Who Knew?! River Bend Bistro & Wine Bar.
River Bend’s Shrimp & Grits (Image via JKGF)
When I get invited to “Meet the Chef” events, I am always intrigued to see the face/personality behind the food. I am a true believer that you can taste the vibes of who is prepping the food in the dish. Executive Chef and Owner, Caroline Ross, of River Bend Bistro & Wine Bar, has good vibes. Her relaxed, calm and confident demeanor is exuded in the dishes she and her co-owner husband, Bill, are serving up at the restaurant tucked away in the cusp between Mt. Vernon and Alexandria in Northern Virginia. The drive up reminded me that there are so many parts of this area that I still have not seen after 16 years in the District. A getaway without getting away.
The food. Chef Ross prides herself on using fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. There is no such thing as waste around these parts where Chef Ross put to good use some shrimp that they randomly received that day. Shrimp and grits came out of this delivery and the grits were from none other than a local purveyor of stone ground grits. Chef Ross is certainly one of the reliable go-to resources for local ingredients in this area. With over three decades of Executive Chef positions, being awarded a scholarship from Les Dames d’Escoffier in Paris and the Mt. Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce naming River Bend ‘Mid-Size Business of the Year 2015’, Chef Ross is a veteran in this game.
I would usually skip a meal in a strip mall setting but there are those places that force you to overlook the exterior. River Bend Bistro & Wine Bar is one of those places, where Chef Ross serves what is good for that day. You will nosh on items that cater to the season/day you are in, which is pretty refreshing. I would love to tell you what to look forward to, but with Chef Ross, you will just have to check into your palates spontaneity zone. Roll with it.
Category: restaurant reviews, Reviews, VA
About the Author (Author Profile)
Johnna French is a Harlem NY native with deep roots in Panama, Washington, DC and North Carolina. All four places have heavily influenced her life and the foods she loves today. After graduating Howard University School of Law and beginning her life as a young professional in the city she was led to start Johnna Knows Good Food in November 2007 to keep family, friends and colleagues updated on where to go and what to eat while dining in the nation’s capitol. French, who still practices law, leads a team of three writers to cover the ever expanding Washington, DC food scene. French has been featured in print and television, appearing in Washingtonian Magazine and is a regular contributor to various local TV affiliates including WUSA 9, FOX 5 DC and WJLA (ABC Affiliate) News Channel 8. During the 2016-2017 football season, Johnna aired on Comcast Sports Mid-Atlantic (CSN) show, Redskins Life, as the weekly tailgate host. Johnna is currently a regular contributor to the FOX Baltimore Weekend morning show.Subscribe
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