Posted by Sally Traynham / Monday, April 16th, 2012
NoVA is in a constant state of evolution—from building new metro stations on the Silver line and the stream of high-rises that keep popping up in the Clarendon area. Our dining scene is no different.
Here are some updates to keep you in touch with all of the changes that might effect your eating habits:
Arlington Ridge shopping center welcomes welcomes future tenets: SweetFrog Frozen Yogurt and Starbucks. [ARLnow]
Occasionally Cake opened its second store in Old Town. [MountVernonPatch]
Chipotle (is slowly taking over the world, one store at a time and) moves into the Lee Heights shopping center. [ARLnow]
A sneak peak of Clarendon’s Bronx Pizza new design. [ARLnow]
Construction for a new Costco in Mount Vernon begins. [MountVernonPatch]
Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop to open in Clarendon. [ARLnow]
Photo: kaarsten/Shutterstock
[tips for the food desk]
What Would Jesus Eat: Restaurants’ Christianity and Gay-Bashing
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Friday, April 13th, 2012
Washington City Paper’s Chris Shott (who is <wipe tears away> leaving his post for New York) dove into the politically-charged act of eating Chick-fil-A. The Georgia-based fast food chain’s foundation has donated to anti-gay rights organziations, or as Shott put it, ”groups whose espoused views on gay rights lie somewhere along the spectrum between Rick Santorum and Kirk Cameron.”
Gay-rights supporters now regularly boycott eating at Chick-fil-A, refusing to give money to a business that doesn’t share their philosophy.
The debate started in the city after the announcement of a forthcoming Chick-fil-A food truck from Kevin Singletary, current owner of two Chicks in Maryland. “Chick-fil-A really is a neutral organization,” Signletary told Shott. “The company is founded on biblical principles…”
But Chick-fil-A isn’t the only restaurant serving a higher power.
ARLnow.com reports that the Richmond-based frozen yogurt chain SweetFrog will open at the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center (2901 S. Glebe Road), and already has multiple NoVA locations. The fro-yo shop was opened under Christian ideals; from its website:
SweetFrog was founded on the principles of Christianity and our belief in bringing happiness and a positive attitude into the lives of our consumers. At SweetFrog, F.R.O.G stands for Fully Rely On God – and we hope to be an example of that in every community!
Cracker Barrel was famous for its anti-gay employment policies. When the founder died earlier this year, the New York Times wrote it into the first line of his obit:
Danny Evins, who created Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, a restaurant heavy on grits and nostalgia, expanded it into a $2 billion chain and then fought a losing battle to discriminate against gay employees, died on Saturday in Lebanon, Tenn.
With the uptick in very public religious displays from politics (Rick Santorum) to football (Tim Tebow) it seems that Jesus will continue to find a home nestled in the crevasse of a waffle fry.
Other NoVA restaurants founded under Jesus? List them in the comments.
Photos: CURAphotography/Shutterstock.com (Jesus); Sue Yang/Shutterstock.com (sandwich); terrible photoshopping by Stefanie Gans
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Time Stands Still at Peking Gourmet Inn
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Friday, April 13th, 2012
For years, my family and I spent our Sunday dinners at Peking Gourmet Inn. We gathered at this Falls Church restaurant for birthdays, holidays, and anything that granted a celebration. Time passed, we got older, busier and moved farther and farther away from Falls Church and so our weekly dinners there turned into monthly visits and then suddenly stopped about ten years ago.
But, this week was special. It was my mom’s birthday so we decided to celebrate it at an old family favorite. Walking in and seeing all the framed photographs of past powerhouses like Colin Powell and President Bush along side of the owner, plus the unchanged lines and lines of round tables, brought back great childhood memories.
Our area is notorious for fast pace living, but for this restaurant time stands still and that’s okay with me. The sides: pancakes, cucumber, hoisin sauce and scallions were brought out to the table as we waited for the whole Peking duck to make it’s appearance and be carved table side just as I remembered from my teenage years. It was very comforting to see that nothing had changed.
Peking Gourmet Inn opened in 1978 and it’s no wonder that they are still around, they figured out the magic formula and stuck to it.
Photo by: Joey Hernandez
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Lick Your Screen: Steak Me Edition
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Sillpancho, breaded steak & over easy eggs | Llajaymanta Bolivian Restaurant | Falls Church
Photo by Stefanie Gans
[Do you have a lick-worthy photo? Send it in: food desk / follow @gansie]
Palates Behind the Plate: Adam Barnett of Eventide
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Thursday, April 12th, 2012
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Eventide
2011 Rank: #38
Executive Chef: Adam Barnett
NoVA’s best dish:
Shortrib Frankfurter from Lyon Hall.
Never would I ever eat:
I would have to say sea urchin raw but I do like to use uni in sauce work. The raw uni for me taste like a wet beach, so it’s not for this guy.
After work grub:
Our biscuits are pretty incredible so it’s not too uncommon to see me munch down on one or two during service. But I recently started eating healthier so I just started eating poached fish and put it over a salad. Look at me being all healthy!
At home cooking:
I had about fifteen friends over, we did smoked sirloin flap meat, barbecue pork and all the barbecue trimmings. It was a big barbecue. It was a good time.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
You know, I’m a good midwestern boy so I’m going to have to say burger.
Photo courtesy of Erich Roland
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Posted by Sally Traynham / Wednesday, April 11th, 2012
Sushi-making robots for the future. [Inside Scoop SF]
Did you catch Food Network’s Chopped last night? David Guas, chef mastermind behind Bayou Bakery in Arlington, competed in this secret ingredient cooking competition. Don’t worry, we won’t tell you what happened. Check out a rerun to see how it ends. [Eater]
Hop Chef! No, we didn’t mean Top Chef. Seven local chefs will be challenged to prepare dishes that pair well with a Ommegang beer. The local winner will then move on to the grand Hop Chef competition. NoVA chefs include: Jamie Leeds of Hank’s Oyster Bar, Mark Marrocco of Magnolias at the Mill and Will Artley of Pizzeria Orso. [WaPo]
Burger King unveils a bacon sundae that will go for a test run in Nashville (and hopefully not make its way to NoVA) amongst other new menu changes. [Huffington Post]
David Weber, President of the NYC Food Truck Association, releases The Food Truck Handbook, a how-to-succeed in the mobile-food scene, a bound-to-be best seller in our food truck-crazed society. [SF Gate]
Restaurant 3 opens for patio pig roasts next Thursday (4/19) with $5 pulled pork sandwiches, $3 Porkslaps and $5 Bacon Bloody Marys. [NVM Wire]
Pie charts get a tasty new meaning. [Mostly Cabbages]
Photo: svry/Shutterstock
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For Your Breadless Sanity: Gluten Free Matzo for Passover
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Tuesday, April 10th, 2012
Hallelujah people. Hallelujah. I found a way to help you get through the lonely bread-free days of Passover.
My uncle recently started a gluten-free diet and decided to continue it during Passover. He brought over a gluten-free matzo that I was sure would taste even worse than what my mom usually buys. Somehow, this gluten free “matzo-style” matzo is so much better.
It’s crisper. It’s saltier. It actually has some flavor. It’s like more like a cracker and totally feels like cheating.
I’m not exactly sure why this gluten-free matzo is not allowed for “sacramental purposes” (see box above) but it is labeled as kosher for Passover, so we’re going with it.
Treat it like a cracker and top it with a slather of avocado and a smidge of sardine. Leave the real stuff to matzah brei, either savory or sweet.
Photo: Stefanie Gans
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Where to Find a Seat and a Deal: BiteHunter 2.0, Crowd Sourced Restaurant Deals Near You
Posted by Sally Traynham / Monday, April 9th, 2012
An occasional series on restaurant deal sites (and apps).
BiteHunter—an app with a foursquare-mind that offers real-time restaurant discount deals—released the 2.0 version of its app this past Thursday. Originally launched back in June 2011, this most recent upgrade introduces a new visual interface with a stream-lined layout and allows users to snag deals easily with a one click purchasing option.
But what sets it apart from all the other discount sites in NoVA? Let’s look at the pros and cons.
It’s good because…
- Your location is used to find restaurant near you.
- The app aggregates discount deals from many of the popular sites (such as Groupon and LivingSocial) and displays them in one place.
- It also shows Yelp reviews, which we all depend upon in making dining decisions.
- It’s a one click, easy payment to buy the deal through the app.
- It could be useful if you are traveling to a new place and want to dine locally on a budget.
- The filter search system allows you to look at restaurants by location, best deal, highest reviews or type of restaurant.
People might not like it because…
- Users can only see restaurants in the area with deals (other restaurants who don’t participate don’t show up).
- Higher-end restaurants don’t (usually) do restaurant deals.
- Most deals purchased (Groupon, LivingSocial, Restaurant.com, etc) cannot be used the same day.
- The new photo-grid is a bit over-whelming (but the map and list layouts are much better).
While you won’t find the likes of Restaurant Eve on this list, this app is for the diner who is looking to find new digs in the neighborhood or those who thrive on grasping cheap dining deals.
Photo: Sally Traynham (screenshot)
[tips for the food desk]
Palates Behind the Plate: Adil Akhter of Curry Mantra
Posted by Joey Hernandez / Monday, April 9th, 2012
Chef Adil Akhter on right and assistant cook cook George Fernandes on left
A series dedicated to the palates behind NVM’s 2011 Fifty Best Restaurants. We know what they serve, but what do they eat?
Restaurant: Curry Mantra
2011 Rank: #49
Executive Chef: Adil Akhter
NoVA’s best dish:
There is a Thai restaurant in Falls Church it’s called Dungrat’s. I order the chicken with basil leaf.
Never would I ever eat:
I don’t eat steak.
After work grub:
After a busy service, I cook for the staff. So, last night I cooked mixed vegetables with lamb.
At home cooking:
A couple of nights ago, I cooked chicken kadai for my family.
Burger, burrito or bánh mì:
Burrito, for sure!
Photo courtesy of Asad Sheikh
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Posted by Sally Traynham / Friday, April 6th, 2012
The dining scene in Clarendon is ever expanding with the recent opening of Green Pig Bistro, the further development of Bronx Pizza and welcomes Oby Lee Winery and Coffee Shop as a future tenet. [ARLnow]
Food with a cause: Olive Oil to Empower Women [WaPo] and CiCi’s Pizza in Fredericksburg is raising money for the Special Olympics [FredericksburgPatch]
Rice Paper Vietnamese Cuisine settles in at the Eden Center. [Washingtonian]
An update on the problems in Del Ray’s Pizza paradise after the Alexandria Planning Commission’s meeting at City Hall. [DelRayPatch]
Shirlie’s Girls Night Out, a new monthly event at the Village of Shirlington, kicks off this month with shows, cocktails and restaurants specials. [ARLnow]
Should you really be using that reusable grocery bag? [Washingtonian]
Find all of your Easter needs for this weekend in NVM’s Spring Break Guide.
Photo: Dubova/Shutterstock
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