April 16, 2010

This will be the last installment of my weekly food column for the Falls Church Times.  No more obsessive Farmers Market taste tests.  No more waxing poetic about the Eden Center.  No more bashing Pie-Tanza and Elevation Burger.  It’s all over.  I’m off to graduate school to begin the next chapter in my life.

To say that I’ll miss the Times is a gross understatement.  Food and writing are two passions of mine that I was able to indulge simultaneously with this gig, which also allowed me to work with some of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I’ve met—the Falls Church Times Staff.

Stan Fendley has backed me up no matter what I’ve written.  I’ve gotten words of encouragement and advice from Dave Witzel, Scott Taylor, Annette Hennessey, George Bromley, Gina Caceci, and Stephen Siegel on numerous occasions.  And Man About Town Columnist George Southern, well, he’s been about the best editor a writer could ever have—helping me along every step of the way with uncommon thoughtfulness.  I can’t imagine a more supportive group of people.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my columns as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.  For the most part, I’ve avoided writing about the City’s most popular places, which I don’t see the point in reviewing.  Instead I’ve focused on lesser known ethnic places and foods available here that aren’t available elsewhere.   There are many places I didn’t get a chance to profile and many dishes I didn’t get a chance to try, but I had a blast exploring new restaurants, shopping at ethnic grocers, and expanding my horizons at the Farmers Market.

I’ll leave you with one last labor of love—a list of the “Top 10 Food-Related Things I’ll Miss the Most in and Around the City of Falls Church.”  It’s a long title for a list but I can’t think of a better name.  I’ve tried to cover all the bases, from markets to restaurants to places in the City and outside of it but not too far away.  At best I think it’s a useful tool for any City resident interested in getting the most of the unique food offerings around the Little City.  I call it a list of things I’ll miss, but from your perspective it’s really just my list of the “Top 10 Food-Related Things to Take Advantage of in and Around the City of Falls Church.”

If I mention a place that I’ve written a story about in the past then I’ve included a link to that story to give you some more information about it. If I mention a place that I didn’t get a chance to write a story about I’ve included the address in parentheses.  And if I don’t mention a place you think I should’ve mentioned, well, I’m sorry about that.  So here’s the list, beginning with the place I’ll miss the very most…

Top 10 Food-Related Things I’ll Miss the Most in and Around the City of Falls Church

The gateway to deliciousness.

1. The Eden Center- I’ve probably written more about this City gem than anything else.  The Eden Center is a food paradise with over 30 Vietnamese restaurants and bakeries that I’ve only scratched the surface of even though I’ve been there dozens of times.  I’ll miss Huong Viet—Eden’s oldest and most often crowded restaurant– the most.  Its spring rolls, smoky grilled meats, and gutsy lemongrass-centric stir fries are a terrific introduction to a great cuisine.  If you haven’t been to Eden you simply must go.  If you only go occasionally then you should go more often.  And if you just don’t feel like dealing with the notoriously bad parking at least head down to Present Restaurant in Falls Church to enjoy some just-as-good Vietnamese cooking– its the cuisine this area specializes in better than any other.
2. The Farmers Market- There are Farmers Markets everywhere.  But it’s going to be hard for me to find one better than the one the City is so blessed to have.  I’ll miss the tomatoes at Tree and Leaf and Potomac Vegetable Farms.  I’ll miss the glorious fruit at Toigo and Black Rock Orchard.  I’ll miss Mike Musachio’s sweet corn and spring peas.  Most of all, though, I’ll miss the market experience as a whole.  The hustle and bustle of a Saturday morning at the Farmers Market is invigorating.
   

   You wouldn't expect a knock-out Indian grocer like Indian Spices to be in the middle of the Little City, but thankfully it is.

3. The Ethnic Markets- If you get all of your grocery shopping done at Giant or Whole Foods or Trader Joes you’ve been missing out.  Those are fine establishments, but for the curious cook the area’s innumerable ethnic markets are far more interesting (and often more affordable).  Few places in the country have such a diverse selection of top-notch ethnic markets.  I will miss the luxury of being able to get bulk Indian spices, chewy Arab bread, and dirt cheap Asian vegetables with just a few turns here and there.  In the City I particularly like Indian Spices, The Lebanese Butcher, Halalco and Asian Imports.  Branch outside of City boundaries and things get even more interesting.  The German Gourmet is fun.  So is Grand Mart.  But two of my favorite places that I never got a chance to write a story about are Great Wall Supermarket (2982 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA, 22042, 703-208-3320) and Duangrat’s Market (5888 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 22041, 703-578-0622).   Great Wall is a Chinese market with an astonishing selection of fresh and funky fruits and vegetables and nearly every Asian pantry staple you’ll ever need.  Duangrat’s is the area’s best Thai market behind Arlington’s Bangkok 54 Market (2927 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 22204, 703-521-4207), which I urge you to go to if you are serious about Thai cooking and don’t mind a 15 minute drive.
4. Peruvian Chicken- The City’s two Peruvian chicken outposts—Crisp and Juicy and Super Chicken—don’t exactly thrill me, but they are still better than 99% of the plain old roast chickens out there.  When I did a Peruvian chicken tasting awhile back I recommended hoping over to Arlington to eat at Super Pollo or El Pollo Rico for some seriously marinated birds.  I stand by that recommendation still.  I don’t know how I’ll live without Peruvian chicken. 
5. Saltenas- Ahh, saltenas.  I still can’t understand why these Bolivian meat turnovers haven’t caught on with a broader audience.  There have been cupcake crazes and frozen yogurt crazes and kabob crazes.  But no love for the saltena.  Go to Luzmila’s or La Caraquena in the City to try one if you haven’t already.  The savory-sweet, empanada-like treats are virtually unavailable outside of Bolivia.
   

   So long saltenas. You will be missed (photo from dcfoodies.com).

6. Kasha’s Kitchen—I’m afraid that if I’m back in the area a year or two from now Kasha’s won’t be here.   The locally run sandwich shop (which is inside Kennedy’s Natural Foods) with a granola-hippie twist just doesn’t get the business it deserves.   It has all the charm and spunk that the chains don’t and the food is shockingly good.  A Power Veggie or Lentil Burger along with an oversized cookie is one of the most satisfying lunches in the City.
7. Our Tasty Neighbor Arlington—I haven’t written much about Arlington because, well, this is an online newspaper dedicated to the City of Falls Church.  But there are some cheap eats in the nearby suburb that we have no equivalent for in the City where you can eat like a king for less than 15 bucks a person.  The most obvious one is Ray’s Hell Burger (1725 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22209, 703-841-0001), the ground meat Mecca that became uber-famous when President Obama and Vice President Biden ate there.  I’ve never had anything less than a spectacular burger there.  Another Arlington institution that the Little City has no answer for is Ravi Kabob (350 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA, 22203, 703-522-6666), a swoon-inducing Pakistani dive with excellent kabobs and justifiably legendary chickpeas.  For the taco-freaks out there, I have to throw in a plug for El Charrito Caminante (2710 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA, 22201, 703-351-1177), the only taqueria I’ve encountered that’s worth going to in Northern Virginia (the chorizo, beef, and pork taco variations are my top picks).  The place in Arlington I’ll miss the most, though, is the Italian Store (3123 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA, 22201, 703-528-6266), which mastered the art of the greasy Italian-American hoagie long ago.  I always feel better about going a little out of my way when the final destination is really affordable and delicious and is something I just can’t get near my house.  These places fit the bill for City residents, requiring only a ten minute drive for budget-friendly bliss.
   

   The Ethiopian delights at Meaza are so unique and delicious that they'd be worth an hour-long drive. Thankfully, the gem is only 15 minutes from the City.

8. The Proximity of Hard-To-Find Cuisines- Within a few mile radius of the City there are some excellent restaurants specializing in cuisines that the vast majority of Americans have never had the opportunity to eat.  I will sorely miss having such places at my disposal.  Two that jump immediately to mind are Hong Kong Palace and Myanmar, a duo of Falls Church gems just outside the City that offer up seldom seen dishes.  The latter has a full roster of Burmese specialties.  The former sports a greatest-hits menu of incendiary Szechuan delights, including Chengdu Spicy Cold Noodles and Cumin lamb — two of the most addictive plates of food I’ve eaten all year.  Meaza, an Ethiopian palace on the edge of Falls Church, is another hard-to-find-elsewhere restaurant that I encourage you to take advantage of.  The complex vegetarian stews and rich, spicy meat dishes will seduce you into many repeat visits.  A slight detour to Annandale will drop you in the middle of dozens of Korean restaurants.  The mom n’ pop Gom Ba Woo (7133 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA, 22003, 703-642-1577) is a cozy introduction to this underappreciated cuisine.  Try the seafood pancake or the dumplings or the barbecued pork (well-charred pork belly, actually) with red pepper sauce—it’s hard to go wrong.  The City of Falls Church is ideally located to explore these and so many other fascinating cuisines.  Get out there and challenge your palate a little—you won’t regret it.
9. Rabieng- This long-standing Thai restaurant a mile outside the City is far from perfect, but it excels in enough areas to warrant repeat visits–and to make this list.  Truth be told, I probably crave food from here more than I do from any other area restaurant.  The coconut milk-rich curries are without peer in the area, as are some of the soups and chili-basil stir-fries.
10. Good Old Haandi- There is a perception out there that Haandi was once good and is now only mediocre.  Food critics say there are newer and better options these days for Indian food.  Well, that may be true to some extent, but I think Haandi is a reliably good neighborhood Indian spot with fresh bread and rice, rich and satisfying curries, and decent prices.  What’s not to like?  My colleague George Southern sang its praises last year.

That’s it.  That’s the list.

By JIMMY SCARANO

March 19, 2010

There are so many incredible Asian food markets within a 10 mile radius of the City of Falls Church.

Great Wall off Gallows Rd. in Falls Church may be the craziest of the bunch.  On Saturday mornings the check-out lines are often ten people deep, comprised mostly of Chinese grandmothers stocking up on loads of fresh vegetables and fish straight out of the live tanks that line the back of the store.  The Korean-centric H Mart across the street is similarly chaotic, teeming with people at all hours of the day.

At Duangrats in Falls Church and Bangkok 54 Market in nearby Arlington homesick Thais shuffle in throughout the week for curry pastes, fresh rice noodles, kaffir lime leaves, and other hard-to-find items.  Every time I go to one of them I leave with a new treasure I’ve never tasted in my life.

And there are countless other places that get plenty of well-deserved business—the Grand Mart just outside the city; the Cho Saigon Supermarket at the Eden Center; the Happy Go Supermarket in Annandale.

But there is an overlooked gem amongst these popular Asian grocers — a place that sees far fewer people walk through its doors.  It’s called Asian Imports and it’s right here in the Little City.

Asian Imports (formerly known as Vietnam Imports) isn’t nearly as big or well-stocked as much of its brethren, and some of the products seem to have been untouched for years.  It doesn’t really carry any fresh produce, meats, or fish worth noting either.  Truthfully, the place doesn’t look like much at all on the surface.

Start perusing the shelves, though, and you’ll quickly realize this is no generic Asian market.  Even though you’ll find some of the same Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean items that other stores carry, Asian Imports specializes in Indonesian and Filipino imported foods, both of which are hard to come by around here.  There are dozens of products and brands at this cramped storefront that you simply can’t find elsewhere.  For that reason alone, this place is worth a trip.

Asian Imports crams hundreds of goodies into a small, bare bones space.

In my recent visits I’ve been drawn to the astonishing selection of sambals, the fiery chili-based relishes loaded with garlic and aromatics that are the backbone of the cuisines of the Philippines, Indonesia, and other neighboring countries. Grab a jar and read the ingredients to get a better idea of what the flavor profile of a given type is, as there are many to choose from.  I generally avoid the shrimp paste-heavy ones because they are a tad funky for my Western palate, but any other choice will give you a versatile, spicy, assertive pantry staple that is a great addition to marinades and dips.

The ubiquitous Filipino and Indonesian table condiment kecap manis is another great find.  Most Asian markets carry one or two brands of this addictive palm sugar-sweetened soy sauce, but Asian Imports has several, including the preservative-free and well-regarded Bango brand that I haven’t seen anywhere else.  When the grilling season comes a bottle of kecap manis is a secret weapon.  Its sweet, salty, smoky, complex, caramel-like flavor is fantastic brushed on just about any meat before it hits the coals.

Indonesian sweet soy sauce, otherwise known as kecap manis, is one of the world's great condiments.

Those are the two most familiar, most Western friendly Filipino-Indonesian treats.  The vast majority of stuff on the shelves at Asian Imports I know nothing about.  There are bags of rice yeast and powdered purple yam.  There are pickled things and fermented things and canned exotic fruits.  There are frozen Filipino sausages, shrimp chips, and cassava crackers.  Much of it is cheap enough and small enough to justify trying a few mystery items.

The key is to read labels and avoid stuff with preservatives and weird additives, which are generally a sign of poor quality.  It also helps to enlist the help of whoever is working that day (there is usually just one person).  Everyone I have talked to in my visits has been nothing but nice and helpful, in spite of the language barrier.

On my last trip I played it pretty safe with a six-pack of deliciously tropical-tasting soursop juice from Indonesia.  I also splurged on some locally made Filipino cashew candies, a strange cardboard container of pure coconut cream, and needle-thin rice noodles.    Next time I’ll pick up some of the Dutch products, which Asian Imports has a substantial supply of thanks to the long-standing Dutch presence in Indonesia.

Frankly, I’m not sure how much longer this little shop will last.  The competition is fierce, and, in many ways, better.  But Asian Imports has products and family-owned charm that other places don’t.  That’s enough to keep me coming back.

Asian Imports is located on 922 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA, 22046.  (703)- 534-9441.

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).

The meat men at work at Halalco.

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.

You could spend an afternoon weighing your options in the rice aisle at Halalco.

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.

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.



3. Asian Pantry Gift Basket from Cho Saigon Supermarket in Eden Center (6795 Wilson Boulevard, 703-533-0863‎): If there is anyone on your list even remotely interested in Asian cooking, this well-stocked market is a gold mine.  Don’t be put off by the shelves of pickled shrimp, canned vegetarian mock abalone, and mysterious gray jars.  There are plenty of preservative-free, high quality brands of fish sauce, soy sauce, and other pantry staples in the Asian kitchen.   You could buy a wok or bamboo steamer from the cookware section of the store and fill it with a few choice condiments for a unique and memorable gift.  Personally, I’d spring for Golden Boy fish sauce, Kadoya sesame oil, Kimlan soy sauce, and any chili-garlic sauce with a pronounceable ingredient list.



4. Cooking gadgets from Brown’s Hardware (100 West Broad Street, 703-532-1168‎): Ok, so there’s nothing edible at Brown’s, but the City’s oldest business has got a surprisingly good selection of practical kitchen equipment.  Box graters, tongs, rolling pins, colanders, and a host of other basic tools are available and fairly priced.  Simple though they may be, these are the types of gifts that are pushed to the side at first but slowly become favorites over the years because they are just so darn useful.



5. Customized Spice Basket from Penzeys Spices (513 West Broad Street, 703-534-7770): Spices and herbs are the perfect holiday gift—they’re affordable, they have a long shelf life, and, best of all, they are great for any level of cook.  Penzeys has everything you could ever want and then some.  Got a friend crazy for Mexican cooking?  Load up on annatto seeds, cumin, adobo seasoning, Mexican oregano, and a couple of packets of guajillo and ancho chilies and they’ll flip out.  Know somebody who likes to bake?  The varieties of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and other pastry pantry staples are unmatched by any other retailer in the region.



6. Healthy Stuff at Kennedy’s Natural Foods (1051 West Broad Street, 703-533-8484): The deli at Kennedy’s is the real draw, but on a recent visit I was surprised at the selection of health foods lining the shelves.  All-natural snacks and candies make great stocking stuffers for the organic eater.  More substantial gifts could be a mammoth jar of organic honey, a few gluten-free cake mixes, or any number of dried goods.  And if you aren’t sure what to get, enlist the help of the absurdly nice owner, Kasha Neam.  Anything with her seal of approval is bound to be good, and good for you.



7. Middle Eastern Bazaar at Lebanese Butcher (113 East Annandale Road, 703-533-2903): Even though this small grocer is about the size of a walk-in closet, the selection is still outstanding.  A lot of the offerings don’t exactly scream Christmas gift (canned fava beans anyone?), but be patient and you’ll find some killer foodie gifts.  Dried figs, apricots, and nuts are safe bets for stocking stuffers, but far more interesting is a bottle of pomegranate, date, or grape molasses.  Or, better yet, a container of Saudi Arabian black seed honey, a robust but delicious sweetener perfect with tea.



8. Exotic Foodstuffs at Indian Spices (1067- B West Broad Street, 703-532-1777): I profiled this hidden-away ethnic grocer a few months back, and after a return trip this week I’m even more smitten than before.  With all the foreign-looking products it’s a huge asset to the shopper to have an owner as friendly, knowledgeable and honest as Danthuri Shilaja.  Strange as it may sound, I’d love to wake up to a giant bag of super-fragrant Tilda basmati rice sitting under the tree.  Or a can of India’s renowned Alphonso mangoes. Or a spread of whole cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks.  Or, well, just about anything from this charmingly cramped store.



9. Sweet Treats at Natalia’s Elegant Creations (230 West Broad Street, 703-241-8040): Be careful when you walk into this quaint European-themed café—the display case is so tempting that you may end up toting 40 bucks’ worth of pastries on your way out.  That wouldn’t be such a horrible thing, though.  The sweets here taste like actual confections made from real butter and sugar.  Pretty-as-a-picture cakes aren’t too conducive to gift-giving, but there are plenty of cookies, bars, barks, and other little indulgences worth seeking out.  The mini gingerbread cookies taste like Christmas morning.



10. Gift Certificates at Your Favorite Area Restaurants: If you’re really pressed for a present, don’t forget that many places in the City — even small family owned spots — offer gift certificates.  I can’t tell you how awesome it is to get the bill for a gut-busting meal and not have to reach for your wallet. There are far too many places to list here, but if I were on the receiving end I wouldn’t mind a handsome sum of money good for a meal at Huong Viet (6785 Wilson Boulevard, 703- 538-7110) in the Eden Center.

Well, that’s the list.  Happy Holidays!

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.

Pint-sized Arax serves up sweets with big-time flavor.

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.

I picked it up, hoping to feel the weight of one of the most celebrated dishes in the Indian repertoire. Empty. What kind of tease was this?

I asked the cashier where the container came from and he pointed to a small refrigerator case behind me. The dorm-sized ice box was filled with similar looking containers, all with different labels. My food nerd radar was beeping off the charts. Surely, I had stumbled upon something special.

The cashier went on to explain that local South Indian women made a slew of dishes for the small ethnic food store, which mostly sells Indian groceries and entertainment products, on an almost daily basis. He said the containers were often gone by the end of the day, swept up by local Indian transplants craving a taste of home-cooked food.

This intrigued me, as South Indian food — which itself can be divided into various sub-regions but in general involves a lot of chilies, tamarind, coconut, rice, curry leaves, and mustard seeds — is much less prevalent in the States than some of the richer, bread-based regional cuisines of India.

I contained my enthusiasm a bit and settled on two dishes: the aforementioned Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani and something called Tamarind Rice, each of which cost a mere $5.99 for a generous portion.

The biryani, unfortunately, was quite oily and salty, although the yogurt-marinated chicken was tender and tasty. Perhaps I set myself up for disappointment by thinking about how great it could be the entire time it sat in my car as I sped home.

The tamarind rice, on the other hand, was a revelation. A South Indian preparation through and through, it included turmeric-stained rice with a good dose of dried chilies, brown mustard seeds, and curry leaves, all of which mingled with the lingering sourness of tamarind. Though it too was a bit oily, the flavors were so addictive that I couldn’t help shoveling it down. It alone forced me to return to try some more dishes.

Ever seen this storefront? Hint: It's not on Broad Street. Read the story carefully! (Photos by Jimmy Scarano) . . .

On my next visit I had a chance to talk to an older man who described himself as owner Danthuri Shilaja’s father. He was ridiculously friendly and did everything he could to answer my questions despite a severe language barrier (I don’t think he understood half of what I was asking him).

It took some convincing, but I told him I wanted to try the stuff the South Indian customers were buying. He cautioned me that the food was too spicy but I assured him I could take the heat. I walked out with one container of okra and tomato curry and another filled to the brim with a chili-laced dal.

Both dishes, while assertively spicy in the best way possible, were also on the oily and salty side and I wouldn’t get either one again. Even so, they were an interesting departure from standard Indian fare in the area.

There’s no doubt in my mind the South Indian specialties at Indian Spices are worth exploring for the adventurous eater, it’s just a matter of finding the dishes that are the best — or perhaps just finding the ones best-suited for Western palates.

And even if you have little interest in the locally made offerings, there is plenty to like about this hidden spot in the back of the West End Plaza off Broad Street. All the Indian foodstuffs — from prepackaged and frozen foods to mixes and whole spices — are well represented.

I especially like the array of legumes available. Indians have mastered the cooking of lentils, chickpeas, and all sorts of dried peas better than any other people in the world. A well-made lentil dal or chana masala, accompanied by some fresh bread, rice, and a few chutneys, is as satisfying a meal as you can get.

A good first buy for a novice Indian cook is a bag of red lentils, or masoor dal. The earthy and delicious brick-red beads collapse into a puree as you cook them in water and take on big flavors exceptionally well.

Equally enticing are the bulk bags of spices. Hard-to-find amchur powder is fun to have around in the kitchen. Made from pulverized dried unripe mangoes, the seasoning is a key souring agent for many Indian preparations. There are also gargantuan bags of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cumin, and red chili powder — all indispensable in the Indian kitchen.

Next time I drop by I’ll focus more of my shopping on the packaged items in search of a new ingredient to add to my growing list of pantry staples, but I’m sure when I check out I’ll end up carting at least one of the locally made treats home with me. The opportunity to uncover something exotic and delicious in my own backyard — as risky and unrewarding as it can be at times — is simply too good to pass up.

Indian Spices, 1067 B, West Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046. Phone: (703) 532-1777. Website: http://www.shopindianspices.com.

Entering its fifth year in the same spot on West Broad Street, [click here for map] the small storefront offers up made from scratch breads and pastries worthy of a weekly visit from anyone itching for a carb fix.

When you walk in the store, though, you may notice something strange. There’s no smell. No wafting aromas of rising bread and cinnamon rolls. No heavenly perfumes of yeast and fresh-cooked dough. Since 2007 all the goodies (except for made-to-order cakes and sandwiches) have come in on daily deliveries from the shop’s wholesale production facility in Chantilly. Thankfully, the quality has remained the same. The products still have that unmistakably made-from-actual-ingredients taste. It’s no wonder so many area restaurants, retailers, and coffee shops get their daily supply from Baguette Republic.

(Falls Church Times photos by Jimmy Scarano)

The baguette, by the way, is everything a good baguette should be. Pleasantly chewy and yeasty, it improves anything it comes into contact with. The sourdough, both tangy and toothsome, is no slouch either. Beyond those there are a number of tempting options, from sandwich style loaves to richer, egg-based breads like brioche.

A pleasant surprise is that the pastries are nearly as good as the breads — a rare feat for a bakery offering both. I have yet to be disappointed by any that I’ve sampled. The Danishes, muffins, and cinnamon rolls are all good, and on a recent binge a buttery, marzipan-filled almond croissant was a particular standout.

The prices are also shockingly reasonable. You can pick up a few baguettes, a few pastries, and a drink for less than ten bucks. That’s maybe a fraction more than what you would pay for considerably lower quality breads at a chain or supermarket.

And yet, there are no lines in the early morning.

In fact, there are very few people coming at all, throughout the entire day. That’s what Serbian-born owner Mirjana Varga told me the other day as our conversation about the business of running a bakery quickly turned into a discussion of how slow things have gotten.  Blame the location. Blame the economy. Blame the proliferation of Panera and Starbucks franchises and the advent of supermarket “bakeries.” Whatever the cause, Varga is not seeing as many customers as she used to.

Ovens are empty on Broad Street; delicious aroma stays in Chantilly. . .

“I’d love to keep doing what I’m doing, but it’s tough on me,” Varga said.

Somehow we’ve managed to attract an excellent bakery to the City and neglect it. This is disheartening. Right now almost all of Varga’s customers are fiercely loyal regulars. All she needs is some new blood. After you’ve been once it will be hard not to come back. The personal interactions that come with visiting a specialty store with a good product and a friendly owner are simply too comforting and rewarding to pass up.

Take last week, for instance, when I came in during the late afternoon and reached for a baguette to take home. Varga stopped me before I could touch it and said there was one in the back that was less dried out. The next day she steered me away from a cinnamon scone that she deemed too dry and towards a raspberry walnut variation, which turned out to be delicious. That’s the type of person I want to buy my bread from.

Baguette Republic, 1109 W. Broad St., Falls Church. Open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Phone: 703-237-3717.

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.

(Falls Church Times photos by Jimmy Scarano)

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

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)

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.

20-year veteran Kasha Neam

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.