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Showing results for tags 'Crystal City'.
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A friend of mine who is intimately familiar with this type of food says Kabob Palace is the best. Didn't see a post for it so I shall mention it here. Better than Ravi, apparently. -
You could have knocked me over with a feather. After having done this, happily discovering a U-turn back into DC on I-395 shortly after crossing the Potomac River, I decided to take the left fork in the road - the one that's marked "Long Bridge Drive." You will simply not believe there is a place this barren and rubble-strewn so close to downtown DC - it reminds me of the time a few years ago when I took a drive through the parking lot of what used to be Landover Mall. But then, I went around a turn, and before my very eyes, on the left of the road, was a huge hill leading up to what appeared to be some sort of park. There were lots of people there, and some were wearing batting helmets. Could it be? Yes! Yes it was! It was a park - Long Bridge Park to be exact - the most unlikely thing I've seen in quite awhile. Amidst the rubble-strewn road seemed to be some really nice athletic fields (inside of a 30-acre park, it turns out, with plenty of parking), and it's less than five minutes from the Washington, DC line. The website doesn't mention any batting cages, but this looks like the type of place that would have them. Although I didn't park and walk up to look, this place looked like it was really nice, and *if* there's a batting cage, it's probably the closest one to several neighborhoods in Washington, DC. Remember this - go to this post about making a U-turn on I-395, but don't make the U-turn - take the left fork in the road, and you'll be right at the batting cage within seconds. If you keep going, past the park, you'll end up in the heart of Crystal City - it's the fastest route to Jaleo, Kabob Palace (open 24 hours), etc. And then to get back into DC, just reverse course - it couldn't be any closer, and nobody knows about this exit off of I-395.- 3 replies
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Wandered into Kohinoor Dhaba today, per the proprietor of Indus Imports in Old Town Alexandria. Just last night, he took his family there for the first time, in search of a place to send customers when they ask (and they always ask) "where should I go for lunch today". So there I went. Environment No frills. I did not realize this would be a buffet situation. But hey, in for a penny, in for a pound, and that pounding was going to be my headache if I did not eat something soon. The outside of the restaurant carried an inviting aroma, made furher appealing by the warm greeting I received when I opened the door. A prominent, cleanly kept buffet and a few tables dominated the first floor. A more open space and additional tables appeared on the second floor. Self service water, napkins, and plastic flatware were also upstairs, making this a quick, easy, convenient lunch or dinner option for anyone on the go. The bathroom was remarkably tidy for such a small space. As a solo, famished diner, I found this layout excellent for my chowful needs. Would also be hella fun as a group to start or end a night on the town, with none of the interruptive table service hassles that can be a conversation-killer. Food Hat Tips: Marinated (not really pickled) onions, spinach pakora, and goat curry. Especially the curry, gawds that was good goat. The freshly-quartered limes on the buffet are a bright way to punch up the flavor for any of the dishes (plus, Vitamin C in da haus!). Just Misses: Bund gobi aur matar, the cabbage and peas underseasoned and dominated with oil. Garlic naan appeared beautiful with hallmark char and browned allium, but the quality of the flour prevented anything more than a token addition to the meal. Regular naan comes with the buffet, garlic an additional charge. Ease of Access Parking spaces in front of the building seemed reserved for other establishments, so adjacent meters are the way to go. Since I don't mind the trek, I just parked in the neighborhood behind the restaurant and walked the block and a half over. Upon the entrance, a set of steep stairs awaits, entailing precarious footing. Once inside, the bathroom is also upstairs. The faint of knees should dine elsewhere. The all-you-can-eat buffet with six entree options and condiments a-plenty was a whopping $8.95. An option for anyone seeking quick-fix Northern Indian, especially on a Saturday morning before the lunch time crowd hits. Website -
http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/grill-w...rchive/?chat=71 detailed chat on Morou's (ex Farrah Olivia) new enterprise to make us forget (hopefully) about the dismal failure of once promising Bebo. -
This is one of the only restaurants to serve Uighur cuisine in the country (there are probably 5 total, from my limited googling, and none in the east coast). I'd been meaning to go to this place since it opened, as it's pretty close to where I live. There have been good early reviews on Chowhound and Yelp and Tyler Cowen, and I was pretty excited about it. It's right next door to Legal Seafood on 23rd St. First impression is that it is absolutely freezing in that restaurant. The hostesses and waitresses were wearing parkas. I kept my coat on the whole time. I ordered a hot tea to start, out of sheer necessity. Unlike a lot of Chinese restaurants, the tea is not free. They also have many varieties of it. This one was their house, and it was $3.50. They don't have alcohol at this point. It was just me, so I couldn't order a whole lot. They are known for their big plate chicken, but it was a lot of food for one person, and I don't have time for leftovers this week, so I'll wait til the next visit to try it. I got the cold spice noodle, which is similar to Hong Kong Palace's Chengdu Spicy Cold Noodles. This came out first, and they give you a lot more of it. It's not that spicy, and honestly, blander compared to HKP. For my main, I wanted something spicy, and so she recommended the chicken laghman. This was a noodle stir fry, there was eggplants, celery, red peppers, green peppers, and large caliber noodles that I guess they are noted for. It was a brownish sauce that was tasty but not spicy in the least. I told the waitress this, and I asked for some chili. She brought a brownish sauce that was pretty darn good, added that umami, and spiced it up a bit. I was really hoping to like this place more. I certainly get their star dish, nor did I try any of their lamb dishes, which looked good. I saw people with the chicken dish, and it looked/smelled great. I'll go again when I have some company to eat with. I'd suggest going when the weather gets better, unless it was heating problem that hopefully will get fixed. Anyone else go yet?- 16 replies
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Lunch today at Legal Sea Foods in Montgomery Mall. My companion and I agreed that the servings seemed fresher and more substantial than equivalent fare at the K St LSF. We also like the one at the airport and are neutral about the one on Rte 1. Yes, I know it all arrives from Boston on the same truck, but the outlets are so different that it doesn't seem like a chain. I had a dozen cherrystones with LSF's unique mignonette sauce -- green, tart and chunky, miles better than that awful ketchup-based stuff. I would gladly buy a jarfull if it were available. The clams were fair-sized and shucked to retain the fluid. They were tasty but I'm not sure I prefer them to the top necks I get at Sea Catch. Then I had grilled scallops with couscous, a green salad and Boston cream pie. Everything was good, and FWIW the waitress was really pretty. She packed me up a container of the mignonette, which I will traitorously carry with me to Sea Catch next time. -
If you are trying to stay in the burbs, Harar Mesob on 23rd in Arlington near Crystal City is tops. -
Farrah Olivia by Morou: Opening September in the Old Town Alexandria space that was home to Sutton Place Gourmet's Blue Point Grill comes this new (long awaited!) offering from the highly regarded former Executive Chef at the now defunct Signatures, (600 Franklin Street, Alexandria, VA; 703.597.6409) Source: The List, Are You On It? -
Tonight we were ready to order from the Crystal City location and discovered from the website that that shop is under new management and will be called Hearthstone Pizza Bistro. I called and was told that they're rebranding but keeping the same menu and recipes. Anyone hear anything about this? Our pizza was good, but I couldn't help being hypercritical just because I knew that management had changed. I kept asking my husband and daughter, "What do you think? How does it taste?" I hope this cafe stays true to its beginnings. It took sooo long to get a decent go-to place in the neighborhood. -
In Crystal City... My waitress from a different restaurant was Issan and told me Urban Thai has Issan menu (like Little Serow's style). She says it's excellent. Funny, she hasn't heard of Little Serow and when looking at Yelp pictures she said "It doesn't look Thai, it looks modernized Americanized". Has anyone tried Urban?
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According to Arlnow the long running Hamburger Hamlet in Crystal City could close. Evidently there are some last minute negotiations going on to try and keep the restaurant operating per the article -
While I am unsure about the Herndon location of Matsutake, I have noticed the Wilson Blvd location going by a new name: Boru Fusion. I am unsure what stayed the same as I have not been there before, but bewarned that the website has music--it confirms that it owns the Crystal City location too. Please update! :-) -
I keep on driving on rte one and the lights have been out at Afghan Restaurant for a while - They have the best flatbread and used to have an awesome all-you-can-eat lunch special. I saw a sign that seemed to be offering up the space for redevelopment. Anyone know if they are ever re-opening or are the days of great bread, slurpy noodle soup and crazy- generous kebab platters over? -
I have no idea how the pizza, sandwiches, or salads are, but they donuts tasted like childhood. WaPo's John Kelly's take. -
I have been looking for an opportunity to get to Athena Pallas ever since I heard that grilled octopus was on the menu. I made it there today, and I was pleasantly surprised. At lunch, the grilled octopus is an appetizer, so I ordered a double, along with a small Greek salad. It was extremely good, and I would return for it again, or take a detour for it, or whatever I need to say to make it clear that this was a dish that deserves significant praise. Nicely grilled, with plenty of char texture and flavor, and with a light lemon and oregano saucing....simply delicious. How best to describe Athena Pallas...? It's not Kapnos or Nostos, in that it is far from trendy or upscale. These are classic Greek dishes prepared simply. Think Taverna Cretekou in Old Town, but at least half a star better. Athena Pallas also appears to enjoy an elderly demographic, with at least two-thirds of a fairly full lunchtime restaurant falling into that category. That may be the case because it's been around for a while, it's not too expensive, its food is very traditional instead of chic, and the noise level is way down. Call it a comfortable -- or comforting -- place, where you'd want to take your parents or grandparents for a nice meal. Check it out here. I know a fellow who is 80-ish, a retired executive from the IT industry with a nice bank account, who eats out almost every day. He can eat anywhere he wants to eat, but his typical haunts are Cafe Renaissance in Vienna, Da Domenico in Tysons and Village Bistro in Rosslyn. I bumped into him today, for the first time in about a year, at Athena Pallas. Neither of us were surprised to find each other in this restaurant. -
Much maligned Crystal City needs some love in the Dining Guide. Neramitra qualifies, but only a little. Our table started with Tofu Todd, with nicely fried tofu triangles that arrived right out of the fryer, along with a nice sweet-sour sauce for dipping. Then came my standard drunken noodles, which I ordered American spicy because I felt wimpish today, along with a vegetarian red curry and the Neramitra duck -- the latter being crispy duck stir-fired with garlic and basil. All dishes were very good, with fresh and crisp veggies and nice balance of savory-sweet-hot-sour, but all portions were small. Neramitra stands out in an otherwise wasteland of Crystal City restaurants, but it is within a short walk of Kora....when in the neighborhood, Kora gets my first choice unless I have to have Thai.
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Cucina Vivace recently opened in Crystal City next to Cafe Pizzaiolo. According to their website they are only open for dinner (Tues-Sun). -
Memphis Barbeque is currently under construction in Crystal City and is hiring at the moment. The location is close to the Crystal City Jaleo and Buffalo Wild Wings. I have talked to the owner/chef twice and he has said that the restaurant will be opening in 30 days or so. Rob -
While walking down 23rd St. in Crystal City this weekend, I noticed a new Eritrean restaurant called Enjera (website) and, on the other side of 23rd St., an Ethiopian restaurant called Harar Mesob. Anyone tried either one yet? -
This seems to be a new coal fired pizza place in Crystal City at 549 S. 23rd St. Website. Anyone seen it or tried it yet?
