Where is that perfect little French bistro hiding? (Arlington, McLean: rent, second mortgage)

[rupeerosie]

Anyone know of the kind of place you can go to every week, where they know you by sight at least, after a while, which isn't owned by Great American whatevers, where the food is always good, maybe not GREAT but good, and the prices aren't second mortgage necessary, and where you can pretend you're living in an interesting city instead of at the merger of road construction and the mall? McLean/Falls Church/Vienna.......????

[Caladium]

Most of the french restaurants I know near Falls Church are pricey. 2941 and L'Auberge have wonderful food--but it's not cheap.

If you're willing to try something that isn't French, Falls Church has lots of interesting restaurants. That Venezuelan one that statecollege posted about today sounds like it might be perfect for you.

If you want a chummy place with inexpensive but delicious European food--the type of place you stop by every weekend--try Euro Bistro in Herndon. The food there is mostly German/Austrian (although they also have a fantastic Italian Wine Dinner.) The price is right and the food is great. The one problem is slow service--the thing about being the sort of place that regulars go to every week is that first time visitors sometimes wait a while for service. FWIW, I think it's worth the wait (and if you become a regular, the problem seems to go away--or not bother you anymore.)

[statecollege]

See my recent post https://www.city-data.com/forum/north...ls-church.html Not French, but rather S. American ethnic.

[Alicia Bradley]

Originally Posted by rupeerosie

Anyone know of the kind of place you can go to every week, where they know you by sight at least, after a while, which isn't owned by Great American whatevers, where the food is always good, maybe not GREAT but good, and the prices aren't second mortgage necessary, and where you can pretend you're living in an interesting city instead of at the merger of road construction and the mall? McLean/Falls Church/Vienna.......????

I know what you mean. NoVA doesn't have a lot of those places - even though we're supposed to out-posh even the Poshy McPoshypants-est suburbs anywhere in the US (all which tend to have quite a few of them tucked in here and there, amongst the chains and 'authentic ethnic' places [yeah, we have lots and lots and lots and lots of those, but note that quantity doesn't necessarily = quality] and other usual fare). I find myself caring less and less over time - for one thing, the lack has made me a better cook myself. I do miss really good produce, though.. especially in the colder months when the local farmers' markets aren't open even for stuff like winter vegetables, late apples and pears, etc. Mmmm.

[Carlingtonian]

Cafe Parisien, in Lee Heights, 1/2 mile east of the Lee Hwy/N. Glebe Rd. intersection.

Also (quite a bit pricier but still reasonable): http://www.lacotedorcafe.com/

[JD984]

If you really meant "French bistro," please ignore the rest of this.

But, as to a good place that isn't too expensive that could be in lots of major cities, try Rose Kabob on Maple Avenue in Vienna. Delicious kabobs, lots of pictures of Iranian cities and antiquities on the walls, and an international clientele. When you're inside, so long as you don't look out the window, you feel you could be in Queens, or London, or Sydney...or downtown Vienna.

[claremarie]

It's French, sort of, via Vietnam, but the Four Sisters in Merrifield (formerly at Eden Center) is excellent.
Pietanza in north Arlington and Falls Church has wonderful wood-fired pizza. Not French at all, however.

[CAVA1990]

NoVA is a strange restaurant market. I don't know if it's the zoning, the recent history, the demographics or what but I can't think of anywhere else in the world with this number of affluent people that has such mediocre dining options. You would find a much different scene if you lived in a comparable suburb of San Franisco, Los Angeles, or even Chicago. Even the suburbs of Philadelphia and Baltimore have much better neighborhood eateries like you describe. At least it's somewhat better than it was 20 years ago when we moved here, however, when I watch shows on the Food Channel from other locales, I'm jealous.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

NoVA is a strange restaurant market. I don't know if it's the zoning, the recent history, the demographics or what but I can't think of anywhere else in the world with this number of affluent people that has such mediocre dining options. You would find a much different scene if you lived in a comparable suburb of San Franisco, Los Angeles, or even Chicago. Even the suburbs of Philadelphia and Baltimore have much better neighborhood eateries like you describe. At least it's somewhat better than it was 20 years ago when we moved here, however, when I watch shows on the Food Channel from other locales, I'm jealous.

Well, it's a different mix, that's for sure. We have more good ethnic eateries than a lot of those places, which people here take for granted, and fewer Euro- or Berkeley-inspired foodie temples. Since I'm not real big on French food, goat cheese or chard (whatever the heck that is), I'm happy with all the good Indian, Thai, Iranian, Turkish, Ethiopian and Vietnamese food to be found here.

However, I actually think this place in Great Falls (not too far from Meadowlawk Gardens in Vienna) may not be too far off the mark in terms of what the OP may be seeking (the chef's name is Jacques; and I've been there and thought it was decent, while Mrs. Jeb and her friends love it):

http://www.mediterraneerestaurant.com/

There are also a number of bistrots in DC itself, such as:

http://www.bistrotducoin.com/ or:

http://www.westendbistrodc.com/

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

I know what you mean. NoVA doesn't have a lot of those places - even though we're supposed to out-posh even the Poshy McPoshypants-est suburbs anywhere in the US (all which tend to have quite a few of them tucked in here and there, amongst the chains and 'authentic ethnic' places [yeah, we have lots and lots and lots and lots of those, but note that quantity doesn't necessarily = quality] and other usual fare).

Where on earth did you possibly get that idea? That type of aspiration to "out-posh" other suburbs really is not characteristic of this area. Great Falls is horsey, not chi-chi; Vienna has multiple mattress stores and a KFC and Taco Bell right on its main drag; McLean has no fewer than three 7-11s within a few blocks of one another; and Arlington is full of so many modest houses built in the 1940s that it could be mistaken for Queens or Staten Island. I guess the Tysons Galleria is semi-posh, but I think it's on loan from Houston or somewhere like that, and will probably get spirited back to Texas one night while no one's looking, and then months before anyone notices it's gone.

Earnest and striving? Yes.

High-achieving? Undoubtedly.

Well-educated? More degrees than you can shake a stick at.

High-earning? Yeah, at least until the rent or mortgage comes due.

Posh? Not a chance!