We started off by ordering a bottle of the Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir. Liberty Tree has a pretty long list of wines, each available at the same rate by the glass ($8) or the bottle ($30). We picked the Trinity Oaks for its footnote that said for every bottle ordered, a tree would be planted. The wine itself was nothing to write home about, but at least the world will get another tree out of it!
The good thing about dining with a larger group (there were 5 of us) is that you can try so many different things, whether it's shared appetizers or exchanging entree bites. We began the meal with four starters: smoked whitefish spread, pigs in a blanket (Auddie's choice :p), littleneck clams in a butter sauce, and fried calamari.
The smoked whitefish was quite delicious -- not too fishy or salty -- and served with crispy crostinis. The pigs in a blanket didn't quite match the kind my mom made for us growing up -- the pastry was less flaky and the meat seemed a little too charred. However, the spicy and slightly sweet mustard it was served with made for a delicious combo. The littleneck clams were a tasty treat and I wished I'd had more bread to sop up the savory butter sauce that appeared to have red pepper flakes for some added kick. The calamari was pretty standard, though we found some of the pieces to be a little soggy rather than crispy and crunchy.
Onto the entrees! I obviously had to get the lobster roll. When I found out "market price" was only $15, I was pleasantly surprised, but when the roll arrived at my table, it made more sense. It seemed slightly smaller than other lobster rolls I've gotten before, though I suppose for the price, it was a respectable portion. The lobster itself was delicious -- large chunks not overly mayo'd and paired perfectly with a buttery bun. The housemade hand-cut fries were crisp and complemented the dish well.
My mom ordered the lobster and scallop pot pie, which was fairly creamy and rich, but with a decent portion of seafood (versus vegetable/other filler). It was a good dish for a few bites, but I think the whole portion may have been a little heavy for one person.
My dad chose the roasted cod on my recommendation. I'd read some good reviews about it, and when it came out, it looked great! Unfortunately, it seemed the cook had a heavy hand with the salt because it was little too salty, for all our tastes. It seemed to be a dish that on most nights is a hit, but wasn't executed perfectly this time around.
John tried out one of the restaurant's non-seafood items with the eggplant lasagna. It was an interesting dish, conceptually -- no actual pasta noodles, simply the eggplant layered with cheese, mushrooms and basil. The tomato sauce could have used a little extra flavor or kick and seemed a little bland up against the rest of the dish's ingredients.
Finally, Auddie had the fried cod sandwich. It was very large as sandwiches go, essentially two big pieces of cod layered between a soft bun. Paired with just the right amount of tartar sauce, a bite of this sandwich really hit the spot for me.
Though everyone was pretty stuffed, we decided to end the meal with a shared dessert of the seasonal fruit crisp - pear & apple, served with vanilla ice cream. A nice ending to a filling meal and a great mother's day celebration!
While Liberty Bell didn't fully live up to all of my expectations (which, admittedly, were high), it was still solid fare in a nice atmosphere and a place I'd recommend if you're ever in the H Street area.
I'll end with another Happy's Mother Day wish to my super mom and all the other moms out there!
More images on Flickr.
1 comment:
hmm i think i bought that dress for auddie haha
Post a Comment