Surrounded by a lush garden in downtown Arlington, set on the property ofbra charming bed and breakfast, is restaurant506. You wouldn’t even knowbrit’s there ... unless you’d heard about its manybraccolades. The elegant eatery nestled insidebrThe Sanford House has a perfect five-star ratingbron OpenTable.com, won Open Table’s Diner’sbrChoice 2016 award, and has also landed on thebrwebsite’s national list of best brunches. If you’rebrlooking to treat Mom to a special Mother’s Daybror you just want to enjoy a great meal in a serenebrsetting, this place comes highly recommended.
Though the inn is worth checking out for abrstaycation, you don't need to be a guest therebrto dine at restaurant506. It's open to the publicbrWednesday through Saturday for dinner, or youbrcan make reservations for Saturday or Sundaybrbrunch, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ev-brery weekend. For Mother's Day, the restaurant is rolling out a special prix fixe brunch menu.brAll you need to do is make a reservation—brand maybe get some flowers.
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Classified as “inspired American cuisine,”brthe dishes at restaurant506 are just that—inspired. Executive Chef John Klein has cookedbrin places such as Boston, Chicago and Florida, and he incorporates those experiencesbrinto the food at restaurant506. “These placesbreach have a way of expressing their vibrantbrcultures through food,” he says. “Drawing onbrmy experiences allows me to think outsidebrthe box to create our own unique style.”br
The menu is creative, if not indulgent. Thebraward-winning brunch, which is admirablybrnot a buffet, features fare such as Peaches &brCream French Toast and Sage Asiago CrustedbrTrout. Whether you're into sweet or savory,brthere's something to satisfy your appetite.brAnd because brunching means sipping on a chilled beverage, restaurant506 offers a refreshingbrvariety, including four different kinds of mimosas.
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Dinner is also a delightful experience. The mealbrbegins with an “Amuse Bouche,” which meansbr“amusement for the mouth.” It's a succulent tastebrdesigned to whet the appetite before the mainbrcourse. There are as many appetizers as there arebrentrées on the menu, so if you typically don't order a starter, you might want to look over the offerings—particularly the Pecan Crusted Crab Cakes.brThese happen to be Chef Klein's specialty and havebrbecome a staple at restaurant506.br
“I have always been inspired by seafood andbrfresh herbs, and my Maryland-style crab cakes arebrthe perfect combination,” he says. “This dish alsobrdraws from my experience in Texas as I have addedbrpecans into the breading.”br
Dinner options such as the Espresso DustedbrDuck Breast and Herb Crumbed Rack of Lamb aren'tbrjust deliciously tempting, they're also artfully plat-bred. The food here is designed to be appealing to thebreye and the taste buds. Just consider the ChocolatebrDeconstruction, a $9 marvel of a dessert. A hollowbrorb of chocolate is filled with ice cream and freshbrberries. Then, at your table, a server pours piping-brhot caramel over the top, melting everything together into a plate of sweet deliciousness.br
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When you declare a favorite on the menu,brit'll stick around—for a while, at least. The menubrchanges in the spring and again in the fall to incor-brporate the freshest foods while also highlightingbrthe themes of the season. Right now, kale is the ingredient du jour. “This superfood is something thatbrhas caught the public's attention lately,” says ChefbrKlein, “and I'm excited to present kale in my ownbrway.”
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Spring is a lovely time to dine al fresco, or youbrcan enjoy your meal in the lavishly appointed din-bring room. When you're done, take a stroll beneathbra canopy of trees in the courtyard. It's an ideal spotbrfor snapping a quick family photo (which is allbrMom probably wants, anyway). And if you're therebrin the evening, the garden sparkles with twinklingbrlights.br
Should you want to weave some educational tid-brbits into your experience, restaurant506 offers special dinners and events. It will host a Whiskey Pairing Dinner later this month, and in the summer,brit will roll out an instructional wine series. Calledbrthe 506 Wine School, participants learn about andbrtaste at least six different wines while enjoyingbrsome light bites.br
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We admit we don't often look to Arlington forbrfine dining, but we're glad we discovered restaurant506. It's a quiet retreat with an abundance ofbrculinary and visual delights.
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restaurant506
506 N. Center St.brArlingtonbr817.801.5541 restaurant506.com