FOOD: Dinner at Ray’s the Steaks

By Ra Chan

September 23, 2011

Special to Falls Church Times

On our way home, my husband, and I were trying to figure out dinner plans; after throwing out a few ideas, he wanted to take me to one of our favorite places for an impromptu date night. We’ve been a fan of Ray’s the Steaks since they were at their old location next to Hell Burger. What really attracts me to the new location is that they now take reservations and the space is much larger. In all actually, we’ve never had a tough time getting a table; we tend to get their before the peak of the dinner rush.

So after getting to our table and ordering a glass of wine, it was time to make that all important decision — which cut of beef did we want for dinner? I’ve never had a bad steak here, so I knew without a doubt, whatever we decided to go with, it would still be an amazing dinner.

I started off with the Caesar salad and got the crab bisque. I’m normally not a fan of bisque, I prefer more texture to my soup. But this one was outstanding with an amazing amount of lump crab meat! The soup was so creamy with the delicate sweetness of concentrated crab and just a hint of ground pepper.

I ordered the El Diablo steak, cooked medium with a side of the spicy piranha sauce. This steak was a top sirloin, grilled in a spicy sauce and topped with roasted garlic and sautéed onions. The garlic just melted over the steak; I even found myself spreading the garlic over the steak like butter! The sirloin was cooked to perfection. I normally love the piranha sauce, which is a spicier version of chimichurri sauce, but I didn’t really need this sauce since the spicy sauce that coated the steak gave it the perfect amount of flavor and seasoning.

My husband got the steak Bertolucci – NY strip served with roasted bone marrow, and served in a roasted garlic and red wine reduction sauce. The sauce really complimented the intense beef flavor and the bone marrow provided that extra punch, with its very smooth, creamy and buttery consistency.

This was definitely another successful meal at Ray’s. I love this place for so many reasons – the amazing cuts of beef, the completely reasonable prices, and the complimentary creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. I feel like I’m dining at a 5 star establishment and getting the best beef available, but I don’t feel out of place walking in with jeans and flip flops. As we lingered at dinner over a cup of coffee and some peanut butter truffles, I couldn’t help but just sit back and go over the meal in my head again. It was delicious and I relished every bite.

2300 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

http://raysthesteaks.com/

703-841-7297

FOOD: World Fare- A Street Food Festival

BY Kathleen Nixon

September 23, 2011

Falls Church Times Staff

Want to enjoy International Food and Support a Good Cause? Join Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) as they present their annual World Fare: A Street Food Festival on Sunday October 2nd from 5pm – 8pm at Willow Restaurant. Stroll through the “World Fare” and enjoy fabulous street fare menu items while meeting the region’s top women chefs, sommeliers, farmers, bee keepers, cheese makers, food truck operators and more. You can sample beer, wine and craft cocktails from the best women brewers, wine makers and mixologists from our area. Nycci Nellis from WTOP’s Foodie and the Beast, and TheListAreYouOnIt.com and auctioneer, Carla Hall, Top Chef Finalist and co-host of ABC’s new show “The Chew” will be your hosts and emcees.

Stroll through the “World Fare” and enjoy fabulous street fare menu items including: Tamales de Camaron: Shrimp Tamales Spiedini Misti: Grilled Quail Sausage, Red Onion and Apple, SabaKalua Pork in Hawaiian Salt and Banana Leaves with Sticky Rice and Mac SaladDal wada( Fried Lentil Croquets)Oysters on the Half Shell with Ginger Sake Mignonette Farmstead Cheese Amuse-GueulesGrilled Octopus, Yogurt and Feta Pita Pockets Assorted Wood-Fired Oven Pizzas Lemongrass Chicken Skewers on a Green Papaya SaladRice Paper Shrimp Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce Crab and Lancaster County Corn FrittersRillettes, Pates and Chicken Liver Mousse with Breads, Crostinis, Cornichons, Pickled Onions, Housemade Mostarda Organic Pulled Pork BBQ with Healthy Slaw on a Sweet Potato Biscuit Masala Chai (Spiced Tea)Sweet and Savory Cookie Collection Caramel Corn Almond Fig Tartlets with Balsamic Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Sundaes Pineapple Orange Ginger Sorbet and more!

Willow Restaurant
4301 N. Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203

Sunday, October 2, 2011
5:00 to 8:00 PM

Tickets: $65 per person in advance, $75 per person at the door
(ticket prices are inclusive of all food & beverage)

To purchase tickets http://www.womenchefs.org/cde.cfm?event=360142%20