Long before opening hours, chef de cuisine Driss Zahidi chats on his cellphone. This Moroccan chef has made a name for himself in a corner of Northern Virginia — McLean — where he now heads the kitchen of the relatively new Bistro Vivant. A cousin of the nearby upscale Assaggi Osteria, this casual, French restaurant stresses the kind of approachable cuisine that appeals to the American palate: fresh ingredients, accessible dishes, full flavors.
As Zahidi himself says about the menu, “We are now making French food really nice. … We do daily specials and try to get more local produce.” That translates into classic French dishes with all-American ingredients. He points to the daily specials menu, noting that one of the day’s features is chicken breast with a mustard sauce and leeks. “On Friday, if I can get something like figs, I will wrap them in ham and cook them with Roquefort,” he said.
