Posts Tagged ‘McLean’
Posted by Lynn Norusis / Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
VA equally split on gay marriage
Want to fly around the moon? Now you can.
Drug bust at McLean middle school
Residents can now pack heat in state forests
Racism takes over Alexandria hair salon’s Facebook page
Posted by ryan / Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
As of April 1, the Hilton of Tysons Corner has opened a new restaurant called Härth. Don’t let the modern decor fool you, Härth specializes in large portions of comfort food.
Executive Chef Thomas Elder wanted to focus his menu on seasonal and locally sourced fresh ingredients. The Organic Butcher, Ayrshire Farm, and Freestate are among the primary suppliers he selected. Freestate is a co-op of family-owned farms throughout Virginia.
The open kitchen possesses a wood-burning granite clad oven that is sure to be utilized for specialty dishes like fire roasted chicken with brussel sprouts, wild mushrooms, and rosemary jus.
Their signature burger has also been recommended. A 100% Angus-beef patty is topped with Talbot Reserve sharp cheddar, roasted onions, and applewood smoked bacon.
The breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus all have their own unique merits.
The adjacent lobby bar is open eighteen hours a day, and it promises to always have an extensive selection of regional beers and wines to go along with the handcrafted cocktails. It also has its own menu with plenty of sharable flatbreads and charcuterie to choose from. Coffee and pastries are served in the morning.
To be more specific, it is located at 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA.
Call (703)-847-5000 for more information.
-Ryan Robertson
(image: Härth)
Crop Rapport: McLeans’ Lifestyle and Farmers Market
Posted by Warren Rojas / Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
(Image: Shutterstock)
Metro’s fabled “Silver Line” remains little more skyline-blighting pylons and traffic-snarling lane closures, but McLean businesses are already racing to welcome urban shoppers to their respective folds.
Just look at härth executive chef Thomas Elder.
The paint probably hasn’t even completely dried at his week-old restaurant, but the Gung-ho toque has already turned his attention to getting his companion project, McLeans Lifestyle and Farmers Market, underway.
Elder is still ironing out all the details surrounding the planned Saturday expositions, but suggested that shoppers would be able to patronize some of his favorite local purveyors, including: Martin’s Angus Beef (proteins), Bay View Farm (dairy), Level Green Farm (produce), Chef Eloy Carerra’s Kickin’ Salsas (condiments), Sharpen This (knife/garden tool sharpening service) and Sweetbites mobile cafe (baked goods).
“I’m hoping to incorporate a chef cooking demonstration and other fun activities to include 5K races, bicycle events and a garden tour,” he said of the still-evolving enterprise.
Meanwhile, Inova is on tap to dispense complimentary “lifestyle” instruction.
“They will be doing a weekly lifestyle seminar that will help tie in the fresh products with a healthy lifestyle,” Elder said. “Items we’ve discussed so far are, ‘How to compost in your apartment’ and ‘Apartment gardens,’ along with blood screening and other kinds of health related topics.”
Here’s hoping Elder has better luck with his initiative than the Westover Farmers Market planners appear to be having with theirs.
McLeans’ Lifestyle and Farmers Market: 7920 Jones Branch Drive, McLean; Saturdays, 9-1p.m., May 14th – late October
–Warren
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NoVA’s Winter Farmers Markets
Old Town Alexandria Farmers Market • 301 King St., Alexandria – Sat, 5:30-11 a.m.
Arlington Farmers Market • N. 14th St. & N. Courthouse Road, Arlington – Sat, 8-noon
Clarendon Farmers Market • 3100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington – Wed, 3-7 p.m.
Columbia Pike Farmers Market • S. Walter Reed Drive & Columbia Pike – Sun, 9-1 p.m., (summer); Sun, 10-1 p.m. (winter).
Del Ray Farmers Market • E. Oxford & Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria – Sat, 8-noon
Falls Church Farmers Market • 300 Park Ave., Falls Church – Sat, 9-noon (Jan-Mar); Sat, 8-noon (Apr-Dec)
Farmer Girls • 8769 Old Dumfries Road, Catlett; 540-272-7839
Fredericksburg Farmers Market • George and Prince Edward Streets, Fredericksburg – Mon-Sat, 7-6 p.m.; Sun, 12:30-4 p.m.
Leesburg Farmers Market • 20 Catoctin Circle S.E., Leesburg – Sat, 8-noon (May-Oct); Sat, 9-noon (Nov-Apr)
Loudoun Flavor • 39363 Stevens Road, Lovettsville; 703-350-2790
Old Town Manassas Farmers Market •9431 West St., Manassas – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Purcellville Community Market • 130 E. Main St., Purcellville – Sat, 9-1 p.m.
Smart Markets • 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton – Sat, 10-2 p.m.
Smart Markets • 13297 Gateway Center Drive, Gainesville – Sun, 10:30-1:30 p.m.
Winchester Freight Station Farmers Market • 315 W. Boscawen St., Winchester; Tue, Sat, 10-2 p.m. (Jan-Apr); Tue, Fri, Sat, 8-1 p.m. (May-Dec)
Or click here for our full list of local farmers markets.
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, December 13th, 2010
Centreville High School teacher charged with taking indecent liberties with students
Inova Health System to bring on 200 more doctors
Alexandria plans renovations for waterfront property
12-year-old missing girl found
Woman attacked at McLean Greenberrys on Sunday
NAACP and Alumni question how a school gets its own spelling wrong
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
My financial reporting skills have probably diminished significantly since my marathon stakeout days on Capitol Hill.
But if the number of celebration cakes–a cheer-worthy construct featuring overlapping layers of chocolate mousse and fresh berries, all heralded by a flame-spewing sparkler that showers captivated onlookers in a fountain of pyrotechnic glory–flowing from the Michel kitchen is any indicator, local diners appear ready to splurge again.
Cheflebrity Michel Richard was nowhere to be seen during a recent visit.
But his fledgling operation was expertly attended all the same by executive chef Levi Mezick (sure to soon be sporting quite the off-season glow, as much time as he spends applying finishing touches beneath the warming lights) and minibar alumnus cum Michel executive sous chef Brad Race (inexhaustibly bounces around the totally open kitchen).
The menu seems to tilt more towards the bistro-casual style Richard has embraced at Central than the fantasy dining pearls offered at Citronelle–though Michel does field a few deceptively delicious dishes of its own.
An onion is unspooled into ultra piquant “noodles”–proved too potent for one companion, whereas I relished the ravishing swap–and tossed with velvety cream, black pepper and still-cooking egg in a distinctly allium-centric carbonara.
Colossal grade shrimp are tasked with doing their best porcupine impression, each preternaturally puffy crustacean arriving cleverly camouflaged beneath strands of baked-till-crispy phyllo dough. The surf-as-wild turf creation is accompanied by baby kidney beans basking in a buttery chardonnay reduction.
Strict traditionalists, meanwhile, should be pleased to hear that Richard’s iconic chocolate bar–the same powdered cocoa-covered, gourmet Kit Kat emulated (and reproduced) by dessert menu-writers the region over–survived the move to the NoVA ‘burbs and tastes every bit as dark chocolaty-hazel nutty as it does downtown.
The wine program favors France (read: Burgundy, Rhone Valley) and the U.S. (read: West Coast wineries), with some additional consideration paid to the rest of the world (Spain, Italy). Look for roughly a dozen mixed whites and reds by-the-glass (most above $10) including the 2007 Barboursville Viognier Reserve and Richard’s private label white burgundy, as well as a succinct but well-developed beer list (Delirium Tremens, Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale, Old Speckled Hen).
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Got a handful of new restaurant openings to report, including a couple that are rolling out the welcome mats this very morning:
* Michel began serving breakfast at the Tysons Ritz just a few hours ago and will be welcoming dinner guests this evening. A receptionist suggested that lunch service is likely to follow in a few weeks (early to mid-November was her best guess);
* Ballston diners can check out the new Rustico (4075 Wilson Blvd. Arlington; 571-384-1820)–which promises a few menu tweaks (homemade ricotta doughnuts, a Bibb salad with shaved apples, smoked cheddar and almond granola) and broader brew selection (400+ bottles, and counting) than the original–beginning at lunch today;
* Daniel O’Connell’s alumnus Colin Abernethy will be working his culinary magic as executive chef of Travinia Italian Kitchen in Leesburg, set to debut November 1; and,
* Chef Jacques Haerigner will be shaking things up at L’Auberge Chez Francois by unveiling Jacques’ Brasserie at L’Auberge–a more casual, a la carte alternative to the restaurants’ traditional multi-course service–on November 9. “I’ll be serving some of my favorite dishes, the ones I grew up with,” Haeringer said of his plans to delve into Alsatian comfort food, adding, “Many of these recipes come from a notebook of handwritten recipes my father brought with him when he moved from France to the United States.” Tentative additions include: Tarte Flambée (Alsatian-style pizza), organic chicken in riesling, traditional and fish choucroute, and pinot noir-braised ribs.
Let’s eat.
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
(Image: Simply Local Food)
For those who don’t know, we’re in the middle of yet another theme dining week: American Farmland Trust’s inaugural “Dine Out for Farms” initiative.
The plan is simple enough: patronize those restaurants that support your local farms and help perpetuate the circle of sustainable agriculture/conscientious dining while getting a fabulous meal in the process.
We tried (unsuccessfully) to glean any DOfF week specials from the AFT, but were able to cull the roster of participating local restaurants:
*American Flatbread – Arlington, Ashburn;
* Clyde’s – Reston;
* Cock & Bowl;
* Open Kitchen;
* Wildfire; and,
So, if you’ve got some coin to spend and are looking to put your money where your mouth should be anyway, why not add these eco-activists to this week’s dining rotation?
It might even become a habit…
–Warren
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, January 25th, 2010
Wasabi’s latest kaiten sushi stand, a snag-your-meal-as-it-races-past-you operation, requires zen-like patience.
Not so much because staff don’t crank out signature nigiri rolls, specialty sashimi or mound of glistening seaweed fast enough.
It’s just that the most coveted snacks invariably vanish as they attempt to navigate the sea of outstretched hands that stand between you and gustatory satisfaction.
One manager said the constantly circulating belt can support up to 280 color-coded plates at a time, adding that they average around 2,000 servings per day. The manager said that in order to ensure freshness, no dish is allowed to remain on the belt beyond two hours–a non-issue given the rapid-fire pace at which customers snatch their preferred meals off the line and with which the dedicated kitchen crew (looks to be about eight folks who remain focused on prepping, plating and passing out the assembly-line seafood) replenishes the rolling buffet.
Some of the sashimi were too dry for my taste, while the majority of the specialty rolls (puffed rice-topped tuna, spicy mayo-swabbed salmon) had their charms. The chicken anticucho–no relation, however, to the savory beef heart skewers found all over Peru–was the biggest surprise, revealing grilled chicken doused in a spicetacular citrus-pepper sauce.
Wasabi: 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean; 703-388-0646; www.wasabitogo.com. Open for lunch and dinner daily.
–Warren
NoVA Restaurant Scene Explodes this July
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, July 6th, 2009
Really wishing I’d gone the restful route this past weekend. Because it looks like the hospitality industry is gearing up for a big July.
Trummer’s on Main
Victoria and Stefan Trummer have devoted the last year of their lives to transforming the former Hermitage Inn into their new restaurant, Trummer’s on Main. And we’ll finally get a peek at the fruits of their labor when they formally open their doors on Monday, July 13.
The Trummers have entrusted chef Clayton Miller with helping to realize their epicurean dreams, a responsibility he takes quite seriously. Miller describes views his cooking style as modern American, which means he’s only too happy to draw inspiration from all over the globe in order to weave exotic flavors into local ingredients.
He’s also a fan of carving out separate dining experiences within a single venue, which is why Trummer’s will feature gourmet snacks at the bar (available by request in the main dining room), seasonal a la carte offerings as well as a fluid multicourse tasting menu (3-5 courses or chef’s choice) in the main dining room and a 3-course brunch (coming soon) predicated on fresh pastries, homestyle favorites and snappy petit fours.
“I want the guests to have flexibility,” Miller suggests.
Kora
Though he just shuttered Farrah Olivia a few weeks back, telegenic toque Morou Ouattara is ready to jump right back into action with Kora–a family-friendly Italian project taking over the old Bebo spot. Morou and older brother Amadou (last seen behind the burner’s at Middleburg’s Salvia restaurant) will lead a kitchen dedicated to quick, comfortable eats.
“It’s not going to be too far away from casual Italian,” Morou said, listing homemade pizzas and gourmet paninis as Kora cornerstones.
Morou remains committed to resurrecting Farrah Olivia in the near future (within the next year and a half, anyway), but has not yet fixed on a new location. “Whatever comes at the right time, we’ll take it,” he said of his open-ended real estate shopping philosophy.
Columbia Firehouse
The Neighborhood Restaurant Group is hoping to rekindle interest in the old Bookbinders space by launching their own dual-natured venue, Columbia Firehouse, in the next few weeks. Orlando Hitzig (most recently attached to the now-defunct Mark & Orlando’s near Dupont Circle) is still fine tuning the Columbia Firehouse menu, but estimates it will revolve around “comfort food that you can do at home, but don’t want to.”
The first floor will feature said staples, including: smoked chicken wings with buttermilk-blue cheese dressing, Maryland crab cakes and gourmet burgers. The upstairs–tentatively set to open this August–will follow more of an upscale chophouse format.
“That’s where we will be trying to draw in folks from across the river,” Hitzig estimates.
Maestro 2.0 (?)
I’ve just about given up on this industry parlor game. But if you are still interested in what will become of the once fabled Tysons’ dining palace, the cut-off for all placeholder functions is July 31.
–Warren
Ritz Dumps Steak for Small Plates
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
While the “who’ll-finally-replace-Maestro?” guessing game continues at the Tysons’ Ritz (neither the Ritz-Carlton folks nor Michel Richard’s people will confirm their rumored partnership), the hospitality giant has scrapped its steakhouse concept for the sampling-friendly, seasonally inspired ENTYSE.
The new, sustainably focused enterprise provides plenty of options, including floating three- and four-course menus ($32 and $42, respectively), locally sourced entrees and gourmet bar snacks. Dishes range from rock shrimp corn dogs and ice cream “sliders” to hanger steak with artisanal mac and cheese or a lobster Cobb salad.
Every Wednesday, Maestro vet Vincent Ferraud gets another chance to shine with “Wine’d Down Wednesdays”–a weekly happy hour featuring rotating by-the-glass specials (Ferraud plucks a wine from his plentiful cellar and offers 4 ounce pours for $5) and a seafood island crowded with freshly shucked oysters, shrimp cocktail and crab claws (all starting at $1 a pop).
“It’s more of a value-oriented experience,” a Ritz-Carlton spokesperson said of their nascent WDW program.
The discount wine and raw bar specials run from 5:30 till ?? and are tentatively scheduled to continue through the summer.
–Warren