FOOD: Hummus Among Us Part Deux

BY Kathleen Nixon

Falls Church Times Staff

June 24, 2011

As we continue on the quest for the best hummus locally, we need to start with a local super hero for Middle Eastern food: Lebanese Taverna.  For me Lebanese Taverna for many years was my one place I went, my home away from home.  I first started going to the Taverna in Westover in 1985. If there was someone I knew who had never been to the Lebanese Taverna, I would pile them into the car and drive them there immediately.  I have tried many of the outposts of the Taverna, but the Westover location is by far my favorite.

My education on hummus started with the Taverna. I could tell when the hummus was made and so could my husband if he got any.  But recently the hummus had been inconsistent and the introduction of whole wheat pitas has just seemed sacrilege but I understood responding to customer requests. Other favorite dishes were also not up to par such as the chicken Schwarma which had tomatoes added to it making the dish very soggy.   Every restaurant goes through its growing pains and the Taverna was going through one of them. I had been to the other outposts – Tysons, Pentagon City and Silver Spring but did not find the same consistency in the hummus or other favorite meals that I had grown accustomed to at the Westover location. I had almost considered not including the Lebanese Taverna into my selection of restaurants for the hummus roundup, but then realized as a local and personal favorite it deserved another try.

We showed up on a Friday night that was bustling and even the bar was busy as  it was raining and the Westover Biergarten was not open.  I could see many Falls Church City locals in the crowd as well as some staff that I knew. We were first showed to a table scrunched in the back next to a very loud, over perfumed table and  requested another table. We found one with a little more room and settled in.   We ordered the hummus and two glasses of wine from a Lebanese winery, Kasara, which has a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot.

The hummus was creamy, and hearty with a perfect tang and good olive oil and a little dusting of paprika. The pita was fresh, hot and crispy on the outside and fluffy and steamy on the inside. My husband saw that old look in my eyes and realized he was not going to get any hummus.  As to the menu items, my husband was perfectly happy with ordering the lamb kabobs which were not lamb chunks but ground lamb. Lebanese Taverna started last year sourcing their lamb from a local farm in Pennsylvania, Elysian Fields.  The lamb kabobs were juicy and tasty accompanied with fluffy and buttery rice. My husband was in heaven. And while my standard dish is the chicken Schwarma with extra garlic paste, I didn’t want to break the spell of the wonderful evening so I ordered my second favorite dish – Fatteh Bel Daje. This dish has lamb, beef or chicken chunks served over chick peas, fresh yogurt, baked pita and pomegranate seeds. It is always a delightful mixture of tastes and textures, and I was very pleased with my selection. The chicken was tender, and tore apart in thin strips but was not undercooked. The yogurt tang melded very well with the cilantro spices.  I had joined my husband in his culinary heaven.

Lebanese Taverna is definitely back on my must go list for friends, family and old home week.

Lebanese Taverna

Multiple Locations

http://www.lebanesetaverna.com/

In talking with a friend, I found that there were many more Middle Eastern restaurants popping up to consider, but one name stuck out – Me Jana. Like many folks I will take a friend referral over an advertisement any day, so when my friend was raving about Me Jana and then I checked online for some of the reviews I was heartened by the chance for an adventure.

We headed out on a weekday evening, and found that trying to find parking in the area of Me Jana was a bit difficult. Nothing frustrates me more than really looking forward to a restaurant and then spending an agonizing 30 minutes trying to find parking. Me Jana is in the Courthouse area which has seen an upsurge in restaurants based on overflow from the Clarendon area. We were relieved to find out that there was validated parking in the building.  Me Jana is a “tapas” restaurant and while I understand the concept of tapas but I am not a big fan as I believe we have Americanized the concept and thus end up ordering way too much. For me, I will not order tapas as I like to dive into a meal and savor it, rather than getting 1-2 bites and know that they only way I can get more than two bites of the dish I am enjoying is to order a second dish.

While there were many diners inside and outside, the host did escort us to our table and inquire if we had been there before. Noting it was our first time we were welcomed and we ordered a Lebanese beer and a glass of my favorite Lebanese wine – Kasara Reserve. As we had battled the traffic and parking, I made sure we ordered the hummus right away to stave away hunger. The hummus arrived, it was smooth with some substance, topped with chick peas, a tasty olive oil and paprika, but no real taste or tang. The pita was relatively fresh – meaning that it was not stale but definitely not freshly made. As we consumed our hummus we still waited for our drinks. While the restaurant wasn’t busy, the waiter was being attentive to the other diners and yet we could not get his attention short of screaming.  When he came to get our dinner order, we inquired after our drinks, which he went in search of and we lost him for another 10 minutes. With drinks finally in hand we placed our order.

We ordered the Lamb Kafta kabobs tapas and the meal, so that we could see the relative portion size. For the tapas, the dish included two small pieces while the meal included four pieces of lamb. By sharing the two dishes we actually both got the amount that we were looking for. The lamb was tender and savory. The meal included “garlic whip” instead of the paste. The whip was light on the garlic or on substance overall. The rice was cooked beautifully and was a wonderful accompaniment to the meal.

I would go back again and try other items but not for the hummus.

Me Jana

2300 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 465-4440

When I was just learning about Lebanese food some friends who are foodies really put me on the spot that Layalina was better than any other Lebanese restaurant in the area. So on a Saturday night we went to Layalina and were caught up in the hustle and bustle of a happening local restaurant. Our friends were happy, we were overwhelmed. I enjoy decorations that provide a further enhancement to a restaurant, but I found the decorations very distracting. My senses were overloaded and couldn’t quite settle down to be able to enjoy the meal. The menu at that time was several pages long and I was getting lost in trying to decide what to eat.  With some wine, the evening was palatable.

Fast forward to recent past, I knew I had to give Layalina another try as part of the hummus expedition and by the comments from the last article I knew how beloved this place is.  Forearmed with this knowledge I enticed my husband to join me on a midweek evening to fully enjoy the restaurant. We arrived early, only a few other tables were occupied. Standing in the front hall, we were greeted across the room by someone sitting at the bar that just waved us into the dining room. No greeting, no hello – just a “sit anywhere you want” kind of grunt. We sat at a nice table for two enjoying the coolness of the room after a hot afternoon and settled down for a nice meal.

The man who had grunted his greeting to us dropped the menus on the table and ask if we wanted a drink – we quickly named him Grumpy Gills. We ordered the Kasara and looked over the menu. There was a wide selection of hummuses or hummi along with many other dips. I was intrigued with the Lamb Shank Specialties in addition to other items. We decide to go whole hog and order the hummus Flayfey and the M’hammarah along with a Lebanese salad and two lamb dishes.

When the dips and salad arrived, we were greeted by another gentleman with a warmer disposition who proceeded to tell us about M’hammarah and that it was a dish brought down from northern Syrian and a national favorite. The dish is made with walnuts rather than chickpeas and has some nice spice as well as pomegranate for a tang.  The M’hammarah was definitely our favorite. Unfortunately, the pita was stale and especially hard as it was warmed up in the microwave. How did we know that? The microwave was right behind our table and we heard the beeping each time a basket of pita was warmed up. One beep and the basket of pitas was dropped on our table.

We watched as other guests arrived and the restaurant began to fill up as well as the outside patio. Hookahs were delivered to patrons outside and I was thankful that fate had intervened as the hookah patrons were more interested in enjoying the cool evening.  As other guests were seated, we listed to specials being shared with patrons. We guessed that our waiter did not get the briefing on the specials.

Our dishes arrived and with much anticipation of the wonderfully described dishes we dived into our meals. If I could have spitted out the first bite I would have. I ordered a Lamb Shank specialty that was described as being simmered in garlic, herbs, lemon and artichokes but given the white film covering the shank, the “simmering” had not been complete enough to render all the fat off of the shank. The herbs, lemon, garlic and artichokes were swimming in a sea of fat.  To get some of the meat I cut deep into the meat to see if it was worth salvaging. It was not. If I had thought I could pilfer something to eat from my husbands’ lamb kabobs, I was sorely mistaken. The overcooked, shriveled pieces of lamb could not even been masticated enough to swallow. We resigned ourselves to enjoying the rice – wrong again.

While our water glasses stood empty, and no one stopping by to even check to see how our meals were, we tried to get someone’s attention to get our bill. Our waiter walked by on his cell phone clearly intent on having his conversation rather than attending to his diners. In a final fit of restrained frustration my husband went to the bar to ask for our check and some water. The water came and then finally the bill.

We were more than flabbergasted that of all the meals this meal was the most expensive. I know there are many Layalina admirers, but you could not pay me to go back to this restaurant.  I will take bad service to a point if the food is worthwhile. I will take some mediocre food with great customer service. But a collision of both is not worth my patronage.

Layalina

5216 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22205-1114

http://www.layalinarestaurant.com/

Falls Church Police Arrest Resident for Felony Sexual Battery

BY FALLS CHURCH CITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
June 23, 2011

On June 22, Falls Church City Police arrested and charged Michael A. Gardner, 47, with two felony counts of aggravated sexual battery, and one count of object sexual penetration in connection with incidents that allegedly occurred in his City of Falls Church residence last weekend.

Falls Church Police were contacted by the female victims who were at the residence and who told the police that Mr. Gardner had inappropriate physical contact with them. Following interviews with victims who were at the home, police obtained search warrants for DNA.

Mr. Gardner is being held in Arlington County Jail.

Anyone who has information that might be helpful to the investigation is asked to contact the Falls Church Police Detective Richardson at 703-248-5238 (TTY 711).

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  Because serious allegations which we cannot confirm have appeared in reader comments to this story, comments have been disabled for now.]

New Principal Selected for MEHMS

BY FALLS CHUCH CITY SCHOOLS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
June 22, 2011

“Seidah Ashshaheed brings a record of enthusiasm, high energy and great accomplishment to Mary Ellen Henderson,” Superintendent Lois Berlin said. “In addition, her experience working with all age groups is a great benefit for FCCPS.”

Read more

New W&OD Trail Bridge Over Beltway Opens

By STEPHEN SIEGEL
Falls Church Times Staff

June 22, 2011

The first piece of the giant Beltway expansion project to open to the public isn’t designed for cars — but for bicycles and pedestrians: The Washington & Old Dominion Trail Bridge over Interstate 495.

The new bridge, which opened last week, is four feet wider than the old bridge and 30 feet taller, allowing traffic to safely pass under it when the expanded Beltway is completed, which is scheduled for late 2012. The old bridge now is barricaded and will be torn down shortly, according to an official with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The bridge is a popular route for runners, cyclists, and walkers, as well as bike commuters in the greater Falls Church City area. One man on the trail said he recently began cycling from Arlington through the City and across the bridge to his new job in Vienna, a trek which he said took about 40 minutes.

The east entry to the bridge also was widened by road crews, adding about 1.5 feet to each side for about 50 feet, beginning from Nottingham Drive, just west of Fairfax County’s Idylwood Park.

Crime Report for June 14-20

By FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT

June 21, 2011

Graffiti, 1230 W. Broad St. (Giant Food).  On June 14, 5:00 p.m., an officer observed graffiti on the rear walls.

Public Drunkenness, 120 N. Virginia Ave. (Mary Riley Styles Public Library).  On June 14, 6:56 p.m., a man with no fixed address, was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Larceny from Building, 100 block Chanel Ter.  On June 16, 4:36 p.m., the victim reported an unknown suspect stole a bicycle from a locked storage unit sometime between June 10 and 11. 

Public Drunkenness, 100 W. Broad St.  (George Mason Square).  On June 17, 4:28 a.m., a 34 year old Washington, DC man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Graffiti, 100 block E. Fairfax St.  On June 17, 5:32 p.m., an officer observed graffiti on a phone box.

Underage Possession of Alcohol, 6700 block Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center).  On June 18, 12:58 a.m., an officer observed an individual dispose of beer bottles in the parking lot.  A 19 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Underage Possession of Alcohol.

Public Drunkenness, 917 W. Broad St. (El Zunzal Restaurant).  On June 18, 8:25 p.m., a 30 year old Falls Church man was arrested for Public Drunkenness.

Narcotic Violation, Underage Possession of Alcohol, Driving With a Revoked Licensed, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, 300 block S. West St . On June 19, 12:49 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a motor vehicle violation involving two passengers, including one minor.  The driver, a 19 year old Falls Church man, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, Driving With a Revoked License, Underage Possession of Alcohol, and Contributing to the Deliquency of a Minor.  A 19 year old Manassas man was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, Underage Possession of Alcohol, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.  He was also served a warrant for Failure to Appear in Falls Church General District Court.

Trespassing, 317 Park Ave. (Cherry Hill Park).  On June 20, 2:19 a.m., a 15 year-old male was arrested for Trespassing.

Assault and Battery, 6763 Wilson Blvd. #R3 (V3 Club).  On June 20, 2:21 a.m., a victim was assaulted and suffered minor injuries while in the club.  The suspect is described as an Asian male wearing a black T-shirt and black sweatpants with a white stripe along the outside leg. 

Larceny from Building, 6751 Wilson Blvd. (Eden Center). On June 20, 3:53 p.m., kitchen equipment parts were reported stolen.  The incident occurred on June 19 at 6:30 pm.

Stolen Bicycle, 500 block Randolph St.  On June 20, 5:34 p.m., a bicycle was reported stolen by an unknown suspect sometime between 8 p.m. on June 19 and noon on June 20.

Larceny from Building, 400 block E Columbia St.  On June 20, 5:35 p.m., a wallet was stolen while guests were in the residence.

Local Taco Bell Shut Down

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF

June 20, 2011

The Taco Bell restaurant at 935 W. Broad St. was closed today due to concerns about sewage problems.

According to City spokesperson Barbara Gordon, Falls Church building officials and the Fairfax County Health Department responded to reports of raw sewage running out of a pipe from the restaurant. The location was closed and an “unsafe structure” sign posted on the door until repairs can be made.

Proposed Hilton Garden Inn Lacks a Garden, Tree Commission Notes

By GINGER PINHOLSTER

Falls Church Times Staff

June 20 , 2011

The Falls Church City Tree Commission on June 15 expressed strong opposition to a six-story Hilton Garden Inn to be located at 706 West Broad Street, describing an initial sketch as woefully lacking in plantings.

“They’re calling it a Hilton Garden Inn and it’s anything but a garden,” Tree Commission Chair Larry Dorr said. “The concept includes virtually no landscaping. They’re asking for a waiver of every single requirement that’s intended to reduce storm-water runoff and improve the aesthetics of the city.”

City Arborist Benjamin Thompson had earlier declined to support a preliminary concept for the new hotel. “The proposed development does not satisfy the intents and purposes of the City’s landscaping codes,” Thompson wrote on April 4. Those codes include screening and buffering elements as well as strategies for mitigating environmental impacts in accordance with federal rules for protecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, he explained.

The Tree Commission approved a motion this week to echo Thompson’s opinion that the project should not be eligible for exceptions to the city’s usual requirements.

“We’re disconcerted by the lack of landscaping and the amount of landscaping waivers being requested by the Hilton Garden Inn developers,” the group said. “We strongly share the City Arborist’s concerns about the lack of street trees and other landscaping under the plan as it currently stands. We will submit further comments soon.”

On June 13, City Council members completed a first reading of the developer’s special exception request and then referred the matter to relevant boards and commissions for review. A second reading of the plan and final adoption are scheduled for July 25, pending a public hearing and other input.

Developers Jefferson Park LLC and Gosnell-Palmer Holdings LLC are seeking an exception to building-height limits on 1.12-acres of property located immediately west of the Burger King on West Broad Street, extending to Park Avenue.

They have also requested rezoning of 0.68 acres currently classified as T-1, or transitional, in favor of the B-1, limited business designation.

Further, the developers have asked to shift authority for review and approval of their plans from the Board of Zoning Appeals to the Planning Commission and the City Council. Such a shift would effectively cut the Arborist out of the loop, Dorr said.

The developer’s prior plans called for the hotel as well as a 5,439-square foot adjacent office building and parking garage. A resubmitted plan subsequently eliminated the proposed office space. Color drawings of the current plan show no trees or other plantings along the front of the property on West Broad, looking west.

Materials submitted to the City Council by James Snyder, Director of Planning and Development Services, suggested that the setback along West Broad Street may be too narrow to accommodate street-scape components as well as essential access for the Fire Marshal and other emergency responders.

In exchange for exceptions, voluntary concessions by the developer would place a portion of utility wires underground along West Broad Street, Snyder reported. Further, the developer has announced plans to seek LEED Silver certification by installing a “vegetated rooftop” and fulfilling other “green building” requirements. If Silver certification cannot be achieved, the developers have pledged to pay $20,000 to the City.

Revenue to be generated by the project when it included an office building had previously been estimated at $568,000 annually. Some residents such as Betty Pitera, who wrote a letter to the Mayor on March 5, have suggested that “revenue projections are inflated.” Others expressing a range of concerns about the proposal have included Thomas P. Matecki, president of the Parent Teacher Organization of St. James Catholic Church, who raised questions about the safety of nearby schoolchildren.
 
From the Tree Commission’s perspective, Dorr said, “The most distressing thing is, on Broad Street, there are virtually no plantings being proposed there at all.”

The Tree Commission had said April 27 that utilities on the development site should be moved underground so that canopy trees can be planted along West Broad as well as Park Avenue. Street-scape also should be “fully implemented” on the site, the commission said at its April meeting. Developers subsequently offered to underground a portion of utility lines on West Broad only.

If the hotel plan is approved as it stands, Dorr said, other property owners could wind up shouldering a disproportionate burden to ensure that the City remains in compliance overall with federal rules related to protecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Also during the June 15 Tree Commission meeting, Thompson shared plans by the owners of Old Dominion Jewelry to renovate the building now occupied by the El Zunzal restaurant at 917 West Broad Street. The current plan calls for the removal and replanting of buffer trees but Thompson said new plantings should in fact be an improvement to the site. Dorr asked Thompson to speak again with the property owners about preserving a green island in the parking lot. Also discussed was the need to protect an adjacent pair of holly trees and a willow oak during construction.

In other business, Thompson updated the Tree Commission on plantings for the Northgate project on North Washington at East Jefferson Street. Developers are working to implement street-scape by installing willow oaks and London planes, for example.

Thompson further reported that he will work with Virginia Tech students who have offered to inventory street trees as part of their statewide research efforts.

Finally, the Arborist said he had received an interesting call from Urban Forest Conservationist Jim McGlone. It seems that one of McGlone’s students recently completed a survey of the Falls Church City tree canopy by using the i-Tree software program. The accuracy of the student’s survey can’t be assessed, Thompson said. But a printout of the results suggested that non-shrub trees still cover nearly half of Falls Church City (49 percent), while impervious surfaces, roads, parking lots and buildings cover 37 percent.

# # #

Civil War Sesquicentennial Weekend June 24 – 26

Special to the Falls Church Times

From June 24 to 26, the City of Falls Church will commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of the ascent of Thaddeus Lowe and the first military reconnaissance in America with a  variety of events including a film premiere and a ballooning demonstration with Civil War re-enactors.  The weekend’s events will also include a Sesquicentennial Picnic with live Civil War era music and crafts. 

The film “Ballooning in the Civil War”  will premiere on Friday, June 24 from 7:30 – 9:30 pm at the Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls St.  The film was shot at the Civil War Ballooning Symposium held at The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on June 11 and includes commentary by three leading national experts.  Thaddeus Lowe, Civil War aeronaut and inventor, is featured in the film.   A discussion and Q & A session will follow the film screening.  Admission is free.

On Saturday, June 25, from 10 am to 1 pm, there will be a free “Thaddeus Lowe Balloon Demonstration” at Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave.   A replica of Thaddeus Lowe’s hot air balloon will be on display.  Bring your camera.  The balloon will be inflated and visitors can pose in the balloon’s basket for commemorative photos.

Also in the park, several free children’s activities will be available and Civil War re-enactors will be on site.  “Thaddeus Lowe” will be interviewed by Washington’s Evening Star reporter “Crosby Noyes”  and visitors will hear “Lowe” describe his June 24, 1861 balloon experience here in Falls Church.  Local Civil War Era artifacts will be on display and memorabilia and toys will be available for sale.  Local maps and other items of historical interest, including the new Falls Church  Civil War Trail Markers and the Falls Church African American Heritage Trail, will be introduced to the public. 

A “Civil War Sesquicentennial Picnic” will be held on Sunday, June 26, from 4 – 7 pm in Frady Park, at the corner of E. Broad and North Fairfax Streets.  Bring your blanket and picnic basket (free drinks provided)  and enjoy costumed re-enactors, live Civil War Era music by the band Silver Brook, playing guitar, concertina (squeeze box) and hammered dulcimer.  Bring the whole family for old-fashioned fun with croquet, horseshoes, Civil War Era children’s crafts and more.   Plenty of free parking at Falls Church Presbyterian Church at the corner of E. Broad and N. Fairfax Street.

The City of Falls Church Sesquicentennial Weekend activities are sponsored by The Smithsonian Institution Air and Space Museum,  Kevin Knapp, the Civil  War Balloon Corps, The City of Falls Church, Falls Church Humanities Council – CATCH members: The Falls Church Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee,   The Victorian Society at Falls Church,  City Department of Recreation and Parks, the Falls Church Historical Commission, the Village Preservation and Improvement Society,  the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation,  The Mary Riley Styles Public Library, The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, Falls Church Arts and Creative Cauldron.

For more information, call 703-248-5210.

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