Falls Church News-Press Fall Food Guide 2017

presents

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THE LITTLE CITY's

REstaurant revolution SEE PAGE 18

s k r o w e l a s u o i c auda n o o s g comin Coffee & the City

Café Kindred and Rare Bird Coffee Roasters hope their customers not only see them as places of business, but also extensions of their personal space. Page 22

Return of the ‘Que

A popular Arlington restaurant group gets ready to bring back barbecue to The Li�le City this fall.

Page 23

Also Inside:

• Taste of Falls Church Lineup • Eating on a Restricted Diet • ‘Taste’ Judge Q&A’s

PAGE 16 | SEPTEMBER 14 - 20, 2017

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

MENU SELECTIONS Liberty Barbecue (R 9)

• Brisket Slider with Picked Onion and Queso = 1 ticket • Side Sampler: Red Bliss Potato Salad and Baked Beans = 1 ticket

Northside Social Falls Church (R 10)

• Two (2) Northside Social FC Cookies (V) = 1 ticket

Café Kindred (R 1)

• Involtini di Melanzane (V) = 1 ticket • Mini Panini with Sausage and Peppers = 1 ticket • Cavatelli Bolognese = 1 ticket • Mini Cannoli (V) = 1 ticket

Flippin' Pizza (R 2)

Sweet Rice Thai Restaurant (R 14)

• Slice of Cheese Pizza (V) = 1 ticket • Slice of Pepperoni Pizza = 1 ticket

Hot N Juicy Crawfish (R 5) • Crawfish Po'Boy = 2 tickets • Fried Pork Skins = 1 ticket • Fried Brownies = 1 ticket

Jason's Deli (R 4)

• New Orleans Muffaletta = 1 ticket • Chicken Pasta Primo = 1 ticket • Nutty Mixed Up Salad (V) = 1 ticket • The Plain Jane Potato (V) = 1 ticket • Mac & Cheese (V) = 1 ticket • Pumpkin Coffee Cake (V) = 1 ticket

Ledo Pizza (R 13)

• Slice of Cheese Pizza (V) = 1 ticket • Slice of Pepperoni Pizza = 1 ticket • Three (3) Jumbo Wings = 1 ticket

Non-alcoholic beverages can be purchased near Ticket Booth 2.

Some restaurants may also offer non-alcoholic beverages for sale.

Sfizi Café (R 7)

• Buffalo Shrimp Grits = 1 ticket • Roasted Cauliflower with Spicy Capicola = 1 ticket • Reuben Sliders = 1 ticket • Tiramisu (V) = 1 ticket

• Spring Roll (V) = 1 ticket • Pad Thai Tofu (V) = 2 tickets • Drunken Noodle Chicken = 2 tickets • Panang Chicken= 2 tickets • Mango Sticky Rice (V) = 2 tickets

Trio Grill (R 12)

• Smoked Beef Short Rib with BBQ Sauce, Polenta, and Slaw = 1 ticket

Whole Foods Market Tysons (R 8)

• Beef Slider = 1 ticket • Vegan (Beyond Burger) Slider (V) = 1 ticket • Roasted Crazy Corn = 1 ticket • Two (2) Chocolate Chip Cookies (V) = 1 ticket

Zinga Frozen Yogurt (R 3) • Frozen Yogurt (V) = 1 ticket

(V) Indicates a Vegetarian Menu Option

The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5027 (TTY 711). For more information call 703-248-5178.

MAD FOX BREWING COMPANY

HOPPY Saturday, Sept 16, 2017 - Falls Church, VA 11am - VIP Admission 12pm - General Admission Showcasing Hoppy Beers From Some of Virginia’s Finest Breweries and Oktoberfests Too! Live Music, Grilled Fare and Fun for the Family!

Go to madfoxbrewing.com for more information!!

Use FCNP for 10% Discount 444 West Broad St, Falls Church,VA 22046 Free Parking - Metro Accessible

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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SEPTEMBER 14 – 20, 2017 | PAGE 17

2017 TASTE OF FALLS CHURCH at the

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FALL FESTIVAL

Civic Booths, Crafters, & Local Merchants Sponsors Falls Church News-Press................ S1 Campus Project Info Booth.............100 Passanate’s Home Food Service......122 Citizens for a Better City.................143 Goldfish Swim School....................S2 Falls Church Lucid -------------------100 Arts...................................123 Dept. of Transportation...144 Campus Project Info Booth New YorkVirginia Life ---------------------------133 Falls Church News-Press---------------S 1 Composting.............101 Kitchen Saver.................................S3 Cycle Bar......................................102 Kids First Swim Schools .................124 Growing Smiles of Virginia.............145 Church Composting--------------------The Kensington-------------------------134 2 Falls Goldfish Swim School------------------Homefix Custom Remodeling.........S4 ConcernedSCitizen Against Gun Violence Art of Problem Solving101 Academy...125 Stitch in Time..........................146 Renewal by Andersen.......................S5 ..........................................103 Falls Church AAUW......................126 ChelseaSense-----------------Market Designs...............147 Bar---------------------------------------102 Virginia Energy 135 Kitchen Saver----------------------------S 3 Cycle Burke & Herbert Bank.......................S6 K&S Imports/Olive Wood Crafts..104 For Children’s Sake of Virginia........127 Lula Roe........................................148 Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence- 103 Glass by Manda------------------------- 136 Loren Falls Church..........................S7 Your House & Notecards.105 Samson Properties Movement Mortgage My Thrive Pilates..........................149 Homefix Custom Remodeling---------S 4Paintings K&S Imports/Olive Wood Falls Church 137 Prince William Home Improvement.S8 Ann Baier & Donna Peterson.........106 . . . . Crafts . . . . . . . ------------. . . . . . . . . . . . .104 . . . . . . . .Sunrise . . 1 2 8 ofFamily & Sports---------------Chiropractic........150 Renewal by Andersen------------------S 5 Your One Fit Functional Training..........107 Dancing Mind............................129 Sebastian Edmunds Realty.............151 House Paintings & Notecards---------- 105 Wits End Jewelry ----------------------- 138 Restaurants Providence Players......................108 Ballet NOVA Center for Dance......130 Allure Silver Jewelry.......................152 Burke & Herbert Bank------------------S 6 Ann Baier & Donna Peterson----------------- 106 Falls Church City Democratic Party-- 139 Café Kindred...................................R1 Rare Bird Coffee..........................109 Reinvented Elegance...................131 Temalle LTD..................................153 One Fit Functional Training------------------107 Flippin Pizza....................................R2 Congressional School...................110 Falls Church Chamber of Commerce.132 Mom & Daughter Jewelry LLC........154 League of Women Voters-------------140 Loren Falls Church----------------------- S 7 Zinga............................................R3 Bedazzled....................................111 New York Life ..........................133 VPIS..........................................155 Providence Players---------------------------- 108 Rotary Club of Arlington--------------- 141 8 Prince William Home Improvement--Jason’s Deli......................................R4 AdvantageS Trainers.......................112 The Kensington..........................134 Palmercare Chiropractic...............156 Rare Bird Coffee-------------------------------109 Falls Church Wellness Center-------- 142 Hot N Juicy.......................................R5 Jesby Scarves..........................113 Virginia Energy Sense....................135 Layer3 TV......................................157 Congressional School Glass ------------------------110 Sfizi Café........................................R7 Falls Church Pediatric Dental Center.114

by Manda..........................136 Layer3 TV (Tesla).............................58 Citizens for a Better City -------------- 143 Whole Foods..................................R8 Blue Star Mothers..........................115 Sunrise of Falls Church....................137 OneVirginia 2021..........................159 Bedazzled---------------------------------------111 Virginia Dept. of Yogurt...............................160 Transportation------ 144 Liberty Barbeque............................R9 Falls Church Education Foundation.116 Wits End Jewelry..........................138 Liberte Café Kindred-----------------------------R 1 inAdvantage Trainers----------------------------112 Party.139 Northside Social Falls Church......R10 Family Medicine Falls Church.....117 Falls Church City Democratic Todd Moulder...............................161 Growing Smiles of Virginia------------ 145 Trio Grill.......................................R12 Falls Church League of Women Voters..............140 Loco Lights & Bubbles .....................62 JesbyShelter.......118 Scarves----------------------------------113 Flippin Pizza-----------------------------R 2Homeless Stitch in Time 146 Ledo Pizza.....................................R13 Falun Dafa Assoc. of Washington DC.119 Rotary Club of Arlington................141 Really--------------------------Awesome Toys .....................163 Falls Church Pediatric Dental Center-------114 3 Church ..........120-121 Falls Church Wellness Center........142 ZingaRice.................................R14 -------------------------------------Chelsea Market -------------- 147 Sweet Baha’is ofRFalls Summi Designs Henna..............................164

Sponsors

Civic Booths, Crafters, & Local Merchants

Restaurants

Jason’s Deli ------------------------------- R 4 Hot N Juicy -------------------------------- R 5 Sfizi Café ---------------------------------- R 7 Whole Foods ----------------------------- R 8 Liberty Barbeque------------------------ R 9 Northside Social Falls Church--------- R 10 Trio Grill ----------------------------------- R 12 Ledo Pizza -------------------------------- R 13 Sweet Rice-------------------------------- R 14

Blue Star Mothers------------------------------ 115 Falls Church Education Foundation--------- 116 Family Medicine in Falls Church------------- 117 Falls Church Homeless Shelter-------------- 118 Falun Dafa Assoc. of Washington DC------- 119 Baha’is of Falls Church ----------------------- 120 Baha’is of Falls Church ----------------------- 121 Passanate’s Home Food Services ---------- 122 Lucid Arts -------------------------------------- 123 Kids First Swim Schools --------------------- 124 Art of Problem Solving Academy ----------- 125 Falls Church AAUW --------------------------- 126

Lula Roe --------------------------------- 148 My Thrive Pilates ----------------------- 149 Family & Sports Chiropractic--------- 150 Sebastian Edmunds Realty ----------- 151 Allure Silver Jewelry-------------------- 152 Temalle LTD------------------------------ 153 Mom & Daughter Jewelry LLC-------- 154 VPIS -------------------------------------- 155 Palmercare Chiropractic-------------- 156 Layer3 TV ------------------------------- 157 Layer3 TV (Tesla) ---------------------- 158

PAGE 18 | SEPTEMBER 14 – 20, 2017

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

NORTHSIDE SOCIAL, coming to the City of Falls Church at the corner of Park Ave. and N. Maple Ave., is just one of the several marquee food and drink businesses opening soon in The Little City. (P����: J��� F������)

The Little City’s Restaurant Revolution

BY Jody Fellows

F

alls Church residents and visitors alike are in the midst of a golden age of wining and dining, with new food and drink concepts flocking to the small, 2.2-square-mile Little City to join a rock-solid lineup of already-established eateries around town. The explosion of the City’s restaurant scene in recent years is unlike any other in the region, beating out all of its larger Northern Virginia neighbors.

And it isn’t even close.

Since 2010, the City of Falls Church has seen a 46 percent increase in the number of ABC-licensed restaurants inside City limits, easily topping second place City of Fairfax’s 28-percent rise. The counties of Arlington and Fairfax lag behind, up 11 and 7 percent, respectively, and Alexandria City has seen just 6 percent growth during that same time period, according to data from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Even booming Loudoun County, with a 39-percent bump, can’t match Falls Church’s spike.

The increase in restaurants is not only

paying dividends when it comes to quality of life and conveniences for Little City residents, but the current culinary surge is also contributing to the bottom line as well. In the last six years, Falls Church meal tax revenues have gone up nearly 30 percent.

For most of the 2000s, however, this wasn’t the case with the City’s restaurant scene at a veritable standstill. Institutions like Anthony’s (opened in 1972), Haandi (1996), Ireland’s Four Provinces (1997) and Eden Center’s 40+ eateries were well-established and newly-opened Argia’s (1999) and Maneki Neko (2002) were attracting new diners, but it wasn’t until years later that Falls Church began to become a dining destination.

The City’s restaurant rise can be attributed to several factors like changing demographics, including a 14 percent population increase since 2010 and an improved economy after the Great Recession that led to the influx of mixed-use projects plus renovations of existing buildings.

Joe Wetzel, senior vice president of Falls Church real estate developer The Young Group, says he’s seen a change in the kind of business potential tenants have brought to his company. “There’s more polish to the type of clients [we get now],” he tells the News-Press.

Wetzel estimates that in the early 2000s, about 90 percent of the people who came looking for space had an undeveloped concept. Now, he says, a majority have more mature concepts and business plans.

He says Elevation Burger, which opened its first-ever location in a Young Groupowned building back in 2005, was one of the first to break the undeveloped mold.

Today, the popular burger chain born of Falls Church has more than 50 locations worldwide.

But the City’s continued food-anddining climb can’t be explained away as merely developing an underdeveloped city; Falls Church is already one of the most restaurant-dense jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, with an estimated 184 residents

for each establishment in the City.

However, the recent decision by two new businesses to choose Falls Church over Fairfax might hold the answer as to why the City is better at recruiting restaurants than its much larger and better-resourced neighbors.

One of Falls Church’s biggest coups — the opening of its first-ever distillery two months ago — might never have happened if it weren’t for Michael Paluzzi’s experience working with City staff to get his new business up and running.

“Falls Church was willing to sit down with me, discuss my business plan, understand the critical aspects of it and work with me on zoning concerns,” the Falls Church Distillers CEO tells the NewsPress.

And as for the County, “Fairfax was inflexible,” he says.

Wetzel agrees, “There’s a presumed willingness to make things work in Falls Church but not at all in some of our surrounding jurisdictions.”

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Paluzzi opened his distillery on S. Washington St. just two months ago and it’s off to a hot start. The new venture, which is not only a distillery but also a bar, tasting room and restaurant, has already sold 400 bottles of the Little City’s own bourbon, gin and vodka in its first six weeks of operation, twice what Paluzzi expected he’d sell.

From the beginning of the process, all the way to the opening, Paluzzi said the City did everything it could to make it happen. The accommodating staff at City Hall contrasted with limitations Fairfax would have imposed — like needing the distillery in a warehouse and only allowing prepackaged food to be served — made the decision easy. While Paluzzi says everyone at City Hall – engineers, the commissions, fire chief, plumbers and electricians — deserve kudos, he had high praise for one particular member of Falls Church’s Economic Development Office.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Becky Witsman. She’s an incredible champion for businesses coming into this town,” Paluzzi said of the City’s business development manager. “When you have an advocate of that talent and demeanor...that’s an incredible draw in and of itself.”

Witsman, who has worked in the development office since 2005, says one of the reasons Falls Church has been so successful is because the City prioritizes businesses like restaurants and breweries whereas other jurisdictions put the focus on other priorities.

“Fairfax County doesn’t do restaurants or retail in their Economic Development Office,” Witsman tells the News-Press.

“They only do industrial and office. They tend to let [the restaurant] sector go off on its own.”

By contrast, Witsman says, if Falls Church gets a prospect like a restaurant or a brewery, they let them know upfront the City will do everything possible to expedite and get their doors open.

That “if it happens, it happens” attitude exuded by Fairfax compared to the City’s “let’s get it done” motto when it comes to the industry is the reason why Falls Church has the area’s first new distillery in almost 10 years and businesses like the upcoming microbrewery, Audacious Aleworks, will soon be operating in the Little City rather than the County.

Northern Virginia residents Brian Reinoehl and Mike Frizzell say their forthcoming concept is going to be similar to a number of other small breweries in the area. “We want to be like Forge [in Lorton] or Little Bad Wolf in Manassas,” Reinoehl tells the News-Press. “We’re not reinventing the wheel.”

But when the business partners met with Fairfax County’s zoning staff and laid out their plans, they got their first hint it wasn’t going to be the smoothest of roads.

“They looked at us like we were Budweiser,” he says. “[They said] ‘So, you’re going to have trucks and trailers and giant vats.’”

Despite the less than promising first impression, Reinoehl and Frizell found a prime spot in the bustling Mosaic District in Merrifield and signed a lease. “It’s a

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fabulous location,” Reinoehl says.

But then, after seven months of backand-forth with the County’s zoning department — and three months after signing their lease at Mosaic — Fairfax held up their plans because of a parking space issue.

“What do we need to do to open? We’d like to open a brewery in your county,” Reinoehl says he told Fairfax officials. “But they just wouldn’t work with us.”

was positive.”

Reinoehl was practically incredulous. “I was thinking, what’s their angle here?”

The cooperation between Falls Church and its soon-to-be second brewery closely mirrors that of the City’s first beer maker.

When Mad Fox Brewing Company decided to come into town back in 2009, the brewery’s CEO and head brewer Bill Madden told the News-Press the City was very welcoming.

"We were calling Falls Church ‘Mayberry,' with how friendly and easy and willing to WORK with us they were.”

DOGWOOD TAVERN co-owner CHRIS LEFBOM After zoning officials failed to get them a promised response to an issue on a Monday, the duo behind Audacious Aleworks had enough. “That Monday was four months ago and we have not heard from them since.”

When their broker found available space in Falls Church’s newly-renovated Southgate Village Shops on E. Fairfax St., Reinoehl called up the City’s planning and zoning and was welcomed with open arms.

“They said it was a fabulous idea,” he says. “Right from the get go, my first conversation with everyone from Falls Church

“They worked hard to work with us,” Madden says. “I’ve built breweries for other companies in other jurisdictions and this has been by far the easiest.”

But not only has the City and its staff worked hard to attract new restaurants, they also are doing everything they can to help its existing establishments succeed.

Chris Lefbom, co-owner of three Arlington restaurants and Dogwood Tavern, a Falls Church institution since 2008, echoes the sentiments of the City’s newcomers.

“We were calling Falls Church ‘Mayberry,’ with how friendly and easy

SEPTEMBER 14 – 20, 2017 | PAGE 19

and willing to work with us they were,” Lefbom laughs. He lauded both his landlord’s and Falls Church Planning Director James Snyder’s help in opening the restaurant’s outdoor deck back in 2013, saying their efforts helped get the “skybar” finished much quicker than if they were outside the City.

“It’s night and day compared to working with Arlington,” Lefbom says.

The arrival of Dogwood Tavern along with Clare and Don’s Beach Shack — another popular Falls Church restaurant with Arlington roots that opened here in 2007 — marked a turning point for the Little City’s restaurant scene, reinforced by the debut of Mad Fox and Pizzeria Orso, sister operation of critically-acclaimed 2941 Restaurant, in 2010.

The following year, the Italian cafe Sfizi relocated to Falls Church from Fairfax and then grilled-cheese-andmicrobrew mecca Spacebar debuted in 2012. A few years later, the City welcomed in a flood of talent in 2015 with sushi bar Takumi, the coffee shopbar hybrid Cafe Kindred, Hot n Juicy Crawfish and established area favorites Plaka Grill (Vienna) and The Happy Tart (Del Ray) both expanding here.

Now boasting a restaurant scene worthy of the region’s attention, Falls Church is set to add Audacious Aleworks this winter, two new concepts from Arlington’s successful Liberty Tavern restaurant group later this year plus two yet-to-be-named eateries coming soon to the “Tulip Building” on S. Washington St. Grab your napkins, Falls Church. The Little City’s restaurant revolution shows no signs of slowing down.

MICHAEL PALUZZI AND HIS STILL might not be churning out bourbon, vodka and gin in the Little City if it weren’t for people like Falls Church business development manager Becky Witsman and others at City Hall. (Photo: Jody Fellows)

PAGE 20 | SEPTEMBER 14 –20, 2017

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Judges Talk Potluck Dishes, New Foods & More

This year’s Taste of Falls Church judges talked to the News-Press about how often they eat out, thoughts on leftovers and how they’re preparing for Saturday

Ross Litkenhous Running for Falls Church City Council

Eliot Corwin, Owner of Advantage Trainers

Tori McKinney, CEO, Realtor at Rockstar Realty

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge?

Exercise, hydrate and finding the right pair of pants that stretch at the waist.

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge?

A good workout to build up a decent appetite.

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge?

Skip dinner the night before and only sample fruit the morning of.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that’s opened in the past five years?

Here in town it’s Space Bar. 3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook?

Patrick O’Connell, chef and owner of the Inn at Little Washington.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be?

My grandmother Naomi, aka Nanny. She was unbelievable in the kitchen. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 94 and I miss her laugh and turkey dressing almost daily.

5. What’s the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten in the past week?

The healthiest would be sushi. The most unhealthy would be the three all beef hotdogs I ate in one sitting.

6. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be?

Chili-Mac 7. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out?

I’d say 80 percent eating in and 20 percent eating out.

8. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy?

If it’s buffalo wings or pizza, it’s an under-appreciated delicacy.

9. What is your least favorite thing you make yourself eat on a regular basis?

Kale.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years?

It’s hard to think of a place that’s opened recently but I’m always up for trying something new.

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook?

Alex Guarnaschelli.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be?

Gordon Ramsay’s beef wellington 5. What’s the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten in the past week?

I typically eat pretty healthy but I did get a chicken bake from Costco last week.

6. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be?

Carnitas, slow roasted pork shoulder. It’s easy and feeds a lot of people.

7. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out?

Mostly at home because I like to cook but I’ll go out once or twice a week.

8. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy?

Under-appreciated delicacy, I love leftovers.

9. What is your least favorite thing you make yourself eat on a regular basis?

Salads, I know they’re good for me but I make really bad ones.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that’s opened in the past five years?

Space Bar. Who doesn’t like Grilled Cheeses and tots?!

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook?

Aaron Sanchez, met him in New Orleans at St. Roche Market.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be?

Halley McKinney, my daughter, and her seafood chowdah! It’s restaurant quality!

5. What’s the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten in the past week?

Healthiest – Fruit from my hotel breakfast. Unhealthiest – Sweets at afternoon tea at The Wolsely.

6. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be?

Wine is always my potluck contribution ;) 7. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out?

Rarely eat at home, almost never.

8. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy?

Underappreciated Delicacy. Half of my meals are from leftovers.

9. What is your least favorite thing you make yourself eat on a regular basis?

Kale.

10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal?

Either wine or beer.

10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal?

Depends on the meal but in general I’ll take a cocktail with my meal.

11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak?

Simple bone-in ribeye. Medium Rare.

11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak?

The larger the cut the better and medium rare to medium.

11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak?

One of my guilty pleasures is a solid Ribeye, medium of course.

12. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten in the past month and how was it?

Snow Cream. It’s a hybrid of shaved ice and ice cream.

12. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten in the past month and how was it?

I had a Thai ceviche with coconut and mango.

12. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten in the past month and how was it?

Tandoori Venison. It was fantastically flavorful

13. Favorite ingredient?

In the fall, it’s Marmite.

13. Favorite ingredient?

Limes, I love anything that is bright and acidic.

13. Favorite ingredient?

Mushrooms.

10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal?

Definitely wine with dinner.

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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Nader Baroukh, Former City of Falls Church Mayor

Dr. Peter Noonan, Superintendent for Falls Church City Public Schools

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge?

I have a healthy appetite, so no special preparation. However, I will bring my wife and daughter with me to help.

1. Do you have any special methods to prepare for being a Taste of Falls Church judge?

I will not plan to eat much the morning of so I will come hungry!

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years?

I love them all.

2. What’s your favorite restaurant that has opened in Falls Church in the past five years?

Love the Plaka Grill and the Plaka gyro.

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook?

Ming Tsai. Great at incorporating western and eastern cooking.

3. Who’s your favorite celebrity chef or cook?

Bobby Flay of course!

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be?

Ming Tsai - roast chicken with sticky rice stuffing. But anything my wife makes is just as good.

4. If you could have one dish prepared by one person, who and what would it be?

Anything from the grill by my dad who passed away 3 years ago.

5. What’s the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten in the past week?

Healthy – I had some fruit this week. Unhealthy – too much ice cream.

5. What’s the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you’ve eaten in the past week?

The healthiest thing that I have eaten recently is salad.

The unhealthiest thing I’ve eaten recently is definitely some onion rings

6. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be?

I can’t cook, so anything that I can buy from a local grocery store.

6. If you had to prepare one dish for a potluck, what would it be?

Black bean, red onion, corn, and avocado salad.

7. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out?

50-50

7. How often do you eat at home versus how often do you eat out?

Home 3-4 nights a week and out 3-4 depending on how many night events and meetings I attend that go late.

8. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy?

I am not a fan of leftovers.

8. Are leftovers a cost-saving necessity or an under-appreciated delicacy?

Cost saving for sure.

9. What is your least favorite thing you make yourself eat on a regular basis?

Cereal bars.

9. What is your least favorite thing you make yourself eat on a regular basis?

Eggs.

10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal?

Depends on the meal.

10. Wine, beer or cocktail with a meal?

Wine

11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak?

Ribeye medium rare.

11. What cut and temperature do you like your steak?

Ribeye, medium.

12. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten in the past month and how was it?

Not so unusual. But I love sushi.

12. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten in the past month and how was it?

Raw Abalone – don’t need to try that again...

13. Favorite ingredient?

Ice cream...makes everything better.

13. Favorite ingredient?

Green Chile

SEPTEMBER 14 – 20, 2017 | PAGE 21

AMERICA, LET’S DO LUNCH

TM

John Gaul, SINCE 1925. Not a day goes by that he doesn’t look his best. Now, he and 1 in 6 seniors face the threat of hunger and millions more live in isolation. So pop by, drop off a hot meal and say a warm hello. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels at AmericaLetsDoLunch.org

PAGE 22 | SEPTEMBER 14 - 20, 2017

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Craft Coffee Finds a Home in the Little City

BY MATT DELANEY

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Coffee is more than just a caffeinated beverage to its fans. Its presence symbolizes the start of the day or respite from the fatigue that sets in between meals. At its core, coffee is a vital tool used to re-center its drinker from the throes of their current affliction, and local coffee shops Café Kindred and Rare Bird Coffee Roasters are willing to make sure the product they offer can be a cure as well as a cause for community that larger chains don’t address.

Rare Bird and Kindred share significant similarities. They’re both local start-ups who found fertile ground in Falls Church.

Each emphasizes sourcing quality products in a responsible manner while creating a work culture that demands the most from employees and does its best to give them the most in return. And they don’t want people to see them as simply a place of business, but an extension of their personal space.

Coincidentally (or maybe not?), they’re also both founded by married couples, with Jen Demetrio and Gary O’Hanlon operating Kindred and Lara Berenji and Brian Becker overseeing Rare Bird. Perhaps the only way they differ in their current occupations is the backgrounds that led them there.

“Typical to us, we do everything backwards. What we should have done was to have nothing to start with as far as coffee and then jump ship to Vigilante [Coffee Company],” Demetrio said, who comes from a background as a pastry chef along with O’Hanlon.

“I have to credit them big time... they guided us on everything and they put those pillars in place – quality, price point, knowledge and support.”

“I always feel like there’s this connecting line for the arts – from salon stylists to tattoo artists to coffee makers – they share creativity,” Berenji said, explaining that she and Becker met at the Corcoran School of Art & Design as photographers before Becker

turned a coffee roasting hobby with a Whirley Pop popcorn maker into the couple’s primary vocation.

On a grander scale, both shops make up what is known as the third wave of coffee. The first wave started with growing coffee consumption exponentially such as store shelves that were lined with Folgers tins and the second wave came with the rise of specialty coffee stores like Starbucks or Peet’s. The third wave is broadly defined as turning coffee into an artisanal food stuff, similar to wine, and valuing the origin of the product as well as its unique methods of production.

As Demetrio puts it, the third wave is actually coffee as it should be. Pure flavors of the product and direct trading with international farmers supersede the commoditized influence prominent in the first and second waves. A staffer at Rare Bird joked that the store is on the cusp of the fourth wave of coffee, since they not only operate a storefront but also wholesale the coffee roasted in house.

Returning to the roots of pro-

duction works to both establishments’ advantage in the Little City that favors the grassroots concept. Many standalone restaurants fill prominent space in the city’s streets, from Ireland’s Four Provinces to Clare & Don’s Beach Shack to Dogwood Tavern, while others such as Mad Fox Brewing Company got its start in Falls Church before expanding. City residents take pride in helping craft the identity of its local watering holes, though it’s the shops themselves that do most of the heavy lifting.

“There’s a lot of growing pains [and] there’s a lot of figuring out what’s gonna work,” Demetrio added. “Especially in the beginning, there’s a lot of forks in the road where you have to say, ‘What direction do we go here? Because this will determine who we will be in two, three or five years.’ At some point you commit it to yourself and say ‘That’s what we are.’”

For Kindred, their brand is more concrete after some early bumps while Rare Bird may find themselves at a crossroads in the

CONCOCTING the world’s purest forms of caffeinated delicacies are Rare Bird (left) and Café Kindred (right). (Photos: Matt Delaney)

near future. Initially, Demetrio and O’Hanlon focused on making an abundance of pastries. But customers favored hot dishes out of the kitchen, so the couple responded by nixing the pastry display and focusing on a more developed menu. Rare Bird could find that wholesaling their coffee beans is more prudent than running a storefront, or vice versa. Though with just under a year on the books they’re still in a “wait and see” approach (plus it might revoke their status as a fourth wave coffee innovator – *gasp*).

“It almost feels like two businesses in one, and it is in a sense,” Berenji continued. “We’ve thought about [choosing between wholesale or hospitality] periodically, but I think the combination is really interesting for customers and it’s what helps draw people in.”

There is one final similarity between the two coffee shops: They’re both participating in this weekend’s Taste of Falls Church Fall Festival. Samplings of their drinks and menu items will be available for competition judges and attendees alike who’re curious about the relatively new restaurants that have sprung up in the Little City the past couple of years.

Kindred actually won the Taste of Falls Church competition last year, much to Demetrio and O’Hanlon’s surprise. It was nice moment of recognition for the young business, but they refuse to get too high on their horse.

“We’re always pushing everyday, even when we’re dumb tired.

We do 16 hours a day here,” O’Hanlon said, before Demetrio added “We’ve said it from day one: Before we try to get a million people in the door we wanna make sure that they know they’re going to get quality food and service.”

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

Liberty BBQ Aims to Bring Southern Cuisine to Falls Church by Late Fall

BY ORRIN KONHEIM

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Though the space at Broadale Village Shopping Center on W. Broad St. has been vacated by Famous Dave’s, the residents of Falls Church will still be able to get their barbecue fix when Liberty Barbecue opens up in the Little City this fall.

The restaurant will carry on the brand of Liberty Tavern, a critically-acclaimed restaurant and lounge in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington. Liberty’s ownership group consists of brothers Steve and Mark Fedorchak, Brian Normile and head chef Matt Hill, and also currently owns Northside Social and Lyon Hall in Arlington.

The group is also expanding its Northside Social brand to Falls Church, opening a second location of its popular coffee and wine bar at the intersection of S. Maple Ave. and Park St. The concept of a barbecue restaurant stems from Hill’s roots as a native of Charlotte, North Carolina which gave him a pas-

sion for the cuisine.

“It’s always been kind of a dream to open a barbecue restaurant,” said Hill. “Members of my family have big smoke rigs and we’ve always just smoked meats.

I can remember being 16 and smoking pork shoulders for the Super Bowl, myself and for all my friends.”

Hill has been the head chef at Liberty Tavern since 2014 and designs the menu for all three of the restaurant group’s properties.

He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has had previous stints as head chef at Range and Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C. When it comes to barbecue, however, Hill says he is self-taught.

Casual connoisseurs of barbecue might know that it’s a style of cooking with strong regional identities whether it’s the heavily spiced dry rub from Memphis, the hickory-smoked multi-meat variations from Kansas City, the pulled pork shoulder variety from the Piedmont region of the Carolinas or the brisket-based Texas style.

“We’re not sticking to a specific style. We’re gonna take influences from all over. Our focus is just trying to be good food,” said Hill.

The barbecue selection will include fried chicken, brisket, pork, spare ribs and southern side dishes.

Liberty Tavern currently offers a pickle-brined fried chicken for a special night they call Fried Chicken Monday and sells it at Sunday brunch alongside biscuits and various rotating southern sides. Fedorchak sees this as a test run of sorts.

“We figured it’s an opportunity to connect Liberty Tavern and Liberty Barbecue with an item that’s appropriate for both places,” he said.

The restaurant will offer both over-the-counter service along with a separate bar area and adjacent diner seating.

Liberty Barbecue will also feature a performance stage. They haven’t yet determined the programming but hope to work with the local music community.

SEPTEMBER 14 - 20, 2017 | PAGE 23

EAGER TO OPEN their doors by late fall is Liberty Barbecue, where the old Famous Dave’s was located in the Broadale Village Shopping Center on Broad St. (P����: M��� D������) “We’d love to work with the local music community in Falls Church and Arlington and McLean, because we want to appeal to our local guests, I think, and there’s a sense of authenticity there.”

When asked what drew him and his co-owners to the city of Falls Church for his expansion projects, Fedorchak said they were drawn to the sense of identity of the city and also said that it’s been a very collaborative process with the city.

“There’s a great pride in the community from the people who live there. We love the liberty city identity from the people who live there, but it offers the community feel of a smaller city and we love that aspect of it, where we feel we can basically find ways to listen to what our customers want and be there for a variety of occasions,” said Fedorchak.

While no official opening date has been set, Mark Fedorchak says they aim to open Liberty Barbecue at 370 W. Broad St. in November.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

City Restaurants Cater to Health Conscious Customers & Their Dietary Trends & Habits

BY PATRICIA LESLIE

FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

Falls Church residents on special diets don’t have to go far to find a restaurant to cater to their needs. Local restaurant owners and managers have plenty to offer customers who have particular dietary requirements.

“Every single day we serve people with allergies,” said David Tax, co-owner of Clare and Don’s Beach Shack with his sister, Rebecca. “We kind of specialize in it. It’s weird because we’re a seafood restaurant. The hardest part is to determine if someone is on a diet or has severe allergies because we use a lot of procedures for them.”

For those with allergies, Clare and Don’s use different utensils, gloves, pans, tongs and cutting boards. Tax named the “Big Three” food allergies that he and his staff are cognizant of: shellfish, nuts and gluten.

“We want people to get what they want. The last thing we want is to make someone sick.”

The restaurant has definitely

seen an increase in customers wanting special foods. Over the past five years they’ve seen this demand blossom exponentially mainly due to gluten-free customers.

“Our main objective is to please the customer.”

Pizzeria Orso manager Sara Barrera has also observed an increase in customers who have allergies.

“We have a made-to-order salad for vegans or those who need gluten-free ingredients,” she said and reeled off some of the choices they serve at the restaurant including its hanger steak salad and grilled trout with corn, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and olive oil, which can be prepared for persons with allergies.

She has a vegan pizza, an English pea ravioli and new dietoriented items always available.

In general, their menu’s very light and uses high quality ingredients from regular items to daily specials.

For those with gluten allergies, everything in Happy Tart Patisserie is gluten-free.

The Falls Church bakery’s owner Emma Cech has dairy-free items, too. She says she’s seen growth in demands for glutenfree foods with two of the store’s top sellers being coconut frosted French toast and a beef bourguignon crepe.

The number of vegans and vegetarians is increasing, too. A change which has not escaped restaurant leaders.

Vegans eliminate all animal products, including eggs and honey, from their diet. They eat fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes while vegetarians generally eat only vegetables and no meat.

Probably the best known vegan restaurant in the area is the Loving Hut. Started by Anh Ly in 2011, the restaurant owner says business keeps getting better and better.

Ly switched from vegetarianism to vegan about eight years ago. When she gave it up, she says her stomach aches disappeared and now her arthritis is almost gone.

She says vegan food helps

combat global warming by emitting fewer greenhouse gas emissions. “It’s healthier, going from meat to vegan. You lose weight and you feel better and are more energized.”

Loving Hut regular Tanika Coates couldn’t agree more. Since she became a vegan six months ago, she’s noticed a definite change in her energy level and a welcome weight loss.

“I don’t feel bloated when I eat now. You can tell a difference when you cut out animal meat,” Coates said. “I will be 40 soon and so many die of heart attacks. I feel like a lot of our health issues come from what we put in our bodies.”

Among the many restaurants at Eden Center is Thanh Van which lists only vegetarian foods on its menu.

Located down a hallway which is filled on both sides with small retailers including restaurant competitors, Thanh Van has bananas, other fruits and vegetables, spring rolls, “bacon” with flour and soybeans, tofu and several different kinds of noodles. A Vietnamese family, Oanh-Ha, Gai-Ha and

Tong Luong have operated the restaurant for eight years in three different locations at Eden Center.

For those requiring glutenfree foods, Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant has a special section on its menu just for them.

Unlike many restaurants, Sunflower manager David Wang says he doesn’t need to change his menu often since 90 percent of his customers are regular, and they like what is offered. His place of business is well known and attracts customers from all over the District, Maryland and Virginia.

For those requiring glutenfree foods, Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant has a special section on its menu just for them, said David Wang, the manager there for eight years.

Unlike many restaurants he said he doesn’t need to change his menu often since “90 percent of my customers are regular, and they like what we have.” His place of business is well known and attracts customers from all over the District, Maryland and Virginia, Wang said.

For Falls Church restaurateurs, the most popular item on their menu is nothing particular, unless you include the special order most customers have to only request once for it to be remembered.

FEEDING THE DIETARY NEEDS of citizens that reside both inside the City of Falls Church as well as the greater Falls Church area are Clare & Don’s flexible menu and Oanh-Ha (left), Gai-Ha (center) and Tong Luong at the Eden Center’s Thanh Va restaurant. Clare & Don’s has a multitude of vegan and gluten-free options on their menu in order to accommodate diners’ preferences while the proprietors at Thanh Va suplpy a variety of vegetarian dishes (Photos: Patricia Leslie)