2016 Falls Church Restaurant Week Dates Announced

Dates for the 2016 edition of Falls Church Restaurant Week have been announced with the celebration of The Little City’s dining scene set to take place March 14 – 20.

The fourth annual event from the Falls Church News-Press will feature a wide variety of restaurants from in and around Falls Church offering up seven days worth of special dining deals. Restaurant Week offerings will include three-course prix fixe meals, special dishes, meal deals and more.

To coincide with Restaurant Week, the News-Press will publish a special food and dining edition of the paper with a complete rundown of all the deals, Little City dining stories and features and more.

The first group of participating restauarnts include Argia’s, Cafe Kindred, Dogfish Head Alehouse, Dogwood Tavern, Famous Dave’s, FDB Eatery, Idylwood Grill, Mad Fox Brewing Company, Plaka Grill, Public House No. 7, Trio Grill and zpizza. More restaurants will be added weekly.

For a continually updated list of 2016 Falls Church Restaurant Week participants, see fcrestaurantweek.com.

Argia’s Announces New Executive Chef

Falls Church’s Argia’s has announced the hiring of Steve Benincasa as the restaurant’s new executive chef. Benincasa has worked for more than two decades at several Capital Restaurant Concepts restaurants in Washington, D.C. including leading operations at Neyla, J. Paul’s and Paolo’s Ristorante. More recently, he’s spent time as executive sous chef and acting executive chef of Georgetown’s Filomena Ristorante.

“I’m very excited to bring my own interpretation of Italian cuisine to the forefront of Argia’s and move this restaurant back into the spotlight,” Benincasa told the News-Press in an email.

With an Italian-born mother and second-generation Italian father, Benincasa grew up in an Italian household, arguing with his brothers over his grandmother’s handmade cavatelli and meatballs. As he got older, he says he realized how special the meals were.

“When I started to cook professionally, I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” he wrote. “Argia’s is giving me a great opportunity to put my stamp on something that is important and fulfilling.”

Argia’s | 124 North Washington Street | Falls Church | argias.com

The Local Market Secures ABC License for Beer, Wine Sales

The Local Market, the locally-sourced Falls Church grocery store, has secured an ABC license to begin selling beer and wine. Market owners Patrick Fleming and Tamara Powell intend to carry a small selection of Virginia products and are currently curating potential offerings.

Fleming and Powell welcome suggestions for locally-made wines and beers which can be submitted at the store or via their Facebook page at facebook.com/thelocalmarket.

The Local Market | 246 West Broad Street | Falls Church