Aphioni

The Clydes here in Ashburn is simply georgeous- the atmosphere is definitely the best thing about it. the service is good but nothing outstanding, the appetizers are very good too, but for meals- for the price- we go to other places. But you cannot beat the beauty of it- it's great for happy hours and impressing your out of town guests from Nebraska! lol

I grew up in the suburbs, moved to Fairfax when I was six years old. In fact, other than my five years in Arlington, which isn't technically "the city", I have lived in the suburbs my whole life. I live out there now, in Fairfax right by Wegmans, to be closer to my family.

There obviously are some great restaurants in the suburbs and I always wish for more and more of them to open up, but I don't think I am shocking the world by saying that you are going to find better places to eat in the city as opposed to out in the suburbs. And, while Il Fornaio is not a great place to eat, I do think that it is a very solid place to eat and a welcome addition to the dining scene. It may be a chain, but it is a relatively small chain and a new one to the area, so many suburbanites will love going there because it offers them something different from the typical chains, they take reservations and they can enjoy a night out on the town in a nice setting without breaking the bank or traveling far away from their homes.

So, while it would be nice to have every new restaurant that opens in the suburbs to be an independently owned operation that is offering up something new and exciting, it is not realistic, so seeing a place like Il Fornaio as opposed to the 100th Olive Garden out here is a nice change.

That is all that I was trying to say.

i'm kind of shocked by these reviews- but then again i have still never been to RTC and still think Ruth Chris steaks are delicious... clearly i am a novice compared to many of you!

anyway- we dined here recently and it was packed, and superb- from the service, to the recommended wine pairing, originaity and fresh flaovrs of the dishes- i was truly impressed. my husband is a Brooklyn Italian boy and rarely has compients for restaurants like Il Fornaio since he grew up on the real deal, but even HE was happywith the food. all of the other comments here are from last year- they must have made some changes because we were thrilled with the attention we received and the quality of every course- especially given our choices for upscale Italian here in the 'burbs.

i won't rehash the entire review i wrote of the place, but i can't wait to go back- they spotlight a different region of italy each month or so, and have an intruiging menufrom Napoli til June 15th! Adiamo all'Italia!

How's the food?

i've eaten here several times- it's just down the road from my office at Carfax and the serivce can be slow and spotty but i've found the food to be worth the wait. their soups are hearty, the pide are really creative and full of flavor.

This combination is as good as it sounds - that ham is really something!

Forget everything I've ever said about chains when you walk into this delightful family-operated restaurant: American Flatbread is a oasis of humanity in an architectural desert. Last night was only the second time I've ever been here, and now I'm asking myself why.

The $24 Reserve Cuvee of Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone (showed up on my bill as $19.99?) is well-worth getting, not the same wine that's poured by the glass, and half-price on Monday nights. Also, don't forget you can re-cork the bottle and take the rest home.

I asked the owner where they get their ciabatta for their bruschetta, because I have no idea where to find bread this good in the area. It turns out they make their own bread - I'm not sure what type of volume they could produce, but the potential is here to really make some dough.

Anyone up for a dr.com Sunday evening dinner here? Should be about $20 a person without wine. They can do large seatings in the center of the restaurant, and can bake six flatbreads at a time in the oven. Dan, want to organize? (Keep in mind the picnic is coming up in four weeks).

i would be very interested since it's in my neck of the woods!

Click.

i have found my lunch for tomorrow~ thanks for sharing!

AF has their Country Ham and Apple Flatbread again (Oak Spring Dairy's Sharp Yellow Chedder, Steve Baker's Country Ham, Organic Apples, Baby Arugula, and All Natural Mozzarella).

If the mushroom-bacon interaction from my previous post was a loving marriage, this is a wild orgy of culinary delight. If you have the time, definitely stop in this week!

well with a description like THAT- how can i resist?? is it just for a limited time? why haven't i seen it advertised out here in ashburn?

tonight we dined at Michelangelo's in ashburn- used to be san Vito's. same family, new name. it was quite excellent- a few issues with the food temperature but the flavor was really spectacular. fresh basil in my pasts dish set it off- it was oenne with chunks of sweet tomatoes, tender eggplant all tossed in aurora sauce- a combo of alfredo and marinara sauce.

I'm so full i feel sick... i need a cup of cardamom tea.

Check out the Administrative Announcements thread.

What planet are you from? Click here and here .

Planet dine out once a quarter... that's why i joined this group- to become enlightened and educated....

I love mayo with fries, I just don't like mayo on fries. The hot fries make the mayo warm and disgusting.

THAT was the gross part for me... i am a malt vinegar on fries girl- and that's it, unles there's a good honey mustard available...

Blech? To each his/her own. I cannot be the only one that enjoys them.

obviously i am in the minority of those who hate it on the streets of Bavaria, otherwise they wouldn't ASSUME you want it!

Get yourself to RtS or RtC and you wont bother with Morton's or Ruth's Chris (ugh) again!

what and where are these RtC and RtS that you recommend? I am always looking for a better steak. made the mistake of going to Shulas once- it was soup kitchen quality at mortons pricing- ridiculous!!!

Quick: edit out those spaces or you are in DEEP SHIT!

what spaces? saveme- i have no clue what you are talking about!

how about your fries being covered in Mayonaisse when you buy them in a paper cone on the street in Germany? blech.

We are pretty much the same way. Every place gets one chance, but if it's a bad meal and the service was outstanding, we may give it a try again. But if it's a bad meal with bad service, it gets sent to restaurant purgatory and we never return.

we also have a 1 strike rule on expensive restaurants, and if it;s a bad enough experience that the mgr onsite doesn't handle to our satisfaction, we write to the GM. received a $200 GC from Mortons that way once- but haven't been back since we used the GC. Ruth Chris is just too much better to bother going back to Mortons...

I've always like Galway Bay... it started out as the place with good shepards pie (with Castle Bay being the one with good fish and chips)... but I think this place has the best food of the Irish bars in Annapolis now overall. Pub quiz on Tuesdays is fun. I'm lucky to make it to Galway Bay once a year now that I live in the District. The most amazing thing about this place is the hostess (whose name I'm kicking myself for not remembering) has been there since the early days (if not the first day) of Galway Bay's predecessor, Little Campus Inn... some 40 years of working in the same place.

Peggy! I did not have the pleasure of meeting her but i hope to on our next visit- we will definitely be back this summer.

Good WSJ article. However, it, like the sietsema one, is from the perspective of a person who is very knowledgeable about food and wine. At least for me, as a total wine noob, pairings on a tasting menu allow me to accomplish a good bit of education in one night, and I don't mind that the sommelier might not have time to come chat up my table every ten minutes. Maybe I'll tire of them once I'm older and more seasoned with wine knowledge, but for now the excitement of a great pairing is worth every penny.

call me crazy but i'm enjoying creating my pairings at home. i see what's in the wine fridge, and shoose dinner from there. we had bavarian pork chops with an orange glaze sauce and fried potatoes with onions the other night, and paired it with a very nice Austrian Riesling- fantastic! I wish the bottle was nearby so i could tell you what it was....

i learned so much from reading "Love by the Glass : Tasting Notes from a Marriage" - that no one but your can know what really tastes good to you. i now- i am years late reading it but i loved it, and just catalog what i drinka nd like so i can make my own pairings!

Congratulations Aphioni!

thank you! it's made a huge impact on my visits- i hope it brings more of YOU to Ashburn restaurants!

I'm pleased to share that the Loudoun Times-Mirror did a feature on my website in the business section!

http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2008/feb/26/Aphioni/

website

Just had the most satisifying superior-ly delicious experience at Galway Bay- this irish restaurant knows how to do it RIGHT. from traditional irish dishes like sheperds pie- hearty with beef and vegetables baked under a this layer of fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes, to original dishes, like my oven roasted duck cheese steak, smothered in grilled onions and mushrooms with thin slices of tender, medim-medium well duck on a crusty roll with irish chips- i was in heaven.

in annapolis, you HAVE to have the crab dip wherever you go, and Galway Bay's does NOT disappoint, creamy, fulll of shredded crab, served warm in a bread bowl with a side of carrots and celery. We also ordered the mussels- a heaping platter of lemon, garlic and wine soaked delights from the bay. Tender, not too chewy- only one of 30 had that briny, sea water taste i always try to avoid.

Crowning glory- the tomato and Jameson's whiskey soup- the best tomato soup i have had since leaving germany in 1998. chunks of deeply ripened tomatoes and sweet onion in every bite, in a creamy tomato base with a zesty, tangy bite to it that we couldn't quite pinpoint, and fresh parsely. perfection. absolute perfection.

Lots of excellent irish fare in Annapolis but Galway by FAR was the best we've had in years. not to mention the warm irish atmosphere (deep cherry wood, stained glass, and a frosted glass map of Ireland, good Irish tunes playing lightly in the backgroud) and superior service- Cristy, our waitress, timed every entree perfectly and kept our pints full. try the Galway Red Ale if you are a fan of red beer- it's a smooth delicious finish to every bite of whatEVER you order.

I have a full happy stomach and thought i should share. The review- NOT the food. Go enjoy! I've got a case the the "itis" now... nap time!

Looking for a good carribean/jamaican place. Good rice and peas, jerk, and oxtails. Am willing to drive to MD.

Thanks in advance.

Soup

Soup- I am curious- did you ever choose a place and if so, how was it...? inquiring minds want to know...

Try Rodman's on upper Wisconsin Ave.

Wine Smith in Ashburn- did a tasting there and bought 4 excellent bottles... call to see what he has in stock:

http://www.winesmithonline.com/

now i am drinking my new favorite post physical therapy muscle relaxer:

Red Guitar, 2005 Navarra. excellent with spicy food- jack habenero cheese and crackers- that's food! but oh so nice on its own... i've had too much of it to describe it wait- just took a sip- still can't say anything except i can't feel my ankle and my mouth feels like happy little cherries are dancing in it...

Two questions - Are there any (good) vegetarian options? Do you always have to thaw in advance?

Situation: new baby in house, frequently little/no time to prep something good, generally realize this at last minute. Prefer not to get take out, and microwave/frozen/processed stuff tastes as it does.

I'd like to be able eat something semi-fresh. But if the veg quality is minimal, I'd imagine the veg dishes aren't worth it. Better to block off a Sunday and make it all myself.

https://www.entreevous.com/public/menus/?month=200802

they have a hashbrown casserole this month that you can omit bacon from, veggie lasagne next month, and they have veggie sides every monthl NO MINIMUM ORDER! you can put it together yourself so you choose how much of which veggies you make. or you can call ahead and they put it together for you. i;m a huge fan.

2005 Coppola Shiraz- it's quite good! part of a gift for my husbands bday- surprisingly excellent all on its own!

The Gainesville caught my attention, has anyone else tried this place?

never been tot the Gainsvilla location, but i frequent the Broadlands location and it never disappoints