Back to the Land of Oz
Oz Thai Salad
Summer is in full swing and watermelons are all the rage, which is why it came as no surprise when they popped up on Oz Restaurant & Bar’s new menu. Paired with feta crumbles and watermelon vinaigrette, you get a light summertime salad highlighting the seasons most adorned fruit. Not being much of a watermelon lover, I would pass on this during my next visit but it deserves an honorable mention for those that enjoy the fruit made up of 92% water. I chose to focus my attention, as usual, on the more savory dishes brought to the table.
Oz Top Sirloin Steak
The Thai Salad is one of my fave summer salads of the moment in this area, with rice noodles serving as the base topped with cucumber, peppers, mango, carrots and peanut mint vinaigrette. Chef Brad Feickert should bottle this one up and sell it, the peanut mint is addictive. Steak is always a staple during the summer when done right. Chef Feickert pays special attention to ensuring that tender and succulent come to mind versus dry and leather-like when describing Oz’s Top Sirloin Steak. The tempura battered asparagus alongside the horseradish sauce complement each other on a level that makes you forget about pommes frites, the usual sidekick for steak.
The best part about visiting Oz is the bar scene. Whether you like your cocktail on the inside or out, this place brings the right atmosphere in both spaces. The spacious lounge bar on the inside removes the claustrophobic feeling often found when a good bar hits this area. The outdoor patio gives life to the summer with its string lights and wooded, rustic foundation.
Oz got off to a rocky start. The restaurant started with a menu that did not work, revamped it with kinks and now it looks like they are moving to a good space. Trying to find your vibe in the restaurant game can be difficult and will involve openness to change. Glad to see Oz is embracing new ideas. We will be here to watch every minute of it…
Category: arlington, restaurant reviews, Reviews
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
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
