JBF Awards

Posted by ryan / Monday, March 21st, 2011

The James Beard Foundation Awards have been called “the Oscars of the Food World” by Time magazine. It honors the country’s best chefs, restaurateurs, designers, and  journalists for their creativity and professionalism. This year’s nominees were recently announced. Looking closely at the list of semifinalists, I found several deserving locals up for consideration.

Restaurant Eve of Old Town Alexandria is an Irish-themed restaurant that can be found in the Outstanding Service category. Co-owner Cathal Armstrong could realistically win the award for the best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. Head Sommelier Todd Thrasher has been nominated for the most outstanding wine and spirit professional in the country. Both have been honored several times in the past. Numerous publications like the Washingtonian, Food & Wine, and even Playboy have praised these men for what they do. This is Armstrong’s fourth nomination and Thrasher’s second at the JBF Awards.

Cathal, an Irish native and his wife Meshelle may very well be the most distinguished restaurateurs in the Metropolitan area.  Eamonn’s, PX, and The Majestic are all a part of their EatGoodFood, LLC. Success has allowed them to give back to the community often. They’ve put a lot of time and effort into protecting our nation’s agricultural resources and eradicating hunger among children. In fact, The National Restaurant Association awarded them the The Neighborhood Community Award for their charitable works in 2006.

Bertrand Chemel of the 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church is also in the running for the best chef in the Mid-Atlantic. The executive chef from the south of France has made quite a name for himself since he took over. The Wine Spectator recently gave 2491 the “Best of the Best” Award for its extensive selection. The innovative menu changes seasonally, the tasting menu changes nightly, and an unforgettable culinary experience is practically ensured.

District nominees include Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, Palena, and Knightsbridge Restaurant Group.

Winners will be announced at the Lincoln Center in New York City on Monday, May 9 at 6 p.m.

Good luck to them all!

-Ryan Robertson

(image: James Beard Awards)

Irish Cuisine Exploration at 2941

Posted by rebecca / Friday, March 18th, 2011

Don’t miss Chef Bertrand Chemel’s Flavors from Around the World dinners (only on weeknights).  He offers a three-course menu ($48 per person, plus $20 for wine pairings) or four-course menu ($58 per person, plus $30 for wine pairings) depending on the cuisine, which focuses on authentic flavors (with added craft by Chemel) from a specific country.

From now til March 25, Chef Chemel explores classic Irish cuisine. He pairs all courses with beer instead of wine in the spirit of the Irish. Instead of fish and chips, he has created beer-battered rock shrimp and crisp nuggets with a whiskey sauce, paired with Smithwick’s Irish Ale. For the main course, instead of corned beef and cabbage, he has created a beef duo with corned beef brisket and tender ribeye with cheddar mashed potatoes paired with a glass of Guinness. For dessert, enjoy an Irish float with Jameson whiskey ice cream and Baileys Irish cream foam with chocolate cookie crumbles.

The next featured cuisine will be from Israel on March 28 through April 8. So far, Chef Chemel has explored cuisines from Alsace, Morocco and Argentina. He is planning four more months of the Flavors from Around the World Tour. Check on the website for more info next month.

-Rebecca Kim

I Could Go Vegetarian at 2941

Posted by rebecca / Friday, February 25th, 2011

Last night I had the pleasure of tasting the vegetarian menu with wine pairings at 2941 restaurant in Falls Church. The vegetarian course is new on the menu that was created in the spirit of Meatless Mondays.

Here is the tasting menu from yesterday:

Heart of Palm—blood orange, vanilla-black pepper custard
Gruet, ‘Blanc de Blancs-Extra Dry,’ Albuquerque, New Mexico (N.V.)

Local Beet Salad—Buddha’s hand confit, China radish snow, Rush Creek cheese
Foggy Ridge Ciders,’Serious Cider,’ Floyd County, Virginia (N.V.)

Cauliflower Veloute—lemongrass, curry oil, cardamom, mushroom briouat
Anne Amie, ‘Cuvee A’, Muller-Thurgau, Willamette Valley, Oregon (2009)

Shiitake Ravioli—mushroom consommé, brown honjemishi, scallion
Rene Bouvier, ‘Le Clos’, Marsannay, Burgundy, France (2007)

Hand Made Potato Gnocchi—aged Parmesan cheese, hedgehog, artichoke
Chateau de Callac, ‘Prestige Cuvee’, Graves Blanc, France (2009)

Honey Caramelized Eggplant—bok choy, sherry wine, piment d’esplette
Fattoria La Lecciaia, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy (2004)

Kalamansi Citris Sorbet—lemongrass panna cotta, mango, lychee jelly

Pedro Ximenez—Meyer lemon confit, Madagascar vanilla ice cream, crispy anise churros
Felsina ‘Bernardenga’, Vin Santo, Tuscany, Italy (2000)

First of all, I must apologize for the poor quality of the pictures, but I do think some visualization is necessary. Another note to mention is that I am an omnivore and I love meat. Moving on…

Let’s start with the Heart of Palm, it was delicious. The sweetness and soft crunchiness of the heart of palm and the delicate citrusy blood-orange complemented each other well with different textures. It was a good starter, but at that point I started thinking to myself, that at this rate (it was good but I felt like I hadn’t eaten anything), I would need to eat a second meaty dinner after to be fulfilled.

The beet salad was scrumptious. This was probably one of my favorite dishes out of the whole tasting. There was a lot of color and texture. All of the beets were laid on top of a dollop of Rush Creek cheese, which was very creamy and sweet, but had a sour hint to it. The China radish snow, which I learned was tiny, crushed pieces of radish that had been frozen, added another dimension of taste and texture because it had the consistency of brown sugar but it was cold. The hard cider paired very well with the delicate, almost buttery-like textures of the beet salad.

The cauliflower veloute was good, but the star of this course was the mushroom briouat. It was like a perfectly crisped Somoa bursting of mushrooms. The cauliflower veloute was rich, creamy and buttery with a strong aroma of cardamom and curry—it was a very soothing and invigorating.

My first thought was “cute as a button!” when I first saw the small, baby mushrooms which looked like button and shiitake mushrooms scattered over the ravioli. I learned later that they are cinnamon caps from New Jersey. Second thought was,” is this really vegetarian?” If someone told me that the consommé was basically a beef broth poured onto the ravioli, I would’ve totally believed them. Just sipping on the consommé, it just tasted so meaty. My craving for any sort of meat instantly went away as my mouth kept believing that this was a meat dish. I had to remind myself with every bite that it was all vegetables! This was also the point at which I started feeling like I was getting full.

Oh, gnocchi. This was the dish I had been eyeing when I first saw the menu. The gnocchi was pan seared, so it was crispy on the outside and smooth and soft on the inside. My fantasies of what the gnocchi would taste like were fulfilled.  I thoroughly enjoyed the wine pairing with this dish. Matt Carroll, the Sommelier and Wine Director of the restaurant, described it as, “a white wine that is trying to be red.” What a perfect description, because the wine really surprised me. It was very full-bodied, oaky and velvety which paired nicely with the smooth gnocchi and the spongy, earthy hedgehog.  At this point I was pretty full, but of course I had to continue the vegetarian courses for the evening.

The honey caramelized eggplant looked like pork belly. The eggplant itself was very soft, succulent and melted in my mouth. Although I love sweetness, I must say, it was a little too saccharine for my pallet. The red wine pairing, which was velvety and earthy, helped to balance the sweetness.

The kalamansi citrus sorbet was refreshing. The combination of the cold, acidic sorbet and the dulcet, creamy panna cotta served as a delightful palette cleanser.

The last course ended with a bang—an unexpected block of ice, frozen with space big enough for the dessert bowl to be encased inside. The ice cream with lemon confit, topped with a Madeleine cookie and a crispy churro was a gastronomical delight. It was ambrosial. It was “a party in my mouth,” as blogger Mary Cunningham of The Arugula Files described.

The whole menu was lush and exquisite and the presentation of the dishes were beautiful. My mouth and stomach were very satisfied and content.  Executive Chef Betrand Chemel and Chef de Cuisine Kevin Takafuji have made me realize that Meatless Mondays are totally plausible, something I thought would be impossible for me.

Thanks to Sangi, Amber and the other omnivores I had the pleasure of sharing this vegetarian experience with.

Check out 2941 for their vegetarian tasting menu.

2941 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042-4526
703-270-1500

Also visit MeatlessMonday.com as they offer many recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks.

-Rebecca Kim

2941 is Jumping on the Meatless Mondays Bandwagon

Posted by rebecca / Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

The Meatless Monday Movement is spreading like wild fire. ABC News, The New Yorker, Eatocracy and even Oprah are encouraging it. Schools, hospitals and many restaurants across the country are participating in this fierce meatless movement. Globally, it is reaching countries such as Japan, Quebec, Brazil, Australia, Holland, South Africa, and Indonesia, to name a few.

In the spirit of Meatless Mondays, renowned Chef Bertrand Chemel of 2941 Restaurant has created a six-course daily-changing vegetarian tasting menu for $65 which is available daily. Some menu items include: mushroom veloute with black trumpet, croutons and rosemary; potato gnocchi with Puits D’Astier cheese and cream; handmade cheese fondue ravioli with cauliflower and black truffle, butterhead lettuce with black sesame dressing, Asian pears and cashews, beet salad with Buddha’s hand confit, candy beets and Robiola cheese; pearl onion stuffed with eggplant and red peppers;  chestnut veloute with Armagnac custard; and crispy wild rice with walnuts and shaved artichoke salad. These items are also on their a la carte menu available daily.

I had the pleasure of getting in contact with Kim O’Donnel, food columnist for USA Today, former food columnist for The Washington Post, and author of The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook. This is what she has to say about 2941 and other restaurants participating in Meatless Mondays:

“It’s great that high-end restaurants such as 2941 are hopping aboard the eat-less-meat train. Without a doubt, it’s great for vegetarian diners, giving them another option, but what I think is even more compelling is that it shows the confidence of chefs that meatless cuisine can be as visually appealing & delicious as meat-centric plates, that it’s food worth the time & effort in a high-end restaurant.”

She continues to say, “There are so many reasons why people are eating less meat or no meat at all, a topic which I find endlessly fascinating.  The original premise of MM when it started in 2003 was to help Americans reduce their saturated fat intake by 15 percent by the year 2010.  More recently, there’s an environmental piece to its message. For me, the piece that continues to resonate about the MM campaign is the power of incremental change.  MM encourages people to take one day off from meat.   It’s not a diet, it’s not an all or nothing approach and it’s not dogma.”

Let’s not forget that O’Donnel is a meat lover herself. She says, “Baby steps are always more manageable to implement than drastic change, particularly with something as personal as food.  It’s how I started eating less meat, and three years later, I eat about 50 percent less meat than I used to.  I look at this as an exercise in moderation and balance, making more room for plants on the plate. “

Thank you Kim O’Donnel and 2941.

This Thursday night, I will have the honor of tasting the six-course vegetarian menu so stay tuned for that post on Friday!

-Rebecca Kim

Red Meat: Anthony Chavez

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

If you are a slave to otherworldly sweets, confidence is high you know Anthony Chavez’s work:

The award-winning pastry chef continues working his magic at 2941, spinning out such memorable closers as a cacao-dusted  frozen truffle draped in caramel sauce and pecan streusel, and a gold leaf-flecked sponge cake saturated with Maker’s Mark and Tahitian vanilla.

WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?

AC: Ceylon cinnamon, it is the purest form of cinnamon. It has the best well rounded flavor which pair very well with chocolate. Valentine’s Day, each guest will receive complimentary chocolate made with Ceylon cinnamon. We are calling it the “chocolate red hots.”

WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?

AC: I don’t think I have ever mastered a dessert. Trends are always evolving and to keep up with them I create new desserts as well revisit old desserts, making then better than before.

WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?

AC: Rhubarb. I love the sourness rhubarb brings. When you see rhubarb at the market you know spring is in here and that means more fruit is on the way.

WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …

AC: The Internet. I know it is not a book however there is a lot of information posted on chef blogs, restaurant and pastry shop websites and school websites. Some of my favorites are Christophe Michalak, Patrick Roger and The Culinary Institute of America.

WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?

AC: An arborio rice pudding with a white truffle ice cream. I would try it again in the right setting. On our a la carte menu it had problems selling. I think people don’t think of mushrooms when they think of desserts.

WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …

AC: Chris Ford from Trummers. He has a very clean style and his flavors are straight forward and creative.

WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?

AC: Brioche with homemade jam. I love making brioche because it is 20 minutes of work and 2 hours of proofing.

WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …

AC: Spring menu. We will feature all the spring fruits including strawberries, rhubarb and Meyer lemons. Spring is my favorite time of year to make desserts.

WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …

AC: Guinness. It is like drinking a late-night cup of joe.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Chef, your zen-like patience is inspiring. No way I could wait 48 hours for my favorite snack.

Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.

–Warren

DC Restaurant Week Spill-overs

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 16th, 2010

Welcome to DC Restaurant Week!  For those new to the occasion (like me!), this means guests have the opportunity to taste a multi-course menu from participating restaurants for a discount price – usually $20.10 for lunch or $35.10 for dinner.  Let the feasting begin!  As for me, I’ll be highlighting the specials in NoVa.

1. The Grille at Morrison House
2. 703-838-8000
3. 116 S. Alfred Street, Alexandria

Come for dinner with a tasting menu to feature all the house favorites: heirloom tomato gazpacho, salade du Marché, braised Kurobuta pork cheek, braised boneless beef short rib, braised veal breast, mussel frites, and for dessert a warm peach cake or milk chocolate pot de crème.

1. Jackson 20
2. 703-842-2790
3. 480 King Street, Alexandria

Chef Marron has prepared a menu for lunch and dinner with multiple savory and sweet options: barbecued pork ribs, Trout Marguery (grilled and served with shrimp and lemon oyster sauce), and including the whole-shebang of a dessert list – pineapple upside-down cake, a peach turnover with sweetened crème fraiche and blueberry compote – just to name a few.

1. Trummer’s on Main
2. 703-266-1623
3. 7134 Main Street, in historic Clifton

Trummer’s will be making its debut to RW week with a three course dinner menu offering options of Goat Cheese Agnolotti (pickled rhubarb, black pepper shortbread, fried capers), Chilled Mulligatawny Soup (laughing bird shrimp, yuzu sorbet, apple crisp), North Carolina Tilefish, Grilled Lamb Brisket, Berry Cobbler (brown sugar streusel, vanilla sherbet, basil meringue), The Chocolate Cake and more.

1. 2941 Restaurant
2. 703-270-1500
3. 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church

Participating with its three course lunch menu of Red Beet Salad, Beef Teres Major and Hazelnut Paris-Brest.

1. Bastille Restaurant
2. 703-519-3776
3. 1201 N. Royal Street, Alexandria

With this dinner menu, you can also add a cheese course for an additional $9 or indulge with wines paired especially for each course ($25 pp).  The three course meal provides a variety of choices including a beignet of oysters, Bastille Caesar salad (with romaine and radicchio sprinkled with Parmesan and white anchovy Panacotta), pan-roasted skate filet, roasted Pennsylvania leg of lamb and Merguez sausage, roasted corn risotto and more.  Then for dessert, delight in the raspberry crème brûlée, the Valrhona chocolate cake, orange cardamom flan – just to name a few.  

1. Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon
2. 703-778-7788
3. 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington

Offering a menu for both lunch and dinner with multiple options like Baked Brie or Lemongrass Chicken Bon bons; Grilled Hangar Steak, Chicken Pesto Panini (lunch) or Horseradish North Pacific Salmon (dinner); Raspberry Sorbet, Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, and more.

1. Willow Restaurant
2. 703-465-8800
3. 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington
4. Participating for lunch and dinner with a three course menu to sample Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho, Liberty Town Flat Bread, or Crispy-Fried Soft Shell Crab(dinner); Parmesan crusted Swordfish Medallions (lunch), Bacon-wrapped Monkfish filet (dinner) or Ratatouille and Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms; Passionfruit Meringue Tart or a Flourless Chocolate Torte and much more.

I’m hungry now – actually I’m borderline ravenous and it isn’t even noon yet.  

(Photo: I Know U Can)

For a full listing, or if you care to go the extra mile into DC for your discount bites, check the official DC Restaurant Week Page.

-Jamel Daugherty

Zagat: By the Numbers

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

The first family of hospitality crowd-sourcing, Nina and Tim Zagat, have released the results of their 2011 Washington D.C./Baltimore survey, an all-too-familiar litany–the Inn at Little Washington continues its decade-long streak of ping-ponging back and forth between the #1 and #2 spots for food; Restaurant Eve remains firmly entrenched in the food top 10–which I highly doubt will surprise any fine dining aficionados or even casual gourmands.

I was, however, interested to see how the D.C./Charm City surveyors stack up against other markets and how often they hit the streets in search of a good meal.

According to Zagat’s, there are roughly 6,500 surveyors actively evaluating 2,400 meals per day across the D.C./Baltimore corridor. While that sounds like a whole lot of eating, our area ranks second-to-last in surveyor meals per week (2.6).

Texans, on the other hand, have gorged themselves into four of the top five spots (Houston – 4 meals per week, Austin/Hill Country – 3.8, Dallas/Forth Worth – 3.6, San Antonio – 3.5).

The economy, of course, is partly to blame.

Approximately 40 percent of local surveyors admitted to eating out less because of forced belt-tightening, while another third of those surveyed copped to more carefully eyeing menu prices when they do step out.

On the upside, over half of the surveyors said lean times have prompted restaurants to beef up their dining deals while approaching 45 percent said the downturn has rekindled a passion for home cooking.

Amateur food sleuths might also be interested to know that Zagat’s stable of local food spies skews female (51 percent) and relies heavily on retirees (60+ year olds comprise 25 percent of their core constituency)–though Gen Xers (30-year olds) and late Boomers (50s and up) account for 23 and 22 percent (respectively) of the roving reporting crew.

Rankings-wise, NoVA restaurants seemed to do pretty well.

We claimed six of the top 20 food slots:

* Inn at Little Washington (2)

* Restaurant Eve (7)

* L’Auberge Provencale (10)

* L’Auberge Chez Francois (15)

* 2941 (16)

* GoolDaeGee (19)

Seven of the top 24 cuisine categories:

* New American: Inn at Little Washington

* Chinese: Peking Gourmet

* Classic French: L’Auberge Provencale

* South American: El Pollo Rico

* Southwest/Tex-Mex: Sweetwater Tavern

* Thai: Thai Square

* Vietnamese: Four Sisters

And scored a handful of entries in the 20 “Key Newcomers” list:

* Maple Ave

* Pizzeria Orso

* Trummer’s on Main

Would love to hear what you all think of the current crop of popularly appointed dining champs AND/OR the Zagat’s scouts among us.

–Warren

I see Paris, I see France

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, July 9th, 2010

In honor of the Parisians’ storming the Bastille and all other things French, we welcome you to storm these NoVa locations for grand discounts and culinary adventures beyond the baguette.  French Restaurant Week starts today!

(image: LookandLearn)

Arlington’s La Côte d’Or Café celebrates July 14^th starting at lunchtime with a special menu, sparklers, live music and waiter races.  The race to carry as many glasses of champagne as possible starts at 2:30p.m.  But you’ll be competing for more than tips – the winner gets a free trip to Paris.

The Bastille (in Alexandria, not Pah-reee) offers a special three-course dinner all week.

Head to Bistrot Lafayette on July 14^th for a free glass of champagne with your meal, or make it a party to dine with reservations for four and you can have the whole bottle!

The Comité Tricolore invites you to the French Embassy on July 10^th, 7p.m. to midnight for an early Bastille Day party complete with cocktails, dancing and food.  NoVA caterers include 2941, Bastille Restaurant and Panorama’s Bakery.  Tickets are available online for $85 or at the door for $100.

Chef Bernard of the Open Kitchen has prepared a delightfully French dinner for July 14^th with options including Salad Niçoise, Cassoulet, crêpes or cheese for dessert and more.  French wines will also be available to pair with your meal.  Reservations are suggested.

Feel like getting a little French in your own kitchen?  Learn how to bake the French Classics with Mon Ami Gabi’s cooking class July 17^th, 10a.m.-noon.  For $50, your class will include demonstrations on dishes like Ratatouille or Grilled Lamb T-bones while you enjoy samples of French wine. Call 703-707-0233 to register.

And Viva la France!

-Jamel Daugherty

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, June 7th, 2010

The 2010 RAMMYS kicked off with a strong start last night, glammed up for the evening with its Casablanca theme based on their own version of the famous line “We’ll always have…restaurants.”  Northern Virginia made a respectable showing – with 2941 taking the award for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year and the Pastry Chef of the Year to its Anthony Chavez.  Vermilion claimed the trophy for Best Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year.

Anthony Chavez of 2941 accepts his award as Pastry Chef of the Year

In the past, the awards ceremony took place during a seated dinner.  But the 2010 RAMMYS is introducing a new format with a theatre-style ceremony followed by buffet-style dinner in the main ballroom.  Chef Liam LaCivita of Liberty Tavern (and nominee as Rising Culinary Star) says yes to the latest changes.  It was quick, he says.   LaCivita is currently busy with the recent opening of Northside Social, a coffee and wine bar in Clarendon.

Theatre style seating for the new RAMMYS format

The table of 2941 also reports glowing praise of the new format.  Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel says the RAMMYS of 2009 had been a disaster as it seemed like people didn’t care.  But he found this year’s set-up to be much more “tasteful.”  (Yes, he did use that exact word, but I don’t think he knew how much his unexpected pun delighted me!)  Chemel says that the new format shows that it is more about the event than the party.

However, Anthony Chittum, Executive Chef of Vermilion might disagree.  He was not a fan of the changes, saying it was too chaotic.  I was surprised when he told me that he had to stand during the ceremony as there were not enough seats.

Miles Vaden, Executive Chef of Eventide, had the same problem.  I’ll attest to that as I was standing on the side of the show right next to him.

I didn’t have the chance to survey every guest, but from the handful of reactions I gleamed, I may have recognized a pattern.  Those nominees left without a chair in the house were less inclined to embrace the new style.

RAMW President Lynne Breaux absolutely loves the theatre-style format and reports a positive consensus.  She concedes that with any new thing, we will have to tweak it to make it better in the coming years.  For RAMMYS 2010, she says people paid attention to what was important.

Scott Drewno, recipient of the Chef of the Year title, especially appreciates not having to worry about going up on stage with spinach in his teeth.

Anthony Chittum and his girlfriend, Dominique

In other exciting news, Anthony Chittum tells me he is headed to Crete for some culinary research.  I hope we get to see some of that Greek influence in their next Outstanding in the Field dinner, an evening of al fresco dining set for September 12^th. (Opa!) In the meantime, Chittum and his girlfriend, Dominique recommend we try Duangrat’s Thai Restaurant in Falls Church, a traditional family restaurant which they say is not recognized enough.

- photos and story by Jamel Daugherty

Tax Day Deals

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Thursday, April 15th, 2010

It’s that dreaded day of the year: Tax Day. At least there are several free and low price food and beverage deals available to get you through the day.

Image; Whole Foods

Cinnabon Tax Day Bites: Thursday from 6-8p.m. participating mall locations will provide two free bite-sized cupcakes.  Choose from Chocolate Passion, 24-Carrot Cake, Vanilla Bliss, and Cinnacake Classic.

MaggieMoos: Thursday, 3-7p.m.  Get a free slice of ice cream pizza.  No, it’s not frozen pizza in the shape of an ice cream scoop; it’s ice cream with red frosting and white chocolate made to look like pizza sauce and cheese. 

Starbucks: All day Thursday.  Bring your own coffee mug and get some free coffee. Help the environment and Starbucks will help a taxpayer.

Taco Del Mar: Thursday. Taxes Suck, Tacos Don’t! Sign up for a Free Taco 1099 Coupon via email to get a free taco.  Choice of beef, chicken, fish, or pork.  Locations in NOVA include Annandale and Quantico.

Boston Market: Thursday-Sunday, April 18. One free meal for each one you buy with the use of this coupon.

IHOP: 4-10p.m. all month. Free dinner for one child 12 and under with each adult meal purchased during that time throughout April.

McCormick & Schmick’s: Thursday. $10.40 dinner and drink specials, but only in the bar.  Bar guests also receive a $10.40 gift certificate that can be used for another meal. On Friday professional tax preparers receive a free dessert plus a $10.40 gift certificate when they show a business card.

P.F. Chang’s: Thursday. 15% off food purchases for dine-in or take-out, not including alcohol or happy hour purchases.

2941: Thursday. Celebrate conquering your 1040 with special cocktails and martinis for $10.40.  2914 Fairfview Park Drive, Falls Church; 703-270-1500.

Rustico: Thursday, 5-7p.m. Pies for $10.40. Toppings are extra.

No Tax at Whole Foods: Stores will not charge sales tax on Thursday.  Until April 17^th there will be special deals throughout stores, but be sure to double check with your local stores. For example, the Old Town Alexandria store has IRS Patty Cakes at 25% and 2lbs of Snow Crab Legs for $10.99.

Capitol City Brewing Company: Thursday. $2 pints all day on any Core Four Brews at all locations.

Helix Lounge: Thursday, 5p.m.-midnight. The bar will offer a 1040-themed menu that ioffers a house-specialty cocktail and any appetizer for $10.40.  Appetizers includes in the dea are fried oysters, mini crab cakes, and beer-battered Vidalia onion rings.

BLT Lounge: Thursday. 50% off all beer, wine, and cocktails. 1625 I Street NW. For reservations and information, call 202.689.8999.

Zola: Thursday. Patrons at Zola can enjoy a prix-fixe meal at the bar and get last minute tax filing assistance.  While you’re there, try the IRS Raspberry specialty cocktail.  Taxes are on Zola today.  The prix-fixe lunch at $20.15 and dinner at $35.15 includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert.  Zola will provide IRS tax forms, calculators, envelopes, #2 pencils and even mail customer’s tax forms and pay for the postage if they complete their forms at the bar by 11p.m.

Subway may have free cookies and McDonald’s may also have freebies.

Be sure to check with your local restaurants to see if they are offering these deals before demanding your freebie.

–Aisha Salazar