Casual, business dining options in Rockville, MD?

[Naseemo]

Hi everyone,

My boss has asked me to track down a restaurant in the Rockville, MD-area for a casual, business dinner for about 6 people. A few notes:

-budget is about $25-50 a head
-the ideal restaurant would be within walking distance or a quick cab ride away from the Hilton at 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland
-Any time of cuisine works (a place with vegetarian options would be great)

If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Thank you!

[tbetz]

Come to think of it, Mosaic French Cafe might be an excellent choice for your business meal. It's menu is a bit quirky (with chef/owner Thierry Jugnet's unusual interest in savory waffles) but the food is nicely-priced (well within the budgeted range) and wonderfully flavorful. Mosaic's Wild Mushroom Soup is probably the best mushroom soup I've ever tasted! Chef Jugnet has also put together a wine selection of excellent $7-$12 wines priced for the restaurant at the normal restaurant 200% markup.

Check out the dinner menu at http://www.mosaiccuisine.com/html/men... for more information.

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El Patio
12303 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852

Mosaic French Cafe
186 Halpine Rd, Rockville, MD 20852

[tbetz]

It's too bad you mentioned "business" and "vegetarian" as criteria. For simply delicious casual dining, I'd recommend the place I just ate dinner at, El Patio. Their Parrillada para Dos (Argentinean Barbeque for two -- actually a mixed meats grill) is delicious, and absolutely authentic to Argentine gaucho meats. The only weak point is that the chicken is a little dry -- but the delicious flank steak, rib beef, and tender juicy sweetbreads, along with the wide selection of Argentine and Uruguayan wines, many I've never found anywhere else, more than makes up for the minor deficiency. And this place is as unstuffy as you'll find.

For such a small restaurant, this place has a very complete menu. The Bife a Caballo con dos huevos fritos seemed very popular with the ladies there this evening, as was the Shrimp Rice Pilaf on the Specials menu, not on the PDF menu at:

http://www.elpatiointernational.com/i...

Your boss might find El Patio a good caterer to cater a meal in the hotel's atrium.

Even though I came to Rockville for another reason, El Patio would be a fine inducement to return.

Now, combine that with Mosaic French Cafe, and I want to move here.

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El Patio
12303 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852

Mosaic French Cafe
186 Halpine Rd, Rockville, MD 20852

[mrsphud]

I certainly wouldn't take a business group to Phiilips. Food is mundane, service is so so. Kind of a boring hotel restaurant. Of what I have seen so far, I would recommend only in order: Mykonos, Tympanos, Seven Seas. If taking a cab, I'd also throw in Tower Oaks Lodge, part of the Clyde's group. Excellend service, good menu, takes reservations.

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Seven Seas
1776 E Jefferson St Ste 112, Rockville, MD 20852

Tower Oaks Lodge
2 Preserve Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852

[reiflame]

I had a horrible dinner at Tower Oaks a few months back - I mentioned it on another thread but if I hadn't had a gift certificate I would've felt robbed. I don't frequent it, so I don't know if I just got an off night or if it's gone down hill, but I wouldn't take people there.

diningwithdoc has some good suggestions - a little heavy on the chains but it is a business diner so you probably don't want to rock the boat that much.

[skipper]

Must have been a unique evening. We've had dinner at the Tower Oaks a number of times and have never had a bad meal or bad service. Its among our goto places.

[wysguymd]

I'd have to vote for Tower Oaks too. It's a good place for a diverse group of people. The food may not be 4-star but it's consistent and service is good. Plus the building has character and is worth seeing.

[reiflame]

Possibly; it was a Sunday night but it was really busy. My entrees came out about 5 minutes after the appetizers. My fish was desicated, and when I sent it back the next one came out virtually uncooked (the skin was still on, and who wants to eat uncooked fish skin?). Our server looked hopelessly overwhelmed but was not the least bit apologetic about the whole thing. She didn't cop an attitude per se, but it wouldn't have hurt her to smile every once in a while.

I will say, their desserts were really, really good. But, at $140 for 3 people, I expected better.

[pgreen]

Other than Seven Seas, I don't believe anything listed here so far is walkable (although they are certainly cabable). Also within walking distance:

Mama Lucia's
Green Fields Churrascaria‎
Philips
El Patio

Any of these would seem to meet your requirements.

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Seven Seas
1776 E Jefferson St Ste 112, Rockville, MD 20852

[con carne]

Green Field has been closed for a while.

[dining with doc]

there are a lot of choices nearby
1. Mykano's: excellent greek food including lots of choices of fish.
2. Tympano's: chain italian steak house slightly better than an outback but not in the Ruth's Chris level
3. Addies: good local and gourmet american cooking
4. Damo Sushi: Rockville town center- excellent sushi
5. Ill Pizzico: good italian
5. Gordon Biersch: Rockville town center- brewery pub food
6. Cheesecake factory: in white flint mall
7. PF Changs: in white flint mall
9. La Canella: very good peruvian restaurant
Downtown bethesda and its about 100 restaurants is a 10 minute cab drive away and a whole different set of choices if you want ranging from Mortons or Ruth's Chris steak house, to ethnic food of all type. Many more choices from Jaleo for tapas, Panang for malaysian, Green Papaya for high end Vietnamese, and many more

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Green Papaya
4922 Elm St, Bethesda, MD 20814

[Dennis S]

Heartily second Addies.

[DCDeb]

The Washington Hilton is in the Dupont Circle area of DC. It's actually not near Rockville. There are number of options within a short cab ride, including Dino, Tabard Inn, Hank's Oyster Bar and Plume.

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Dino
3435 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008

Tabard Inn
1739 N St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Hank's Oyster Bar
1026 King St Ste 1, Alexandria, VA 22314

Plume at the Jefferson Hotel
1200 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

[Naseemo]

DCDeb, thanks for the recommendations... I clearly made a huge mistake in the address of the hotel. I've posted the new one: 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Thanks for catching my error.

[dinwiddie]

It depends on what you mean by a "business dinner." A working dinner, or dinner for business associates in the evening. If it is the later I would consider:

Il Pizzico for great Italian food (white tablecloth, decent if small wine list)
Seven Seas for Chinese
Spice Crossing for contemporary Indian.
Taste of Saigon for upscale Vietnamese

If you are willing to go to Bethesda there are lots more options.

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Il Pizzico
15209 Frederick Rd Ste 2, Rockville, MD 20850

Seven Seas
1776 E Jefferson St Ste 112, Rockville, MD 20852

Taste of Saigon
410 Hungerford Dr, Rockville, MD 20850

[DCDeb]

Ah! I second the recommendations for Mykonos Grill. It is an easy walk from your hotel.

It is casual enough to be relaxed but nice enough to take business associates (nice ambiance, white tablecloth but not stuffy). I like their food a lot. There are fish, meat and vegetarian options.

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Mykonos Grill
121 Congressional Ln Ste 104, Rockville, MD 20852

[reiflame]

Hi Naseemo, Rockville is about 12 miles away from your hotel - neither a quick cab ride nor walkable.

Do you want dinner in Rockville or dinner near your hotel?

[Naseemo]

Oy! I made an unfortunate mistake with the address. I've corrected it. Thanks so much for catching this. Jeez.