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Little City Gourmet, Owner Rachelle Slotnick and Chef Samantha Mairano near East Falls Church Metro - Closed


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Great idea for a thread. Good job!! I don't know if this is splitting hairs or whether it's a typo, but Little City Gourmet's web site says they're in Arlington.

Rachelle, please consider using a coffee that's higher quality than Illy - I'll be a semi-regular customer if you do. There is *nowhere* in that area to get a good cup of coffee, and you'd have a monopoly.

Did they subsidize your espresso machine? :(

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Great idea for a thread. Good job!! I don't know if this is splitting hairs or whether it's a typo, but Little City Gourmet's web site says they're in Arlington.

It's outside of the City of Falls Church by about 200 feet. The correct address is 2121 N. Westmoreland St, Arlington, VA 22213. Incidentally, all of East Falls Church is in Arlington County, and a good chunk of Fairfax County has a "Falls Church" mailing address. We Virginian's hate for you to know where you're going.

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Rachelle, please consider using a coffee that's higher quality than Illy - I'll be a semi-regular customer if you do. There is *nowhere* in that area to get a good cup of coffee, and you'd have a monopoly.

Did they subsidize your espresso machine? :(

Northern Virginia Magazine article has an explanation, plus mentions there's free coffee tomorrow (Saturday):

If you can’t wait to try out Slotnick’s favorite Italian coffee, Illy, a staple of her diet during her days at Manhattan’s Culinary Institute of America or breakfast pastries, you’re in luck. Little City will open its doors to the public this weekend. This Saturday, from noon-6 p.m. neighbors are invited to stop by the open house and enjoy some complimentary coffee.
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One more tip about this neighborhood. If you head to Little City, make sure to duck around the corner to this tiny-but-organized, new-releases-plus-classics bookstore with a surprisingly accessible selection of company-friendly wines:

One More Page Books

I've been taking a break from WO&D biking via Chasing Tails for a year, but only discovered this store last week. It's two shops away, incredibly easy to miss, but well worth a visit.

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Little City Gourmet should be renamed Little Gorgeous Foods.

We stopped in mid-afternoon, and the entrance is deceiving. It appears to be a spartan cafe and coffee shop, nothing special, but the treasure chest is just past the doorway on the right. The enclosed pictures, in my attempt to be surreptitious, appear blotchy and unfocused, probably not doing any of the food justice. It's beautifully displayed and a showcase of seasonal splendor. Ready to eat selections included carrot hummus, lobster rolls, grain and green leaf salads, vegetable dips, charcuterie plates, salmon filets, crab cakes, arancini, cakes and tarts.

It is a small space, efficiently organized. Shelf-stable sea salts, pastas, and grains will tempt the casual shopper. The small plates will encourage a lingering visit at the handful of tables. The cold case with artfully presented, boxed, and appealing take home dishes (not pictured) will enrapture the neighborhood. Granted, I have not tasted anything, but from an ingredient and careful preparation perspective, it all looks phenomenal. I'm a sucker for edible flowers, and the cakes almost had me ditching my bike helmet for a fork. Next time!

From a foot traffic perspective, we saw only families with small children enjoying sodas and small fare. There were no big-ticket purchasers on this visit, but we did our part procuring Roland arborio rice ($4.95) and (gasp! the shame! a fraud! I know!) black truffle oil ($16).

A toolbox re-purposed as a pot for fresh herbs serves as a doorstop. On the way out and across the street, we encountered a musician loading his car after wrapping up his set at One More Page bookstore. We asked how it went, to which he replied with a bit of awe and delight, "that was *fun*, those people are great!"

May his sentiment be a harbinger for more to come on the growing list of Westmoreland Street small businesses.

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According to Northern Virginia Magazine, Little City Gourmet closed in January.  In its place will be Urban Pantry. The article provides more information including the following:

Under the leadership of owner Max Emma, formerly a catering sales manager with Little City Gourmet, Urban Pantry reopens Monday, March 3. After a business reevaluation coupled with community feedback, Little City Gourmet owner Rachelle Slotnick sold the business to colleague Emma, who has since redesigned the concept.
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Nope.  My post above:

Ah yes, missed that. Wow, didn't even stay open a year. This stuff so pains me. Talented chefs, bakers, merchants and other food purveyors who make bad business decisions. Two similar businesses in the same location with some of the same people involved which ostensibly failed for the same reasons? That just shouldn't happen.

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