Illustration by Shane Rebenshied
Best Asian Restaurant
California Shabu Shabu
3081 Nutley St. SW, Fairfax, CaliforniaShabuShabu.com, 571-210-2252
This West Coast-based restaurant goes beyond the sushi bar with its namesake dish shabu shabu, a traditional Japanese hot pot. Diners select their protein—from seafood to vegetarian options—and choice of broth and sauce, then cook it themselves over a stovetop for a personalized take on the Japanese tradition. Ask for hot drops for an added kick.
second place: Present Restaurant, Falls Church, PresentRestaurantUSA.com, 703-531-1881
third place: Asian Garden, Bristow, AsianGardenBristow.com, 703-393-8777
Best Bakery
Edibles Incredible Desserts
11917 Freedom Drive, Reston, EdiblesIncredible.com, 703-709-8200
Owners Alan Furman and Robyn Hanna sell 15 different cake flavors daily at their Reston store, including specialties such as fan-favorite Lemon Sublime—lemon cake filled with pineapple curd and iced with buttercream frosting. The bakery’s menu also features pies, cookies and chocolate confections—they’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings as a mall kiosk in 1999.
second place: Red Truck Rural Bakery, Marshall, RedTruckBakery.com, 540-364-2253
third place: Nordic Knot, Reston, Nordic-Knot.com, 571-758-2739
Best Bar
Lake Anne Brew House
11424 Washington Plaza W., Reston, LakeAnneBrewhouse.com, 571-758-2739
Architect Melissa Romano designed the mid-century taproom at Lake Anne Brew House, the nano-brewery she runs alongside husband Jason, with dark stained furniture and orange accents. A patio overlooking the lake provides a comfortable gathering spot for patrons enjoying one of Jason’s flagship brews, such as Live-Work-Play IPA.
second place: BadWolf Public House, Manassas, BadWolfPublicHouse.com, 571-292-1427
third place: Spacebar, Falls Church, SPCBR.com, 703-992-0777
Best Barbecue Restaurant
The Bone
8045 Stonewall Shops Square, Gainesville, TheBoneBBQ.com, 703-753-5551
Locally-sourced ingredients contribute an authentic taste to The Bone’s hickory chicken, dry-rubbed ribs with honey barbecue glaze, and citrus-brined smoked turkey. With three locations, including one at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., the restaurant’s no-frills barbecue is served as a sandwich or platter with classic sides such as collard greens and potato salad.
second place: Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Company, Alexandria, Rocklands.com, 703-778-9663
third place: Liberty Barbecue, Falls Church, LibertyFallsChurch.com, 703-237-8227
Best Breakfast Restaurant
Ashton Family Restaurant
9920 Cockrell Road, Manassas, AshtonFamilyRestaurant.com, 703-330-5151
Ashton Family Restaurant opens its doors for breakfast every day at 6:30 a.m., serving Southern classics—including country fried steak—as well as international dishes such as the Guatemalan Tipico (two eggs, ranchero sauce, fried plantains, refried beans and sour cream). If it’s too difficult to choose, visit their Sunday brunch buffet.
second place: Stomping Ground, Alexandria, StompDelRay.com, 703-567-6616
third place: Bob & Edith’s Diner, Arlington, BobAndEdithsDiner.com, 703-920-6103
Best Burger Joint
Basic Burger
2024 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, BasicBurger.com, 703-248-9333
It’s all in the name—this burger joint is about getting back to basics. Knowing they don’t need to reinvent a classic allows the team at Arlington’s Basic Burger to focus on quality ingredients, including 100 percent certified Angus beef with no hormones added, and chicken raised in cage free environments. The house-made signature Basic Sauce seals the deal.
second place: Five Guys, Gainesville, FiveGuys.com, 703-753-1551
third place: Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers, Leesburg, MeltGourmetCheeseburgers.com, 703-443-2105
Best Caterer
Purple Onion Catering Company
416 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, PurpleOnionCatering.com, 703-631-0050
For nearly three decades, owner Margot Jones has operated under the idea that no detail is too small to consider. Menus are customized for each client, down to the plating. Popular dishes among her many clients include grilled chicken with Chardonnay beurre blanc topped with crispy purple onions and red wine-braised short ribs.
second place: Backstreet Catering, Middleburg, Facebook.com/BackStreetCatering, 540-687-5112
third place: Bittersweet Catering, Alexandria, BittersweetCatering.com, 703-549-2708
Best Chocolatier
Edibles Incredible Desserts
11917 Freedom Drive, Reston, EdiblesIncredible.com, 703-709-8200
English toffee and chocolate fudge are the confections that helped establish the business nearly 20 years ago. Today, Edibles Incredibles’ menu has grown to include unique flavors, including chocolate chili pepper cinnamon fudge, and other chocolate confections ranging from coconut truffles to chocolate-dipped bacon.
second place: Cocoa Vienna, CocoaVienna.com, 703-865-8881
third place: Chesapeake Chocolates, Reston, ChesChoc.com, 703-620-0082
Best Dessert Menu
Edibles Incredible Desserts
11917 Freedom Drive, Reston, EdiblesIncredible.com, 703-709-8200
Edibles Incredible produces more than 400 wedding cakes each year, in addition to offering everyday menu selections that range from holiday pies to breakfast goodies, such as cinnamon buns and crumb cakes. No sweet tooth goes unsatisfied here with additional treats, including tartes, macarons and even dessert wine.
second place: Nathan’s Dairy Bar, Manassas, NathansDairyBar.com, 703-335-9051
third place: Carmello’s of Old Town Manassas, Carmellos.com, 703-368-5522
Best Distillery
Falls Church Distillers
442 S. Washington St., Suite A, Falls Church, FCDistillers.com, 703-858-9186
Run by father-son team Michael and Lorenzo Paluzzi, Falls Church Distillers has produced six unique spirits since opening last summer—including Great Falls Gin and Church Bourbon. The distillery also has a full bar and restaurant with dishes reflective of the owners’ Italian heritage.
second place: Mt. Defiance Cidery and Distillery, Middleburg, MtDefiance.com, 540-687-8100
third place: MurLarkey Distilled Spirits, Bristow, MurLarkey.com, 571-284-7961
Best Farmers’ Market
Manassas Farmer’s Market
9024 Prince William St., Manassas, VisitManassas.org, 703-361-6599
Vendors within a 150-mile radius of the Manassas city center gather April through November to sell produce, meat, cheese, wares and more. The market also hosts a variety of nutritional programming and activities, including food demonstrations and gardener consultations.
second place: Falls Church Farmers’ Market, FallsChurchVa.gov, 703-248-5024
third place: Reston Farmers’ Market, RestonFarmersMarket.com, 703-429-1117
Best Food Truck
The Bone
8045 Stonewall Shops Square, Gainesville, TheBoneBBQ.com, 703-753-5551
When The Bone isn’t parked at a local brewery, winery or event, fans of its downhome barbeque can hunt down the truck’s location via Twitter to order their favorites, including the brisket sandwich and BBQ street tacos. If patrons would rather have the finger lickin’ food come to them, the truck is available for private events.
second place: Stay Cheesy, Woodbridge, Facebook.com/StayCheesyFoodTruck, 571-262-9948
third place: Basic Burger, Arlington, BasicBurger.com, 703-248-9333
Best Grocery Store
Wegmans
8297 Stonewall Shops Square, Gainesville, Wegmans.com, 571-222-2300
Wegmans began as a single produce wagon in 1916, and has now grown into 95 nationwide stores. With 10 departments, the Gainesville location’s aisles and counters are curated to meet a variety of customer needs from seasonal floral arrangements to a kosher deli.
second place: Whole Foods, Vienna, WholeFoodsMarket.com, 703-319-2000
third place: Harris Teeter, Gainesville, HarrisTeeter.com, 703-753-6833
Best Italian Restaurant
Ciao Wood Fired Pizza and Osteria
14115 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, Ciao-Osteria.com, 703-543-8955
Recipes passed down for generations inspire the menu at this family-owned Sicilian restaurant. Specialties include wood-fired pizza, homemade sauces and hand-rolled meatballs, just like Chef Antonino Di Nicola’s great-grandfather made them. The restaurant also has the honor of being certified by the Naples, Italy-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana.
second place: Bella Vita Restaurant, Manassas, BellaVitaOnline.com, 571-379-8560
third place: Pazzo Pomodoro, Vienna, PazzoPomodoro.com, 703-281-7777
Best Local Craft Brewery
Lake Anne Brew House
11424 Washington Plaza W., Reston, LakeAnneBrewhouse.com, 571-758-2739
Over the past two years, the Lake Anne Brew House has been awarded five Virginia Craft Brewers Guild Beer Cup medals for signature brews such as its Reston Red Ale and Lord Fairfax English Pale Ale. The brewery serves seasonal selections and flagship beers on tap, which can be mixed with MTO Kombucha for an antioxidant-laden take on the traditional shandy.
second place: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, Warrenton, OldBustHead.com, 540-347-4777
third place: Mad Fox Brewing Company, Falls Church, MadFoxBrewing.com, 703-942-6840
Best Local Gourmet Food Store
The Italian Store
3123 Lee Hwy., Arlington, ItalianStore.com, 703-528-6266
Aisles are stocked with fresh mozzarella, imported meats and the largest selection of Italian wines in the area. For nearly four decades, this family-owned shop has sold Italian goods and ready-made entrees at two locations. For a to-go lunch, order the Milano—a sub sandwich layered with two types of Italian ham, Genoa salami and provolone.
second place: Wegmans, Gainesville, Wegmans.com, 571-222-2300
third place: The Whole Ox, Marshall, TheWholeOx.com, 540-724-1650
Best Local Ice Cream Shop
Campbells Frozen Custard
4125 Merchant Plaza, Woodbridge, CampbellsCustard.com, 571-285-1711
Campbells serves four custard flavors each day: chocolate, vanilla and two specialty flavors like lemon cake, strawberry or English toffee. Additional menu offerings include apple dumplings, root beer floats, banana splits and the Campbell Scramble, which loads your flavor of choice with pieces of candy bars, Oreos and peanut butter cups, M&Ms, chocolate chips, cookie dough, sprinkles and a cherry on top.
second place: Nathan’s Dairy Bar, Manassas, NathansDairyBar.com, 703-335-9051
third place: The Dairy Godmother, Alexandria, TheDairyGodmother.com, 703-683-7767
Best Local Sandwich Shop
Mad Fox Brewing Company
444 W. Broad St., Falls Church, MadFoxBrewing.com, 703-942-6840
The Schnitzel Sammy at Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church is made with fried pork, Gruyère, ham and cinnamon apple butter loaded on a potato bun. Pair it with one of the award-winning beers brewed onsite—such as the orange whip citrus hop IPA or the American Pale Ale—and a side of Frickles, spice-drenched, house-brined fried pickles.
second place: Lazy Mike’s Delicatessen, Falls Church, MikesDeliAtLazySundae.com, 703-532-5299
third place: Banh Mi DC Sandwich, Falls Church, Facebook.com/BanhMiDCSandwich, 703-205-9300
Best Locally-Owned Coffee Shop
Caffe Amouri
107 Church St. NE., Vienna, CaffeAmouri.com, 703-938-1623
Caffe Amouri’s baristas are individually trained by the Specialty Coffee Association and help guide customers to the perfect cup of coffee from its selection of more than 20 in-house roasts and signatures, including the Caffe Amouri—espresso, half and half and a pinch of sweetener all steamed together to create a liqueur-like drink.
second place: Jirani, Manassas, JiraniCoffeeHouse.com, 571-535-2442
third place: Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar, Reston, LakeAnneCoffeeHouse.com, 703-481-9766
Best Mexican Restaurant
Zandra’s Taqueria
9114 Center St., Manassas, ZandrasTacos.com, 571-359-6767
Fusing flavors and unusual pairings, the large selection of à la carte tacos at Zandra’s Taqueria includes buffalo chicken, bison meat and gyro style. Pair the handcrafted tacos with a Monkey-Rita—Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch, homemade sour mix and agave—or with a shot of habanero-infused tequila.
second place: El Tio Grill, Falls Church, ElTioGrill.com, 703-204-0233
third place: Hector’s of Nokesville, Facebook.com/HectorsOfNokesville, 703-594-2031
Best Outdoor Dining
Monza
9405 Battle St., Manassas, EatMonza.com, 703-368-5522
May through September, Monza’s weekend patio diners can enjoy front row seats to live music as Battle Street shuts down to host its summer concert series. Brick-oven pizzas such as the Hawaiian pulled pork with pineapples and barbecue sauce, as well as signature sangrias made with apple cider and honey liqueur, are among favored menu items.
second place: Clare and Don’s Beach Shack, Falls Church, ClareAndDons.com, 703-532-9283
third place: Brabo, Alexandria, BraboRestaurant.com, 703-894-3440
Best Oysters
Hank’s Oyster Bar
1026 King St., Alexandria, HanksOysterBar.com, 703-739-4265
The New England-inspired menu at Hank’s Oyster Bar brings beach fare to the Potomac. Oysters are available from brunch to dinner, served on the half shell, Rockefeller-style topped with bacon, lightly fried in a po’boy or soaked in sake as a shooter.
second place: CJ Finz Raw Bar & Grille, Manassas, CJFinz.com, 571-292-1742
third place: King Street Oyster Bar, Middleburg, KingStreetOysterBar.com, 540-883-3156
Best Pizzeria
Tony’s New York Pizza
5361 Merchants View Square, Haymarket, TonysNewYorkPizza.com, 571-248-6290
Since 1989, owner Tony D’Agonisto has been serving authentic Italian flavors, such as chicken Alfredo-style pizza and pies loaded with pepperoni and bacon. The extensive menu is available at three area locations.
second place: Pizzaria Orso, Falls Church, PizzeriaOrso.com, 703-226-3460
third place: Ciao Wood Fired Pizza and Osteria, Centreville, Ciao-Osteria.com, 703-543-8955
Best Place For Brunch
Field & Main Restaurant
8369 W. Main St., Marshall, FieldAndMainRestaurant.com, 540-364-8166
Opened in 2016 by longtime restaurateurs Neil and Star Wavra, Field & Main celebrates the age-old connection among local growers, chefs and the local community. Housed in a 200-year-old building, the restaurant’s menu includes hearty favorites as part of its weekend brunch, including stuffed sweet potatoes laden with barbecue pork, maple hollandaise, cheddar and a fried duck egg.
second place: Goodstone Inn & Restaurant, Middleburg, GoodStone.com, 540-687-3333
third place: City Tavern Grille, Manassas, CityTavernVa.com, 703-330-0076
Best Restaurant
California Shabu Shabu
3081 Nutley St. SW, Fairfax, CaliforniaShabuShabu.com, 571-210-2252
The “build-your-own” concept at California Shabu Shabu in Fairfax makes for hundreds of customized hot pot combinations specific to each diner’s choice and whim. For every possibility, the restaurant has sake to match. The Nigori’s sweet taste pairs best with spicier dishes, while cold house sake flavors include lychee, mango and strawberry.
second place: Present Restaurant, Falls Church, PresentRestaurantUSA.com, 703-531-1881
third place: Field & Main Restaurant, Marshall, FieldAndMainRestaurant.com, 540-364-8166
Best Seafood Restaurant
Blue Ridge Seafood Restaurant
15704 Lee Hwy., Warrenton, BlueRidgeSeafood.com, 703-754-9852
Since opening in 1979, Blue Ridge Seafood has expanded its original five-item menu to include offerings from haddock and oysters to Cajun breaded gator tail cooked to order and served alongside house-made cocktail sauce. The family-operated restaurant also serves weeknight specials, such as Friday’s Maine lobster.
second place: CJ Finz Raw Bar & Grille, Manassas, CJFinz.com, 571-292-1742
third place: Ford’s Fish Shack, Ashburn, FordsFishShack.com, 571-918-4092
Best Steakhouse
Fleming’s Steakhouse
1960A Chain Bridge Road, McLean, FlemingsSteakhouse.com, 703-442-8384
Fleming’s at Tyson’s Corner has mastered the preparation of a variety of cuts—including Chef Jackie Trujillo’s favorite Dry-Aged Prime Rib. Its knowledgeable servers can recommend pairings such as jumbo lump crabmeat or truffle-poached lobster for a decadent helping of surf and turf. The restaurant’s sommelier app for iOS devices suggests wine pairings according to a customer’s mood and meal.
second place: Ray’s the Steaks, Arlington, RaysTheSteaks.com, 703-841-7297
third place: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Arlington, RuthsChris.com, 703-979-7275
Best Wine Shop
Arrowine and Cheese
4508 Lee Hwy., Arlington, Arrowine.com, 703-525-0990
Arrowine’s inventory represents artisan wine makers, organic agriculture and hand harvesting operations with selections curated from across Europe. The shop also offers a selection of small-batch cheese, and staff can offer recommendations for the best wine pairings.
second place: Norm’s Beer and Wine, Vienna, NormsBeerAndWine.com, 703-242-0100
third place: Total Wine, Gainesville, TotalWine.com, 703-754-4285
Best Winery
The Winery at Bull Run
15950 Lee Hwy., Centreville, WineryAtBullRun.com, 703-815-2233
Located on a historic estate near Manassas Battlefield Park, the Winery at Bull Run pays homage to its 1860s roots in hospitality, inviting visitors to tour the grounds with a guide as they sip vintages, such as the award-winning Delaney flagship white. The winery hosts Civil War Day June 24, a family-friendly event with war re-enactors, live music and food trucks.
second place: Stone Tower Winery, Leesburg, StoneTowerWinery.com, 703-777-2797
third place: Paradise Springs Winery, Clifton, ParadiseSpringsWinery.com, 703-830-9463
Most Creative Cocktail Menu
Field & Main Restaurant
8369 W. Main St., Marshall, FieldAndMainRestaurant.com, 540-364-8166
Field & Main’s historic building is the perfect backdrop for sipping libations from its signature cocktail menu. Quaffs include classic spirits mixed, stirred or shaken with rich, unexpected ingredients—the Lucky Duck features duck fat-washed Makers Mark, spiced Kraken rum, lime, duck sauce and apricot bitters.
second place: Sense Of Thai St., Ashburn, SenseOfThai.com, 703-858-1980
third place: Founding Farmers, McLean, WeAreFoundingFarmers.com, 703-442-8783
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