AMERICAN TAP ROOM - - Arlington, VA

Right in the heart of Arlington the American Tap Room opened last year and from what I saw recently, will be around for a long time. It’s a bustling full service restaurant with sandwiches, burgers and pizza, soups and salads, entrees and desserts. Whatever you have a hankering for, the American Tap Room has it, and as the name would indicate, features 40 beers on tap, a variety of bottled beers, a full bar and a martini bar. As important as the food and beverages are, the attention to service and management are outstanding. Frank Mitolo is Director of Operations and Sam Osta is the Manager. The night my wife and I were there, Kathleen Wilmot took care of our table. She suggested we start with a flight (sampling) of four tap beers which were Harpoon, Allagash, Bells and Palm. I never heard of them, but liked them all. Gosh, only 36 more to try. Among the entrees are garlic rubbed steaks, lobster mac & cheese, crab cakes, Chilean sea bass, boneless beef short ribs, sugar cane peanut shrimp and papparedelle pasta. I had the rib eye steak and my wife, the lobster mac and cheese. Both were terrific. The final test for us is always the question, “ would we return”? In the case of the American Tap Room, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” The American Tap Room is located at 3101 Wilson Blvd., at the corner of Wilson and N. Highland. For more information and reservations, call 703-312-9080 and check the website at www.americataproom.com.