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Now that's the crust I remember. I didn't put that as a subtitle to this thread on a whim. It's the gosh-darned truth. There are a lot of places in the DC area that claim NY-Style Pizza and 99% of those claims are complete bullshit. The remaining 1% come oh-so-close but no cigar. Today I had it in, of all places, that deadly, strip of foul restaurants on S. 23rd Street in Crystal City between Eads and Fern. Cafe Pizzaiolo opened up quite recently in a building on the corner that has seen businesses come and go over the past 5 years or so. I would have skipped right by this place because everything on that strip just sucks patootie. But then I saw this review in yesterday's paper and, lo and behold, I'm familiar with the owner from a past life. Owner Larry Ponzi is one of the people responsible for the restaurant in the National Museum of the American Indian. And while it may not be fine dining, Mitsitam Cafe is one of the most unique and worthwhile places to eat in this city simply because of its special menu highlighting a broad array of Native American ingredients and recipes. That venture alone shows that Larry has class and vision. Cafe Pizzaiolo, the restaurant he just opened on his own proves he has talent. He makes two kinds of pizza, NY-style and Neapolitan. Personally I wasn't a fan of the Neapolitan. But I wouldn't hesitate to suggest you try it, as your taste may differ. My problem is that NY style is far and away my preference. And Cafe Pizzaiolo's NY style is far and away better than any NY style pizza I've had in the area. (For the record, my preference has always been Vace, but as I said above, close but no cigar). Great crunch. Great resistance. Great chew. Just enough shimmering oil from the sausage. Wonderful yeasty flavor. Fresh tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella. Pepperoni and roasted garlic also topped my selection today. If you get it, and you should, be sure to keep it simple. The menu has a lot of toppings available that I consider questionable, such as pineapple and chicken breast, but I'm more of a purist and would also make the possession or sale of cinnamon raisin bagels a capital crime if given the chance. Hey, so when is Bebo's pizza oven going to be running? Who cares anymore? Unless you are allergic to NY style pizza, why even consider putting up with all the service issues at Bebo? Drinkie drinks? Aside from the fresh brewed iced tea, today there were five red wines and four white wines (including a prosecco) to choose from. All Italian and not a single cute animal on the labels. By the glass from 5-8 dollars, bottles run $19-$29, but if you choose to take your bottle to go instead of dining in the restaurant, that bottle price drops almost in half. Beers? I didn't see any drafts, but the bottle list is nothing to sneeze at. No Bud or Miller in the bunch. Bell's Two Hearted or Oberon. Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA or Indian Brown Ale. Peroni. Fuel Cafe Stout from Lakefront Brewery in Wisconsin. All about $4.75/bottle. The dining room is pleasant. Warm wood and colorful abstract oil paintings. Neon light accents and Italian advertising posters. I think it was a coffee bar, Starbucks-type knockoff before Cafe Pizzaiolo opened and you most definitely will see some resemblance. It definitely has that cafe feel. But as any Rays the Steaks diner will tell you, "who cares about decor?" (I'm also stuck thinking of George Costanza saying, "Eyebrows? Who cares about eyebrows?") This is the kind of pizza that can be baked early in the day, left out on a tray stand and eaten by the cut slice hours later and still taste great even if it's not reheated. And he sells it by the slice too! In a world surrounded by crap delivery pizza, Pizzaiolo delivers too. So now there's no need to order delivery from anywhere else if you're in the neighborhood. Larry is an independent local businessman who lives in the area and clearly takes pride in what he does. He is EXACTLY the kind of person who needs the support and word of mouth by people like us. And he wants to hear what you think, too. So be sure to tell him. Bottom line.......consider a visit to Cafe Pizzaiolo. If you take Metro, it's only about an 8 minute walk from the Crystal City station and essentially is no farther than going to Bebo or any of the other spots there on Crystal Drive. It's just a couple blocks further away from the river. If you like it, post it. If you don't, send me a PM first so I can come and choke you with a cinnamon raisin bagel before you have a chance to type your first vowel. ETA: This is $20 Tuesday country, pardners. -
Couldn't find a post about this place so please move if I'm wrong. When my friend hosted book group, she got platters from here and they were delicious so I went with my son about a week ago. And it was just as good. They made a kid's plate for my boy with a kufta kabob, rice and a bit of carrots & potatoes in a sauce - he loved it but I ate the veggies. I had the chicken kabob platter with my chosen side of sauteed spinach and naan-type warm bread. Came with the yummy yogurt sauce too. I finished it - nuff said. Also had the baklava, a huge portion for $3.99. Really nice staff/owners, a few tables for eating in and a lot of people coming to pick up their called in orders. Website: http://www.arlingtonkabobva.com/- 29 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 -
I visited this place for the first time this week and was really happy with what I got. It is in the strip shopping center on Lee Hwy just east of George Mason, with Caribbean Grill on the west end of it. Charga has excellent food prepared by guys who really like food. Claudio spent the time to inform me about some of the nuances of each of the 3 dishes I considered. The menu is wide ranging and looks to have a lot of great dishes. The Charga flash fried chicken looked really good, but I was looking for lamb. I started with the chicken soup and the mint lemonade. The soup was rich, nicely full bodied and full of flavor with chunks of chicken and potatoes. The mint lemonade is home made and delicious. Then I got the main dish of lamb served on two types of rice with a nice salad of greens, beets, cucumbers and tomatoes. And it had another little bowl of an outstanding chole/chickpea dish. The lamb (ordered medium rare) was served hot and hot, very moist and mouth wateringly delicious. This was a really satisfying meal in every way. The lamb wasn't Prime, and it might not even have been Choice, but it was prepared well and it is really a nice dish. I will definitely be back.
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I searched for a thread on Thai Square, but I couldn't find one, so I apologize if I'm search-function impaired, but I thought this place deserved its own space. I'm glad that Tom S. isn't hyping it anymore, because it's now safe to go back! While they are still busy, it's possible to get seated at some point in the evening, and they are now willing and able to fill takeout orders in a reasonable length of time. When I eat here, I'm reminded of how much I enjoy eating simple, homey, Thai food. None of this bland, oversauced, and terribly underspiced poor excuses that they've been serving up at some of the many, many random Thai joints that have popped up (I do appreciate the attempts to use clever names, though I've wondered why no one has yet tried Thai Me Up!) as Thai food has increased significantly in popularity with the masses. Last night we had three dishes: pad see ew with beef, eggplant with chicken and basil, and catfish with chilies and eggplant. The noodles were dry-fried, with just enough sauce and grease to caramelize the noodle edges. Yum! I like that they use Chinese broccoli, as is right and proper, instead of regular broccoli. We had told the server, "spicy is good," in response to her concerned query about our choices. However, the (chunks of asian) eggplant and basil chicken dish, while bursting with basil goodness, was not exactly searing to the palate. (But how do I justify deep-frying my vegetables, if I don't get a restaurant to do it??!!) The dish was delicious, but mild. Maybe next time I'll tell them that "spicy is necessary." The catfish was fried (thin steak slices) and served with thin slices of those cute, green, baby (Thai?) eggplants, a lot of basil, and the same basic brown sauce, with the crucial addition of a generous amount of chilies. While the flavor was excellent (and definitely needed rice to ensure consumer comfort), I have to say that my enjoyment of the dish was reduced somewhat because of the effort involved in finding and removing the spine and other bones. Each bite required rather delicate chewing to avoid stabby little points of fishy revenge. I understand, though, that this might not be a problem for others. Great service - friendly but unobtrusive. My water glass barely had time to dip below full (key for me when chilies are involved) before it was refilled. So that's me. I love this place! Anyone else want to cop to eating Thai comfort food? I'm curious if others have suggestions on dishes to try... -
Stopped by Smoking Kow for a late lunch today. They opened earlier this week. The place is pretty small, with about four picnic tables to eat at inside. They didn't have wings, tacos or ribs today, which was too bad. I ordered the two-meat platter with pulled pork and brisket, along with barbecue beans and mac and cheese. I also tried all of their sauces. I believe they were: original, vinegar, mumbo, chipotle, and gold. I thought the pulled pork and the brisket were both good, though they didn't provide a lot of it for a platter. I also thought it strange that the brisket only comes chopped. It made me suspicious that they're trying to cover up something, because that's why I do when my brisket turns out dry. Of the sauces, I enjoyed the chipotle the most, especially with the brisket. I really enjoyed their barbecue beans. They're red and white beans with a vinegary sauce that has a lot of interesting flavor to it. Can't wait to try that again. The mac and cheese was creamy, fine, nothing to really write home about. Overall, I'll definitely give this place another chance. I think the transition from food truck to restaurant will probably give them some growing pains. The menus (and meat portions) seem more geared toward sandwiches, which makes sense for a food truck. Hopefully they'll have brisket slices and ribs in the near future.- 11 replies
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Team, We have been reading this forum for a long time and found it very helpful in enhancing our dining experience. Now, me and my partner Enzo Algarme have opened our own food establishment and want to invite you guys to check it out. Enzo, who is from Naples, Italy, worked in the kitchen of the renown "Il Pizzaiolo del Presidente" (certified by Verace Pizza Napoletana) in Naples, where he learned how to make authentic Neapolitan specialties, which we are now making here, in Arlington, Virginia. Some things, like the Neapolitan Fried Calzone, you can't find anywhere else in this area. We also make Palle di Riso (crunchy rice balls stuffed with peas, veggie crumble and cheese), Panzarotti - potato croquettes stuffed with mozzarella, Neapolitan-style pizza (we do not have a wood-burning oven, but use the same recipe and the ingredients as pizzerias in Naples). The food we serve is the authentic Neapolitan STREET food, just like you find on the streets of Naples. Our food establishment is a STREET CART, not a restaurant, so the prices are more than reasonable. We have been open for about 1 week in the neighbourhood of Ballston, in Arlington, VA just outside the Metro station, at the corner of Stuart and 9th streets. We are only open Mon-Fri for breakfast and lunch right now, from 8 to 3:30, but soon will be open until 8pm. Come to give us a shot! Anastasiya and Enzo pupatella.com myspace.com/pupatella1pizza -
If there is a thread about this place I could not find it. I have not been here in years, but it appears there is a new chef: Apr 20, 2016 - "Well-Loved La Côte d’Or Café Gets New Owner-Chef; Frogs Legs and Escargot? - Oui!" on lightningreleases.com Apr 22, 2016 - "Frog Legs, Escargots Back on the Menu at La Côte d’Or Café" on arlnow.com May 4, 2016 - "Arlington: New Owner-Chef Leads La Côte d’Or" by Eden Brown on connectionnewspapers.com We used to enjoy La Mediterranée on Lee Highway before it burned down. Might be time to head back to La Côte d’Or and see what's doing. -
The relatively recently-opened Sala Thai at the corner of Clarendon Boulevard and N. Adams St. in Courthouse is closed. There's a large sign in the window advertising a new restaurant: "Me Jana." The sign states that the restaurant will feature "Fine Mediterranean Dining." Some quick Googling didn't turn up anything relevant for "Me Jana," though there seem to be one or more Mediterranean restaurants in other cities called "Mejana." -
Just opened. Anyone catch the WP Express article the other day? -
Hunan Number One in Clarendon has been doing this for quite a while, and their "happy hour" lasts all day long. The food's not bad, either, for Americanized "Chinese" food (though, the quality can vary, depending, I guess, on who's manning the wok). -
There's a Coming Soon sign at this building in Clarendon (near the corner of Wilson and Washington Blvd). The website says coming in early 2007 though, so I guess it's still a ways off from opening. Anyone know anything about this place? -
Yes, I am very much looking forward to the new Turkish place. Apr 4, 2018 - "Istanbul Grill Expected To Replace Ballston Area's El Ranchero" by Bridget Reed Morawski on arlnow.com -
Home Page (This has links to everything you could possibly need, including the links below) --- The Permanent Collection - Upcoming Projects Self-Guided Tours Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor Tour Virginia Square - Pentagon City - Route 1 - Columbia Pike Tour
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I was in Arrowine (Lee-Heights Shopping Center in North Arlington) last Saturday, buying some wines, and going a little crazy stocking up on cheeses and charcuterie. As soon as I walked in, I saw some magnums of Terry Triolet Champagne on my right, and then Arrowine President Doug Rosen noticed me and came over to say hello. I also saw and said hello to Vice President Shem Hassen. I told Doug I was going to be needing some cheese, and he walked me over to an eye-popping, new cheese section, twice as big as it used to be. “My goodness,” I said. “This place is huge.” Doug replied, “We’ve doubled the linear footage of our cheese section – it wraps all the way around down there, by the register.” “You have the best cheese selection in the DMV,” I said. “We have the best cheese selection in the United States,” he replied. “Or, we will, soon enough.” I leaned over and whispered in his ear: “The most expensive, too," I joked. But you know what? Doug just may be right, and I’m pretty sure I’m wrong: Arrowine has the type of cheese selection that Fairway in New York *used* to have when Steve Jenkins was running the program (Fairway has since declined in a big way). And yes, it’s expensive, but considering the selection they maintain, and the shape they keep the cheeses in (they’re in immaculate, pristine condition), they aren’t all that expensive. Arrowine has long had the best wines in the Washington, DC area, but now, their cheese selection is as good as any I’ve ever seen in America. Have a look for yourself, and make sure to ask for Cheese & Charcuterie Manager Scott Freestone (and while you’re add it, if you’re looking for beer, ask for Beermonger Nick Anderson – also as good as anyone in the DMV). This place is an embarrassment of riches. I couldn’t capture the entire cheese selection in one photograph. .- 1 reply
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I stumbled across a wonderful piece of Arlington County public art today at Oakland Park, near Virginia Square Metro. This is called "Ridge" by the local artist Foon Sham. You can walk through it, and it's impermeable to rain. It's even a Pokegym.
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I've always known Washington-Liberty HS, in Arlington County (VA), as "Washington-Lee HS," but I drove by the other day, and saw this sign on the corner. After a quick internet search, I see that the Arlington Public Schools Board voted to rename the school in Jan, 2019, effective as of the 2019-2020 school year. Jan 10, 2019 - "Virginia High School To Be Renamed Washington-Liberty after Lee Controversy" by Gina Cook on nbcwashington.com I suspect that many of our members went here, as it's one of only three public high schools in Arlington County, VA (along with Wakefield and Yorktown). Not that I'm "in the know," but I had no idea this took place, and was surprised to see the sign on the corner of the school - Arlington County has many other signs to change, including local bike-path signs which are still using the former name. I'm also wondering what Arlington County plans on doing with that big house, high atop Arlington National Cemetery, or is this not their problem? Who all here went to W&L? (Is it still called W&L?)
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I thought I'd throw this out there after reviewing some year end activity. This past year the Professional Bartending School provided bartenders for over 130 parties, events, weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, etc. We don't aggressively advertise or market this service. The school doesn't charge for the service. We will connect you with our graduates and you pay them direct. We are currently in contact with over 1,000 graduates ranging from people with over 10 years experience to new grads. We have suggested hourly rates. Many of our grads already work for caterers, so you get the same personnel who might cater your event without the overhead charges. Hosts have hired our grads for bartending, serving, barbacking etc. We have staffed events with one to 12 bartenders in the past year. This year we additionally staffed up many caterers for the holiday season, with some having started their hiring as early as last summer. In past years we often last minute or over a rush two weeks would staff holiday parties and busy December weekends full of parties with up to 100 grads per weekend. While party season is dying down with New Years this is a year round opportunity as we always have available graduates for any events. You can contact us at http://bartending-school.com or see pictures of grads at our facebook page http://facebook.com/ProfessionalBartendingSchoolDC, Phone number is 703 841 9700 and the contact email for our placement director is PBSPlacement@gmail.com -
Idido's Coffee and Social House opened just south of the Rite-Aid Pharmacy at the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike. This is the best coffee house I know of in South Arlington, which itself isn't saying much, but this gets ranked in Italic in the Dining Guide. I'm not sure offhand about the quality of La Colombe beans, but the coffee they serve is worth the trip - parking is easy, and smiles are plentiful. Idido's is a definite asset to South Arlington.
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That's great! I'm really excited to hear about your wine and cheese place joining all the other new businesses that are coming to the Zoso building. I took a look at your AOL "The Start Up" postings http://smallbusiness.aol.com/startup/profile/wendy and found them really interesting because I have no idea what all needs to be considered when starting a new business. It sounds like being able to work at Cheesetique to learn the business was/is a great opportunity.
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A restaurant that has not yet opened, yet has a single 5-star rating is opening next to the controversial Asiatique. (cajun smelling seafood sushi anyone?) Le Kon website I am oddly transfixed at this particular location for some reason. Maybe its the really bad driving that happens near the store fronts. Shall we place bets on length of tenure, or does somebody have to dine there first? -
The Afghan Kabob is open where Courthouse Bistro used to be (and Atilla's before that.) (See previous discussion in the Courthouse Bistro thread.) It's an order-at-the-counter type of place. The menu includes various kabob plates and sandwiches, gyro sandwich, (freshly made) afghan bread. There's also vegetable and meat stews and curries and a few different kinds of rice in chafing dishes behind the counter. I'll have to come back and try a kabob sometime. There were a decent number of people in the place.
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Takeshi Sushi and Ramen has had a soft opening in Courthouse, at the corner of Wilson and Barton (under Rooftop and next to Delhi Dhaba), where the Subway was for years. We are likely to be regular customers for their terrific tonkatsu ramen. They have not had their official opening yet, so for example, their soda machine had not been delivered yet as of last night (though originally it was supposed to have been there last week, they told us, but the vendor changed the dates at the last minute). They do not have a sign up yet with their name, though you can see Japanese lanterns in the window. According to Arlnow, they will be adding more dishes by the time of their grand opening sometime in June. Currently, the menu has multiple ramen options, some don options (fish or meat or vegetable on top of rice), and a page of sushi options. We had excellent ramen there last night. I had the shoyu ramen as I wanted something very light last night, and it was excellent. The abundant noodles were very good and springy and the broth was light and very tasty. Although I ordered chicken shoyu ramen, they asked if I wanted to try some pork as well, and the pork they put in was so good (better than the chicken pieces, which were perfectly good, but couldn't match the rich flavor of the pork). The toppings included a very nice soft-boiled egg (I think cured or marinated), scallions, a fish cake with a pink swirl on top (I liked it though I wasn't sure what it was at the time - I've had them before in ramen but never looked up what they were - after googling I think it was narutomaki), corn (I wondered if that was a gesture to American palates, but looked up ramen toppings afterwards and it looks like they're often used in Japan), and pieces of lettuce or cabbage (that seemed unusual to me and I didn't end up eating them, but again I see on looking it up that cabbage is not an uncommon topping in Japan). From the pictures on yelp, it looks like they sometimes have microgreens on top. My husband had the tonkotsu ramen, which is what I tend to order at ramen places, and it was outstanding, creamy and rich and flavorful and delicious. I will get that next time and we are definitely going back. We both tipped our bowls to get the last of our broths. They asked if we wanted our ramen spicy, and neither of us eat spicy food (I eat a little spicy food but not last night), so we declined. Another customer got the spicy ramen and they asked him how spicy - he said medium this time and he'll see if next time he wants more. That customer also got some avocado-topped sushi. I must admit that for sushi, I will not be your reviewer, as I am not a raw fish eater and generally stick with Boston rolls (which they have on their menu), eel (which they have), other rolls with cooked shrimp/crab/lobster, and tamago. But I hope to go with a friend who loves sushi and hear what she says. The owner or manager was friendly and chatted with us a bit, and told us that the chef had trained to make ramen (and sushi, I think) in Japan. The owner and chef apparently moved here from Japan not that long ago, and this is their first restaurant in America. https://www.arlnow.com/2019/05/24/takeshi-sushi-and-ramen-now-open-in-courthouse/- 10 replies
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Takohachi opened on December 11 in the Westmont Shopping Center at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Glebe Road. My wife and I decided to eat lunch there today to test this new dining option after reading several positive comments from our neighbors on the Douglas Park community bulletin board. Owned and run by a Japanese chef, the space is simple and open (in the good Japanese way), with plenty of space between the tables and contemporary Japanese music playing softly in the room. We ordered from the lunch menu, which offered everything from Nigiri Shushi (at $1 per piece), to a number of Udons, Donburis and a large selection of Bento Boxes. We each ordered a Bento - Marianne had the California Roll and Spiced Tuna, I ordered the Sukiyaki. Both came with Tea, Miso Soup, Salad and a Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura portion in addition to the aforementioned Mains. All I can say is that if the quality of our lunch is the baseline for the other items on their menu, this is now our go-to spot for Japanese in South Arlington. They don't have an active social media profile, or a website yet. Here's hoping they can grow thru word of mouth - I want to be able to come back often. TSchaad- 18 replies
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