Rabbit Restaurant By Chef Katsuya Fukushima

This town has typically tended toward steak and martinis rather than dainty salad lunches.

So while a table of gentlemen eating steak and potatoes is commonplace, we were pleasantly surprised to note that the same kind of gentlemen were eating grilled flank steaks over salads at Clarendon's new Rabbit.

The restaurant hired Katsuya Fukushima, a longtime protégé of José Andrés, to design its menu. His aforementioned Steak + Potatoes salad ($10.50) combines the highlights of a steak dinner–roasted onions, blue cheese and baby potatoes–with steak, roasted tomatoes, spinach and snips of thyme.

Long sheaths of salty prosciutto drape an arugula salad with hazelnuts and tufts of thick ricotta (pictured; $10.50). These ingredients, though strong on their own, are a supporting cast under the gentle char of thickly sliced grilled peaches, juicy and sweet against the cured meat and spicy greens.

The simple Rabbit salad ($10.50) piles a crunchy produce aisle of peas, snow peas, sprouts and carrots into mixed greens with a spray of mint leaves, carrot-top pesto and bright citrus dressing.

While the restaurant pours draft beers and local wines, we hope it's only a matter of time before the martini crowd converts to the house carrot juice ($3.50).

Rabbit, 3035 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington; 703-243-5660 or rabbitsaladandgrill.com

Editor's Note: The restaurant has closed.