By Sophie Oberstein

In the last issue of the Citizen, I wrote about a pizza place. This month, I needed to find a more upscale restaurant for a birthday dinner for my husband. As we are new(ish) to the neighborhood, I looked online for recommendations. I was surprised that one of the more highly rated places for special occasions was right in the center of town! If, like me, you’ve also missed Maison Cheryl (which, despite it’s Wilson Boulevard address is actually tucked in beside Ethan Allen on North Filmore), this French New-American bistro, is a neighborhood gem!

Robert Maher, is the owner and chef, and lives right around the corner on Clarendon Blvd. He opened Maison Cheryl, his first restaurant, in 2021. When asked why he chose to open here in Clarendon, he told me he’d seen how amazing the neighborhood was. “There’s something about the area and community that is welcoming,” he said, “It has all the hustle and bustle of a city, but is more relaxed and felt like home.” 

The ambiance was just what I was looking for for Jeff’s birthday celebration. One restaurant reviewer calls it a “sleek, New York-influenced interior,” which is no surprise. Maher is from New York and the photographs of that city hanging on the walls were taken by his brother. Maison Cheryl also decorates for the season, with cherry blossom decorations currently warming up the place. Maher also makes a cherry croissant donut to usher in the turn of the weather. Menus change seasonally with a focus on quality, fresh food and an enhanced customer experience. “It’s what I look for in restaurants when I go out,” Maher notes. 

Our appetizers were terrific. We had the Brussels sprouts (minus the bacon for my vegetarian husband), which were spectacular and are among the more popular dishes, as well as the cauliflower, another standout. For dinner, my husband had the vegan vegetable curry, which, to be honest, wasn’t as good as the rest of our food. My orecchiette pasta with bay scallops and shrimp (pictured) is a best seller—for good reason. The entrées Maison Cheryl is known for are the duck for dinner and the truffle steak and cheese omelet for brunch (served every day of the week). Then there’s Maher’s own favorite, the bucatini with zucchini herb sauce and fried burrata on top, a staple menu item since day one.

All this talk about the great food ignores the extensive bar. Maison Cheryl has a Happy Hour every night and a carefully curated wine list. Additionally, Maher likes to make a cheaper option available, like this month’s lychee cherry mule offered at $9. “I want to give back a little,” he says. “Dining out has become expensive and I try to find little things that can help.” “I love this community and having a restaurant here. It’s flattering to have enough business to have been here for five years. It’s fun to see faces coming back over and over again.” 

Full from our dinners, my husband and I skipped dessert (despite the neon sign in back of the restaurant proclaiming, “Life is short; get the dessert.”) It seems we missed something pretty amazing, as all of the online reviews of the place rave about the cooked-to-order madelines and other sweet treats. Ah, well, dessert is a great reason to go back again to Maison Cheryl! 

Maison Cheryl (2900 Wilson Blvd.; Suite 104): Hours of operation 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–12 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m.–12 a.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sunday. Phone number: 703-664-0509. Visit https://www.maisoncheryl.com for additional information.