FOOD: A Little of Everything at Halalco Supermarket

By JIMMY SCARANO
Falls Church Times Staff

January 22, 2010

If you are a City of Falls Church resident there’s a good chance you’ve seen the black and white BUFFET yard signs for Halalco Restaurant scattered throughout town.  They are simply unavoidable.

I first saw one on Lee Highway a few months back, and I got a chance to look at it long and hard because I was sitting at a red light.  I had never heard of Halalco, so I was intrigued on some level.  But buffets are rarely rewarding and frequently horrid to the point where you regret eating at them, so I filed the name in the back of my mind as a possible destination for some food column far, far away.

Far, far away turned out to be last week.  After some internet sleuthing I learned that Halalco Restaurant was actually inside of Halalco Supermarket, a fully stocked grocer with loads of imported goods, a butcher, produce, and tons of Islamic items, ranging from clothes to books to DVDs.  The buffet was but a small part of a huge operation.  What was once an afterthought for a story jumped to the top of my list (yes, I have a list).

My anticipation only grew as I pulled into the strip mall housing Halalco.  The place is absolutely massive.  I went through the doors and didn’t walk out for another hour, as I was intent on checking out every nook and cranny of the chaotically organized store.

I began in the produce department.  Unfortunately there wasn’t much to like there.  A dozen or so bunches of cilantro covered with ice were on life support, as bruised and battered as I’ve ever seen the pungent herb.  Japanese eggplants—wrinkly, pliable, and soft—weren’t much better off.  Clearly there wasn’t much turnover in the fruit and veggies department.  I moved on.

The bread aisle was much more promising, jam-packed with lavash bread (both white and whole wheat) from Falls Church’s Mama Lavash Bakery, several types of soft and chewy Afghan bread, and more than a few bags of pita.   I immediately recognized the red-lettered “World Famous” variety of Afghan bread made in Lorton, Virginia, which I’ve bought elsewhere and is a particular favorite of mine.  The dough is made with milk and is especially tender as a result.  It’s about as good as bread out of a package can get.

The rest of the aisles were a mish-mash of imported goods from all over the Middle East, India, and the Eastern Mediterranean.  It was as if a Middle Eastern grocer and an Indian grocer met up and decided to join forces.  One aisle was full of tahini and pomegranate molasses, the next overflowing with whole spices and Indian pre-packaged meals.  And there were pickles, dozens and dozens of cans and jars of pickles.  Pickled beets, pickled okra, pickled peppers, pickled eggplant, pickled cucumbers—everything was pickled.

I also stumbled upon some excellent cooking implements, including real-deal kabob swords for grilling, ma’moul cookie molds, and mortar and pestles.  And there was an entire section devoted to rice, most of which came in mulch-sized bags.

Most of the aisles I walked down were deserted, though.  Everyone who walked in the store went straight to the butcher in the back.  Clearly, the vast selection of halal meats is the draw for most customers.  In addition to the typical lamb and chicken offerings, there were halal hot dogs, sausages, and even jerky, none of which I’d ever seen before.

In general terms, halal refers to anything that is permitted under Islamic law, whether it be the clothes you wear, the things you say, or the food you eat.  In the United States the term usually shows up only in the context of food.  In order to be considered halal, an animal must be slaughtered at the neck (to drain the blood away) and the name of Allah must be spoken as it is killed.  The halal butcher industry has blossomed in these parts due to the area’s large Muslim population, which I am thankful for because halal meat is usually fresh and affordable.

I hovered around the butcher for a few minutes, transfixed by the huge saw ten feet in front of me grinding through lamb bones.  It was thrilling to have such a wide-open view of the men handling the meat—an opportunity you never get at places like Giant or Safeway.

I forged on to the non-food area of the store, mostly because I saw a sign for cookbooks.  Mere footsteps away from the lamb carcasses I found the mother lode–unquestionably the best selection of cookbooks for sale in the City of Falls Church.  An entire shelf spilled over with some of the best-known titles for Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, including works from legends like Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert, and Madhur Jaffrey.  Even better than the well-known books were the dozens of funky little paperbacks I flipped through that are definitely not available at Barnes & Noble or Borders.

I got so caught up in the cookbooks that I ran out of time to eat at the buffet, which looked a little dreary anyways.  Nevertheless, I felt compelled to give it a try and went back this week.  Nothing was horrible but I would never go out of my way to eat there.  Most of the food was either Indian or Pakistani in nature, the bulk of it vegetable curries.  There were also some meat dishes, all with similar home-style, tomato-based curry preparations.

The only way I’d eat there again would be if I was already shopping and had a hankering for spicy, oily Indian food.  In that case I’d load up on the squash curry, chickpeas, and chicken karahi, which were the best of what I sampled.  And if you do brave the buffet be sure to wait for the piping hot disc of naan that comes with the meal—every dish tastes better sopped up with the Indian flatbread.  There are order-off-the-menu options as well, but frankly it doesn’t seem like anybody is there to eat at the restaurant, so I’d steer clear.

Taken as a whole package, Halalco Supermarket is undoubtedly a worthy place to visit for adventurous food shoppers.  Once you sift through the sub-par produce and haphazardly organized shelves (good luck finding the price on some of the products), you’ll find a gem of a grocer the City is lucky to have.

Halalco Supermarket- 155 Hillwood Avenue, Falls Church, VA, 22046.  (703) 532-3202.  For more information on the halal meat industry in the Washington D.C. area, click here for a great article from the Washington Post.

FOOD: The Gift That Comes Closest to the Heart

By JIMMY SCARANO
Falls Church Times Staff

If you’re scurrying around town looking for last minute gifts, I feel your pain.  The pressure to find the right present has been weighing me down since Thanksgiving.  But there is hope.

When my back is against the wall I always turn to food, and Christmas shopping is no exception.  A food gift is personal, memorable, and a conversation-starter.  I’ve spent the last week compiling a list of 10 places in the City limits to get a great gift for the food lovers on your list. Here are my picks of the litter, in no particular order.

1. Anything from the Farmers Market (300 Park Avenue, 703-248-5001): Winter at the Farmers Market may sound a little lame, but the sting of no summer produce is lessened by the vast array of artisan products and homey treats.  You could go the traditional route and pick up a few jars of jam, apple butter, or some gourmet coffee, all of which can be had at several vendors.  But I’m more intrigued by the less typical foods.  On my last visit I enjoyed the lip-smacking pickles at Oh! Pickles, a new vendor offering a variety of New Jersey-imported cukes (and even pickled tomatoes).  There are pickle freaks out there, and if you’ve got one in your family a mix-up of horseradish, red hot, and bread and butter pickles would make a great funky gift.  Just remember that Saturday is the last chance to get anything at the Farmers Market before Christmas.



2. Fancy stuff from Red White & Bleu (127 South Washington Street, 703- 533-9463): The obvious choices at this gourmet shop are the carefully selected wines and beers, sourced locally and from around the world.  My interest, as always, is the food.  Chief among the great finds here are the locally made sausages and other charcuterie from Jamie Stachowski.  Pick up a few links of smoky kielbasa or linguica, throw in a chunk or two of any of the innumerable high-end cheeses that catch your fancy, and hide it all in the back of the fridge.  There’s no rule that a gift has to be under the tree.  If you can’t wrap your head around the idea of a refrigerator present, check out the chocolates, olive oils, and other gourmet goodies. Read more

FOOD: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth at Arax Café

By JIMMY SCARANO
Falls Church Times Staff

Even though I haven’t trick or treated in ages, the Halloween season still enlivens my sweet tooth like no other time of year. Come late October I start craving sugary candies and cookies morning, noon, and night, and I can’t help but indulge myself every once in a while.

I could survive on the run-of-the-mill confections of my youth just fine, but lately I’ve been seeking out more off the beaten path places to satisfy my sugar rush. At the moment I’m especially fond of the date ma’amouls at tiny Arax Café, a Lebanese-Armenian coffee shop in Arlington just outside of the City. The dome-shaped cookies—made by owner Rose Hovsepian along with a host of other Middle Eastern pastries—are superbly decadent and tasty.

Ma’amouls mean different things to different cultures across the Levant, but most incarnations involve a buttery outer cookie filled with dates, walnuts, or pistachios. Because of their labor-intensive preparation the revered treats are often reserved for holidays and special occasions. Thankfully, Hovsepian bakes her little beauties year round.

I’ve singled out her date version because both the walnut and pistachio variations pale in comparison. To my taste they are a bit overrun with rosewater. The date ma’amoul, meanwhile, is buttery, sandy, nutty, and luxuriously rich, with a generous portion of sticky date innards. The pastry is quite small, so you might be tempted to scarf it down in a few quick bites. Don’t. A cookie this good is best enjoyed with slow, contemplative nibbles and perhaps a cup of hot tea or Arax’s signature cardamom-scented Armenian coffee.

It’s rare that I’m able to get past the date ma’amouls, but when I recently asked Hovsepian about some of her favorites she steered me towards the apricot jam-filled sables. She bragged that even the jam was homemade. And after a bite it was easy to tell. The jam had a tartness and texture that was so obviously not from a jar. The cookie itself was pure buttery shortbread goodness. Clearly I will have to make my way through the entire pastry case at Arax.

Beyond the sweet stuff there’s plenty more to like at the charmingly cramped café. A chalk board menu of savory snacks includes Middle Eastern stand-bys like hummus and grape leaves as well as lesser known Armenian specialties. One recent hit was the baked-to-order Armenian meat pie, a four or five bite disc of crispy pizza-esque dough slathered with a paste of tomatoes, spices, and beef. Also tasty is the chicken sandwich, which is a shawarma type concoction with a potent garlic sauce. Everything on the menu is homey and a refreshing change of pace from normal coffee shop fare.

Be careful, though. If you get a little excited and order a few little dishes and a few pastries you’ll find the tab creeping up into the high teens or twenties. This food is made from scratch on a small scale and isn’t cheap. But as long as the quality stays the same and the ma’amouls are flowing, that’s fine by me. The economy has stretched mom and pop operations paper thin, and this is the sort of place I’d hate to lose.

Arax Café is located at 5852 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA, 22216. Phone: 703-532-3320. Cash Only.

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FOOD: Jimmy Finally “Meats Up” with German Gourmet

A good lesson in the world of food — and in life, for that matter — is never to assume.

That’s the mistake I made with the German Gourmet. I figured it was a rundown market that catered to an older generation of Midwestern transplants with a few bratwursts and maybe some German mustards and breads. So, even though it’s been an institution since 1965, I never stopped by.

But at a recent Falls Church Times staff meeting I heard some good things about the small storefront. I decided it was my obligation as a food critic to at least give the place a chance. When I finally moseyed over there I found a fully stocked ethnic market with imported snacks and goodies that would make any food lover giddy. It’s without a doubt one of the most exciting food shops in the Falls Church area.

Perusing the narrow aisles on a mid-afternoon weekday, I lingered for almost an hour reading labels and inspecting strange-sounding German soup mixes. During that time a slew of people came through the store, all of whom seemed overjoyed to be there. An elderly German couple grabbed dense German bread and lemony wafer cookies. A chipper young woman talked the cashier’s ear off about her 13 years living in Germany and professed her love for the German Gourmet multiple times.

Aside from doing some serious eavesdropping, I eventually made my way to the primary draw for many people who come to the store: the meat case.

Fans of pork and beef and all of their tasty derivations will admire the impressive array of sausages, cold cuts and salamis on display (all of which are shipped in from Baltimore, Wisconsin, New York, and elsewhere). It’s so overwhelming that I’d recommend grabbing the brochure at the check-out counter that describes the flavor profile and ingredients of many of the items. Or you could enlist the help of the friendly employees behind the counter, who were more than patient with me while I took forever to make up my mind.

I finally settled on the fresh, smoked, and bauern varieties of bratwurst for my first foray into the world of German links. I spent half the night researching the proper way to cook them and decided on simmering them for 15 minutes and then finishing them on the grill for a nice char. Served with the German Gourmet’s chewy Brotchen rolls, each was juicy and well-seasoned. The fresh variety was a dead ringer for sweet breakfast sausage — not at all what I expected, but still tasty. The other two were more like distant, steroid-pumped cousins of the hot dog, with a little more smoke and spice. I’d have no reservations about taking any of the three to a cookout.

That being said, what I like best about the German Gourmet is the depth and variety of the rest of the products. The German chocolate selection is especially noteworthy. Milka, Ritter, and Hachez, three of the most revered brands in the fatherland, are all available. Imported mustards, jams, spaetzle, cookies, and breads line the shelves as well. And homesick Germans will be happy to see the Knorr, Maggi, and Dr. Oetker product lines very well represented.

The dairy case is home to some of the more exotic items — pickled herring, stinky cheeses, and pâte, to name a few — but it also has Lurpak butter, a delicious Danish import that is creamier and richer than anything made in the U.S. Not far away is a dizzying selection of German wines and beers that will satisfy even the pickiest of wine connoisseurs and brewmeisters.

There are even German pastries — strategically placed right next to the cash register for the impulse sugar purchase. Resist the urge. Most of them are brought in frozen from New York and then baked off. The hamantaschen and rugelach that I sampled tasted stale and were too sweet. You’re better off with a bar of chocolate.

Nevertheless, this place is more than worth seeking out for anyone interested in broadening their culinary horizons. I just wish I had been going there all my life so that I could tell you all the wonderful treasures that I’ve unearthed amongst the crammed shelves.

I guess I’ll just have to keep going back to find out. And next time I may go to the other location, which, if all you regulars didn’t already know, opened in 2007 on Columbia Pike and is nearly twice the size of the original.

German Gourmet: 7185 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 803-534-1908 — click for map

FOOD: ‘Tis the Seasoning: All Things Nice at Penzeys Spice

Before you read any further please do me a favor. Step away from your computer, go to your kitchen, and open up the spice cabinet. Take a minute to see what’s in there.

OK, are you back yet? Pretty scary, wasn’t it?

I bet you have some dusty old cinnamon from the Clinton administration. There are probably a few unopened bottles of cloves, allspice, and ground ginger as well. Oh, and don’t forget about that vial of Chinese five-spice powder in the corner — you know, the one with the cobwebs on it.

Now, you could go on cooking with these ingredients and lead a happy and healthy life. But they are about as useful as dirt if they’ve been in your house for more than a year. I suggest you head over to Penzeys Spices (513 W. Broad St., 703-534-7770).

The Falls Church outpost of this family-owned national chain, which has 41 stores nationwide and only two in Virginia (the other one is in Richmond), has the best selection of spices, rubs, and seasonings in the City. And the others are not even close. Penzeys blows the competition away.

Penzeys sources its stuff from the far reaches of the globe to bring customers multiple varieties of cinnamon, paprika, and other everyday spices as well as dried chilies, more kinds of salt and pepper than you thought existed, and just about anything else you can sprinkle or shake on a piece of food.

There are also innumerable special blends and mixes, from chili powders and steak seasonings to funny-sounding signature combos like “Sandwich Sprinkle” and “Sunny Spain.” The list of options is exhaustive and enticing. Grab a catalogue (Penzeys has legions of fans that order through its magazine) and peruse it as you walk through the brightly lit, immaculate store.

And don’t forget to smell the samples in the display jars. Part-timer Elena Toft, whose zest for spices is unrivaled by anyone I’ve ever met, guided me through a smelling of four types of cinnamon on my last trip. Each had a unique aroma, but all were intoxicating. It made me want to jump in the kitchen and start baking snickerdoodles.

Without question, the best part about Penzeys is that there is something for every type of cook. Gourmets can buy truckloads of Aleppo Pepper, Smoked Spanish Paprika, and Szechuan Peppercorns, which are all the rage in restaurant kitchens right now. Globe-trotting chefs can mull over which types of curry powder and dried chilies to buy. Barbecue masters can select new and exotic seasonings to add to their repertoire. And even bakers can have their pick of all the high-end cocoa powders, vanilla extracts, and sweet baking spices they want.

Or you could be like Toft and just buy everything. She calls herself a “power user” and claims to own just about every spice in the store.

As for me, well, I tend to go through phases. A few months ago I went through a container of the Turkish Seasoning in a few weeks because of this cumin-obsession thing I was going through. Lately I’ve been hooked on the Fleur de Sel, an artisanal French sea salt that is wickedly good with caramel and chocolate for a salty-sweet treat. But I also frequently reach for the Hot Curry Powder to spice up eggs or fried rice and the Garam Masala (the best jarred version I’ve had) to round out Indian dishes. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with anything. None of the spices I’ve tasted have been dull or dead, unlike many that I’ve sampled from the supermarket. A trip to Penzeys can literally change the way your food tastes. Everything is bright, lively, and fresh.

With this type of quality you’d expect prices to be lofty. Nope. Most of the products are available in tiny jars (usually around an ounce) for three or four bucks.  That’s a bargain when you consider how little is needed when you’re cooking with herbs and spices. Saffron, vanilla, and a few other luxury items, however, will set you back a bit. But when you think about the history of spices — in bloody wars fought over salt and sugar and harrowing overseas journeys to the Far East for nutmeg and cinnamon — it’s hard to complain about paying any price. I’m just grateful that I don’t have to scale a mountain and cross two oceans just to get my hands on some quality peppercorns.

The bottom line is that we are spoiled beyond all reason to have a Penzeys Spices so close by and you are doing yourself a huge disservice if you don’t at least go over and check it out. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Have a favorite spice or seasoning from Penzeys Spices? Please tell us about it in the comments section! We’d love to hear from you.

(Photos by Jimmy Scarano)

FOOD: Kasha’s Kitchen’s 20-Year Secret: Do You Know It?

On the chain restaurant-laden, chaotically congested Route 7 stretch that cuts through the City, Kennedy’s Natural Foods (map) is an oasis. Quaint and casual, it’s got a genuinely small-town feel. It also happens to have some lovingly prepared and thoroughly delicious food at the back lunch counter known as “Kasha’s Kitchen.”

Owner Kasha Neam put in the deli 20 years ago when she bought the store from its previous owners, hoping to bring some wholesome, healthy food to the neighborhood. City residents have been grateful ever since.

Somehow I’ve managed to drive by the place for the 15 years I’ve lived in the area and never stop by once. But I’ve been twice in the last week and like many of the regulars that show up for lunch, I’m afraid I’m hooked for life. There is just too much to like.

First off, of course, is the food. You can make your own sandwich with the typical array of veggies and top-notch Boar’s Head meats and leave happily full, but part of the fun of eating at this funky little health food spot are some of the unique vegetarian offerings.

Take the lentil burger, for instance.

Now, a lentil burger may not conjure up images of a satisfying, flavorful sandwich, but Neam’s famously overstuffed behemoth is outrageous. It comes on toasted wholegrain bread packed with fresh veggies, sprouts, and a potent garlic dressing reminiscent of a Lebanese shawarma sauce. The bites seem to get progressively better as you make your way through the layers of crunch and the moist, well-seasoned lentil patty.

The Power Veggie, another top seller, is supremely fresh and tasty as well. An otherwise normal pile-up of vegetables is enlivened with hot and sweet peppers and a generous spread of smashed avocado, which provides the perfect amount of fatty goodness.  

The fact that these veggie sandwiches can stand up on their own is a testament to the quality of the produce (much of it locally sourced) that Neam brings in. The carrots are crunchy and sweet. The lettuce doesn’t come from a bagged mix. The tomatoes taste like tomatoes. There’s no need to drown out the ingredients with the typical deli’s assortment of super salty meats, creamy dressings, and heavy bread.

For those with a sweet tooth after a healthy lunch there are even freshly baked cookies, which seem out of place among the sprouts and seven grain breads but are properly chewy in the middle and slightly crisp on the edges. The not-too-sweet ginger molasses is habit-forming.

But it’s not just the food that will lure you back to this gem. There’s a vibe, somewhere between being in your neighbor’s house and being in a country café, that makes it so utterly likeable. That vibe is no doubt due the constant presence of the bubbly Neam.

On my last visit I chatted with her about the business of running a small café and the conversation quickly turned to healthy eating and the heavily processed and pre-packaged foods that dominate so many people’s diets. She has dreams of overhauling the food system and getting everybody to eat right, but for now she’s happy to be doing it on a small scale, making her family recipes every day from scratch.  

“Whatever we have here, we make,” said Neam, with a confidence that assured me that “Kasha’s Kitchen” will never sell its soul.

It helps that her daughter, Elaine Neam, who helps run the store, seems to have taken the torch and run with it. She’s just as passionate about healthy eating and nutrition as her mom.

It looks like we could be in for another 20 years of lentil burgers. And that’s fine by me.

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