Category Archives: VA

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House, Arlington, VA

Ruffino’s Spaghetti House opened in 1975. It closed for renovations last September, and stayed closed for about six months, but it’s now reopen once again. The last time I’d been to Ruffino’s was in the 1990s. I vaguely remembered it … Continue reading

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Present, Falls Church, VA

When it first opened, Present was terribly overrated by the major publications in this town. It was never great to begin with, and after several weeks (perhaps several months), each of my visits seemed to get a little more gloppy. … Continue reading

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Gom Ba Woo, Annandale, VA

Gom Ba Woo has been touted (including by me) as the best Korean restaurant in the area for homestyle cooking. In fact, I’ve never seen a less than flattering review of it – so I may as well be the … Continue reading

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La Caraqueña, Falls Church, VA

The patio at La Caraqueña (at least the side that’s allowed to serve alcohol – the one away from Route 7) was a tough ticket on a beautiful Monday evening, so it was either wait for an outdoor seat to … Continue reading

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Kora, Crystal City, VA

We were in the mood for Italian, so of course we started driving around aimlessly at 6:30 on a Friday night. Argia’s? Nah, just there. Ruffino’s! Has it re-opened yet? Nope, one more week. We headed to Kora. Unfortunately for … Continue reading

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Burger 7, Falls Church, VA

Burger 7 is one of the newest entries in the still-burgeoning moderately upscale hamburger market (i.e., better than fast food, but not as good as Palena, Vidalia, etc.). It has taken over the old Burrito Brothers space in Idlywood Plaza … Continue reading

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Burapa Thai, Clarendon, VA

Burapa Thai is an established, local mini-chain that has its original location in Lansdowne, and recently opened an outpost in Clarendon. In February, I went to Sabai Sabai Simply Thai in Germantown, and proclaimed it the best Thai meal I’d … Continue reading

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House of Fortune, McLean, VA

Every so often, you hear tell of a “secret Chinese menu” at a suburban Americanized Chinese restaurant, and indeed, you’re about to hear of another one right now. The best way to describe the location of House of Fortune is … Continue reading

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Argia’s, Falls Church, VA

It’s always tons of fun to write a less than flattering review about a restaurant you like, run by people you like. This is a prime example of why it’s important to remember that these aren’t reviews of “restaurants” so … Continue reading

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X.O. Taste, Seven Corners, VA

X.O. Taste was very overrated by restaurant critics when it first opened, and now that it’s no longer owned by Full Kee (the Bailey’s Crossroads Full Kee), it’s somewhat overlooked because it’s not all that bad. Plus it’s useful, because … Continue reading

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