Brickside Food & Drink has a new chef, an updated menu, and a new in-house smoker. Bacon and smoke fanatics will want to check out the results. Chef Matthew Smith has learned from many of the best in Las Vegas and Italy. Alongside the upscale sports bar fare longtime patrons expect, he enjoys serving unusual dishes that can take days to prepare from start to finish.
There is still a giant 13' projection television screen over the open kitchen showing the big game.
And I was still able to start off the evening with one of my personal favorites, National Bohemian, which isn't available on as many Montgomery County beer lists as it should be. The list here is strong on Jailbreak and Flying Dog - and a few by Salisbury's Evolution, Cambridge's R.A.R., Baltimore's Heavy Seas and Union, and D.C. Brau - on the local craft beer end of the spectrum.
In keeping with the Prohibition theme of the restaurant and bar's interior, there is also a wide selection of cocktails, including the popular Creamsicle Crush. Another drink that was a hit at my table was the Cranberry Crush.
Among the new items being made in-house is smoked salmon, seen here on a crostini, along with Wild Mushroom and Brie (back).
If you're having trouble getting your kids to eat vegetables, you might want to try Smith's Fried Brussels Sprouts, crispy with great flavor and garnished with golden raisins and toasted almonds.
Beef empanadas here have a secret ingredient - chorizo sausage - and come with a chimichurri sauce for dipping. The filling is really salty and really good.
An American classic adds a twist to soft tacos that are more sweet than spicy. Dr. Pepper Steak Tacos feature carne asada marinated in the famous cola, pico de gallo, Monterey Jack cheese and Spanish rice.
A new entry onto the list of "dishes one has to try in Bethesda," and one that reflects days of work to create, is the Pig and Pickles. A brick of housemade bacon is paired with housemade pickles. The bacon is simply outstanding.
Butternut squash soup is garnished with goat cheese and more crumbled pork gifts from the in-house smoker, but the soup stood well by itself.
This may look like a meatball salad, but it is actually a roasted beet carpaccio. The "meatball" is a ball of goat cheese coated with spices, along with wild arugula and oranges.
I'm a shrimp and grits connoisseur, and these passed the test. The grits by themselves are fantastic, and the tasso ham and shrimp butter are of course made in-house. Finally, the shrimp was not rubbery and tough. A winner.
For hearty appetites, there is the Pork Belly and Kale Pasta, with rigatoni and Parmesan cheese. This is extremely rich with a smoky and meaty sauce. Each ingredient, including the arugula, was delicious on its own. Probably not for low-sodium diets, but the perfect dish to try on these increasingly cool fall nights.
To finish the meal, there is a very rich Nutella waffle. And the waffle has a buttery egg flavor that is as rich as the Nutella. Sliced banana, powdered sugar and whipped cream top off the dessert. The real surprise here is the housemade ice cream. An apricot gelato tasted like something you would get at a shop specializing in just that, like Dolcezza.
It's an excellent example of the bar being raised at this bar by the arrival of Smith, an Ellicott City native. Pork and chicken from the smoker elevate salads and flatbreads, in addition to the standard BBQ fare. You're as likely to find the Trump-Clinton debate on the big screen as you are a football game here, but you will dine well in either case.
Four stars.
4866 Cordell Avenue
301-312-6160
