We had two meals at this restaurant inside the Hyatt, and will review each meal here. First, breakfast...
I love the concept of buffets. I have a big appetite, and "all you can eat" always pleases me. However, I have been greatly disappointed by so many in my life. Originally, we were going to just order off the regular breakfast menu, but our waitress pointed out that the omelets that we were about to order were included if we opted for the buffet instead. As I also had wanted some fruit as well, it was obviously a better deal price-wise. We decided to get the buffet, and while it wasn't as good of a breakfast as we could have gotten at a diner back home, it was still pretty solid. After we gave the waitress our egg orders (tomato/ham/mozzarella for him, peppers/onions for me), we hit up the bar. They had lovely red-skinned potatoes with herbs that I found quite tasty - not at all mealy or dry, a great accomplishment considering they were sitting on a sterno tray for a while. We also grabbed some bacon, sausages, and pancakes while we were at it. I was actually quite surprised at how good the sausages were. They were lightly browned and had a lot of flavor without being greasy. We also got some of the fresh fruit and a croissant. We were just finishing those up when our waitress, Rosa, came back with our eggs. I'll be honest, the omelets were good but not the best we've ever had, but it was probably more a matter of preference. I usually like my omelets a little bit browned, while these were not. They were actually cooked that they were just solid so as not to be over-cooked and chewy - probably closer to the "proper" way to cook omelets. At $17 per person, some people might balk. However, if you've eaten at hotel restaurants before (especially in the NE), that's like a drop in the bucket. Especially because the food was really good. If I hadn't enjoyed it, I would probably complain it was too expensive too, just so I could have something else (unfounded) to gripe about.
Now, on to lunch! We got a late start our last morning at the Hyatt, so once we checked out of our room, we figured we'd give the lunch menu at NoVa a try. We really were not disappointed at all. I started with a cup of their tomato soup that also included a little grilled cheese sandwich (a steal at 4 bucks!) and the farmers salad as my entree, my fiance went straight for the chicken sandwich and split my soup with me. I think I've mentioned it before, but I'm from New Jersey. For anyone unaware, that means I know full well what a tomato is supposed to taste like and am not shy about voicing my opinions of tomatoes from other places. The tomatoes they used in the soup at NoVa were great. The soup had great body to it, not too light but not too chunky, and a really super fresh taste. My fiance and I agreed that this was what tomato soup is supposed to taste like. Herby, sweet, savory and tart all at the same time. The little sandwich they included with the soup was also very delicious. I can't remember what kind of cheese they said they used, but it was a great choice and paired well with the soup. Making it with toasted slices from a baguette helped the sandwich hold up against the soup very well. My fiance's chicken sandwich was quite tasty. I really appreciated that they didn't let the chicken get dry. They grilled it so that it was fully cooked but not a moment past that. The bacon was flavorful and crispy, so it contrasted nicely against the beautiful soft roll. My salad had lots of really great touches like pumpkin seeds and cranberries that complimented the carrots, cucumbers, and field greens quite nicely. The price was right here, too. With our meals and drinks, the total came to a few cents over $30 - pretty much what we expected to pay for a meal.
Look, NoVa Bar & Grill is no high-end, gourmet eatery. It's a suburban hotel restaurant, and a damn good one at that. If you're looking for a place to see and be seen, this isn't it. Nor is it ever going to win a Michelin star. However, what will happen here is the great staff will try their hardest to make sure you have a wonderful dining experience with tasty food and pleasant service. read more