DanCole42 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 After being crestfallen since my latest discovery of a French "bistro" in Middleburg, I turn now to crowdsourcing. Is there a French bistro/brasserie anywhere in NoVA? With potted foods like rillettes and olivade, tartines, charcuterie, frisee with lardons and runny eggs, and all the good homeyness born of frugality and connection to the neighborhood that makes a real bistro so special? I'm guessing no. Nowhere in the Metro area. DC and its environs are a transient town. There's no sense of continuity of belongingness, no neighborhoods. It's a federal district in the truest sense: one without any identity beyond what happens to be passing through. People come to DC when they're young, move to the suburbs as they grow up, and never put down the deep roots you would need for a bistro culture to flourish like it would in a more organic city. It's a shame I kind of like it here. I could see one of our younger, more talented chefs like Rachael Harriman heading out to fox hunting country and opening up the Bouchon/French Laundry of the East... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgreen Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Have you tried Bistro L'Hermitage in Occoquan/Woodbridge? No idea if it has a "connection to the neighborhood", but the food was good the one time I went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Bastille and Le Refuge in Old Town, La Cote D’or in Falls Church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hersch Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Nowhere in the Metro area. DC and its environs are a transient town. There's no sense of continuity of belongingness, no neighborhoods. It's a federal district in the truest sense: one without any identity beyond what happens to be passing through. Your characterization of Washington manages to be both cliché and false. Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCole42 Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Your characterization of Washington manages to be both cliché and false. Congratulations. The parts I'm in, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Dan, Next time you are in Arlington maybe make a stop at Lyon Hall, it is french/german, but they make their breads in house, cure their own meats, make their own sausages and etc. They have a lot of things you are looking for. It may not be extremely neighborhoody, but to us folks that call the area home, it Liberty Tavern and a couple other places are our neighborhood spots and we tend to find them neighborhoody. I am looking forward to the warmer weather as they have fantastic outdoor seating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Next time you are in Arlington maybe make a stop at Lyon Hall... I second this recommendation, though Lyon Hall is better described as a brasserie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hersch Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Next time you are in Arlington maybe make a stop at Lyon Hall Does anyone have a clue as to why this place is so named? Lyon, as in the French city? The menu doesn't look particularly Lyonnais, although there are a few Lyonnais things on it. Lyon as in Lyon Village? The restaurant isn't in Lyon Village, although it's not far from it. And "Hall"? What kind of restaurant calls itself a hall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Does anyone have a clue as to why this place is so named? Lyon, as in the French city? The menu doesn't look particularly Lyonnais, although there are a few Lyonnais things on it. Lyon as in Lyon Village? The restaurant isn't in Lyon Village, although it's not far from it. And "Hall"? What kind of restaurant calls itself a hall? Maybe someone involved is a Cyclone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Does anyone have a clue as to why this place is so named? Lyon is the name of the developer that built a wide swath of Arlington between Spout Run and Route 50, including Lyon Village and the neighborhood where the restaurant sits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Does anyone have a clue as to why this place is so named? According to ARLnow.com: "The restaurant is named after Frank Lyon, who developed the 1940s Streamline Moderne building in which Lyon Hall is housed. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hersch Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Okay, but why "Hall"? Lyon Hall as an eatery sounds like a college cafeteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Okay, but why "Hall"? Lyon Hall as an eatery sounds like a college cafeteria. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall their group going on a Federalist/Patriotic theme: "Liberty" Tavern, Lyon "Hall" (i.e., Independence Hall), and Northside "Social." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now