Merrifield. Long known as simply the place to go to find bushes and shrubs for your yard or maybe catch a flick in a run-down movie theater, it is now on the verge of becoming a full-blown dining destination.

The crossroads of Gallows Road and Lee Highway has erupted in development over the past few years, and with the opening of the new Mosaic District, has ushered in a restaurant scene unlike any the area has seen before.

In the past six months, seven new places to eat have entered the mix at Mosaic, with three more scheduled to open later this year. And that’s not all. Just across the street at the Halstead Square development, there’s even more dining options.

Here’s a rundown of the new and soon-to-open places to fill your belly in Merrifield:

NOW OPEN

Cava Mezze Grill

Mosaic District, Strawberry Lane

Open Daily, 11 am – 10 pm

Serving fast-casual Mediterranean fare, Cava Mezze Grill opened late last month on Mosaic’s Strawberry Lane. With a concept similar to Chipotle (at least when it comes to ordering), your start by picking a base (pita, bowl, salad, etc.), then a dip or spread (tzatziki, hummus, eggplant and red pepper, etc.), followed by a protein (chicken, meatballs, lamb, beef, falafel) and then from a variety of toppings and dressings.

Dolcezza Gelato

Mosaic District, District Ave

Open Monday-Thursday, 8 am – 8 pm; Friday, 8 am – 9 pm; Saturday, 9 am – 9 pm

Sunday, 10 am – 8 pm

Dolcezza is an artisanal gelato and coffee shop now open on District Avenue in Mosaic. Handmade in small batches each morning, flavors include Avocado Honey Orange, Salted Caramel, Valrhona Chocolate Amargo and the Virginia-exclusive, Peanut Butter Stracciatella.

Le Pain Quotidien

Mosaic District, Glass Alley

Open Monday-Thursday, 7 am – 9 pm; Friday, 7 am – 10 pm; Saturday, 8 am – 10 pm; Sunday, 8 am – 8 pm

Open since late last year, Le Pain Quotidien, or “The Daily Bread,” is a small bakery featuring homemade organic loaves, croissants, brioche and fresh pastries in addition to cafe fare including breakfast. The cafe also features a communal table, encouraging community and interaction among its customers.

Lost Dog Cafe

Halstead Square, Merrilee Drive

Open Monday – Thursday, 11 am – 11 pm; Friday – Saturday, 11 am – Midnight; Sunday, 11 am – 10 pm

Lost Dog Cafe, the fourth location of the popular local eatery, opened in Halstead Square last September. Known for their pizza and specialty sandwiches, their newest spot has the biggest bar of all the Lost Dog locations and features a large selection of craft beer and wine.

MOM’s Organic Market – Naked Lunch Kitchen

Mosaic District, Glass Alley

Open Monday – Saturday, 11 am – 8 pm; Sunday, 11 am – 7 pm

MOM’s Organic Market was the first food store to open in the Mosaic, debuting in September of last year. While primarily an organic and natural grocery store, MOM’s Naked Lunch kitchen serves fresh, made-to-order food. One of their specialties s are “Steam Bowls” made with seasonal vegetables on top of a bed of whole grains and served with house-made organic sauce. The Naked Lunch counter also features veggie burgers, kombucha tea and a full juice bar.

Red Apron Butcher

Mosaic District, Glass Alley

Open Monday – Friday, 11 am – 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 8 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm

Right next to MOM’s is the brand new Red Apron Butcher which opened its doors just last Sunday. With a plethora of meat of all shapes and sizes available for home use, Red Apron also features a menu full of sandwiches and hot dogs. The burger is FCNP-certified excellent, but be sure not to miss the provolone-stuffed Italian dog with hot pickled pepper relish and Calabrian aioli, a.k.a the “Joey Bag of Doughnuts.”

Sweetgreen

Mosaic District, Strawberry Lane

Open Monday – Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm

Salad lovers, have no fear, Mosaic has you covered too. The popular fast-casual salad and yogurt shop, Sweetgreen, is available to fulfill all your leafy wants and desires. There’s a lineup of signature salads here but the real fun is when you make your own, choosing from a wide variety ingredients to create that one, epic bowl of raw veggies.

Taylor Gourmet

Mosaic District, District Avenue

Open Sunday – Thursday, 8 am – 9 pm; Friday – Saturday, 8 am – 10 pm

Not only does Taylor bring the Philly to you with close to 40 –forty!– different hoagies to choose from, but they also serve breakfast hoagies. That’s right, you can get bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs, American cheese and beer cheese sauce all served on a hoagie roll. Ridiculous. And we haven’t even mentioned their cheese-filled risotto balls that would make some the area’s full-service Italian restaurants jealous.

COMING SOON

Matchbox

Mosaic District

Opening Late March

The popular Washington, D.C. restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas and mini-burgers will soon be serving up the goods adjacent the Angelika movie theatre in the Mosaic. Matchbox’s first Virginia location will feature 220 seats along with a 40-seat patio set to open in the spring. The full-service restaurant will also feature a “to-go” station with full-menu available for phone-in and carry-out orders.

Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen

Mosaic District

Opening June 2013

With locations in Houston and Dallas, Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen’s new Mosaic restaurant scheduled to open later this summer will be the first location of its kind outside of Texas. Featuring a blend of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, Cyclone Anaya’s will offer up fare ranging from fajitas and enchiladas to burgers and baby-back ribs. We’re also pretty sure it will be the only restaurant in the entire Washington, D.C. area named after a Mexican professional wrestler.

Blackfinn Ameripub

Halstead Square

Opening April 2013

Across Lee Highway in Halstead Square, Blackfinn’s “Ameripub” concept is hoping to open its doors by the end of April. With a more casual feel than their existing Blackfinn locations in D.C. and Bethesda, the new concept will serve everything from “lasagna to pad thai,” says Ameripub rep Brittany Brodfuehrer. The new restaurant and bar will also feature 70 draft beer lines with 30% of the taps pouring out local brew.

Gypsy Soul

Mosaic District

Opening Fall 2013

Perhaps the most anticipated restaurant coming to the Mosaic, at least by the foodie crowd, is the new concept from Rogue 24 chef RJ Cooper. Not much is known yet about the new spot from the James Beard award-winning Cooper, though he posted on DonRockwell.com that the food will be reminiscent of his time at D.C.’s Vidalia but with “less boundaries.” Cooper also says it will be neither cheap nor expensive and will feature different menus for the main dining room and a rooftop. We can’t wait.