Inside the Grove, a Floral-Filled Mediterranean Marvel for Maryland | Eater DC

"A fantastical dinner awaits at the Grove, a daring new dining oasis in Cabin John Village where a Spanish-born chef displays his Vegas credentials across a menu of meticulously plated Mediterranean dishes. Executive chef Jose Lopez-Picazo — a Madrid Cooking Institute graduate who helped lead Picasso at the Bellagio and later worked on Del Mar — channels coastal Spain, Italy, and Greece into precise plates: a rectangular tuna tartare set on avocado cream with nori, toasted sesame, Osetra caviar, and Mediterranean soy; beef tartare and a pintxo brightened with red beet gel and topped with Iberico black sausage and quail egg; and signature laser-cut crackers that echo the restaurant’s logo. The opening menu balances showmanship and comfort with paprika potatoes, sous-vide veal cheeks with caramelized red cabbage, celery root purée and thyme demi, boiled octopus capped with lemon foam, an “Unexpected Oxtail” of braised meat on brioche with guanciale and creamy mashed potatoes, smoked buffala burrata served with sweet corn cream, day-boat seared scallops with artichoke purée and royal trumpet mushrooms, and large-format options like a Catalán fisherman’s stew or a whole sea salt–baked dorada. The harmoniously designed dining room — predominately corals, pinks, and whites — intentionally mirrors the artistry of the food, while an 18-foot wine rack (an opening list of 45 bottles expected to double) “lights up like a Christmas tree.” The beverage program leans on Mediterranean classics (gin, amaro, port, sherries) with inventive cocktails such as a savory sangria shooter and two elevated espresso martinis, all meant to support the food. Lopez-Picazo aims to communicate the Grove’s story and surprise guests with his technique and sourcing, and Common Plate’s founder Chad Sparrow has suggested the chef even has the potential to win a Michelin star here." - Tierney Plumb