Hello all. I will be in Fairfax, VA, for a few days at the beginning of December and I should be able to spend a day in DC too. I don't drive, so I will not be able to go too far our of the way, but I am willing to uber further if something's that amazing. If anyone has any ideas, I could use some tips about where I could find good local food and anything else good in the area. I usually go from street food to high-end Michelin-starred restaurants and have no dietary restrictions, so please just suggest whatever you like and let me know why.
Fairfax is a large county. Whereabouts will you be? Is there a Metro station nearby? There aren't many, but there's a pretty good bus network, the Fairfax Connector, that links outer towns in Fairfax with Metro. That would be a good plan if you're in the boondocks and are planning to spend a day in DC.
Knowing where you might be able to get to without a big hassle would be helpful in making suggestions.
I will be staying at the Marriott in Fair Oaks. I haven't seen any stations very close on the map, but there are bus stations if you walk a bit. I do however tend to use Uber when in the US, so this won't be a problem as long as we are not talking about anything further than a 20min car drive (without this rule I ended up paying more for transportation than food in the past).
According to https://wmata.com/schedules/trip-plan... there's a bus from the Fair Oaks mall to the Dunn Loring Metro station, and from there you can get into DC where all the restaurants you're likely to hear recommended are. It's not something to do every night, but you might make the trip for one special dinner. And maybe the hotel might have a shuttle that will take you to the Metro.
Within Fairfax County I would suggest: Artie's; Ted's Bulletin; Mission BBQ; and Coyote Grill for some Tex-Mex. There is plenty of ethnic cuisine, but I would suggest visiting Eden Center in Falls Church. It is a Vietnamese enclave with choices galore: our long-running favorite has been Huong Viet.
D.C. proper is loaded with great dining. I would suggest researching past posts on the subject. Our continuing favorites have been: Le Diplomate, Central, Olde Ebbits Grill for location near the White House; Rasika for Indian food; and any of the Jose Andres spots. Take in a museum or two if you can...
There are some exceptional choices out where you are, all easily eaccessible by Uber.
Chennai Express is about 11 minutes away by car. Very tiny spot and very, very popular. There is often a wait. As the name implies, food from the the Tamil Nadu State. The set dosai vadacurry is a MUST ORDER. Near there is Dumpling Queen a place that specializes in dongbei style dumplings in a large variety of combinations. Beef with celery are very good, but hard to go wrong. They also have a couple of other wonderful dishes: the xinjiang-style fried ribs and the mung bean noodle salad. Those three together will be an impressive meal.
Closer to you, but very good as well are Mazadar for Afghan food, a surprisingly elegant place (the bread here is fantastic, get the baba ganouj and the bolanee, and right next door is Saravana Palace for purely vegetarian South Indian food. In fact, these two places might be the best two restaurants that are right next to each other (an unusual distinction to be sure), in all of the DC metro region. At Saravana, go for the samosa chat, jaipuro paneer dosa, and the gutti venkaya.
Also close via Uber is Nanjing Bistro, and the folks there really are from Nanjing. Stick to the Nanjing specialties. The Nanjing style lions head meatball and the tofu with 1,000 year old egg are both great. Ask about the specials (they are listed in Chinese on a blackboard as you enter).
Thanks, guys! There are a lot of interesting options here and I will make sure to reach as many as I can. Other dishes I'd like to get are burgers, chilly cheese dogs, and ramen. Any idea where I could find good versions?
In Fairfax, the miso ramen at Marumen is good, but not so much the tsukeman. In DC, the kimchi ramen at Toki Underground (you should make reservations) is very good but very, very spicy. I am not so crazy about their other versions. Daikaya in DC (there will be a wait) has very good miso ramen.
Hot dogs are nothing special here, but there is a DC specialty called a half smoke, which is a somewhat spicy sausage that folks eat here instead of hot dogs. Ben's Chili Bowl is the historic suggestion, though I am not sure how worth it is to go out of your way for. There are now several locations.
BGR is a local chain that has exceptional burgers. Serious stuff, Hard to find better.
Hi there -- this rec is a bit far afield and maybe out of range since you'll be sans car, but since you've mentioned dogs, up in Leesburg in Loudoun County is Windy City Red Hots, which offers authentic (as attested to by Chicago natives) Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and other Chicago style treats. Plus, Leesburg is a nice town with lots of good food as well as Leesburg Vintner, which has bottle from many local wineries (Loudoun County now has the most wineries in VA and many are quite good).
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...