food and drink
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Restaurants
Asian Restaurant
1st: Peking Gourmet Inn
6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, PekingGourmet.com, 703-671-8088
Eddie Tsui opened the restaurant in 1978 to bring unique northern Chinese cuisine to Virginia. With house-made hoisin sauce and homegrown spring onions, every meal served here is infused with authentic and delicious flavor. The Peking duck, with its light, crispy skin and savory flavor, remains a fan favorite.
2nd: Four Sisters Restaurant, Falls Church, FourSistersRestaurant.com, 703-539-8566
3rd: Sisters Thai, Fairfax, SistersThaiMenu.com, 703-267-9619
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Barbecue Restaurant
1st: The Bone
8045 Stonewall Shops Square, Gainesville
9420 Battle St., Manassas, TheBoneBBQ.com, 703-753-5551
The Bone takes the time to make barbecue the right way, without any shortcuts. Everything is smoked on-site and made fresh daily to ensure its quality. The hand-pulled pork sandwich tossed in the restaurant’s specialty Carolina-style barbecue sauce is the most requested item on the menu.
2nd: Willard’s Real Pit BBQ, Locations in Chantilly, Reston, DCBBQ.com, 703-488-9970
3rd: Monk’s BBQ, Purcellville, MonksQ.com, 540-751-9425
Breakfast/Brunch Restaurant
1st: Founding Farmers
1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean
1904 Reston Metro Plaza, Reston, WeAreFoundingFarmers.com, 703-442-8783
Founding Farmers is owned by the more than 47,000 family farmers who make up the North Dakota Farmers Union. It serves American-inspired food made from scratch and drinks with a focus on sustainability. Stop in and try the famous chicken and waffles prepared with scrambled eggs and creamy white gravy.
2nd: Yorkshire Restaurant, Manassas, YorkshireRestaurantManassas.com, 703-368-4905
3rd: Ashton Family Restaurant, Manassas, AshtonFamilyRestaurant.com, 703-330-5151
Burger Joint
1st: Foster’s Grille
9417 West St., Manassas
4418 Costello Way, Haymarket, FostersGrille.com, 703-257-7272
Whether you are joining the family for lunch or dinner, catching the big game, relaxing at happy hour, or just grabbing takeout on the way home, Foster’s is your go-to place. With its half-pound charburger made from fresh all-American beef, this restaurant has remained a fan favorite since it opened in 1999.
2nd: Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers, Leesburg, MeltGourmetCheeseburgers.com, 703-443-2105
3rd: Holy Cow Del Ray, Alexandria, HolyCowDelRay.com, 703-666-8616
Indian Restaurant
1st: Rangoli Indian Restaurant
10223 Nokesville Rd., Manassas, RangoliRestaurant.com, 703-957-4900
Originally founded in 2005 in Chantilly, Rangoli moved to Manassas in 2016. The restaurant offers many authentic Indian dishes, like samosas and naan, and a few twists on traditions, like their Bombay burger and crispy okra. It just released new dinner and wine menus, so there are plenty of new dishes to try.
2nd: Bollywood Bistro, Fairfax, BollywoodBistro.com, 703-273-0031
3rd: Taste of India, Gainesville, TasteOfIndiaGainesvilleVa.com, 540-433-3320
Italian Restaurant
1st: Ciao Wood Fired Pizza and Osteria
14115 St. Germain Dr., Centreville, Ciao-Osteria.com, 703-543-8955
Traditional Italian recipes are the cornerstone of this eatery. With its signature wood-fired pizzas and many types of pasta, Ciao offers its guests lots of meals to enjoy. The milinciana a Parmigiana is a mainstay on the menu; imagine battered and fried eggplant layered with tomato sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano, baked with mozzarella, and served with pasta.
2nd: Trattoria Villagio, Clifton, TrattoriaVillagio.com, 703-543-2030
3rd: Landini Brothers Restaurant, Alexandria, LandiniBrothers.com, 703-836-8404
Mexican Restaurant
1st: Uncle Julio’s Mexican from Scratch
Multiple locations, UncleJulios.com, 703-763-7322
Uncle Julio’s opened its first restaurant in 1986 with a commitment to fresh ingredients and handcrafted recipes. Its famous tableside guacamole mixes perfectly ripe Hass avocados with the finest onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños, and not only pairs well with each dish, but is the perfect dip for the restaurant’s classic corn chips.
2nd: Zandra’s Taqueria, Manassas, ZandrasTacos.com, 571-359-6767
3rd: Taco Bamba, Locations in Fairfax County, TacoBamba.com, 703-639-0505
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Pizzeria
1st: Tony’s New York Pizza
Locations in Bristow, Haymarket, Manassas, TonysNewYorkPizza.com, 703.330.8909
Serving a menu of New York, Sicilian, and Focaccia pizza, Tony’s is a pizza lover’s dream. Pies are sold by the slice or whole, and are completely customizable. The restaurant also offers stuffed pizzas filled with four types of cheese, salami, ham, and rigatoni noodles, and served with tomato sauce.
2nd: Fire Works Pizza, Multiple locations, FireworksPizza.com, 571-313-0020
3rd: Pupatella, Arlington, Pupatella.com, 571-312-7230
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Seafood Restaurant
1st: Blue Ridge Seafood Restaurant
15704 Lee Hwy., Gainesville, BlueRidgeSeafood.com, 703-754-9852
This locally owned and operated restaurant takes giving back to its community seriously. While providing the surrounding area with deliciously fresh seafood, it also regularly donates to nearby schools and charities. Swing by and try the popular “Create Your Own Dinner” option.
2nd: Ford’s Fish Shack, Ashburn, FordsFishShack.com, 571-918-4092
3rd: Coastal Flats, Locations in Fairfax County, CoastalFlats.net, 703-356-1440
Steakhouse
1st: Sweetwater Tavern
Multiple locations, SweetwaterTavern.pub, 703-449-1100
On a mission to be the world’s best operator of casual dining restaurants, Sweetwater uses its strengths in hospitality and consistency to serve great food to the community. One staple on the menu is the drunken rib eye steak, which earned its name from the fact that it is marinated in the tavern’s Great American Pale Ale.
2nd: The Capital Grille, McLean, TheCapitalGrille.com, 703-448-3900
3rd: Mike’s American, Springfield, MikesAmerican.com, 703-644-7100
Restaurant
1st: Sweetwater Tavern
Multiple locations, SweetwaterTavern.pub, 703-449-1100
Sweetwater Tavern opened in 1996 and continues to impress its customers with its great service and delicious steaks, drinks, and desserts, all made with high-quality ingredients. The fun southwestern atmosphere helps patrons relax and enjoy a great meal, while the large menu inspires them to return often.
2nd: L’Auberge Chez Francois, Great Falls, LAubergeChezFrancois.com, 703-759-3800
3rd: Artie’s, Fairfax, ArtiesVa.com, 703-273-7600
Restaurant for Vegans or Vegetarians
1st: Founding Farmers
1800 Tysons Blvd., McLean
1904 Reston Metro Plaza, Reston, WeAreFoundingFarmers.com, 703-442-8783
This farmer-owned restaurant knows the importance of eating sustainably. With many options for vegans and vegetarians, Founding Farmers makes it easy to eat out without having to skimp on a meal. Guest favorites include the cauliflower steak and risotto, and the mushroom gruyere Rueben.
2nd: Busboys and Poets, Arlington, BusboysAndPoets.com, 703-379-9757
3rd: True Food Kitchen, Locations in the D.C. Metro Area, TrueFoodKitchen.com, 703-527-0930
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Coffee Shop or Roaster
1st: Northside Social Coffee & Wine
3211 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
205 Park Ave., Falls Church, NorthsideSocialVa.com, 703-465-0145
The warm scents of fresh baked pastries and Counter Culture Coffee float through this café, inviting anyone inside for a cup of joe or a Nutella hand pie. Northside offers classic espresso-based drinks and teas, and serves wines and house-made charcuterie boards at its wine bar.
2nd: Jirani Coffeehouse, Manassas, JiraniCoffeeHouse.com, 571-535-2442
3rd: Trummer’s Coffee & Wine Bar, Gainesville, TrummersCoffeeWineBar.com, 703-754-0135
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Food Truck
1st: The Bone
8045 Stonewall Shops Square, Gainesville
9420 Battle St., Manassas, TheBoneBBQ.com, 703-753-5551
After opening in 2011, The Bone grew quickly, and now operates two brick-and-mortar restaurants in the area. To share their barbecue with more people, the owners set The Bone on wheels to serve delicious, no-frills barbecue throughout Prince William and Fairfax counties.
2nd: Dave’s Dogs, Woodbridge, Facebook.com/DavesDogsVa, 470-333-8750
3rd: The Frenchman, Manassas, FrenchmanFoodTruck.com, 571-406-4356
Dessert
1st: Mom’s Apple Pie
Multiple locations, MomsApplePieCo.com, 703-771-1243
Mom’s opened in 1982 and continues to serve the freshest pies, cookies, and lemon bars around. The owners also run a farm, which provides fresh fruits and eggs for the bakery. The strawberry rhubarb pie is a crowd pleaser with its flaky crust and harmonious sweet-bitter ingredients.
2nd: Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, Arlington, HeidelbergBakery.com, 703-527-8394
3rd: Amphora Bakery, Locations in Herndon, Vienna, AmphoraBakery.com, 703-964-0500
Ice Cream Shop
1st: Peterson’s Ice Cream Depot
7150 Main St., Clifton, PetersonsDepot.net, 703-830-7898
When it was founded in 2006, Peterson’s sold only soft-serve ice cream. Over the years, it evolved into a ballpark-style eatery serving pork barbecue, fries, and homemade hard ice cream. It offers more than 30 different ice cream flavors, including praline, Amaretto, Georgia peach, coffee, and Irish cream.
2nd: The Dairy Godmother, Alexandria, TheDairyGodmother.com, 703-683-7767
3rd: Moo Thru, Remington, MooThru.com, 540-439-6455
Sandwich Shop
1st: The Italian Store
3123 Lee Hwy., Arlington
5837 Washington Blvd., Arlington, ItalianStore.com, 703-528-6266
With the Italian Store, Robert Tramonte introduced northern Virginia to his famous Italian subs and sandwiches, made to order with fresh salami, prosciutto, mortadella, provolone, and mozzarella. Customers know that these subs do not disappoint.
2nd: Lost Dog Cafe, Locations in the D.C. Metro Area, LostDogCafe.com, 703-237-1552
3rd: Chutzpah Deli, Fairfax, ChutzpahDeli.com, 703-385-8883
Outdoor Dining
1st: 2 Silos Brewing Co.
9925 Discovery Blvd., Manassas, 2SilosBrewing.com, 703-420-2264
A brewery like no other sits on the site of the historic Thomasson dairy barn in Manassas. With its own live music venue and restaurant, 2 Silos Brewing Company offers plenty of outdoor seating, entertainment for the whole family, more than 50 craft brews, and a delicious bar-style menu.
2nd: Trattoria Villagio, Clifton, TrattoriaVillagio.com, 703-543-2030
3rd: L’Auberge Chez Francois, Great Falls, LAubergeChezFrancois.com, 703-759-3800
Food Shopping
Bakery
1st: Red Truck Rural Bakery
8368 W. Main St., Marshall
22 Waterloo St., Warrenton, RedTruckBakery.com, 540-364-2253
Owner Brian Noyes decided to pursue his passion for the culinary arts by opening this bakery in 2009. Named after Noyes’ 1954 Ford farm truck, which he bought from designer Tommy Hilfiger, the shop offers seasonal pies like peach, blackberry, and authentic mincemeat, all baked in a light and buttery crust.
2nd: Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, Arlington, HeidelbergBakery.com, 703-527-8394
3rd: Amphora Bakery, Locations in Herndon, Vienna, AmphoraBakery.com, 703-964-0500
Chocolatier
1st: Cocoa Vienna
120 Church St. NE, Vienna, CocoaVienna.com, 703-865-8881
Opened seven years ago, Cocoa Vienna is a small, locally owned and operated business with hometown heart. Its flavored ganache and truffles hand-dipped in smooth, semi-sweet chocolate make the perfect treats for any occasion. Handmade chocolate molds are also available to customize and give as gifts.
2nd: NazBro Chocolates, Occoquan, NazBro.com, 703-789-3069
3rd: Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, Arlington, HeidelbergBakery.com, 703-527-8394
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Farmers’ Market
1st: City of Manassas Farmers’ Market
9201 Center St., Manassas
9024 Prince William St., Manassas, VisitManassas.org, 703-361-6599
Thousands of customers in search of fresh produce have visited this market every Sunday since the mid 1980s. Not only do shoppers get more delicious products by buying direct, but the local businesses and farmers benefit, too; a few have had such strong market sales that they have been able to open their own stores.
2nd: Old Town Farmers’ Market, Alexandria, AlexandriaVa.gov, 703-746-3200
3rd: Reston Farmers’ Market, Reston, FairfaxCounty.gov, 703-642-0128
Grocery Store
1st: Wegmans
Multiple locations, Wegmans.com, 800-934-6267
Wegmans first opened more than 100 years ago and now provides states from New York to North Carolina with great customer service and produce options. While shopping, customers can find unique and budget-friendly food, as well as sit down and enjoy a meal in its in-store restaurant.
2nd: Trader Joe’s, Multiple locations, TraderJoes.com, 703-764-8550
3rd: Harris Teeter, Multiple locations, HarrisTeeter.com, 703-461-7082
Specialty/Gourmet Food Shop
1st: The Italian Store
3123 Lee Hwy., Arlington, ItalianStore.com, 703-528-6266
The Italian Store opened in 1980 with a desire to bring a little bit of the New York Italian scene to Virginia. With imported goods and hard-to-find ingredients, this shop can help you spice up any meal. Visit the Westover location for a gelato and espresso bar.
2nd: Balducci’s, Locations in the D.C. Metro Area, Balduccis.com, 703-549-6611
3rd: Cheesetique, Locations in the D.C. Metro Area, Cheesetique.com, 703-706-5300
Wine Shop
1st: Arrowine and Cheese
4508 Lee Hwy., Arlington, Arrowine.com, 703-525-0990
Virginia’s first wine store opened back in 1985, bringing Arlington and its surrounding areas hand-picked wines and cheeses at affordable prices. The knowledgeable employees are eager to help, so customers are free to ask any questions they have about the wines that line the walls.
2nd: The Grapevine, Warrenton, Facebook.com/TheGrapevineWarrenton, 540-349-4443
3rd: The Wine Cabinet, Reston, TheWineCabinet.com, 703-668-9463
Drink
Bar with the Best Atmosphere
1st: Vienna Inn
120 E. Maple Ave., Vienna, ViennaInn.com, 703-938-9548
After serving Northern Virginia for the past 50 years, the Vienna Inn has a good idea of what its customers want and never fails to deliver. Described as “comfortable as an old pair of shoes,” this restaurant feels like a second home to its patrons, with friendly staff, delicious food, and great bar service.
2nd: Sinistral Brewing Company, Manassas, SinistralBrewingCompany.com, 703-686-4575
3rd: Bar Louie, Multiple locations, BarLouie.com, 571-570-4400
Cocktails
1st: MurLarkey Distilled Spirits
7961 Gainsford Ct., Bristow, MurLarkey.com, 571-284-7961
MurLarkey’s primary mission is to make world-class spirits from the best quality ingredients and to have fun doing it. Its uniquely flavored whiskeys help create fun new spins on classic cocktails. Divine Clarity vodka and MurLarkey Orange whiskey are shaken––not stirred––to create the 007 martini, garnished with orange peel.
2nd: Trummer’s, Clifton, TrummersRestaurant.com, 703-266-1623
3rd: Founding Farmers, Locations in McLean, Reston, WeAreFoundingFarmers.com, 703-442-8783
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Brewery
1st: 2 Silos Brewing Co.
9925 Discovery Blvd., Manassas, 2SilosBrewing.com, 703-420-2264
The idea for 2 Silos began at a backyard barbecue in 2014 when co-founders Marcus Silva and Forrest Morgan shared their ideas on craft beer and how they would operate a brewery. Three years later, they opened to provide northern Virginia with a wide variety of brews infused with local ingredients.
2nd: Port City Brewing Company, Alexandria, PortCityBrewing.com, 703-797-2739
3rd: Sinistral Brewing Company, Manassas, SinistralBrewingCompany.com, 703-686-4575
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Cidery
1st: Lost Boy Cider
317 Hooffs Run Dr., Alexandria, LostBoyCider.com, 703-566-5737
Proving to the world that hard ciders do not have to be sweet, Lost Boy Cider set out to honor Virginia’s amazing history of heirloom apples. Using 100 percent fresh-pressed Shenandoah apples to make its brews, this cidery takes no shortcuts in the fermentation process.
2nd: Mt. Defiance Cidery, Middleburg, MtDefiance.com, 540-883-3176
3rd: Wild Hare Hard Cider, Multiple locations, WildHareCider.com, 703-402-7956
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Distillery
1st: Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
120 W. Main St., Purcellville, CatoctinCreekDistilling.com, 540-751-8404
Becky and Scott Harris founded Catoctin Creek in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since Prohibition. It is the birthplace of Virginia’s most awarded whiskey, the Roundstone Rye, which has a woody taste with notes of caramel, rich butter toffee, and just a hint of lemon in the nose.
2nd: Murlarkey Distilled Spirits, Bristow, Murlarkey.com, 571-284-7961
3rd: KO Distilling, Manassas, KODistilling.com, 571-292-1115
Illustration by Chiara Vercesi.
Winery
1st: The Winery at Bull Run
15950 Lee Hwy., Centreville, WineryAtBullRun.com, 703-815-2233
This working farm vineyard crafts fine Virginian wines while paying tribute to the history and preservation of 19th-century pastoral Fairfax County. When you visit, be sure to try Delaney, a medium-bodied and juicy wine that expresses aromas of jasmine, honeysuckle, and cooked peaches.
2nd: Stone Tower Winery, Leesburg, StoneTowerWinery.com, 703-777-2797
3rd: Barrel Oak Winery, Delaplane, BarrelOak.com, 540-364-6402
