Many D.C. suburbs are known for their hole-in-the-wall hidden gems: Falls Church for Vietnamese food, Rockville for Chinese food, Columbia Heights for its Salvadoran food, and Annandale for Korean food. Silver Spring however tends to be overrun by chain restaurants, and while there are a couple of good pizzerias and some small pupusa shops, it could use some option on the finer dining side. Recently though there has been a new addition to the neighborhood called All Set Restaurant. After dining there it looks there is hope for Silver Spring…
Dining in Bethesda: All Set Restaurant
All Set Restaurant has a nautical theme, making for a fun and casual dining atmosphere. The menu goes beyond seafood however, with dishes like sriracha biscuits, chickpea fries, white bean hummus, salads and sandwiches. As a vegetarian, I appreciated the variety in meatless selections. The edamame burger is a highlight, meaty and flavorful, with a sweet BBQ coleslaw. Served on a buttery bun, it’s super fresh and satisfying. Be sure to get an order of the chickpea fries on the side! They are more than regular fries, with a nutty, earthy flavor. The sriracha biscuits are great as an appetizers or side as well; flaky and slightly spicy.
For someone who wants something besides a sandwich, the mushroom risotto is creamy and decadent, with perfectly cooked Arborio rice, loads of cheese and plenty of chewy, earthy mushrooms.
For dessert, I am impartial to the chocolate chip cookies. As everyone knows I am a junkie for American classics. The chocolate chip cookies are sweet, soft, and freshly baked with just a hint of sea salt. You will come back for these again and again!
The Verdict: All Set Restaurant is solid suburban dining experience!
Love me some All Set, but a couple edits:
1. it’s not new – it’s been open for almost two years.
2. Silver Spring is the furthest thing from “run over by chains.” Sure, there’s your standard Panera/Chipotle/Starbucks offerings you see in any neighborhood worth investing in, but that makes up maybe ~10% of downtown Silver Spring’s ~175 restaurants. Get off the fast casual Ellsworth Dr. strip and that drops to ~1%.
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