Pizzeria Orso

C – Tucked into the Pearson Square complex, behind Elevation Burger and the construction that will be a part of the Falls Church City Center, is a relatively new pizza joint that’s worth a visit. Pizzeria Orso serves authentic Neapolitan pizza as well as a collection of other entrees including small plates and pastas.

I’ve been there twice in the past few weeks and I have to say, while the weather is nice, the outdoor dining experience is not to be missed. There’s a little construction noise in the background, but it’s nice that there’s an option for getting a bit of fresh air while you dine, and the patio is big and comfortable.

The wait staff is pleasant, friendly and attentive. The food is pretty darn good. It’s very much a family place, so if you’re looking for a quiet romantic meal, this isn’t for you. Pizzeria Orso just received a “Best of Falls Church – 2014” award from the Falls Church News Press and Yelp reviews are favorable. Overall, I’d recommend it.

Pizzeria Orso
400 South Maple Avenue
Falls Church City, VA 22046
*closed on Mondays

Exploring Eastern Market

K- Sunday seemed the perfect day to walk around as it was a nice day and cooler than it had been the last few weeks so I decided to explore Eastern Market. It had been awhile since I had been there and I wanted to check out the produce and craft items.

Before I hit the Market I wandered through the flea market, which is every Sunday. There were some interesting items however I found much of it on the expensive side – well, at least for me! For example, there were old Mason jars with lids that started around $3 and went up depending on size and if it had a lid. Stands at the market included clothing, jewelry, copper pots and crafted mirrors.

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After the flea market I walked among the food and craft booths outside. Much of the produce was reasonably priced and looked delicious. Some of the people at the stands had samples of their tomatoes, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables as well as salsas and sauces. I tried a habanero sauce that was tasty and had a nice little kick to it.

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Inside the building, which according to Wikipedia was designed by Adolf Cluss and was in continuous operation as a public market from 1873 until April 30, 2007 – when the fire occured – I found more delicious food items including cakes, salads and cheese in addition to beautiful bouquets of flowers.

If you have a chance to walk over to the Eastern Market you can easily spend a few hours there and that’s not stopping to have breakfast or lunch at any of the stands or nearby restaurants. You can also get your grocery shopping done as there is everything there for a nice dinner such as poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetables, fresh pasta, cheeses, baked goods, and whatever else you can think of… and you could set the table with a nice bouquet to boot!

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Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Friday – 7am – 7pm
Saturday –  7am – 6pm
Sunday –  9am – 5pm
Monday – CLOSED

 225 Seventh Street, SE    Washington, DC  20003

 

BLT Steak

C – I’d like to direct your attention to the popovers in the photo above. Free with any meal at BLT Steak, these could easily be mistaken for the highlight of your dinner. In fact, they’re so popular, BLT provides the recipe in the form of a cute, branded card. But don’t be fooled, the popovers are good, but the steak is the real center of attention here. (Also, don’t eat the whole popover. Rookie mistake. Never fill up on bread even if it is laced with Gruyere.)

I got the filet mignon during my most recent visit to BLT and it did not disappoint. Weighing in at 12 ounces, it’s easily the largest filet I’ve ever been served. Paired with Bearnaise sauce, I couldn’t resist eating the whole thing. Nothing left for the doggie bag.

BLT Steak is expensive and everything is a la carte. So, this isn’t an every week kind of restaurant. But on special occasions, or when you just want a really good steak, it’s the place to be. Bonus: great atmosphere, hopping bar scene and good selection of beers.

BLT Steak
1625 I Street, NW
Washington, DC

 

 

 

Cheesecake Factory – Fair Oaks Mall (Yes, totally worth a mention)

10 years ago I was introduced to a book called Restaurant Confidential. It was the brainchild of the Center for Science in the Public Interest – the killjoys behind the movie popcorn calories and fat scandal that surfaced many years ago. Of course, the end result was healthier popcorn – which is good – but they basically scared an entire population into wondering what they had been putting into their bodies every Friday night. The book went much further, by breaking down the nutritional information for popular chains like Starbucks, Outback Steakhouse and the Cheesecake Factory.

If I took one thing away from that book, it was that everything at the Cheesecake Factory was born of the devil. (The crazy stat that still sticks with me is the fact that the worst thing on the menu at the time was actually the carrot cake!) Now, several years later, a friend I haven’t seen in a long time asks me to meet her there. Gulp! I’ve avoided the place for so long, but how can I say no?

The first thing I noticed was that it was very easy to get to despite some mall construction jamming things up. It has a separate entrance so it’s easily accessible – you don’t have to go through the mall, which is a plus. The second thing I noticed, after I was handed the usual book-sized menu, was a second smaller “SkinnyLicious® Menu.” Clearly, they’ve learned. I got the Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese Flatbread which was surprisingly out of sight. Since it was about 400 calories I decided to venture into the book menu and round off my evening with the original, regular cheesecake. At 800 calories it’s by no means “skinny,” but every bite was worth it.

The Cheesecake Factory
Basically Everywhere

 

Restaurant Week

K – Restaurant Week is happening now and it’s a great opportunity to experience many of the great restaurants in our area at a reasonable price. For just $20.14 you can get a 3-course lunch or $35.14 for a 3-course dinner. It’s best if you can book ahead on a site like OpenTable to ensure you can get in as many of the restaurants get very crowded during this time. Also if you plan to do lunch make certain that the restaurant is including lunch for Restaurant Week as not all are doing lunch and dinner.

Some of the fabulous restaurants that are participating include 1789 (dinner only), 701 (lunch and dinner), Cuba Libre (lunch and dinner), FarmersFishersBakers (dinner only), Mintwood Place (dinner only), RIS (lunch and dinner) and The Source (lunch). For an example of a Restaurant Week menu from Brasserie Beck click here.

Restaurant Week ends 19 January however some do extend the offer for longer so check their websites. Bon appetit!

Boozy Brunch at P.O.V.

C – We were in the mood for a boozy brunch on Sunday, so we took an honorary 3rd Girl to P.O.V. on 15th Street. High atop what used to the be the Hotel Washington, P.O.V. is now the jewel in the W Hotel’s crown. With views that sweep across the city, it’s an experience you should embrace more than once in your life. The food isn’t cheap, but it isn’t outrageous either. Small plates are their thing, and we found four were enough for the three of us. The pitcher of White Peach Bellini set us back $65.

K- Besides the pitcher of Bellini, we ordered the cheddar-jalapeno fritters, beef short-rib steam buns, fried chicken and waffle, and 7 grain French toast with bacon. The fritters were nice, crunchy and with a bit of spice – not greasy at all. The French toast had a wonderful grainy texture and flavour and the maple syrup added a little sweetness to it. The steam buns were very spicy – if you aren’t use to something with quite a bit of heat you may want to think about it. The fried chicken was crispy as was the waffle. The four small plates were more than enough for the three of us so we unfortunately had to skip dessert.  While we enjoyed our brunch we had a great roof top view of the city, which included the White House and Treasury. Overall, it was a fabulous view, good food, yummy drinks with wonderful friends!

The Food:

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The View:

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P.O.V.
515 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
TIP: Make reservations through http://www.opentable.com for anytime up until 8:30pm. At 9:00pm the club starts thumping (untz, untz, untz!) and it’s a free for all.

Jackson 20 – A Modern Restaurant in Old Town

C – If you’ve ever stayed at a Hotel Monaco, or any Kimpton property for that matter, you know you can expect an extraordinary experience. Jackson 20 is a modern restaurant set within the hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria. Definitely high-end, but not at all stuffy, this restaurant caters to a crowd that’s simply bored of the ordinary.

My friend and I stopped by during the most recent Restaurant Week in August. It was mid-week and it was crowded, but not unbearably so. The hostess was incredibly nice and cheerful and our waiter was outstanding, answering all sorts of silly questions from both of us and catering to our whims. This is the kind of place where quality service is clearly a priority.

I went for the Restaurant Week menu for $30.13 with the following choices:

1. Wedge – my absolute favorite salad mostly because restaurants are so clever they can charge you and arm and a leg for a hunk of iceberg with a few toppings. And it’s delightful. This one had the usual wedge of lettuce plus blue cheese dressing and bacon. Rounding it out were pickled red onions which added a tiny little twist to an otherwise standard dish.
   
2. Charcoal Slow Roasted Goat – I know. Goat! But take a look at the picture. Included in the dish was cream corn, pimento cheese ravioli and sweet potato puree. Lots going on there. Flavors combining to create a taste explosion I just didn’t expect.
   
3. Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake – I am totally a dessert person, but by the time this came around I really didn’t have much room. But I worked through it, like the trooper I am. The cheescake came with lavender infused honey, fresh lemon curd, candied blueberries and almond brittle. Also, unbelievably good.
   

My friend went off piste a bit and decided against the Restaurant Week Menu. This is because it comes with dessert – there are no substitutions – and she doesn’t eat sugar. (I know, how are we even friends?) Anyhoo, she noshed on some of my wedge and then went for the New Frontier Bison Hangar Steak with tomato, red onion salad, asher blue cheese and potato wedges. Now, here’s the thing: she’s a serious meat eater and her entire trip to the US had been plagued with poorly, over-cooked (honestly, burned) steak. So there was a very critical conversation with the waiter about how the meat would be prepared with an additional request to the chef to ensure the bison wasn’t kept on the flame too long. They totally took it in stride and she was incredibly pleased with the result. They really listened to her and understood where she was coming from. That right there… that kind of service, is worth the trip to Jackson 20.

Oh – one more thing: They have a “Doggy Yappy Hour” in their courtyard, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8, April – October. How great is that?

Jackson 20
480 King Street

Alexandria , VA 22314

Phone: 703.842.2790

An Afternoon at the Mosaic District

C – The weather in the DC area has been unseasonably cool, so K and I took the opportunity to spend some time outside last Friday. We met at the Mosaic District — the area’s latest mixed-use development in Merrifield, Virginia. The interesting thing about Mosaic is that it’s a bit of an island. Not literally, of course, but the roads that surround it (Lee Highway, Gallows Road, Arlington Blvd. and Prosperity Avenue) are so busy that walking to the site from the nearby Dunn Loring Metro Station, while possible, may be a bit daunting. Once inside the perimeter, Mosaic boasts excellent eateries, eclectic boutiques, a luxury movie theater and the most remarkable Target ever. The whole area invites you to stroll — and that’s exactly what everyone was doing. K and I are consultants, so our schedules are flexible. How is it that so many people had time on their hands to hang out at 2pm on a Friday? The district is so pleasant, it practically begs workers to take a well-deserved skip day.

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K- While walking around the Mosaic District we decided to have lunch at Sweet Green, which has locations throughout DC, Virginia and Maryland and boasts that their ingredients are from local, organic farms. It wasn’t an easy choice with so many good restaurants in the area including Four Sisters, Matchbox and Taylor Gourmet. But we were in a salad mood so Sweet Green it was!

Sweet Green offers salads and wraps. You can choose from the ones they offer or make your own. We decided to choose from the ones they offer and sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. I chose the spicy sabzi salad with organic baby spinach, shredded kale, spicy quinoa, spicy broccoli, carrots, raw beets, basil, sprouts and roasted tofu; topped with a carrot chili vinaigrette and a squeeze of sriracha. It was a spicy and refreshing salad, which I liked very much. I didn’t even mind the raw beets even though I really, really, dislike beets. I think it’s because with the salad mixture I didn’t really taste them. C- had the guacamole greens salad with organic mesclun, roasted chicken, avocado, grape tomatoes, red onion and crushed tortilla chips; topped with a lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette and a fresh lime squeeze. She is still talking about that salad!

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Mosaic District
2910 District Avenue
Fairfax, VA 22031

**Mosaic has an excellent Twitter feed: @MosaicDistrict. Follow them for information on free events like Films in the Park.

Eastern Shore – sure!

K – While we were at Assateague there were a few days that we were unable to go to the beach due to intermittent rain. So we decided to explore the area to see what kind of other stuff one could do in the area besides the beach towns.  Here are a few places we found.

Parksley, Va: The Railway Museum

According to the Eastern Shore Railway Museum website “In 1884 the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad constructed a railroad line down the middle of Virginia’s Eastern Shore which eventually connected to the Tidewater area via a barge system.  The Town of Parksley, a planned community along the railway, was established in 1885. The original station was built in 1894.  The original station was two-stories with agent housing on the upper floor.  The station was moved when a new station was erected in 1906. This building was razed in the 1960-1970 time-frame.  The current station was formerly the Hopeton, Virgina Station and was located 2 miles north of Parksley.  In 1988, the Hopeton Station was donated to the Town of Parksley and relocated to the present site which is the site of the original station.”  Unfortunately we went when the museum was closed but we still were able to peek inside of the train cars.

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Cape Charles, Va.

The rain took a break so we were able to walk around the town and check out the different shops including an art gallery and a jewelry store that used real orchids in some of their jewelry. We also went to the beach and found many informational plaques around the town including one that talked about the crater that was created nearby from a meteor impact.

Some history  – Cape Charles was founded in the 1880s and consisted of farmlands and wetlands.  From its very conception, it was a planned community. Two engineers were commissioned to do the official mapping of the Town in 1884, which was approximately 136 acres divided into 644 equal lots. Seven avenues that extend from east to west were named for Virginia statesmen; the streets that extend north and south were named for fruits. The original layout of the Town is still visible today.

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Bloxom Winery

Not far from the B & B we stayed in at New Church is Bloxom Winery,  a delightful little winery with fabulous home-made pizza, ciabatta, chocolate mousse and of course, wine.  Francesca makes the margarita pizza in the wood-fired oven to order so it’s always fresh tasting. They offer about five different wines including a Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a Chardonnay. You can taste the wine, have a glass or two with your pizza and take a few cases home with you if you want.

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Bloxom Winery

Mason Road (Route 681), Bloxom, VA

 

Elevation Burger vs. Five Guys

C – Huge news! The food press in London are all giddy about the latest thing to hit Covent Garden: Five Guys. The burger market has been strong there for the past two years and as of July 5th, this Arlington, Virginia burger joint is the latest to take on the finicky UK market. Patrons seem most excited about the free soda refills, something Londoners are not accustomed to.

Five Guys expanding into Atlanta airport

I love Five Guys. They have great burgers for decent prices and they are everywhere in the DMV. Their website states they only use fresh ground beef (thanks for that), nothing is ever frozen and they only use peanut oil. A meal at Five Guys means quality. Sounds great, right?

Well, if you live in the DC area, you either lean Five Guys or Elevation Burger. I tend to go for the latter. While Elevation Burger –which opened its first location in Falls Church in 2005 — hasn’t yet made it to the UK, it does seem to have quite a presence in the Middle East. Stores are popping up all over the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and the KSA. They also boast great burgers for decent prices but the difference is in the ingredients. According to their website, their burgers are made with 100% free range, organic, grass fed beef beef and their fries are cooked in olive oil. They also advertise a deep commitment to the environment from the use of environmentally sustainable materials in their buildings to the donation of waste olive oil for conversion into bio-diesel.

So, in this battle of the DC burger joints, who wins? Both are great options, but given a choice, I’d go with Elevation Burger.