Cyclone Anaya’s – Mexican in the Mosaic District

C – So, this was a nice surprise. It was a Sunday and we wanted something that wasn’t your typical brunch and we got it. Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen opened in November 2013. It went up so fast, I didn’t even see it happen. That section of the Mosaic District now boasts several new restaurants I’m dying to try.

But back to the Mexican grub. Cyclone Anaya’s offers quite the brunch spread including the typical Huevos Rancheros and the not so typical Carne Asada and Eggs. But we went straight for the lunch fare. This girl wanted a taco.

I had the Del Rio Dinner: Crispy beef taco, homemade tamale and a beef enchilada. Served with guacamole, Mexican rice and beans. It was a lot of food, and yes, I totally cleaned my plate. Every last morsel.

I should say that there didn’t seem to be anything spectacular about the food. It was typical. But typical totally works when you’re in the mood for Mexican.

Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen
Mosaic District
703-992-9227
2911 District Ave., Suite 170
Fairfax, VA 22031

**check out their website for the fascinating story of Cyclone Anaya – the professional wrestler who started a family restaurant. http://www.cycloneanaya.com/our-story/ 

Before Midnight at Angelika Mosaic Film Center and Café

C – On the grounds of what used to be the Merrifield Multiplex in Fairfax, anchoring the newly developed Mosaic Center and standing directly across from the new and super awesome Super Target, there is a new way to enjoy film. The Angelika Mosaic Film Center & Café opened late last year and it has quickly become the place to be. With only three other locations — two in Texas and one in New York — the Angelika Film Center isn’t a big chain. The concept, according to the website, is a state-of-the-art boutique cinema that exhibits “the highest quality art, independent and specialty films in a cutting edge theatrical environment.” IT IS GORGEOUS. Everything is new, modern and spotless. There’s a café/lounge you can relax in or you can take your meal to-go… right into the theater. They also offer, wine, beer and expresso drinks. At $13 for an adult ticket you might think it’s extraordinarily expensive, however, most other theaters in the area are about $12 for evening shows. If you catch a show before 4pm at Angelika it’s $11, and if you decide on a morning movie it very economical at $6 (M-Th only).

One might think the Angelika is all about the art house films, but Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby and Star Trek Into Darkness are all playing there right now (June 2013). It’s a nice mix that also includes Mud, Quartet and Before Midnight. I chose Before Midnight as I was a fan of the first and second movies Before Sunrise in 1995, and Before Sunset in 2004. These are not my usual kind of movies… talky, talk, talk, blahdy, blah, blah. But they work for me, somehow. Perhaps partly because the characters are my age. I grew up with them and I’ve been so interested to see what happens to them over the years. I was literally the only person in the theater — at 2pm on a Monday — which felt a bit weird, but I got over it as I was absorbed into the long scenes of continuous dialogue. (For some reason, I sat in the pre-assigned seat I chose at the ticket desk. That might be something to analyze later). If you haven’t seen the first two in the series, I’m not sure how Before Midnight would go down for you. If you have seen them and you want to continue the journey with Celine and Jesse, I’d highly recommend a trip to the theater.

Angelika Mosaic
http://www.angelikafilmcenter.com
2911 District Ave
@ Lee Hwy & Gallows Rd
Fairfax , VA 22031