The Early Word on Garrison, Rob Weland's New Restaurant on Barracks Row

Just last month, Poste and Cork vet Rob Weland announced he would open his own restaurant called Garrison. The doors to his Barracks Row spot have now been open for more than three weeks. The chef is committed to using seasonal fresh vegetables, and they’re even in the cocktails by Gina Chervesani. But is all that emphasis on ingredients producing an experience that satisfies the diners? Garrison already has 16 Yelp reviews for an overall rating of four stars. Read on for the early word:

The Potential Rival News: Although it just opened, some diners think Garrison's food is already strong enough to compete with a few of the city’s hottest restaurants. Yelper DC D. says "it's seriously going to give Rose’s Luxury some much needed friendly competition." Likewise, Yelper TS thinks, "the pastas rival Osteria Morini or Acqua al 2, which are the best local pasta shops," [Yelp]

The Perfect Pasta News: Speaking of that, diners are really loving Garrison's pasta dishes. Don Rockwell raved about the sweet corn tortellini last week, and poster Porcupine on his forums calls it "a nice summery pasta dish, buttery but not overwhelmingly so." The nettle & ricotta ravioli is really getting the most attention though. Yelper Amy F. writes, "It was really, really fantastic. Light, refreshing and rich all at once." Yelper JR S. also says the ravioli was "done perfectly." [DR, Yelp]

The Melt-In-Your-Mouth Gougères News: Yelper Sia M. says the poppy seed gougères, which are piped and baked to order, are "worth the wait" and Yelper Veronique L. says they’re a "MUST ORDER!"  Yelper Taryn L. writes, "my impression was that I had melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness here, reminiscent of a souffle almost." [Yelp]

The Incredible Vegetables News: Weland’s focus on seasonal produce is apparently paying off because his vegetable dishes are getting the most attention so far. Don Rockwell poster Mark Dedrick writes, "On the mains it was really the vegetables that shined." Yelper Erin F. only ordered vegetables and says they were all "incredible." Some favorites among diners include fried squash blossoms, tomato and burrata salad, and grilled mushrooms with avocado. [DR, Yelp]

The Frustrating Steak Knives News: Yelper Sia M. calls the bison hanger steak "delicious"  while a friend of Yelper David W. says the dish is "fantastic." But Twitter user @justcallme98 wants to tell the restaurant, "Great food, but you gotta do something about those steak knives… more tearing than cutting, most frustrating knives ever."  [Yelp, Twitter]

The Miniscule Portions News: Foursquare user Ryan Kearney says Garrison serves good food but "ridiculously tiny entree portions" and Yelper Edgar D. calls them "miniscule." Yelper Nisha P. agrees and writes, "If you get 2 appetizers, 2 main courses, and a dessert, you shouldn't leave hungry!" [Foursquare, Yelp]

The Great to Mediocre Cocktail News: Diners have different opinions on Gina Chersevani's cocktails. Don Rockwell poster JoshNE writes, "Cocktails were great. I had essentially a gin martini with pickled peaches, and my wife had a whimsical snow cone of a drink made with gin and Lillet rose." However, Yelper David W. says, "All four of our cocktails were at best mediocre" and calls the "Pump of the Volume drink" a "weak attempt at a frozen daiquiri." Yelper Taryn L. finds the cocktails adequate but says she’ll go lighter on the drinks next time to save money.  [DR, Yelp]

The Definitely Pricey News: Actually, several diners were concerned about the prices, even if they loved the food. Yelper Erin F. says the restaurant's only downside is that it's "a tad expensive" and Don Rockwell forum poster Harlan H. calls it "definitely pricey." But another poster Marty L. is confident that "the cost of the very high quality ingredients warrants the higher price tag." [Yelp, DR]