By Philippa Kirby and Philip Conklin

On a recent sunny Sunday evening, we ambled through Lyon Park to Zazzy on N. Fillmore St for our third meal at this family-owned Lebanese fast fresh food restaurant.  At the end of our meal, we had the same two takeaways as on our prior visits: “Wow! This food is delicious.” And, “Why aren’t there more people in here?” To us, the lack of a full house it is truly a mystery. The food is consistently delicious featuring bright, fresh flavored dishes that breakaway from the standard Middle Eastern menu. Offerings like: 

Ousheh: fresh baked flatbreads including zaatar spice, cheese, chicken & cheese, spinach pomegranate, and lahme biajine (ground beef with tomato, peppers and onions), and baked falafel. (We are particularly fond of the zataar ousheh!).

Dips: mharmara walnut, eggplant tahini, hummus, labne and fava bean served with housemade pita chips. (We always get the sampler. So. Very. Delicious.)

Salata: a compelling variety including: freekeh date salad, chicken quinoa, chicken berries, halloumi fattoush, and “not your typical” tabouli. 

Fatayer: a selection of vegetarian or meat spring rolls with a Lebanese twist.

Sandwisheh (yes, that’s spelled right!): among the tender and flavorful sandwich options are rosemary steak, chicken pita, “perfect” batata featuring baked potatoes, roasted eggplant with raisins, and beef shawarma.

Pans and Hot Bowls: comfort main dishes that include beef shawarma with vermicelli rice, spiced eggs and beef, chicken batas (potatoes), lentil mjdara, fava and chickpea with lemon and olive oil, and chicken fatteh garnished with yogurt, butter pine nuts and aleppo pepper.

Helou: desserts! including a Nutella or sweet cheese pocket, chocolate chip tahini cookies, spiced turmeric delight and a chocolate pistachio “lazy day” cake.

Over the course of three visits to Zazzy, members of our dining party managed to order from each menu category at least once and found the food delicious and highly satisfying each time.  The guiding principle of “if it sounds good, it will be good” worked for us. The one dish ordered every time we visited was the lentil mjdara where humble ingredients are brought together to create a deeply satisfying combination of flavors and textures. Serving sizes are perfect for a filling solo meal or sharing as many of the portions for salads, dips, pans and hot bowls are quite generous. It would be a great place to eat “family style”. The food arrives promptly and the service is kind and attentive. Ordering is available online for pick-up/delivery and Zazzy offers catering service as well.

Zazzy is positioned as an urban cafe featuring an all-day food menu, coffees and teas, house-made lemonade, soft drinks and a wine bar. The vibe is calm and bright with huge west facing windows and a design that is industrial yet homey and welcoming with a variety of comfortable seating options for individuals, couples, and small and large groups. The dining room is spacious, easily accommodating strollers (there are three high chairs available) as well as wheelchairs and the tables are well spaced. Overall, Zazzy has the feel of an oasis. And should you want to dine al fresco, there are a few outside tables on Fillmore. 

Zazzy founder and CEO, Zeina Chouman El Eid, established this Arlington cafe after 12 years in Beirut where she founded and ran an all-day urban cafe that inspires the menu and vibe of the restaurant. As she states on the Zazzy website, they offer “the best of Lebanese street food with the warmth of homestyle cooking…Zazzy is a destination, a retreat for those seeking authenticity and flavor.” The spirit of her excellent establishment is captured on a large mirror on the dining room’s south wall: “Laughter is Brightest Where the Food Is.”

Zazzy (1025 N. Fillmore St., Ste. J): Hours of operation are Monday—Friday, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m., Saturday/Sunday 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Phone number is 703–512–0002. Visit the website: https://letszazzy.com for more information and to order online. 

By Philippa Kirby and Philip Conklin

If you have family and friends coming to town, with ages spanning across three generations, and if they have a lot of dietary restrictions—vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten intolerant…how on earth do you feed them all? And be pretty sure they’ll all be happy? Well, there’s a restaurant in the Lyon Park neighborhood that can do a great job of satisfying everyone: Texas Jack’s on Washington Boulevard.

On a recent Sunday evening, a group of 15 diners, which included a few gluten intolerant, a number of carnivores, some pescatarians, and a couple of vegetarians all ate very happily together at Texas Jack’s.  The menu, the food quality, and the service were all excellent.

Menu: For our crowd, there was not just something for everyone, but there was a solid array of choices (most limited for the vegan options).  Obviously, the carnivores were delighted.  But, so too were the vegetarians.  As written, the menu offers a decent selection of veggie options among the appetizers and sides that can be combined to make for a satisfying meal.  When we told our server we had vegetarians in the group, she pointed out additional appetizers (nachos!) and entrees (tacos and burritos!) that could also be served vegetarian style.  This expanded the range of veggie options to above average in restaurants where meat is the star of the show.  Our pescatarians enjoyed grilled salmon on a salad or as an entree with sides, and also enjoyed the full range of the vegetarian options.  And the gluten free diners had extensive choices across the menu (no gluten free desserts, however).  Also, for palates still maturing, there were chicken fingers and fries—truly, there was something for everyone.

Food Quality: It is rare to go out and have everyone in the party find their meal tasty and satisfying, but for our party of 15, this was the case.  The nachos delighted a 13-year and a 62-year-old.  The meat platters all received two thumbs up.  And the salmon and salad crowd noted “it is always good here.”  There were a few quibbles over whether or not pulled pork should be offered in a burrito (our other 13-year-old says “no” unequivocally).  And a twenty something noted the brussels sprouts had great flavor but veered up to and over the line of “over-dressed” with oil and aioli.  

Service: Our server, Reina, was kind, efficient and attentive. Taking and delivering orders for 15 diners is a challenge.  And Reina (and the kitchen and a team of food servers) flawlessly delivered everyone’s hot meal at the same time and with 100% accuracy–no small feat!  This, while the dining room was full and included a tour bus of middle school students who arrived at the same time we did.  Texas Jack’s handled the rush with aplomb.  Such solid service really allowed us to enjoy each other’s company in a relaxed, festive environment.

The restaurant has two sections: the Whiskey Bar and the main restaurant. The Whiskey Bar offers the full Texas Jack’s menu and TVs for sports and special events.  The main dining room is a spacious, airy room adjoining the open kitchen. There is an outdoor dining patio.  And there is a separate dining room with a bar for private parties.

Texas Jacks (2761 Washington Blvd.): Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m., Sunday and Monday; 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., Tuesday—Thursday; 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Phone number is 703–875–0477. Visit the website: https://www.txjacks.com for their menu as well as their happy hour specials and brunch.

By Cheryl Householder

Do yourself a favor and take a walk over to Chef Chris Godoy’s first brick and mortar restaurant in Lyon Park, Tacos los Primos, and thank me later.

As a Texas transplant, I can say that the struggle to find good Mexican food in the DMV is real. I’ve had an open mind and done more face plants than I can count over the years, but not this time.

Chris Godoy relocated to the states from his native Mexico in 2001. Finding work in the restaurant industry, he worked his way up from dishwasher to chef and has worked in several restaurants in that capacity. Four years ago, he opened the first iteration of Tacos Los Primos as a food truck which still operates on N. Rhodes street just south of Wilson Blvd. Just a few months ago, he opened his first brick and mortar on Washington Blvd next door to Troy’s Italian Kitchen replacing the former taqueria that stood there (no relation).

Everything he serves is homemade including the salsas. All of the meats are marinated for two days. It’s clear that this is truly a labor of love. Portions are generous and ingredients are high quality and fresh. Everything is made to order and anything can be made vegetarian. Menu items include tacos, burritos, sopes, quesadillas, tortas, carne asada, pupusas, and burrito bowls. And if you’re brave, ask for some habanero on the side.

You’re welcome!

Tacos Los Primos (2710 Washington Blvd.): Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. on Sundays. Phone number is 703–967–4454. Visit their website:
https://www.tacoslosprimosarlingtonrestaurantva.com and click Order Online to view their menu. 

By Philip Conklin & Philippa Kirby

Street, Boru Ramen is an inviting pocket-sized ramen bar with a menu that also offers donburi and an extensive selection of sushi. Also of note: Boru has a nice range of options for vegans and vegetarians. 

Boru is bright and welcoming, and, in our experience, has a quiet ambience. Seating is a combination of tables and chairs or banquettes, plus individual stools overlooking the sushi bar. For families with younger kids, the open kitchen offers views of each food prep station (ramen, donburi, and sushi) using an array of pretty interesting equipment that is (most likely) beyond what is typical in home kitchens. 

Service is consistently attentive and efficient. On a recent night, our server was friendly and was happy to answer our questions. Our order came quickly. Our party of four ordered a variety of dishes from across the menu. Though they did not arrive precisely at the same time, they arrived in quick succession. 

The non-alcohol (NA) selections at Boru are comparatively robust. In addition to standard soft drinks, Boru offers Ramune:  a Japanese carbonated soft drink in a codd-neck bottle featuring heavy glass with the mouth sealed by a round marble. This contains the pressure of the carbonated contents (there are many YouTube videos offering instructions of how to properly open a Ramune soda!). Ramune offers a bit of beverage flair in both flavor and presentation for kids and those who do not drink alcohol. Also available are a number of teas (fruited and not) as well as from their boba bar.

The alcohol menu lists a solid variety of sakes, Japanese beers (cans and bottles), and a few wines.

There is no marketing spin on the Boru website. All is straightforward; essentially conveying, “here is the food we prepare for you.” This clean, humble presentation of what is on offer conveys a quiet confidence in what they do that pretty much defines the Boru experience.

Boru Ramen (2915 Columbia Pike): Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. daily. Phone number is 703–521–2811. Visit their website: http://boru-ramen.com and click Order Online to view their entire menu.