Tim Carman: Favorite Northern VA restaurants, and why DC has less ethnic food that it should.
Simple: economics. Come on over to Northern Virginia and you’ll find lots of great options because the rent’s cheaper.
There’s also a great list of NoVA eats here. Try ‘em out!
Carman on Why D.C. Has So Little Great Ethnic Food – City Desk – Washington City Paper.
Not Your Average Joe’s
19307 Promenade Drive (Lansdowne Town Center), Leesburg, VA 20176
571.333.5637 notyouraveragejoes.com
This is my second visit to NYAJ in Lansdowne, I went with a friend for lunch today. Again, the foccacia and dipping oil was superb, but that’s as far as that went. I ordered the Spinach and Pear salad, and asked for them to add chicken to it, an option with all of their salads for an additional fee. When our lunch finally came the salad had no chicken on top and was absolutely swimming in the Maple Vinaigrette dressing, which tasted more like straight maple syrup. The pears were hard and crunchy and the spinach was at the end of its shelf life. Another 1/2 star out of 4 for this experience as well. I don’t think I want to go back anymore.
Details
Cuisine: American
Price range: $8 – $17
Locally-based? No
Reservations? Yes
Kids menu? Yes
Vegetarian dishes? Yes
WiFi? Yes
Smoking? No
Hours: Su – Noon to 9pm, M-Th – 11am to 10pm, F-Sa – 11am to 10:30pm
M-Ones Cut-to-the-chase Summary
Did we enjoy it? Not really
Would we go back? Already did, so we’ve probably exhausted that path
Worth the money? Not even at the price
Rating: 1/2 an M out of 5 MMMMM
Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm
42920 Broadlands Boulevard, Broadlands, VA 20148571.209.1200www.clydes.comI met up with a friend, Amy, at the newest of the Clyde’s chain in Ashburn this evening. The weather was gorgeous so we decided to sit outside on their expansive patio. The restaurant itself is absolutely huge, constructed of something like three different very old buildings meshed together. The result is beautiful, and very very Virginia.This wasn’t my first trip to this particular Clyde’s, and the first few experiences were just OK from the standpoint of food quality, even to the point of being highly inconsistent. This time, I am happy to say, was completely different. I ordered the ribs, and they were honestly some of the best ribs I’ve ever had. I like them when they are so tender the meat literally just falls off the bone with little assistance, and the sauce is a bit tangy and a bit sweet. I think most places call that “Texas style” barbeque. These were exactly the way I like them. And they came with a side of baked beans in a cute little pot, with chunks of bacon mixed in – delicious! I was drinking a glass of Estancia Red Zinfandel, it seemed to pair well with the ribs.Overall, I would give this visit to this Clyde’s a rating of 2 1/2 stars (out of 4). The service was attentive but not annoying, and the atmosphere was certainly wonderful.
Blue Ridge Grill
955 Edwards Ferry Rd, Leesburg, VA 20176
703.669.5505
www.brgrill.com
I have mixed feelings about Blue Ridge Grill. I don’t like the location, and it’s rather awkward to get to it. The atmosphere is bland and suburban, and people flock to it as if there is no other option in Leesburg. There are other options, there just don’t happen to be a lot of good ones. However, the food here is fairly consistent and good quality. What they are trying to do is certainly a good cut above the TGI Friday’s just down the street.
On this visit I opted for the Luau Steak, which is a nicely marbled ribeye marinated, grilled, and topped with a pineapple-teriyaki glaze. The steak quality was good, and it was cooked rare exactly as I asked for it. This is sometimes very hard to get, grill cooks more often than not want to overcook red meat, regardless of how you order it. The baked potato was fluffy on the inside just like it should be. The food here is not overly creative, but it is fresh and not overpriced. It’s a good casual place to go with your family as it’s very kid-friendly, and much better than most of the options in the area.
Not Your Average Joe’s
19307 Promenade Drive (Lansdowne Town Center), Leesburg, VA 20176
571.333.5637 www.notyouraveragejoes.com
I had attempted to eat here before, but the power went out all over Lansdowne, all the way to Leesburg. All I had at that point was some of their foccacia bread and dipping oil. I should have quit while I was ahead and taken the power outage as a bad omen.
The restaurant itself has good atmosphere, and lots of outdoor seating for warm weather. It’s right on the main street in the new Town Center area of Lansdowne, where there is plenty of competition already. NYAJ is a small-ish chain that is primarily up in New England; this is their first, and only restaurant right now, outside that area. I took my daughter, Syd, and my mother-in-law here for dinner while SQ was out of town. The MIL and I split a pitcher of Sangria, after eyeballing another table of ladies sharing some. It was good, not great, but we were enjoying it. Syd and I also split a Mozzarella Tomato salad for a starter. The mozzarella was a bit tasteless, and the beefsteak tomatoes were not fully ripe yet. Also, the first batch of foccacia we were served was so hard I thought I was going to pull a tooth out trying to bite into it. Too bad…the dipping oil with grated cheese and red pepper flakes is really yummy. Syd and I then split the Chicken Carbonara for dinner. This too was rather bland and tasteless. MIL seemed to like her dinner, the Tuscan Shrimp. I didn’t have any of hers so I can’t comment on that dish. I do always like to give someplace new at least two chances, so I’ll come back another time to give it another try.
Details
Cuisine: American
Price range: $8 – $17
Locally-based? No
Reservations? Yes
Kids menu? Yes
Vegetarian dishes? Yes
WiFi? Yes
Smoking? No
Hours: Su – Noon to 9pm, M-Th – 11am to 10pm, F-Sa – 11am to 10:30pm
M-Ones Cut-to-the-chase Summary
Did we enjoy it? No
Would we go back? Probably not if it wasn’t nearby, but we’ll give it another shot
Worth the money? Perhaps at the price it competes
Rating: 1/2 an M out of 5 MMMMM
Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper
728 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
703.299.8384
www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com
The BEST fish and chips in the US!! (I’ve not been to Dublin yet…) This tiny little place on a corner of King Street in Alexandria is owned by Cathal Armstrong, of Restaurant Eve fame, and named after his son. They don’t have many tables as it’s primarily a takeaway, or many items on their menu other than the battered cod and hand cut chips (fries). I think they have a burger and a sausage, but why bother when the fish is really THAT good. You order at the counter (a pint of Guinness is also a must), and they call your name when the food is ready. It all comes in takeaway bags, even if you’re eating there at the semi-communal tables. And it is so piping hot you have to wait a few minutes or you’ll burn your tongue off. But it’s absolutely worth the wait. And I love the motto on the door – ‘Thanks Be to Cod.’
We happened to be here on the Friday evening of the last Harry Potter book release, and all of Alexandria had been transformed into places from the books. Several of the stores were doing themed activities, and there were tiny wizards and witches running up and down the streets. The weather was beautiful and the kids looked absolutely adorable.
Overall, 3 stars out of 4 for Eamonn’s.
Eamonn’s Dublin Chipper
There are three or maybe four guilty food pleasures everyone needs to have at their disposal. These are the staples that you can hit on a whim, with no research and no navigation system to get you there. The list for me includes a great burger joint, pizza place, pub, chipper, and diner. In the DC area we pretty much have all these covered well several times over, but of all these the clearest choice for fish, chips (and a Guinness out of a clean tap) is Eamonn’s.For DC food freaks this’ll probably come as no surprise. Cathal Armstrong’s already made quite a name with his first DC enterprise, the deservedly high-rated Restaurant Eve, also in Alexandria.The menu is geared to quick fare and has been recently been updated to include quite a few additional items – a scary thought to consider having too many options to entice more business with the lack of seating in the restaurant’s tight corner spot on King Street – but you’ve gotta get over to Eamonn’s for the fresh battered cod and all the sauce options offered, which all happen to be made in-house daily. There are some old standbys on the list and some others (you need to try them all), including: Tartar, Marie Rose, Chesapeake, Hot Chili, Kitty O’ Shea, Fronch, and Curry. Just know that when your fish comes out, it’ll be hot but at a busy time this might not be so bad, since it’s possible you’ll still be waiting for one of the few open seats (and it’s most likely you’ll be sharing a table with some new friends).Willy gets tired of me whining about beer taps. Seems like it’s about a 50/50 on whether you’re going to get a draft beer that’s part beer taste and part foul, old tap taste or, with luck, a nice draft pour. No worries here. An Eamonn’s Guinness is all good: just what one expects to get when ordering the nectar of the gods.Perhaps the only downside to Eamonn’s is that you’ll definitely spend a little more than you might expect from a quick grab chipper. Just remind yourself that you’re getting a great tasting, fresh, high quality product that won’t disappoint.For me, Eamonn’s is the first place to go for fish and chips in the DC area. 3 out of 4 stars (great food in a fast serve environment, authentic but sometimes challenging to get a seat so you might wind up doing take out if you can resist a fresh Guinness on draft).
