Inside the New Neutral Ground, a Whimsical American Oasis for McLean | Eater DC

"Chef David Guas, a 24-year culinary vet by way of New Orleans, has opened a full-service restaurant in downtown McLean that leans on small farmers, heritage growers, and mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast fishermen to turn out modern riffs on regional American favorites. The space—completely gutted and rebuilt in six months—welcomes diners with a palm-shaped iron handle, basket-weave lights over a slick-green host stand, saw palmetto wallpaper, midcentury Palm Springs–inspired decor, a small private Cabana Room framed by breeze blocks, and a color-soaked patio with boxed foliage and burnt-orange umbrellas. Tables come with custom-made wooden caddies inspired by European partitioned picnic baskets to make the experience feel casual and accessible. Almost every seasonal dish is touched by fire: opening standouts include a Caesar built with crispy Parmesan crumble and white anchovy filets, a wood-fired bone-in pork chop, roasted blackberry oysters dunked in garlicky-lemon butter, and a Shenandoah Valley double-patty burger topped with Vidalia onions, American cheese, ketchup, yellow mustard, and pickles on a potato bun; other mains under $30 include a fried quail with sweet, sour, and spicy sauce, short-grain rice, and pickled cucumbers. Guas inherited and plans to maximize a Marra Forni wood-burning oven, and many items are char-grilled from cabbage in a chopped salad to blistered strawberries in basil syrup; desserts skew restrained (see a burnt caramel custard with a nutty crisp). The beverage program emphasizes American classics, zero-proof drinks, regional beers, and wines on tap, plus supersized 16-ounce cocktails like the Pink Palm (a homemade riff on frosé) and a rotating Oceans 11; the 120-seat, “upscale casual” spot has no kids menu or high chairs and will add Sunday brunch soon." - Tierney Plumb