Mason Boys Take 3rd in Holiday Basketball Tourney

By STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff
December 30, 2011

The George Mason boys varsity basketball team defeated Freedom-South Riding High School 50-37  Thursday night to take 3rd place in the  Joe Cascio Tournament at Falls Church High. 

The Mustangs played a strong defensive game, executing a man-to-man defense with efficiency, while riding the offensive performance of senior Co-Captains Nate Ogle and Phillippe Griffiths.  Ogle, named to the All-Tournament Team at evening’s end, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Griffiths had 16 points and nine rebounds. 

Schedule for New Year’s Eve “Watch Night”

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
December 30, 2011

“Big Night in the Little City”
Falls Church City, Virginia
Watch Night, New Year’s Eve, 2011

MAIN STAGE (100 Block, W. Broad Street, in front of CVS Pharmacy)
7pm til Midnight
HELLO HEADLIGHTS – Pop Punk Rock
LU AND THE BLUES CREW – Jazz and Blues
THE SUPPLIERS – Rock
RITES OF ASH – Electronic Rock
SUDDEN M PAC – Motown
James Hickey, Master of Ceremonies

WATCH NIGHT FALLS CHURCH TENT (Corner of W. Broad and S. Washington Streets)
PROGRAMS, MAPS, BALLOONS, GENERAL INFORMATION

WEIGHT WATCHERS (West side of  S. Washington Street)
PUPPETS AND MORE SHOWS BY SANDY FEULNER 7:30-9:15P
66’ DRAGON – obstacle course
Read more

SATURDAY 12/31: Traffic Advisory for Rt. 7

Date: Saturday, Dec. 31-Sunday, Jan. 1

Time: 5 p.m. (Sat., Dec. 31) through 1 a.m. (Sunday, Jan. 1)

Where: 100 block of W. Broad Street (Route 7), Falls Church, VA 22046

What: The block is cordoned off for the annual City of Falls Church Watch Night New Year’s Eve Celebration. For more information, go to www.fallschurchva.gov/watchnight

 

FOOD: A Different Kind of New Year!

By RA CHAN
December 30, 2011
Special to Falls Church Times

When most people think of New Year, images of thousands of people in Times Square NYC, fireworks and grand parties fill their head. For me, food is a big part of New Year. Some of you may be aware of Lunar New Year which many Asians celebrate between January and February and food is a huge part of that celebration. Many families will gather together over a lavish meal with a variety of meats, poultry and rice and noodle dishes. Red envelopes filled with gifts and wishes for a grand new year are passed around and fun games are played to end a joyous night.

So I polled my family for some of their favorite places for food to ring in the New Year. For all of you, who may be looking for a different type of celebration, feel free to give one of these places a try on December 31^st or January 1^st.

Peking Gourmet Inn: This is a staple for the Falls Church area, and nothing says welcome to the New Year like a deliciously cooked Peking duck, jumbo shrimp, Chinese broccoli and noodles. Be forewarned though, reservations are a must if you are trying to come here on New Year’s Day.

Peking Gourmet Inn, 6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041

XO Taste: If you’re in the mood for Hong Kong style roast duck, definitely give them place a try. The duck here is so succulent and the skin is so crispy. One of the best parts, the duck is chopped up for you. We love to order the duck as carry out and enjoy the meal at home.

XO Taste, 6124 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22044

Full Kee: They will undoubtedly have a special lobster and Dungeness crab dish available for New Year. I highly recommend getting both in their signature salt and pepper sauce. Nothing compliments the shellfish better than the garlicky, salty and slightly spicy coating.

Full Kee, 5830 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041

Mark’s Duck House: Now it may seem strange to go to a duck house for pork, but they offer an amazing crispy pork dish. It’s very similar to roast pork, but the skin is prepared in such a way where the skin is superbly crisp and salty. I had ordered a 12lb crispy baby pig for my Christmas Eve dinner and it was a huge hit with the family!

Mark’s Duck House, 6184 Arlington Blvd # A, Falls Church, VA 22044-2902

Fortune: No celebration is complete without Dim Sum, and Fortune is one place that not only offers a great variety, but it’s extremely savory and fresh. Dim Sum normally is served starting at 11 a.m., so get there early and be prepared for a wait.

Fortune 6249 Sevens Corners Ctr, Falls Church, VA 22044

Honey Pig: For those who are going out on New Year’s Eve and want a good meal post party, Honey Pig is your go to spot. It’s open 24/7 and who doesn’t want to ring in another wonderful year with Korean BBQ?

Honey Pig, 7220 Columbia Pike, Ste C, Annandale, VA 22003

Eden Center: There are countless bakeries at Eden Center that offer an amazing array of sweets to satiate any sweet tooth. The most appropriate dessert for New Year is the moon cake, and you can order them with either custard filling or mung bean filling.

Eden Center, 6763 Wilson Boulevard  Falls Church, VA 22044

We love to give thanks for all the blessings of the previous year and always look forward to a prosperous and healthy New Year. I hope that the list above gives you some different suggestions for how to ring in the New Year this year. According to the Lunar Calendar, next year is the year of the Dragon which is supposed to be a lucky year for a lot of people. And what an awesome way start off a lucky year than with food. As my cousin Rick Holzheimer reminded me, rice and noodles are very important to Asians and are a sign of good luck of fortune. So feel free try out some new places and Happy New Year to all.

If you would like to know more about Ra Chan and her food travels, you can follow her blog The Eating Chronicles.