Remarkably, as reported in last week’s News-Press, the Washingtonian magazine’s annual list of 100 best restaurants in the DMV (Delaware, Maryland and Virginia region around the nation’s capital) included a whopping nine in and immediately around Falls Church, an amazing near 10 percent of the total.
It is a stark contrast to the many years when the only restaurant near here to make the list was the 2941, not even in the City. While 2941 is not on the list this year, the nine named this month include six right inside the boundary limits of the Little City with one or two of our best inextricably left off that list.
But the overall effect of these huge gains will be on display for the coming 10 days with the City’s heavily promoted Restaurant Week from this Friday, Jan. 31, to Sunday, Feb. 9. A total of 43 local restaurants, all located within the City limits, are participating by offering special prices and dishes designed to entice diners to make their locations regular destinations. So, Restaurant Week can be counted on for the establishments to be on their very best behavior, and with their very best efforts, for just this reason.
The event is designed to celebrate Falls Church’s diverse and vibrant food culture such as Afghan, American, Bolivian, Chinese, Greek, Iranian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian, Russian, Salvadorian, Thai, Vietnamese, and more.
This family friendly 10-day event will draw the local community, foodies and tourists to Falls Church food service establishments. With options for everyone ranging from hole-in-the-wall specialty restaurants to high-end dining establishments, this event provides customers with the opportunity to find their new favorite haunt and gives restaurants the chance to showcase their best menu items, according to the event’s website.
Falls Church City Restaurant Week is sponsored by the City of Falls Church Economic Development Division, The Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is a Tourism Recovery Program. For the second year, Tricia Barba of Preservation Biscuit Company was retained by the City’s Economic Development Committee to help promote the event.
Previously, a Restaurant Week in Falls Church was organized and run by the Falls Church News-Press in August, but that ended with the onset of the pandemic.
The most often lauded restaurants in the Little City are Ellie Bird and Nue, located within steps of one another in the Founder’s Row development where they are joined by other first-rate establishments like Role Play, Hot ‘n Juicy and Seoul Prime. Thompson’s Italian is also widely acclaimed in the region.
Other well-established and popular fine dining locations in the City that are participating in Restaurant Week include Ireland’s Four Provinces, the Dogwood Tavern, Clare and Don’s, Harvey’s, Sfizi, Panjshir, Cafe Kindred, The Falls, Dominion, Godfreys, Preservation, Plaka, Happy Tart and Northside Social, and among the best new places are Cafe Zevian and Dolan Uyghur. There are four places participating that are located in or adjacent to the City’s iconic Vietnamese-American enclave, the Eden Center.
The total list of participants in the this year’s event is composed of the following as listed on the City’s website:
10 Pizza, Audacious Aleworks, Badd Pizza, Bake Shop, Bank Mi Oi, Borek-G, Brick House Butcher, Cafe Kindred, Cafe Zevian, Chasin Tails, Clare & Dons, Cuates Grill, Dave’s Friggin Awesome, Dogwood Tavern, Dolan Uyghur, Dominion Beer and Wine, Ellie Bird, Godfrey’s Bakery and Cafe, Harvey’s, Hot ‘N Juicy Crawfish, Ireland’s Four Provinces, La Tingeria, Lantern House Viet Bistro, Luzmila’s Bolivian, Midori Tea House, Northside Social, Nue Elegantly Vietnamese, Panjshir, Pho Ga Vang, Plaka Grill, Preservation Biscuit Company, Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, Role Play, Seoul Prime, Sfizi Cafe, Solace Outpost, Sweet Rice, Taco Rock, TeaDM Plus, Thai Time, The Falls, The Happy Tart, Thompson’s Italian.
