Posts Tagged ‘sandwiches’
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, November 21st, 2011
Yes, that is my olive oil-soaked brown paper sandwich bag.
This weekend I had the grand pleasure of going to The Italian Store for the first time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a place with such a name, which I heard in vague description as some sort of hybrid, half-Italian market, half-deli, with the best sandwiches ever (and that’s a pretty bold statement to make!).
If I were told to picture a scene of mob-looking Italians in Northern Virginia, I don’t think I could do it. Being from Northern New Jersey, I’ve seen my fair share of mobsters, guidos and guidettes. But as I grabbed the only open table outside of the Italian Store on a Sunday afternoon, next to a gray-haired man with a pop belly, a can of Dr. Brown’s cream soda, and a big fat cigar, I felt like I was home.
The sandwich wasn’t bad, either — actually, it was amazing. We called in our order in advance because of expected crowdedness, so when we arrived our fresh mozzarella and prosciutto on a soft sub roll was waiting for us. The bread was fresh and soft, the prosciutto nice and fatty and salty, and the cheese — oh my goodness. The word “fresh” before the Italian Store’s mozzarella is an understatement. Their mozzarella is so moist and tender, sprinkled with just the right amount of sea salt and basil flakes and cut so perfectly into made-for-an-incredible-sandwich medallions that it made the sandwich. With my last bite and a sip of Dr. Brown’s to wash it down, I slipped into an Italian Store sandwich coma.
The Italian Store is located at 3123 Lee Highway in Arlington (703-528-6266 or www.italianstore.com).
-Julia Harbo
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
New York Deli sandwich
If you’ve ever wondered where to go to get a totally unique, mouth watering, New York deli-style sandwich, look no further than your own backyard!
In a world of Subways, Quiznos and other nation-wide sandwich chains, it’s refreshing to see a place like New York Deli, a small, privately owned deli nestled in an unassuming strip mall in Tyson’s Corner. Not that there’s anything wrong with the aforementioned restaurants; you are talking to a former Subway Sandwich Artist and I’ve always been a loyal customer ever since. However, if you’re looking for a different kind of sandwich, I suggest starting here.
New York deli came to the area 18 years ago and has been steadily gaining a fan base ever since. They offer New York deli favorites like pastrami and corned beef for affordable prices. Their sandwiches are always made with fresh vegetables, cheese and meat, but the real star of the show is the bread.
Ever notice how a really good piece of bread can make everything seem right in the world? Each sandwich comes atop its own pillow-soft, mini loaf of bread with a choice of white, wheat or pumpernickel. Baked fresh daily, the bread is super soft and warm on the inside, with just the right amount of crisp crustiness on the outside. Mmmm! All is well.
Each sandwich comes with a thick sliced dill pickle and they always have lunch specials, offering deals with chips and drinks. Trust me- you won’t go hungry here!
Like I said before, the place is small and the parking is limited. Luckily there’s a paying garage adjacent and they’ll validate your parking if you just ask.
I’m told their website is in progress, so for now, just call! They do catering, call-ahead pick-ups and even delivery for a limited area!
New York Deli
8150 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
(703)761.2266
– Jennie Whistler
Posted by Warren Rojas / Thursday, August 18th, 2011
August is historically the steamiest, stickiest, sweatiest month of the year–brilliant move, Founding Fathers, building the nation’s capital on a swamp–in these parts. We’ve tracked down 31 frozen treats (one a day for the rest of this month) to provide you with some temporary, and often insanely delicious, relief.
The place: Sinmobile – www.sinplicityicecream.com; @Sinplicity1
The prescription: Mango madness sinwich. Sinplicity founder Leland Atkinson has been a fixture at the Falls Church farmers market for quite some time now. But he’s only recently taken his sweets catalog on the road, dishing out artisan ice creams, sorbets and baked goods on random streets from a self-styled “Sinmobile.” When we happened upon the mobile munchies depot, Atkinson’s paean to luscious fruits–lemon-ginger, blood orange, magical mojito, blackberry & cabernet–appeared to be in full swing. Which made the mango madness sinwich a no-brainer. The house made sandwich is a frosty fruit fiesta featuring a happy marriage of mango sorbet and lemon custard (seriously citrusy, with a dose of tropicality) nestled between lime-infused macaroons. The wondrous cookies were flaky around the edges, cakey towards the center and pleasantly tart throughout.
Non-sorbet sinwiches include: the javariffic mud pie (fudge-cappucino ice cream surrounded by mocha macaroons) and willpower straining cow pie (brownie-studded chocolate ice cream bound by chocolate macaroons). Oh yeah, and they’ve got many of their signature “sins du jour”–dark Belgian chocolate, Madagascar vanilla, salty caramel, Thai peanut, strawberry shortcake, snickerdoodle were all on tap when we swung by–too.
–Warren
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Keep tabs on the month long Freeze Jag trek here.
Smorgasbord: New and Coming to Clarendon
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, July 8th, 2011
I’ve only lived in Clarendon/Courthouse for going on four years (with a 10-month sabbatical in the Queen City), but wow, has a lot changed. Almost every day, I learn about some new addition to the already-rich food scene. In this case, I say, bring it! More is definitely more.
What follows is just a taste of what’s happening in the neighborhood.
Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream Now Open for Business
When it comes to frozen treats, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and gelato are the indisputable trinity. Clarendon in recent years has been hit by both the gelato and fro-yo bugs. With respect to ice cream, we have some “oldies” like Goody’s and Carvel (remember Fudgie the Whale?), but I had wondered what newcomer was finally going to give Boccato Gelato (with its perennial lines–yes, people really do eat gelato at 11 a.m., regularly) and Red Mango a run for their money.
Well, it looks like Larry’s Homemade Ice Cream is going to take up the challenge. I had spied the empty storefront for some time, but it appears that Larry’s opened this past weekend. Larry’s will offer its customers ice cream (duh!), sundaes, milkshakes, frozen yogurt, fruit smoothies, baked goods and espresso drinks. Stop by 3018 Clarendon Boulevard, right next to BGR The Burger Joint. (At this time, Larry’s does not appear to have a website with additional contact information.)
Cava To Open Saturday
Next on the Clarendon hit list is the opening of the Greek mezze, wine bar and martini lounge Cava on Saturday, July 9. This is the third and largest Cava location (Rockville is the original; Cava conquered Capitol Hill next).
The 3,900 square-foot restaurant opens for dinner at 5 p.m. After its first week, the restaurant plans to add lunch hours, and eventually Saturday and Sunday brunch. The menu is 90% similar to what the restaurant offers at its other locations. It will also serve Face Plant IPA, a craft beer from Ashburn’s Lost Rhino Brewing Company.
In the rush to try the new neighborhood Greek mezze, just don’t forget Courthouse’s Lebanese mezza at Me Jana, a personal favorite.
For a peek at the interior design of Cava Clarendon, and more menu details, click here.
Cava
2940 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 276-9090
Rabbit To Bring Healthy Eats and Cupcake Wars, the Clarendon Edition
The team behind Red Velvet Cupcakery and Tangysweet also have plans for Clarendon. The ETA for their newest venture, Rabbit, is late July. This Rabbit’s hole is situated cozily between neighborhood veteran Delhi Club (which suffered a kitchen fire recently) and new-kid-on-the-block (not NKOTB-yuck!) Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza.
Rabbit is so-named because it will serve “simple salads, chef crafted salads, sandwich plates served with simple salads,” and warm dinner plates (“made-to-order protein, simple salad, and house-made mashed potatoes”) along with artisanal breads, freshly squeezed carrot juice, and “other seasonal juices.” Chef Katsuya Fukushima, formerly of Jose’ Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup, served as Rabbit’s Consulting Chef in developing its menus. In addition to rabbit food, Rabbit will also offer wine and beer by the glass, and . . . (gasp!) Red Velvet Cupcakery cupcakes.
Until now, Clarendon has been relatively sheltered from the frantic, cupcake-hungry hordes. We do have the recent addition Crumbs and the somewhat obscurely-located Bakeshop, but I am fearful of the forthcoming sugar-induced hysteria. In any event, there may be some good Pete’s Segways v. cupcake consumer showdowns to look forward to in our future. (I can just see the ARLnow.com headline: Cupcake Crowd Mowed Down by Runaway Segway.)
Rabbit is definitely a concept I can get behind, and while I look forward to trying it, I wonder if anyone else thinks it should reconsider the carrot car . . . Just sayin’.
Rabbit
3035 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 243-5660
Happy Friday!
-Johnisha M. Levi
Posted by clara / Thursday, June 30th, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Don’t have lunch plans for tomorrow? Great! D.C. United is giving away FREE hoagies this Friday at Taylor Gourmet on H Street! Head down from noon to 1 p.m. to get your free sandwich.
Photo Courtesy www.dcunited.com
More Event Details:
–Clara Ritger
What’s Cooking: 100% Unsanitary Edition
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, June 13th, 2011
- Alexandria’s Virtue Feed & Grain opens
Eater DC has some nice photos of Alexandria’s Virtue Feed & Grain, which opened on Friday. Fashioning an old warehouse into a massive two-story, multiple bar Irish-style public house, the new pub is headed up by Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong, a pair who should be familiar to Alexandria residents as the pair behind Eamonn’s, The Majestic, PX and Restaurant Eve. All weathered wood and repurposed antiques, the pub offers up gussied up pub grub like crubeens, steak and kidney pie, roast pork shoulder and a lot more on their large menu. The place also boasts a pretty cool looking game room with a Wii and a few vintage arcade machines.
- E. Coli Outbreaks Hit Raw Salads the Worst
The New York Times delivers an interesting post-mortem on the German E. Coli fiasco, highlighting how a single kink in our global agricultural system can make something as simple and healthy as eating a salad harmful. E-Coli is often found in meat, but can cling onto vegetables if livestock run-off finds its way into crops, which can cause some major anxiety when we eat many of our vegetables raw. Outbreaks like this are rare, and our agricultural system is regulated out the wazoo, so don’t let things like the German outbreak, or even the 2006 California Spinach outbreak, deter you from eating green—that is, of course, unless you are in a developing country like China or in Germany, where they’re still sorting themselves out.
- Global Food Prices on the Rise
On to more depressing news: The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization announced that global food prices were 37% higher last month than they were a year ago. The reason? Floods, droughts, strengthening middle classes in developing nations, record low temperatures–you name it, we’re screwed. To top things off, according to NPR, the Department of Agriculture says that the violent storms that have ravaged parts of the country have put a hurting on farmers, destroying crops and driving prices up even more.
- Bananas Foster Explodes Injuring Four
This is why you should never buy 151 Rum—ever. Four diners at a Florida restaurant ordered Bananas Foster (delicious!), but when the waiter added too much 151 to the desert and lit it on fire, the stuff splashed everywhere and put some very non-comical burns on all four patrons, one receiving first and second degree burns. Again, lesson: Throw away your 151.
- The Best Movie Sandwiches
Okay, enough doom and gloom. It being the internet and all, we’re subjected to supercut YouTube videos every day. There’s the 100 greatest insults, all the times people shout “Get out of there!,” and the one where people zoom and enhance photos (which is impossible! Stop doing that, Law and Order!). The newest one to hit the web is the best movie sandwiches. Silver screen sandwiches like the one from Spanglish, or the one that Denzel Washington comically chomps on in Philadelphia.
- Kris King
Posted by Warren Rojas / Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
Need a hand in the kitchen? Duane Keller is happy to oblige:
(Image: Jason Hornick)
Since we’ve known him, the journeyman chef has lent his carefully honed talents to: D.C.’s white table cloth scene, a corporate stunner in National Harbor, an exurban golf club and a fledgling Irish pub. These days, you’ll find him behind the burners at Boxwoods in Fairfax, George Mason University‘s bid for a slice of the fine-dining pie.
WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?
DK: Virginia watercress, fresh tarragon, chives, fresh dill, sea salt, fresh basil, whole nutmeg, ginger, fennel seed, curry powder, garam masala, crushed red pepper flakes, lavender, smoked Spanish paprika, fresh bay leaves, habanero powder, vanilla beans, wasabi, fresh rosemary and garlic.
WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered?
DK: At an early age, via pontoon plane, we would fly into our cabin on Canoe Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. No roads led to this lake and the pickerel were a challenge to pull in. To prepare the meal it took everything from luring, catching, cleaning, seasoning, starting the fire and understanding the heat of the fire and cast iron pan. Not an easy task for a 10 year old.
WR: How long did it take?
DK: By my second summer on the lake I understood the concept but it took me three summers to master cooking the pickerel.
WR: Do you still make it today?
DK: Anytime I can get back home to Saskatoon you’ll find me on Canoe Lake … even ice fishing in the winter.
WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?
DK: It’s a great time here in Virginia for local sorrel, arugula, morels, shad roe, Chesapeake rockfish, spinach and squash.
WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …
DK: A Day at El Bulli – Ferran Adria
WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?
DK: 5-foot-high Croquembouche, under a time constraint. Absolutely. A fun holiday feature for many to enjoy.
WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …
DK: Patrick O’Connell – Inn of Little Washington
WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?
DK: My wife, Jen, is a fabulous cook so I usually leave the home cooking for her. When she’s out of town I will whip up….
Spring or Summer—gets better the deeper into summer—I’m enjoying BLT’s and a scoop of fresh local crab salad on it:
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces “Choptank River” crabmeat (leftover from a Sunday on the deck)
Salt, pepper and Old Bay (to taste)
Millers Potato bread, lightly toasted
Romaine lettuce hearts
Heirloom tomatoes, sliced thick and seasoned with sea salt
Applewood-smoked bacon (preferably Neuskes), cooked crisp
Preparation
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Old Bay until combined.
Gently fold in crab meat.
Top toasted potato bread with lettuce, crab salad, bacon and tomato slices.
Fall or Winter: Bolognese with Pappardelle (I make a batch and then portion up for many enjoyments):
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound ground pancetta, cut small dice or ground
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground pork
1 onion, cut into small dice
1 carrot, cut into small dice
2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, removed from stem and chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups Pearmund Cellars Meritage or other good red wine
3 cups beef stock
1/2 teaspoon (a pinch or two) crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound pappardelle pasta
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Heat sauce pan over medium heat.
Add olive oil and meats and brown well. Add vegetables and garlic and cook until soft.
Deglaze pan with Meritage or other good red. Add remaining ingredients, reserving the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and simmer for an hour.
Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano when done.
Pair up with pasta, fresh Italian bread and a glass of good red.
WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss …
DK: Boxwood’s Sustainable Summer and Fall Menus 2011
WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …
DK: A Leffe Blonde
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Chef, we are totally adding your CBLT to our summer snacking toolbox.
Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.
–Warren
Posted by Eunice / Monday, February 21st, 2011
By Warren Rojas
What’s that?
One of your New Years’ resolutions was to make Dr. Atkins spin in his grave?
Prepare to check that one off royally.
Once the exclusive purview of plastered hooligans and late-night pub crawlers, the chip butty—that’s right, it’s a buttered French fry sandwich—has crossed the pond and is now making a splash on our very shores. Let the carbo-loading begin:
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COMPETITOR |  |
| Grilled, house-made dinner roll | BREAD | Plain Kaiser roll |
| Thick-cut, lightly salted | FRIES | Uniformly browned, sparingly salted |
| Salted Kerrygold butter | FAT | Plain butter |
| There’s Sarsons malt vinegar, of course. Add some hot chili or Chesapeake aioli into the mix for bolder bites. | CONDIMENTS | Plain ketchup is always at the ready. I prefer a healthy dab of Branston pickle (ultra tangy). |
| You’ve come this far. Grab a deep-fried candy bar—staff said Snickers, Mars and Milky Way bars are most popular—for dessert. | EXTRAS | Forget soup. The Scotch egg salad is the perfect buddy for your butty. |
| $3 | PRICE | $5.99 |
| 728 King St., Alexandria; 299-8384; www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com | LOCATIONS | 6815 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church; 703-942-6383; www.publichouseno7.com |
VERDICT: Both sandwiches will definitely quell the munchies. But Eamonn’s had the finishing touches (generously buttered roll, crispy, straight-from-the-fryer spuds) that made me a butty believer.
(February 2011)
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Monstrously Good Eats!
By Warren Rojas / Photography by James Kim and Hana Jung
Sink your teeth into stupendous subs!
Hoist humongous hoagies to your lips! Or just plain marvel at the outlandishly original sandwich creations that await within.
Cheesetique Cheese & Wine Bar
2411 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria | 703-706-5300 | www.cheesetique.com
Grilled cheese / Photography by James Kim
Gourmet grilled-cheese aficionados can get their fill of molten dairy at Cheesetique’s chic (and cheeky) wine bar.
Cheesemonger Jill Erber brings in hundreds of cheeses for her retail operation, reserving some of the finest milk solids around for use in her rotating cheese boards and homemade sandwiches.
Manager Sarah Mason said their signature grilled-cheese combo—currently paired with either a spicy gazpacho or cayenne-infused cucumber-melon soup—is naturally “really, really popular.”
No argument here.
The calcium-rich construct fuses salty Taleggio and nutty Fontina with savory onion jam (didn’t get much sour, though the sweet was bolstered by the baked onion sourdough), while a smattering of mixed herbs does it best to deliver random flashes of garden freshness.
Their take on panini fills out buttery, grilled sourdough with a gooey mass of aged Grafton cheddar, mellow pear slices and diced pancetta (cheese envelops all, ham brings the savory, and the Bartlett pears add sweet crunch).
Earl’s Sandwiches
2605 Wilson Blvd., Arlington | 703-248-0150 | www.earlsinarlington.com
Pork and fries / Photography by James Kim
For as long as I can remember, I have incorporated deep-fried potato products—be they in chip, shoestring, waffle or tot form—into any and all sandwiches preparing to pass between my lips.
Some people stare slack-jawed when I start my culinary consolidation routine. Others have openly mocked me.
Not Stephen Dugan. He gets it.
The Earl’s Sandwiches proprietor has paved the way for other closet potato-packers to indulge their starch-laden passions in public with his signature pork-and-fries creation.
Earl’s associate Michael Newman said Dugan stumbled across something similar to the pork and fries during a trip to Pennsylvania and immediately began toying with the potato-on-pork theme when he got home.
The end result features rustic ciabatta bread swabbed in a radioactive chipotle mayo—even my spice-averse better half appreciated the potency of this pepper-powered dressing—and loaded up with shaved pork (smoked in-house, daily), hand-cut spuds, diced onions and tangy pickle chips.
The Pearl is another gem of a meal, boasting slow-roasted turkey breast (plump, juicy slices of bird smoked in-house, daily), lump-free gravy and tart cranberry dressing dolled up with real cranberries (like Thanksgiving dinner on a bun).
Philadelphia Tavern
9413 Main St., Manassas | 703-393-1776 | www.philadelphiatavern.com
For many restaurants, brunch provides an opportunity to play with dining expectations by trotting out savory snippets born to sate mid-morning cravings. At the Philly Tavern it means: even bigger cheesesteaks.
This home-away-from-home for City of Brotherly Love transplants keeps the seats filled by serving up over two dozen specialty cheesesteaks (all prepared on fresh Amoroso rolls) and signature tavern sandwiches, including classics like liverwurst and onions. On Sundays, they up the ante with assorted meat-egg-and-cheese offerings (yeah, they got pork roll) and: the Big Fella.
The Big Fella
This breakfastified cheesesteak pads artfully grilled chopped steak and onions with made-to-order eggs (scrambled version weaves warm fluff into each bite; over-easy spills yolky goodness across the gullet) and your choice of cheese (veneer of bubbling provolone delivers a silky embrace; river of molten cheese whiz is an in-your-face delight).
South Philly Zep
If getting up before 1 p.m. on Sunday sounds like heresy, the signature South Philly Zep can vanquish hunger at any hour with a combination of grilled steak, vine-ripe tomato slices, a splash of oil and vinegar, bonus grilled salami and more melted provolone.
“I’m surprised when people get it because it’s so much meat,” manager Cathy Fennessy said of the beef-laden behemoth. “It’s insane.”
The Italian Store
3123 Lee Highway, Arlington | 703-528-6266 | www.italianstore.com
The wrapper crinkles indignantly as my fingers fight to expose its precious cargo. Seconds later, a warning patch of glistening oil alerts my senses to the now-forthcoming bout of deliciousness.
And suddenly, there it is: a bonafied muffuletta.
Muffuletta
A N’awlins staple, the muffuletta is an engineering feast predicated upon a host of savory sandwich mates—not the least of which is an olive salad boasting assorted olives, peppers, cauliflower, capers, carrots and celery.
In keeping with tradition, Italian Store owner Robert Tramonte said he gets his olive condite direct from New Orleans and has hired an ex-New York baker to make the Sicilian rolls special for him.
The extra effort is duly appreciated.
Each hollowed-out roll houses a towering mass of salami, prosciutto, provolone, mortadella, nutty olive oil, mixed peppers and sapid olive salad (pickled powerplay packs a sweet-briny sensation into every mouthful).
Tramonte suggested, however, that people tend to gravitate towards the muffuletta after they’ve seen/heard something about it, whereas his Milano flies out the door on a daily basis.
The Milano
The Milano layers cappacola, prosciuttini (cooked ham with black peppercorn crust), provolone and genoa salami on hard roll, then douses everything in a house pepper blend (roughly 3/4 sweet to 1/4 hot) that provides a solid afterburn.
Austin Grill
Multiple NoVa locations | www.austingrill.com
This homegrown Tex-Mex chainlet is perhaps best known for its oversize burritos, brimming tacos and scrape-the-bottom-of-bowl-good chili (see our June/July 2006 review).
But we’d now like to show some devoted love to their firecracker of a tuna sandwich.
Tuna sandwich
The well-grilled medallion of juicy tuna steak arrives lacquered in a terrific chile glaze (deceptively sweet veneer is dotted with telltale red pepper flakes), and is finished with squiggles of chipotle mayo (Southwestern spices kick the inherent heat up a few notches) and creamy avocado slices (buttery buffer helps temper the zesty sauces).
Bahn Mi D.C. Sandwich
3103-C Graham Road, Falls Church | 703-205-9300
I have several friends who could happily subsist on pho for the rest of their lives. My appreciation for Vietnamese street food, on the other hand, tends to tilt more towards the baguette-filled delicacies known as bahn mi.
Much like the many other ethnic bakeries to be found strewn about Falls Church, Bahn Mi D.C. specializes in exotic sweets (durian-wintermelon-mung bean cakes, anyone?) and savory sandwiches.
Their sandwich board touts two dozen flavor combinations—including staples like sour ham, grilled meatball and barbecued pork belly (thick, fire engine-red strips of zesty swine)—all under $3.50. All sandwiches are dressed with pickled radishes, cucumber, hot peppers, freshly torn cilantro and mayonnaise.
Shredded pork
A shredded-pork number is remarkably spicy, delivering to the palate wispy strands of air-dried pig (not at all desiccated like jerky; more like fiery cotton candy) that’s sauce-free yet flavorful.
Creamed sardines
Creamed sardines are even more enticing, infusing the traditionally oily fish with some underlying heat to contrast with the accompanying sour vegetable mix (a terrific seafood change-up).
Meanwhile, the shop owners keep their bulk shoppers happy with a standing “buy-five-get-one-free” deal.
La Caraquena
300 W. Broad St., Falls Church | 703-533-0076 | www.lacaraquena.com
Reina Pepeada / Photography by James Kim
Areperas are as ubiquitous in Venezuela as McDonald’s are here. But, until recently, fried-cornmeal fans had nowhere to turn (nowhere worthwhile, anyway) for a fix of these stuff-’em-to-your-liking snacks.
Gracias a dios por la familia Claros-Ugarte.
Co-owner Juan Pablo said his family picked up a penchant for arepas while living in Caracas and have been preparing them for decades—first at the original La Caraqueña they opened in Bolivia and now in Falls Church.
“We were missing the arepas,” he said of the clan’s desire to recreate their favorite South-American comfort foods.
Younger brother and chef Raul—who spent part of this year at a Venezuelan culinary academy—noted that, in true Venezuelan fashion, the arepas have colorful nicknames, including: “Peluda” (beef and cheese), “Reina Pepeada” (chicken and avocado) and “Domino” (black beans and cheese).
A traditional carne mechada arepa summons golden dough (love that delectable crunch) crowded with slow-simmered, shredded beef still dripping with peppery tomato juices. Add some grated queso paisa (semi-soft, country cheese) for a salty snap. Meanwhile, the reina pepeada folds steamy chicken and mashed avocado into a lush poultry filling better than your average chicken salad.
Hamburg Döner
202-A Harrison St. S.E., Leesburg | 703-779-7880 | www.doener-usa.com
Beef Doner / Photography by James Kim
To hear Hamburg Döner general manager Nils Schnibbe tell it, they pretty much HAD to introduce their oversize rotisserie sandwiches to the Northern Virginia market.
“It’s the most popular sandwich in Germany,” Schnibbe said. “Besides, [owner] Timo [Winkel] missed it dearly.”
Winkel’s loss is truly our gain.
Schnibbe said their döner bread is custom made by an artisan baker in Baltimore and pointed out that schnitzel is served on a grilled bröthchen (traditional German hard roll). Meanwhile, the rotating meats—they feature roast chicken the first of the week, then switch to beef on weekends—are handled in-house.
“If we would have more space in that tiny kitchen, we would have beef and chicken all the time,” Schnibbe said of the menu limitations imposed by their cramped cooking quarters.
No apologies needed.
The traditional döner is loaded with moist, shaved beef, scads of crunchy carrots, onions and cabbage, streams of modified tzatziki—augmented by a shower of crushed red pepper flakes (brilliant)—and hearty grilled bread. A chicken version bathed in low-fat yogurt sauce conserves calories without losing a whit of flavor. Tempting extras include double meat (way too much food) and crumbled feta (tres tangy).
honorable mention
Spicy Pickle
44650 Waxpool Road, Ashburn | 703-723-9420 | www.spicypickle.com
Yard bird / Photography by Hana Jung
What this Colorado-based, quick-dining shop lacks in local color they more than make up for in variety (the company claims you can create over 150,000 sandwiches from their ingredient stock) and creative thinking.
Our favorite flavor mash up was the Yard Bird, a wholly satisfying shaved chicken medley that is almost overshadowed by star turns from a supporting cast of honey mustard (boldly sweet), crumbled bacon, sliced green apples (crisp, delicious fruit) and an avalanche of blue cheese (a savory-piquant power play).
honorable mention
Grevey’s
8130 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church | 703-560-8530
Grevey’s triple decker / Photography by Hana Jung
Nothing against the core sandwiches featured on the Grevey’s menu. But why would I sip from a teacup when I can drink from the river?
The metaphorical font in question is the $10.50 soup/salad buffet Grevey’s rolls out each weekday at lunch.
A Grevey’s staffer confirmed that there is always a trio of meats—roast beef and turkey remain static, variables like brisket or honey-baked ham rotate in—on the carving board. Factor in unlimited slices of American and Swiss cheese, a bounty of breads (Kaiser rolls, wheat/white/rye) and the homemade chicken salad (quite meaty) on the salad bar, and you’ve got enough artillery to win the war against hunger many times over.
honorable mention
Capital Grille
1861 International Drive, McLean | 703-448-3900 | www.thecapitalgrille.com
Rib-eye sandwich / Photography by Hana Jung
Those who foolishly believe that any loose affiliation of chopped meat qualifies as a steak sandwich should allow the Capital Grille to show you the error of your low-expectation-having ways.
Their mouthwatering rib-eye sandwich features a 12-ounce cut of well-seasoned beef (an inch-high slab of well-marbled meat) smothered in melted havarti and caramelized onions (bring the sweet), all shoehorned into a crisply toasted baguette. Meanwhile, a side of subtle but still flavorful horseradish cream sauce (this steak is an absolute beast—let’s amp up the zing, CG!) injects just a touch of spice.
(October 2008)
