Kibbee Nayee

Return trip to Canton Cafe last night -- with the added benefit of a $100 stroll through Trader Joe's next door. Had the fried soft-shell crab, which was a little on the "fishy" side, but still quite flavorful and nicely crunchy. Can't say it was the best dish I've tried there. Next time it's going to be the anchovies with spicy salt, or one of the delectable ducks hanging in the back. Girlfriend had the seafood combo, with a generous pile of shrimp and scallops and Chinese broccoli in a slightly spicy white sauce. Not bad at all. I always order off the 2-page Chef's Recommendation menu. You won't find any of the traditional suburban 'Chinese' dishes on that menu. But as a sop to the locals, you can get General Tso on the rest of the menu.... For Chinese in Springfield, this is the place.

A couple of months ago I had the unqualified best liver and onions I ever had in my life. I'll be back for that dish, and maybe a side of meatloaf.

I'm actually sorry I'm writing this, and I wouldn't eat there at gunpoint, but I bought McD's stock at $30 just 3 years ago and it's at $60 today....! I did go to one in Munich once, but I only ordered a beer.

Happy to report that the chicken shwarma sandwich at lunch is about the best I've enjoyed this side of East Jerusalem, and yes, East Jerusalem was where I enjoyed the best shwarma I ever ate. I intend to scale that menu item by item over the not too distant future.... And Altus, if you need someone to sit with to deflect the attention of the men, you have a willing lunch date in Kibbee Nayee.

I hate to do this, because I agree with some of the criticism. so I'll probably be flamed. I do not like chains at all. But that said, GAR and Clyde's and Lebanese Taverna ("local chains") seem to have a corner of this market and are raking it in. Old Ebbitt is the largest grossing restaurant in the DC area. I have met and spoken with John and Ginger Laytham on a number of occasions, and I know Tom Meyer -- my close friend sold 1789, FScott's and The Tombs to Clyde's about 20 years ago. In defense of Clyde's, I've had a decent burger in Georgetown, I love the oysters at Old Ebbitt, and as a baseball fan my jaw drops every time I walk into the Gallery Place restaurant and see the huge Babe Ruth painting, which was commissioned by Clyde's and has some inside personalities in the dugout and seats. I have had rockfish in Tysons and meatloaf in Reston, and while none of these dishes rises to the level of CityZen or Eve or Citronelle, they are perfectly fine meals for the right occasion at the right price. As an aside, is anyone else tired of the ubiquitous short-smoked salmon at all the GARs? It's on every menu, or so it seems, and it's on the salad or served as an entre, and the same mashed potatoes are all over every menu? Clyde's doesn't do that. At least not too much. I know how much Clyde's spends on decorating its restaurants -- the paintings at Gallery Place, the hunting and fishing gear at Beauregard, the prints in Reston -- and I appreciate the effort and detail that goes into the decor. They have captured the American-Saloon-cum-Washington-Suburb kind of thing as well as can be captured, and many people in the Clyde's family have grown rich in the restaurant business. At least one thumb up for Clyde's.

Hit Delia's again tonight with a party of six. You know this is good food when two tables were occupied by Fairfax County's finest on-duty officers. I had a fairly normal stand-by, the Greek Salad topped with grilled chicken. While not entirely different than what you'd find at most family-owned Greek restaurants, the ingredients were fresh, the dressing was house-made, the portions were generous, and I left fulfilled. One companion had the Mediterranean pizza and gobbled it down with a rousing thumbs up. My daughter had the Fettucine Alfredo, which certainly was a passable example of this rich pasta dish. This is one of those restaurants where you come in hungry, leave well fed, with not too big a hit on the wallet and a healthy desire to return. Part of it is that there's so much to choose from -- like Peruvian chicken, Greek souvlaki, subs, pizzas, pastas, whew! -- and part of it is that it's a family-run operation and it feels like it.

By the way, went back today to Mediterranean Gourmet Market, and gathered up some fresh zaatar bread for my dad for Father's Day. Also picked up some delectable spinach pies and meat pies, and consumed a few for lunch. This place never disappoints....but the point of the post is that the owner gets his meat for kibbee nayee (which happens to be my moniker) from Jerusalem. I asked him about Lebanese Butcher and he told me the best source of meat for kibbee nayee is Jerusalem. Now I'll have to go to Lebanese Butcher on Monday and ask them....

Ding-ding-ding! Winner! I would rank #1-#2-#3 in northern Virginia, in any order, Lebanese Butcher, Mediterranean Gourmet Market and Jerusalem. I would be interested in anyone's similar rankings for the District and Maryland.

I'll be in Falls Church for a lunch meeting on Monday, at another place (not my choice), but I'll stop by Lebanese Butcher for dinner carry-out. I love the food there and my Board moniker should suggest an affinity for Middle Eastern food. My two clear faves in northern Virginia right now -- and I've hit them all -- are Lebanese Butcher and Mediterranean Gourmet Market on Franconia Rd. There is a Palestinian place near Skyline in Alexandria that is close behind....the name escapes me....

Outback is a favorite of my 8-year-old. That should tell you enough about its culinary pedigree. I've had some good luck with That's Amore in Rockville.

Yeah, good point. I forgot to mention the tableside cooking that they do on certain dishes, like Steak Diane and the desserts. Saeed did a great Irish Coffee for me yesterday, flaming the glasses and carmelizing the sugar, then topping it with fresh whipped cream. They do a strawberry Grand Marnier over vanilla ice cream for dessert too. All of the waiters are proficient with the tableside prep.

I am surprised that this little jewel of a fine dining establishment doesn't receive more fanfare. It's tucked in a the back of a strip mall a few doors down from the Virginian on Glyndon St., just off 123. Cafe Renaissance is not that big -- the main room might seat 50 on a Saturday night, and the little room off the front side might seat another dozen or so -- but it is probably the most comfortable and romantic dining room in northern Virginia. From the white tablecloths with fresh cut roses, the tuxedoed and attentive wait staff, the paintings and murals on the walls...this is where you take the significant other for a romantic dinner. Of course, that means it's not a guys-night-out kind of place, or one of those loud bistros where you have to shout to be heard by your dining companion. Saeed and Soraya are the Persian couple who own the restaurant, and Ocean Joseph is the Turkish chef who runs the kitchen. Ocean's food is the best kept secret in northern Virginia. He generally nods in the direction of Italy with a few Turkish riffs tossed in. The mussels are spectacular, with a garlic-y broth as the base, which I sopped up with almost a whole basket of bread. My girlfriend then enjoyed a tower of salmon, monkfish and crab cake, sauced with a wine and butter reduction, with a wonderful carrot puree that was poached in Grand Marnier for 4 hours. I had a mixed grill of lamb and steak, each bit tender enough to be cut by my fork, and sauced with a raisin glace. On previous visits I was able to enjoy my inner European foodie with pate, sweetbreads and calves liver. But whenever I have a hankering for a big pile of mussels, this is where I come. For flair, Ocean is experimenting with different dinnerware shapes and sizes, and he is also exploring some new twists on recipe themes. I'm looking forward to tasting the evolving repertoire over the coming months. A word about the extensive wine list -- Kirby Pope, who runs the Vienna Vintner in the same strip mall -- and worthy of a whole write-up on his own -- helped put together a very thoughtful and extensive wine list for Cafe Renaissance. You're not likely to find a better wine list this side of 2941. When you're in this part of Vienna, a visit with Kirby prior to a bucket of mussels from Ocean is about the best way I can imagine to enjoy a few hours of the good life.

Would love to hear more about Sampan. It was a landmark for years, then disappeared for a while, replaced by a non-descript Vietnamese place. Now it's back again. What happened and what's different or the same about this incarnation? It's in the same little plaza as Mediterranean Gourmet Market, which is the best Middle Eastern fare this side of Lebanese Butcher.

I hate the choices in Kingstowne. Chain City USA. Down Franconia Road about 2 miles away is Mediterranean Gourmet Market, at 6122 Franconia Road, in a little strip mall with the reborn Sampan Cafe. It's the best Middle East menu within about a 10 mile radius, and beats the pants off the Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria for quality and price. Mediterranean Gourmet Market has a few inside seats and a few outside seats. I like to get take-out, but it will accommodate you for a sit-down meal during the off hours when the tables are not jammed with Middle Easterners. The husband is Egyptian and the wife is Lebanese. From my moniker, you can probably tell I have some familiarity with the food of that region. Trust me, this is good grub.

The Vietnamese people I know, like my barbers, always tell me to eat at Canton Cafe when I'm in that shopping plaza. They tell me that Vietnamese food between here (Springfield) and Seven Corners is slim pickings, and they think that Canton Cafe is the best Chinese in the area.

Asian Grill is for those who like suburban Chinese-American food. General Tso's chicken for example. But the owner, who also owns Ho's Garden in Burke, is often seen having his mid-day meal behind the screen off the dining room, including such items as crispy whole fish (he must know something). I've also had fried soft shell crabs both here and at Ho's, and they're quite good (in season). The Kung Pao chicken is very reliable here too, if that's what you want.

Just went back to Sakoontra again last night, and the special was deep fried soft shell crab. You get two of them, in about 8-10 pieces, for $24.95, and a choice of three dipping sauces. Mine was the basil-chili sauce, and it was awesome. Also shared the Yum Watercress with my girlfriend, and it was one of the best "salads" I've had recently. This place is on my best-of-Fairfax-County-Asian list....

Delia's bought the chicken place next door to it, I believe it was called Tumi, and thus is able to offer the wonderful rotisserie chicken along with all the Greek dishes. I don't know any other place around where you can get that wonderful Latin American chicken with a side of moussaka.

I've been to Sakoontra a few times, and I'm surprised there hasn't been much conversation about it here. Very good and very consistent Thai food in the Costco plaza off the Fairfax County Parkway and West Ox. Whenever I visit a Thai restaurant, I always try the Drunken Noodles (kee mow) for the sake of comparison. This dish is very good at Sakoontra, which I requested "Thai spicy" not "American spicy". The thick noodles sauteed with just about everything in the kitchen hits the spot time and again. I have also tried the Panang Chicken and the Yum Watercress, which I think is unique to this restaurant. Again, very good and reliable Thai dishes. My girlfriend has had the Pattaya Seafood, with the spices dumbed down for her palate, and I tried it on our last visit. Nothing to write home about, but certainly not bad either. I find the squid to be a bit chewy on various dishes here. Whenever I'm in that part of the Fairfax County Parkway - West Ox - Fair Oaks area, Sakoontra is my first choice of restaurant.

Love, love, love Delia's. In addition to the Greek dishes, they have the Peruvian chicken by virtue of buying the place next door. Nice eclectic menu, and throw in pizza and subs and it's a place the whole family can enjoy. Speaking of Chinese in the Springfield area, Canton Cafe between K-Mart and Trader Joe's in Springfield Plaza is as good as it gets this side of Annandale/Seven Corners. Farther up Old Keene Mill, behind the Whole Foods, is the Asian Grill -- more suburban Chinese brought to you by the family that own's Ho's in Burke. Those are my Springfield Chinese stand-bys.

OK, in all honesty, drop me in the middle of the Saratoga shopping center and my first choice would be Saratoga Pizzeria, which has dependable good grub and some passable Greek dishes. I wouldn't eat at the Chinese place at gunpoint. I'm just saying that as far as food in the Springfield area goes, I will gladly walk 2-3 blocks for the lomo saltado and salmon in pumpkin seeds at least weekly.

Springfield is oft-neglected in the culinary exploration of the DC metro area. Allow me to defend my home turf with the description of this little jewel tucked into the Saratoga shopping center off Rolling Road, near Newington. From the outside, nothing would indicate that this restaurant is not a typical suburban Tex-Mex place with tacos and fajitas and refried beans all over the menu. But it offers a lot more. There's a smoky little bar off to the side of the entrance, and the dining room is not special insofar as ambiance is concerned -- the two televisions in the dining room with Spanish language shows, at least one of which is a soccer game, kind of set the theme. But as you look around, there are not too many people eating here who are not Hispanic in origin, and that's a very positive sign of what follows. Yes, they plop salsa and chips on the table as soon as you sit down, but the salsa is freshly made. And yes, there are tacos and tamales on the menu. But hold on, there's more. For appetizers, try the Taquitos Sonora, or the Cocktail de Curiles (black clams marinated in lemon juice, radish, onions and tomatoes). The soups are really good, with Res (best beef soup in Springfield!), Marisco (seafood galore) and my personal fave, Chupe de Camrones (shrimp, corn, egg and cream). Entrees include the now-standard slow-charbroiled chicken, along with lomo saltado, carne asada, bistec a la limena, lomo fino with mushrooms, and lots of combination platters for the meat-hungry. I had the lomo saltado last weekend and it was truly a good dish, with very tasty pieces of beef in a thick sauce of spices and garlic. Salmon crusted in pumpkin seeds headlines a seafood menu you're not going to find at a typical Tex-Mex restaurant. They also offer whole pan-fried sea bass and a sauteed red snapper filet. You can also live on the "side orders' which include a chicken sandwich made with the slow-charbroiled chicken, or a steak and cheese sandwich, or pupusas with 6 or 7 different stuffings, or yuca, or plantains, or "tipico" -- billed as yuca, plantain, tamal, pastelito and refried beans. Cactus Taverna is not without its occasional flaws, but if you're looking for a not-typical suburban Tex-Mex place in a strip mall in Springfield, this is the place. I haven't been there on Saturday night, but I hear they offer live music with local bands.

They put a scare into the Tower Club when Chima opened. It has a sister restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, I believe. I was impressed by the salad bar -- believe it or not, I can eat there and avoid the meats. The bar has a problem with its western exposure, and brutal summer sun. Nut Tysons will be a restaurant nightmare for quite some time. The traffic snarl is already ridiculous, and any construction for the Metro will make Tysons absolutely impassable for years. I will never voluntarily choose Tysons for an evening dinner out, and I'm not alone.

El Manantiel is my Reston go-to place. A few years ago, I was going to have a business dinner in Reston, and since it is the epicenter of the chain universe, I wrote a note to Tom Sietsma and asked for his recommendation. Not 5 minutes later came a quick paragraph on El Manantiel. And what's not to love? A good tapas menu, a brick oven with great pizzas, reasonable wines by the glass and very good Euro-Mediterranean fare. It's the only place I'll eat in Reston when food matters....and when doesn't it?

This is one of the hidden gems of Washington. It's all of a combination of kid-friendly (hey, you get a free museum with lunch!) and good eats, and not for much money. I've had the bison burger (Plains), the maple turkey (Northeast) and the planked salmon (northwest) and I don't have a single complaint. Atmosphere is very cafeteria, but this is a can't-miss lunch event for a lazy day of museum hopping the District....