Sausages, Beer And Alsatian Dishes At Lyon Hall In Clarendon

Brats and beer show up more often at Oktoberfest than in fine-dining venues, but at Clarendon's Lyon Hall, a new bistro that deftly refines hearty Alsatian dishes, sausages get an upgrade.

The kitchen cures at least six different kinds of charcuterie in the basement of the restored Art Deco building.

Hungarian lamb sausage ($11), savory with Spanish pimentón, is smoked twice over different temperatures to maximize flavor and create plump, juicy links. The typically all-pork kielbasa ($12) is made with 60 percent beef for a leaner link, and it's served with jewels of pickled red and golden beets. A particularly meaty and dense bratwurst ($13) comes with house-made sauerkraut and cucumber salad, but order the special turnip sauerkraut ($3) for an earthier complement.

Elsewhere on the menu, other Alsatian dishes get a lighter touch. Bacon slivers and caramelized onions decorate the cracker-thin tarte flambée (pictured, $8), and spaetzle with shellfish in a light broth ($6) is made verdant with asparagus and spring peas.

There is a sizable selection of Alsatian wines, but most dishes pair best with beer from the German-centric list of 75 imported bottles and 20 drafts. We suggest a saison with your apple strudel and Calvados ice cream ($7).

Lyon Hall; 3100 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington; 703-741-7636