No Stove Left Unturned

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, December 4th, 2009

In the world of amateur restaurant reviewing, boundaries can be a wonderful thing.

Just ask local food sleuth Jim Webb.

The Leesburg resident has been cranking out one-shots about visits to area restaurants (chains and their multiple locations, included) for 20 months as part of his personal quest to critique every hometown eatery.

The biggest obstacle to date? Restaurant turnover.

“Lots of new ones keep popping up,” he noted. “So maybe I’ll never be done.”

The IT professional claims no culinary training–”I’m not a gourmet or anything,” he openly admitted–but does have a passion for Asian cuisine.

And while Ruby Tuesday remains a family go-to (“It’s somewhere we can all agree on,” he said), Webb has added many new favorites to his mental Rolodex, including:

*homemade pastas from Galetta’s (“That was really good,” Webb shared)

*curry creations from Thai Pan (“It’s tiny and in this weird location, but fairly authentic.”)

*deli delights from Puccio’s (“Really good sandwiches.”)

*spicy fare from the Cajun Experience (“Tiny but great.”)

To date, he’s injected about $2,700 into the local economy and has crossed circa 80 places off his original list–with another three dozen still to go.

What’ll he do if he ever does cross the dining finish line?

Webb’s not entirely sure. But he did leave the door open to devising another regional challenge.

“Maybe visiting every winery in Loudoun County,” he mused, quickly adding, “There’ll be something in the future.”

–Warren

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