Final Cut - Hollywood Casino at Charles Town RacesAn early Mothers Day DinnerMy wife and I celebrated Mothers Day alone on the night before. Alaskan Halibut was a special on this night, and we knew that this kitchen delivers miracles with seafood. We added a special request for a Carpaccio appetizer which we knew would be a stunning presentation from Chef John Harder. The carpaccio was superb, served on a platter "painted" with dijon, and accompanied by parmasan cheese and roasted capers, along with a small spinach salad treated with a honey dijon dressing. A perfect presentation!! The Halibut, with a hibiscus lime sauce and "sushi" vegatables was splendid, as was the artisan pasta (goat cheese ravioli with a pine nut sauce). All of this served up by McLean, who is the best of the best among waiters.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMA very well managed restaurant!Long one of our favorite restaurants, Final Cut delivers perfectly executed innovation from the kitchen, especially when you venture into special requests that showcase the immense talents of Chef John Harder (a wonderful carpaccio on this night), and outstanding service that rivals any fine dining establishment in the DC area, always delivered perfectly for us by McLean. But a very key factor in the dining excellence that we always experience here is the subtlely delivered, but profoundly effective management of the overall operation by Manager Hristina Ninova. She continuously moves elegantly through the restaurant, ensuring total perfection, and goes out of her way to personalize every diners experience. A very rare professional.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMA great place to take guestsWe were joined by our daughter who was visiting. Our daughter, who is something of a "foodie", was wildly impressed by the restaurant and dining experience. My daughter and I departed from the usual steak selections and went with the scallops and the new salmon presentation. Both dishes proved that this kitchen is very versatile, and that straying from a steak selection is not the mistake it might be in other steak houses. As is usually the case here, the menu is not always the inviolate rule. The chef, John Harder, and our excellent waiter McClean made some adjustments along the way to make the dining experience, even for regulars like us, a very different and exciting experience. The dining experience here is about the details.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMTop notch service. SeafoodTop notch service. Seafood is surprisingly good for a steak restaurant. Meat from lamb to beef cooked just right. Strange to have such a nice place at Charles Town. Don't dress up...most patrons seem to think dark denim passes for evening wear. No wonder the chef doesn't visit the tables.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMLobster Gravy!!!!Finally tried the new salmon presentation. Excellent. Every dinner here always contains something that reminds me of the great innovation that is the hallmark of this kitchen. I had the 63 degree egg on this night and, as I wrote the last time I had it, it is a very clever and delicious presentation. We noted this night that the lobster mashed potatoes had returned to the menu. While they were always very good, the innovation this time was the "lobster gravy" that came with them. This was a very complex sauce, with spices that seemed to include tarragon. This gravy was spectacular. Not exactly sure how the lobster gravy was actually made, but I seriously need to find out. Delicious!! McLean, our waiter, was as always perfect.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Menu ChangesAnother great dinner at the Final Cut! It appears that a new menu is emerging; so far with only a few new items. The excellent asparagus bisque has been replaced with a Smoked Tomato Bisque, which is outstanding. Chef John Harder's creation is laced with basil and parmesan cream, bits of smoky meat, and Harder's subtle use of chili peppers. Perfect! Another addition is "Prime Steak and Eggs", which includes a "63 degree egg" surrounded by potato hash and bernaise, along with the perfectly prepared and sliced tenderloin. This is an appetizer that simply cannot be missed. There is also a new salmon preparation that is on my list next. As always, the dinner was presented perfect by McLean, the best waiter anywhere. Outstanding!!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOur favorite restaurant.Our favorite restaurant. Great steaks and great service. We always enjoy our dinner while taking a break from the gambling scene.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother Innovative Chef!!Final Cut is among our favorites. We often make special requests, which have resulted in some of the most outstanding dishes we have ever experienced. Chef Christian has served up these works of art in the past, but on this night, we imposed on Chef John, the current Chef de Cuisine. There are few chefs anywhere better or more innovative than Christian Evans, but Chef John proved that he too is among the best. Two appetizers, steak tartare masquerading as "meatloaf", laced with carefully selected oriental spices, and a beautiful carpaccio, treated with a Meyer Lemon aioli, shallots and capers, along with a perfect parmagiano tuile were stunning culinary artworks! Hats off to Chef John, and to McLean for another perfect dinner service.3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMThis restaurant is everythingThis restaurant is everything you could ask for in a dining establishment. Courteous and attentive staff and excellent cuisine. It has the perfect atmosphere for a romantic evening, birthday celebration, bachelor/bachelorette party. The menu contains something for almost every taste and is so varied that you could dine there on consecutive nights and always be able to try something different. Their extensive wine list was given the "Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2012". Final Cut is my first stop whenever I'm in town.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant, food, service.Great restaurant, food, service. Very expensive, but good for a special occasion or for big spenders.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenalA little pricey but everything was excellent. The steaks were simply amazing. The service was great. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMA Facinating PresentationThis was a very quiet Sunday night at the Final Cut, which allowed Chef Christian to honor a special request for Steak Tartare. Any special request from from this incredible chef always appears as a facinating work of art. The tartare on this night arrived as a "lunch" theme, with two separate styles of this hard to find dish. One appeared as a "salad" laced with various greens and vegetables and toast points as "croutons"; the second was presented as a sandwich, with toast points, purple lettuce and a small slice of Vermont cheddar. Bits of asparagus in a artful swipe of dijon decorated the plate further. Nobody does this better, anywhere. McLean, our ususal superb waiter was out, but Alex truly delivered a perfect service. Perfect!3/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were guests of the casinoWe were guests of the casino on this night, and had made the reservations a few weeks earlier. We normally make special requests, which has resulted in many truly incredible dishes from Chef Christian. We made no requests on this night, but Chef Christian surprised us with a magnificent first course. The dish feature seared fois gras, duck breast, delicate cheese puffs, a few french fries and a fois gras "gravy". This delicious presentation was something you would expect to see at Citronelle or The Inn at Little Washington. Chef Christian's delicate handling of the fois gras was the best we have seen. This kitchen remains among the very best anywhere and, as always, the superior handling of the dinner service by McLean was flawless.2/15/2013 12:00:00 AM