaurant since we were separated from the rest of the dining area by a massive wall of wine, which became very tempting. The only awkward part is when a couple came in to actually shop for wine...we kind of felt like they were invading our space.
The music started out really good and a few of us commented on it, but then at some point in the brunch, it flipped to Casey Casum and the music got BAD! I almost complained it was that bad and we NEVER complain about the music.
Service: While our waiter was super-cute, he became progressively less attentive throughout brunch. I don't know if he was slammed or just forgot about us since from his vantage point at the bar where he was hanging out chatting with a waitress he just couldn't see our empty drinks.
I was very pleased with host and the reservation process. When I arrived a little early, the table was already set up and he sat me without the rest of my group, who didn't end up showing for about 20 minutes. I kinda felt like "that girl" as I sat at the big table all by myself and everyone who entered the restaurant could see me alone, but FINALLY the crew showed! Phew. That coulda been embarrassing.
Food: This is where Tallula showed us they were in the brunch game as a serious contender. Everyone liked their food, which rarely happens and while always have a few minor complaints suggestions, no main courses displeased our pallettes.
Mattie had the ricotta and sourcherry pancakes, which everyone wanted and he really liked them. Just about everyone had a bite of his pancakes and yummy noises abounded.
The omelet was fluffy with a lot of filling and the side of toasted brioche bread was really tasty! It's not often that the toast gets a shout-out.
The eggs benedict are served on fried green tomatos, which makes them not as heavy, but the supposed jalapenos are non-existent.
Biscuits and gravy had good biscuits but sweet gravy...this would be a no for those who love traditional biscuits and gravy, but those who tried them from our group liked the twist of the sweeter gravy.
The fried egg BLT looked great and tasted great according to Monisha, but grits didn't have enough salt and she had to keep seasoning.
The home fries were the only real disappointment as they were overcooked and bland. What is it with homefries? They seem so easy, but are rarely rarely good.
Booze: Don't expect any drink specials here. While we have gotten used to this, it is still always disappointing. The bloody mary got rave reviews from Tiffany who is probably one of our most discerning bloody drinkers, but the mimosas got a thumbs down from everyone. (Though of course this did not stop us from having lots of them) They tasted like they were made with cheap very dry champagne and watered down OJ.
Overall/Repeat: If you live in Arlington, this is a must. I don't know if I would trek down from DC just to go here, but if I was in the area I definitely would. I also plan to go for dinner/drinks sometime.
Environment: The restaurant is adorable - we dubbed it "Tuscan Modern". While we were cordoned off in "Planet
Wine," and were not in the regular dining area, we did have to walk through it to get to the restroom and I loved the decor. There were also funky lounge-like rooms off the main dining area that I am assuming make up "EatBar." They do have outdoor seating, but just know there are only about 8 tables and they are all two tops and it does not appear they can easily be pulled together to make a four top due to the narrow space available.
Big group? No problem. They put our group of 12 at a massive table in the front of the restaurant and it was kind of like we had our own little restaurant since we were separated from the rest of the dining area by a massive wall of wine, which became very tempting. The only awkward part is when a couple came in to actually shop for wine...we kind of felt like they were invading our space.
The music started out really good and a few of us commented on it, but then at some point in the brunch, it flipped to Casey Casum and the music got BAD! I almost complained it was that bad and we NEVER complain about the music.
Service: While our waiter was super-cute, he became progressively less attentive throughout brunch. I don't know if he was slammed or just forgot about us since from his vantage point at the bar where he was hanging out chatting with a waitress he just couldn't see our empty drinks.
I was very pleased with host and the reservation process. When I arrived a little early, the table was already set up and he sat me without the rest of my group, who didn't end up showing for about 20 minutes. I kinda felt like "that girl" as I sat at the big table all by myself and everyone who entered the restaurant could see me alone, but FINALLY the crew showed! Phew. That coulda been embarrassing.
Food: This is where Tallula showed us they were in the brunch game as a serious contender. Everyone liked their food, which rarely happens and while always have a few minor complaints suggestions, no main courses displeased our pallettes.
Mattie had the ricotta and sourcherry pancakes, which everyone wanted and he really liked them. Just about everyone had a bite of his pancakes and yummy noises abounded.
The omelet was fluffy with a lot of filling and the side of toasted brioche bread was really tasty! It's not often that the toast gets a shout-out.
The eggs benedict are served on fried green tomatos, which makes them not as heavy, but the supposed jalapenos are non-existent.
Biscuits and gravy had good biscuits but sweet gravy...this would be a no for those who love traditional biscuits and gravy, but those who tried them from our group liked the twist of the sweeter gravy.
The fried egg BLT looked great and tasted great according to Monisha, but grits didn't have enough salt and she had to keep seasoning.
The home fries were the only real disappointment as they were overcooked and bland. What is it with homefries? They seem so easy, but are rarely rarely good.
Booze: Don't expect any drink specials here. While we have gotten used to this, it is still always disappointing. The bloody mary got rave reviews from Tiffany who is probably one of our most discerning bloody drinkers, but the mimosas got a thumbs down from everyone. (Though of course this did not stop us from having lots of them) They tasted like they were made with cheap very dry champagne and watered down OJ.
Overall/Repeat: If you live in Arlington, this is a must. I don't know if I would trek down from DC just to go here, but if I was in the area I definitely would. I also plan to go for dinner/drinks sometime.
Too bad about the drinks, but if Tiffany ok's the bloody marys they MUST be good. Although, this is not enough to convince me to go all they way to VA...
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Horrible Service!! A group of 7 went for brunch on Sunday. The food was fine but the service was lacking. The restaurant was not even full but this did not prevent our waiter from ignoring our requests for drink refills 3 times.
Two of the 7 attemped to pay by credit card, the rest by cash. When they returned the CC slips, the waiter had pocketed the cash and charged the full amount to the two credit cards. We spoke with the manager who assured us they would void the transaction and charge the correct amount. We are still waiting for this to be rectified.
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Shocking! Actually...maybe not so much. Our cute waiter definitely went MIA once the food was served.
Were you in the main area or that weird front area? We hoped the service dwindled because of our location, but if you were in the main area then that excuse fails.
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