Valentine’s Day is just a little over a week away. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to make your dinner reservations soon, before the restaurants fill up and you’re left in the doghouse.
Here is just a sampling of some of the specials being offered by eateries around Reston:
- American Tap Room (1811 Library St.) will offer a three-course dinner (2 entrees, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert) with a bottle of wine and a rose for $70, tax and gratuity not included.
- Big Bowl (11915 Democracy Drive) is offering a special three-course Valentine’s Menu for Two from Friday, Feb. 10 to Tuesday, Feb. 14 for $44.95 per couple, not including beverages, tax or gratuity.
- Il Fornaio (11990 Market St.) will be offering its regular dinner menu along with a regional menu inspired by the region of Umbria, the birthplace of St. Valentine.
- Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will offer music by Tula from 6-9 p.m.
- McCormick & Schmick’s (11920 Democracy Drive) will have Valentine’s specials all weekend.
- The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive) is offering a four-course prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day. Cost is $80 per person, which includes all four courses and a complimentary champange toast.
- Mon Ami Gabi (11950 Democracy Drive) offers more than 80 boutique French wine varietals that complement its menu of classic French dishes.
- Morton’s The Steakhouse (11956 Market St.) is welcoming Valentine’s Day celebrants to enjoy their steak dinner.
- Passion Fish (11960 Democracy Drive) will be offering a three-course dinner with a price range of $60-$90, depending on entree selection.
- Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) is offering a Valentine’s Day “Duet Menu” for $55 per person. Details are available on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
- Uncle Julio’s (1827 Library St.) will offer chocolate pinatas, filled with fresh fruit and house-made mini-churros. They are served with a trio of raspberry, chocolate and caramel sauces and homemade whipped cream.
- Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) is featuring a $50 tasting menu with a wine pairing. The meal begins with an offering of baby red Russian kale salad, followed by house-cured Wester Ross organic salmon and grilled rack of lamb, and ending with dessert of pomegranate mousse and dark chocolate ganache.
Some information via OpenTable. Image via Wikimedia/suksim
Burger restaurant BRB (Be Right Burger) has closed in Reston Town Center, but the space is scheduled for new life.
According to its website, Pheast Food Group has taken over the management of several restaurants including Be Right Burger and will be “updating those concepts in 2017.” Signage posted on the shuttered Reston Town Center eatery advertises “another exciting concept coming soon.”
The changes are part of a reorganization within Reston-based parent company Thompson Hospitality, according to Pheast’s website:
“Funded by Thompson Hospitality, the largest minority-owned hospitality company in the country, Pheast Food Group was created to develop new innovative restaurant concepts and will oversee the management of the company’s brands — The American Tap Room, Austin Grill, Willie T’s Lobster Shack, Pizza Studio and Be Right Burger.”
The American Tap Room also has a Reston Town Center location.
Late last year, Pheast turned two former locations of Tex-Mex restaurant Austin Grill — in Alexandria and Silver Spring, Maryland — into Southern-style restaurants under the name Hen Quarter.
BRB opened in Reston Town Center in the summer of 2011. Prior to that, the building (1820 Discovery St.) housed a Marvelous Market deli, also owned by Thompson Hospitality.
The restaurant also has a location at Dulles International Airport.
A new barbecue joint is on the horizon in Reston.
Work continues on Willard’s BBQ at 11790 Baron Cameron Ave., in the Home Depot Shopping Center. A representative at the barbecue restaurant’s flagship location in Chantilly said the Reston location is expected to open “in a few more weeks,” but could not provide any further information.
According to information provided by Fairfax County, the building permit for the restaurant was applied for in June and issued in October.
The restaurant’s menu includes a variety of barbecue sandwiches and ribs, along with a full assortment of specialty items and sides.
The upcoming Reston location formerly housed Quality Carpet One Floor & Home.
Burger lovers in Reston will soon have another option to help satiate their desires.
BGR The Burger Joint will be coming to RTC West, parent company Chanticleer Holdings announced Tuesday.
There are currently 22 BGR restaurants operating nationwide, with more than half of those in the D.C. and Baltimore areas. Nearby locations include Sterling and Tysons. Another, in the Mosaic District in Merrifield, is listed on the chain’s website as coming soon.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant was previously announced as the anchor of RTC West, which is expected to open later this year. Nando’s Peri-Peri and Mezeh Mediterranean Grill are also signed on to be tenants.
The Reston BGR location will be operated by Sci-Reston LLC as part of a franchise agreement that includes the opening up to three additional locations down the line.
“We are thrilled to have Sci-Reston LLC as our franchise partner,” said Ed Kelley, BGR president of franchising, in a press release. “[We] look forward to opening in such a dynamic lifestyle center in the Washington, D.C. market.”
The burger market in Reston already includes Be Right Burger and The Counter in Reston Town Center, as well as Five Guys Burgers and Fries at Plaza America.
A couple Reston eateries are set to offer meal deals as part of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s Restaurant Week this winter.
The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive) and PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) are scheduled to participate in the annual event from Monday, Jan. 30, to Sunday, Feb. 5.
The restaurants are slated to serve $35 dinners from prix fixe menus. The Melting Pot also is set to have a $22 multi-course brunch, while PassionFish is slated to have a $22 lunch with various courses.
Reston Now’s sibling publication, Borderstan, has details on about four dozen D.C. eateries participating in Restaurant Week.
Image via Twitter/Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
Saladworks in Plaza America has permanently shut its doors.
The restaurant, which boasted it had “America’s best salads,” posted signs on its doors notifying customers of the closure. The signs recommend customers visit other locations in Richmond or College Park, Maryland.
The owner of the Reston branch of Saladworks decided to close the store, said Jena Henderson, a spokeswoman with the company.
Henderson could not say what the specifics reasons were for closing the Reston location.
“We love the Reston market and the people of Reston and are so grateful for their patronage over the years,” Henderson said. “We certainly have this earmarked as a market we would like to have a presence in in the future.”
Reston has a new Japanese restaurant. Bento House Sushi, Noodles & Grill opened its doors last Saturday.
Owner Eric Zhou said he spent months looking for the right “high-concentration” location that offered a mix of businesses and residences. He found what he was looking for at 11790 Baron Cameron Ave., in a former chiropractor’s office at the Home Depot Center).
Zhou spent five months renovating the space, which now offers no-frills Japanese at very reasonable prices.
“At Reston Town Center, restaurants are very expensive,” said Zhou, a Restonian who has managed several franchise restaurants but is setting out as an owner for the first time. “I wanted to open some place with a good environment and consistent, quality food.”
All of the dishes are made on-the-spot from fresh ingredients, he said. By offering fast food-style service, the savings is passed on to the diners, who can get a full meal at Bento House for about $10.
Some of the specialities:
Bento Boxes: Choice of chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon or tofu (with rice or noodles and mixed vegetables) $6.15 to $8.95. Deluxe bentos, add four pieces of California Roll and a Spring Roll for about $1.50 more.
Sushi and Sashimi, $1.75 per piece.
Traditional Rolls (i.e., California, Avocado, Spicy Tuna Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll), $4.50.
Speciality Rolls (i.e., Rainbow Roll, Dynamite Roll, Volcano Roll), $10.95.
Bento Ramen with pork belly $9.95-$10.45.
Salads and sides such as edamame ($3.50), tempura ($4.95) miso soup ($1.95) and seaweed salad ($3.95).
Bento House is open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Remodeling is well underway at 11790J Reston Parkway, where Bento House Japanese Restaurant plans to open soon.
The restaurant signed a lease for the former space of Active Family Chiropractic in Reston’s Home Depot Shopping Center earlier this year.
Bento House owner Eric Zhou said at the time he hoped to be open by late spring.
Bento House will be a locally owned, counter service Japanese spot, he said.
Meanwhile, the future of the Home Depot Center — considered a “convenience center” by the Reston Master Plan — will remain as such as part of the revised Reston Master Plan.
The plan changes for Reston’s village centers, convenience centers and neighborhoods were approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors earlier this month.
The 22-acre retail area at Baron Cameron Avenue and Reston Parkway was originally planned to be part of Reston Town Center, but was never developed to the same scale or design as town center or the nearby Spectrum.
However, with the Spectrum slated for a massive mixed-use overhaul, the Master Plan Phase 2 took a look at the future of the center, which has a variety of stores, many of them locally owned.
The final report said the community is willing to accept additional uses in this area, such as residential, hotel, and office. However, the community does not desire the density or intensity of development allowed in the Reston Town Center.
The Home Depot center is likely to remain the same level of density and uses, but look for opportunities to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity.
Red’s Table, the locally owned restaurant slated to open soon at South Lakes Village Center, is still busy working towards an opening this winter.
The restaurant, located in the former Lakeside Inn space, is an ambitious offering from Ryan, Pat and Matt Tracy, who grew up in Reston. The brothers own several Five Guys franchises, but this will be their first foray into sit-down dining.
Crews have been busy for months knocking the Lakeside Inn space down to the studs to renovate the Red’s Table space.
According to a craigslist help wanted ad, the Tracys have hired chef Adam Stein to oversee the kitchen. Stein formerly worked at D.C.’s The Queen Vic and at Alexandria’s Light Horse Tavern, which is owned by the Tracys’ cousin.
The posting also said the restaurant is hoping for a mid-March opening. Ryan Tracy had said last fall that he hoped to open in late January or early February.
But the owners still have big plans for good food and drinks at the new Reston spot. If the help wanted ad is any indication, expect excellent baked goods, sustainable fish, tattoos and a laid-back atmosphere:
Red’s Table is hiring for one Kick-Ass Baker/Pastry Chef to oversee our bread program and desserts. Savory experience is a plus, as this person will function in a hybrid position of AM Sous as well. (Mostly receiving and opening the doors for staff.) Five days a week with two consecutive days off. Tattoos and piercings are a bonus, but not required. We are hoping to open in the later half of March and are looking for people to help build our team. We will be open for Lunch and Dinner as well as Brunch on the weekends. Red’s will be a scratch kitchen paying close attention to region and seasonality. We will have our own bread program as well as a range of scratch pies and cakes. Focus will be on our large raw bar offerings as well as sustainable finfish and local proteins.
Chef Adam Stein is looking for strong, self-starters with experience who either wants to take a step up or are looking for a change of pace. No yellers, screamers, or plate throwers need apply. A warm, family atmosphere is the aim. If you’re looking for a serious, but relaxed, atmosphere to contribute to a hard working team, then please submit a Brief Cover Letter and Resume to Chef Adam Stein at the email above. Thanks!
Feel like going out for a little Christmas Day cheer? A selection of Reston-area restaurants will be open Thursday, Dec. 25.
Among them:
Amphora Restaurant (Herndon and Vienna)
Generally, many Asian and Indian restaurants are open Christmas, so check with your favorites or try:
Mama Wok at Tall Oaks
Lakeside Asia at South Lakes
Great China at North Point
Mayuri at Hunters Woods
Know of any others? Add them in the comments.
After Jackson’s Mighty Fine Foods & Lucky Lounge was named one of the top-earning independent restaurants in the country this week, Reston Now asked the owners why they think the business is such a hit.
Jackson’s familiar menu, reliable service and the spirit of its late executive chef — for whom the business was named — are key to the Reston Town Center eatery’s success, CEO Jon Norton said Friday.
“We focus really hard on our restaurants being approachable and not intimidating,” he said, referring to all 13 establishments in the Great American Restaurants group.
At Jackson’s — which opened in 2008 — customers feel equally comfortable bringing in business clients for lunch and their kids for dinner, Norton said.
The bustling, 260-seat restaurant was named in honor of chef Bill Jackson, who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and died shortly before Jackson’s opened, Norton said. He was 54.
“He was a character,” Norton said. “You’d always see him looking out from the kitchen after a dish was served, around a corner so no one could see him. If [the customer] had a good reaction, he’d have a smile on his face.”
Homages to the Great American Restaurants executive chef appear throughout the dining room. The “Little Rascals” mural near the kitchen shows Jackson with the characters of the comedy (it was a fan), and the menu still includes some of Jackson’s favorites, like the French dip sandwich, Norton said.
“We like to think that his spirit is still in the place.”
One of Reston’s go-to restaurants is nationally ranked.
Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge is among the top-grossing independent restaurants in the country, according to the trade publication Restaurant Business. Jackson’s brings in an estimated $11.2 million in annual sales, making it No. 86 on a list of the top 100 earners.
The 260-seat Reston Town Center eatery — which won the Best Happy Hour honors in Reston Now’s Best Reston Business Awards — serves an estimated 41,500 meals annually, the rankings say.
Only one other Virginia restaurant beat Jackson’s sales; Mike’s “American” in Springfield ranked No. 62, with estimated sales of more than $12.8 million. Both are run by Great American Restaurants.
At the top of the list were Tao Asian Bistro in Las Vegas, grossing $64.6 million, and Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach, earning $35.3 million. Old Ebbitt Grill in D.C. came in No. 3, bringing in more than $26.6 million a year.
It’s Metropolitan D.C. Restaurant Week, and several Reston restaurants will among the more than 200 businesses taking part.
Participating establishments are offering three-course lunches for $20.14 and dinners for $35.14 per person.
It is a great chance to try a variety of restaurants and more affordable prices.
In Reston, The Melting Pot (dinner only), PassionFish and Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro have restaurant week specials.
Slightly farther afield, other Fairfax County spots with specials include 2941 (Falls Church), America Eats Tavern (McLean), Ruth’s Chris Steak House (Fairfax Corner) and Stone’s Cover Kitbar (Herndon).
To see the entire list of Restaurant Week participants — as well as make reservations — visit the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Association’s website.
File photo of PassionFish
