Silver Maple Restaurant & Wine Bar

Bus boys were great, wait staff horrible. White gloves are great if they are clean. Know your wines Pinot is red unless I ask for blanc. Pinot means black. Great bottle list, limited by the glass. Chef vegetable was asparagus and... drum roll...only other vegetable on menu ASPARAGUS. Wow....I got stuff duck which came as a roll. Expected my typical food presentation, nope. Looked like pork roll in the grocery isle. I wouldn't have given feedback but when the executive chef and Owner came to ask for our feedback we were treated like we were insulting him by letting him know our suggestions. We are accustomed to fine dining and never dine anywhere I'm getting frozen bar food. Our suggestions could have helped you bring in more upscale couples/families, but looking around at your 1970 decor and the six other customers from Gods waiting room are thrilled. Its Saturday night you should be packed, especially with Preakness. Guess your arrogance pays for everything.

We dined at the Silver Maple for dinner on a recent winery/vineyard tour of the area.  This is definitely a place to try if you live in the area or are just visiting for a special occasion.  

The service was phenomenal.  We were greeted by the chef and owner who helped out across the restaurant and was extremely welcoming.  Our server wore white gloves and treated us like royalty.  She was very knowledgeable and attentive, but not overly so.

The atmosphere was lovely.  We had a supremely romantic table in the Frederick room which was reminiscent of a traditional dining room in the beautiful historic home.  Murals lined the walls and each table was lit by candlelight and clad with white table clothes and black napkins, simple and elegant in a cozy setting.  Plus, I'm a sucker for restaurants with fire places.  Unfortunately, the place was virtually empty during our 8pm reservation which made it a quieter setting than we usually like.  I highly recommend giving the Silver Maple a try and getting more people in there; its a great fine dining location in an area I didn't expect to find such.

The wine list is extensive, as is the cocktail list.  We had hands down the best wine of the day here, despite visiting a couple of wineries earlier.  The grilled pepper appetizer was light and refreshing.  Everything was fresh and came out piping hot.  I ate the flank steak.  While some reviewers suggest that the food wasn't worth the price, let me refute that.  I had an 8oz steak, served with jumbo shrimp and crab risotto for under $30.  That is a pretty amazing deal in my book--of course, i didn't come close to finishing so it was basically like purchasing two meals.  The steak was cooked perfectly.  The crab risotto was a little more done than I prefer a risotto, but it was seasoned well with a little kick.  

My boyfriend had the special which was crab stuffed chicken.  I was too full to try it, but it also looked delicious.

The whole dinner was lovely.  I would like to go back in I ever venture up to Frederick from Arlington again.  Try this place out if you are a local, it would be a shame if it didn't last; it seems like an excellent addition to the area.

At this price I expect more.  Some friends took m to the Silver Maple last week for the first time.  The ambiance is wonderful.  The old stone building and the wood floors are charming and cozy.  This would make a great place for a romantic date.  The drink prices are also reasonable for a high end restaurant.  

The food and service do not live up to the promise of the decor.  I had the lamb chops which were perfectly cooked and crusted for a wonderful flavor and texture.  The problem is they were served on an inedible bland cauliflower paste.  In this price range I want to love everything on the plate Replacing the misguided cauliflower paste with almost anything else would have made this plate better.  All I can say about the service is it was alright.

When I pay this much for dinner I want to be wowed by the food and service.  On this occasion I was disappointed by the food and underwhelmed by the service.  This would be a 2 star review but I am adding a star for the outstanding live music that night.