Rango's Tex-Mex Bar & Grill in Vienna, Virginia (Tysons Corner...errrr Tysons area)

1934 Old Gallows Rd, Vienna, VA 22182
Tel: (571) 282-3054

Newcomer to the Tysons area, Rango's opened this week to some growing pains. Its website is finally up, though without prices -- a restaurant trend that does not sit well with us. Rango's replaced the short-lived mediocre Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar in the Nordstrom Rack / BJ's Brewhouse Plaza. We were glad to see a new Tex-Mex restaurant in Tysons fill the temporary Tex-Mex void left by the abrupt uprooting of Chili's and On The Border

Right off the bat we'll be upfront and say that the welcoming atmosphere and accommodating staff more than compensated for the bland, uninspiring dishes.

We believe in Rango's potential to step-up their kitchen creations, as the experienced owners are known in our area for running the long-time well-loved local chain Guapo's with roots in Fairfax County dating back to the 1970s. This new endeavor in the quickly urbanizing Tysons (known to most of us as Tysons Corner) has a large physical footprint, ready to seat hundreds of hungry eaters. There is a tortilla-making station inside the dining hall and a large outdoor patio seating area, which is likely to be in high demand as soon as the snow melts. 

We came here for dinner on a Saturday night the day after they opened in the first week of February. The staff was numerous, smiling, and friendly. The restaurant's orange walls, low mood lighting, soft Mexican music and dark wood furniture gave it a warm feel, balanced by the large windows that let in ample light. It seemed open and clean, even though one of the black cloth napkins on our table had some dried food stains when unrolled, it did look like it had been through a wash. The silverware was shiny. The large tray-like plastic plates were quite overbearing and the average food portions were spread thin on these large serving dishes.

Chips and salsa arrived at our table immediately. Disappointingly, chips were thin and broke easily when dipped in the salsa. The salsa was watery and humdrum at best, akin to red water with some diced floating tomatoes and onions. We asked for some hot sauce, which arrived quickly in a small ramekin with a warning from the waiter that it was very spicy. It was not. It was the only thing on the table that actually offered some flavor.

The Ceviche ($13.95) on the menu was a full appetizer portion, but since only one of us wanted it, we asked if they could give us a half order. Our request was cheerfully accommodated, which we appreciated, and we were charged for a half-order ($7.00). The shrimp, flounder, calamari, scallop mixture was disappointingly under-marinated. Despite squeezing over the fish the entire half of the juicy lemon almost down to the pulp, it was equivalent to chewing on rubber balls both in flavor and texture. Sadly, the thinly sliced red onions lacked any punch whatsoever. This was unfortunate, because a good ceviche with tang and personality would be sure to set an exciting tone for the rest of the meal. However, this is where our disappointments continued. 

We also ordered the Cheese Nacho appetizer platter ($9.95) that arrived on one of their overbearingly large tray-like plates with a mere eight paper thin flat chips topped by a thin layer of cheese, laying on a thin layer of re-fried bean puree. It was accompanied by a small bowl of guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, and 4 fresh jalapenos. At $1.25 per chip, this was barely a bargain. Moreover, the jalapenos were not only chalk bland, they were also ice-cold, while the lettuce was warm and limp, leaving us to question whether the chef pays any attention to the plates before they exit the kitchen.

Shortly, our entrees arrived, and they were not any more inspiring. Served on the same huge plates where the food is spread wide and thin, in our opinion, the portions seemed rather average in size, if not smaller than average.

Prior to placing our entree plates on the table, the server moved the salsa bowls and seeing some salsa spilled on the table, rather than wiping it, placed the dishes right on top of the tomato pieces. Not the most palatable thing to see. It wasn't until after we were done eating that the bus boy came over and wipe the table before bringing us the check. Attentiveness to details like wiping food remnants off the table in-between courses would have been reassuring, but was missing.

Now where were we... back to the entrees.  

The Chicken Enchiladas ($11.95) were dry and bland. Both the very dark pulled chicken meat and the tortillas were so dry that not even a full helping of the green "spicy" (not spicy at all) sauce and the salsa were able to salvage it. Lettuce was warm and limp, and the pico.... oh the tragic pico that usually adds a savory delicious blast of flavor, well.... at Rango's it was lukewarm, bland and barely noticeable..... 

The Beef Chimichanga ($11.95) did hit slightly above the (low) bar with its smoky flavor and relatively tasty meat. The ground beef was better seasoned than the Chicken Enchiladas and the tortilla was crispy, not dry.  The shell kept its shape when cut into, as opposed to being too mushy or too crunchy that it would splinter into pieces.

While in our opinion the food is bland and unpalatable, we heard a lady, who was obviously a friend of the staff and the owner, at a nearby table, comment that the salsa was too spicy for her. Along the same lines, our neighbors on Nextdoor.com raved about the size of the portions, which we found to be quite average, or smaller in size than average. Neighbors also commented about the "succulent" food, which we found to be quite under-flavored. Goes to confirm that everyone has different taste buds and different strokes for different folks.

The positive side of Rango's is its wonderfully welcoming, pleasant, friendly and upbeat staff.  The owner also came around checking on the patrons and asking about the food. After all, restaurants are about much more than just food - they're also about the people and the whole dining experience. At Rango's, the people really compensated for the lackluster food.

We are so lucky in Northern Virginia to live in an area with an abundance of terrific restaurants. We will give Rango's Tex-Mex Bar & Grill some time time to acclimate to Tysons until we ponder returning. In the meantime, we wish them well! 

 Tortilla-making station

 Dining  Area

 Bar Dining Area

 Tasteful Artwork Around The Restaurant 

 Thin Chips and Watery Bland Salsa

 Green "spicy" sauce, which was not spicy at all

 Cheese Nachos Appetizer $9.95 with 8 Chips Total

 Half Order of Ceviche Appetizer $7.00 (Full Order is $13.95)

 Beef Chimichanga $11.95

 Chicken Enchiladas (2) $11.95

LAZY MIKE'S Homemade Ice Cream and Delicatessen, Falls Church, Virginia

7049 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22046
Telephone: (703) 532-5299

On a hot, sunny, lazy August Sunday, we headed to Lazy Mike's for a lazy brunch. After Long John Silver's closed its doors in this small stand-alone bungalow on the busy corner of Leesburg Pike (Rte 7) and Shreve Road, owners of a well-known Falls Church City establishment, Clare and Don's Beach Shack (where we have yet to visit!), quickly swept up this high traffic location and Lazy Mike's made a move up the street.

We never visited Lazy Mike's at their old location on N. West Street, Falls Church, where they were since 1996, according to their website. They moved their current digs in late 2017 and caught our attention. The bright natural light from windows and the vintage New Jersey and New York license plates decor on their walls, coupled with a low-overhead one-room seating area, including even some counter seating with 50s style stools, gives it an-almost Jersey-Diner-kind-of feel.

Great homemade fare, breakfast served all day, busy lively family atmosphere and great service make Lazy Mike's an all-around neighborhood restaurant where you'll really feel like home.

It's hard to imagine someone who won't find something to their liking on the extensive menu. Even vegans have a diverse menu here from which to choose. One of the new items on the burger menu is the vegan version of a burger - the "Impossible burger," that just saw the very ingredient that makes it taste like more like a real beef approved by the FDA in July of this year.

We ordered a delicious Reuben with a side of fries, which are only $1.50 if ordered with a sandwich.  The Reuben was juicy, flavorful and delicious. Though a far cry from a Reuben you'd get in a New York Deli, for the Northern Virginia area, this was quite good. The fries reminded us of McDonald's fries, which were a little thicker and very good.

The burger menu at Lazy Mike's is quite extensive, and all burgers can be ordered "Impossible," so we went ahead and ordered a Mushroom Swiss Impossible Burger. The waitress suggested that if we're trying a vegan burger, why not top it off with a vegan cheese, which was a great suggestion - if you're going to do vegan, do it all the way, so that's exactly what we tried. In fact, Lazy Mike's must be highly commended for being one of only a handful of restaurants in our area that offers the Impossible Burger. You can find all the locations that serve it up on the website of Impossible Foods. 

The Impossible Burger was somewhat of a disappointment, as it tasted little like meat. Perhaps it was something about how it was prepared (flimsy and soft, not charbroiled in flavor or texture) or maybe it had something to do with its ingredients, but it was not as exciting as it had been built-up to be by its advertising (does anything really live up to its advertisements?). Nonetheless, it was a good meal.

It goes without saying that the homemade Brownie Sundae was absolutely the best possible ending to our Lazy Sunday brunch at Lazy Mike's. Both the Brownie AND the Ice Cream are homemade here, in fact 80% of their desserts are homemade, the rest come from an Arlington bakery. The ice cream at Lazy Mike's was so good, that we soon returned to buy 3 of their pints that are available in a freezer to take home. Though one of our friends noted that their ice cream is a little too sweet for his taste, it is still pretty amazing. 

Lazy Mike's is a one-room low-overhead operation with a small outside seating area, offering a total capacity of just under 100 people. They do not sell alcohol, except for special occasions, but they do offer a warm, welcoming, lively family atmosphere with a true-blue neighborhood vibe. 

We can't wait to return to try all the other options on their menu.

Lazy Mike's is located on a busy intersection across from the Giant Plaza in Falls Church City, VA

Reuben with Fries

Mushroom Swiss "Impossible Burger" with Fries

Impossible Burger Up Close

Brownie Sundae

New Jersey and New York vintage license plates adorn the walls, makes us wonder whether the owners Clare and Don are from our own home state NJ

Homemade Ice Cream lots of flavors available for take-out

So many choices, it's hard to pick just one

Low overhead contributes to the homy feeling

Homemade Apple Fritters

Lazy Mike's well-deserved rating

Fun architecture on the side of the building

2941 - French-American Modern Upscale Cuisine in Falls Church, VA

2941 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042

Tel: (703) 270-1500

The best (and only) thing that the 2941 restaurant has going for it is the setting.  Those who can afford to splurge will be welcomed at the entrance with a large a koi pond adorned by miniature fountains and lighting effects that distract from the tall office building that looms over the restaurant. Gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows offer an impressive daytime view of nature, though as darkness falls, this view disappears, save for a handful of illuminated trees.

What 2941 lost in luster, it gained in arrogance. 

When 2941 first opened in Falls Church back in 2001, it was all the rage, deservedly so. Our several meals there between 2001 and 2007 were spectacular. Each experience was marked with top-notch customer-focused white-tablecloth service and excellent food.  After numerous reincarnations over the last decade, all that remains from the once-breathtaking dining is solely the beautiful setting. 

We contemplated a spot in the Northern Virginia area where to mark a special occasion on a cold Fall evening. Armed with a gift card we received from an acquaintance, we browsed 2941's website's Fall 2017 menu, pre-selected what we would like to try, including appetizers, entrees and desserts, and on a Thursday afternoon phoned the restaurant to make a Saturday dinner reservation. As one of us is a flexitarian, leaning vegetarian, we inquired with the courteous young lady who took our reservation on the phone whether it would be possible for the restaurant to whip up something vegetarian off the menu that is other than the two seemingly vegetarian options listed on their menu - a heavy cream Porcini Risotto and a mushroom dish that includes Shitake mushrooms and Portobello mushrooms in a mushroom broth (whew, both are for an avid mushroom lover!).  The courteous young lady asked whether we were celebrating a special occasion, indeed, we answered, we were. 

She assured us that on Saturday afternoon we will receive a call from the restaurant telling us exactly what vegetarian meal the Chef will be preparing and she noted our special occasion on the reservation.  We never actually requested to know what exact dish will be prepared, only made an inquiry and voiced our preference. To our surprise, our phone rang only one hour later on the same Thursday afternoon, re-promising us a call on Saturday.  

Ironically, the twice-promised Saturday call never came.  When we arrived at the restaurant on Saturday evening for our celebratory dinner, it was clear that not only was neither the staff nor the Chef aware of our vegetarian dish request, they were also unaware of our marking a special occasion.

We decided to overlook the obvious miscommunication among the restaurant staff and make the best of our special evening. However, what followed was a series of disappointments from confusion among servers to seating changes to hot radiators to wobbly (very wobbly) tables to dirty napkins to tragically bad food and an overall dismissive attitude.  We will spare you all the peripheral, though pertinent, details that contributed to our unpleasant dining experience, and get straight to the food.

The restaurant's printed menu (pictured below) carried a title identical to the menu on their website, namely "Fall 2017," however differed significantly in the selection. We were told the website does not keep up with regular updates.  Oh, well. 

We ordered two appetizers that by a strange coincidence were listed both on the website and on the printed menu - The Mushroom Tartine and the Crispy Calamari.  The Mushroom Tartine arrived on a wooden slab, as pictured below. The rustic bread served as a grease-dripping boat for the bland chewy mushrooms.  It was difficult to eat, as picking up one of the bread slices caused the mushy middle to collapse into a heaping mushroom mess on the table, yet cutting the rock-hard bread crust with the dull butter knife at the table was similarly difficult.  Folks, rarely something is so bad that we send it back to the kitchen, in the case of this mushroom appetizer, it was not a difficult choice to make. As for the Crispy Calamari, it contained more "crispy" than "calamari," and the accompanying sauce, which we left barely touched, tasted like 3/4 vinegar and 1/4 mayonnaise, highly acidic and unpleasant. 

As a side note about mushrooms, we like mushrooms as much as the next person... however, the restaurant seems to offer a noticeable mushroom overload on its menu, it is some sort of a mushroom obsession. Just because something is in season, doesn't mean you have to rely on it so heavily, especially on a menu as small and limited as the one in 2941. Bottom line here, people, if you like mushrooms, run! don't walk to 2941, quick, while their "Fall 2017" menu is still in effect.

For our entrees, we ordered the Nantucket Bay Scallops from the printed menu. Unfortunately, the Spiced Corn Ravioli with lobster, scallops, clams and chorizo turned out to be one of the numerous website menu mirages. The $37 scallop dish came in a wide-rimmed kitchen bowl measuring probably about 8" in diameter with tiny scallop bites. What looked like a white sauce with some potential for dipping was actually a leak-laden viscous "sweet potato confit" beneath the scallops... sadly it was barely 1/4 inch deep and was quite bland. 

We asked our waiter to request that the Chef make a vegetable dish, preferably with no squash, for us. Our waiter brought out this beauty pictured below - a square plate with two arched slabs of blanched cabbage drizzled with balsamic vinegar and two crisp paper-thin crostinis encircling.... you guessed it, our friends!!! two tiny piles of bland MUSHROOMS!!! The blanched chewy cabbage, again, was impossible to cut with the butter knife provided on the table, so we asked our waiter Jean-Mark for a steak knife. Paradoxical, yes. The saddest part of that was that when we were able to finally cut and taste the food, it was so tasteless, that we had to send it back, to chase the bad appetizer.  As a result, one of us was left with neither an appetizer nor an entree.  Even an attempt to dip a piece of bread into the "sweet potato confit" proved futile, as there was so little sauce in that tiny bowl.

A small aside on the topic of vegetarian-leaning flexitarians, or vegetarianism, if you will permit us. The trend across restaurants, up and down the scale, has recently maximized on offering its patrons delicious vegetarian creations, be they listed, or not, on the restaurant's menu. A strong case can be made that Chefs can (and should) be unabashedly judged on their creative flexibility to concoct impromptu phenomenal vegetarian dishes for a vegetarian that accompanies their flexitarian or carnivorous friends to restaurants. Anyone can season a chunk of meat, soften it with some salt or vinegar, call it an exotic name, and place it on a plate with some garnish. Making a great vegetarian meal takes a lot more imagination and skill. 

As an example, we recently dined at L'Auberge Chez Francois, which is truly one of the best restaurants in the D.C. metropolitan area. Here, the Chef, with no prior warning at all, improvised a beautiful delectable vegetarian dish in one of the most amazing sauces we ever tasted. This is really the value of a truly great Chef - the ability to create an amazing dish with the ingredients on hand, per customer's dietary request, and make it amazing. 

Speaking of vegetarians or vegans no longer having to be limited to bread and water, the absolute best thing about 2941 was Edwin, who not only kept our water glasses filled and our bread bowl replenished (after all, for one of us that was the entire meal!), but he also had a positive energy and such a pleasant demeanor, that he ended up being the only staff in the restaurant who brought a smile to our faces and made us feel welcomed! Thank you, Edwin!  

To try and salvage what little of our celebratory spirit was left, we were determined to order the rich dessert for which we had prepared our taste buds when browsing the restaurant's menu online only two days earlier - The Chocolate Napoleon! The description made our mouths water, especially because it came with maple ice cream! Once again, 2941 did not cease to disappoint.  AND YOU GUESSED IT AGAIN! The dessert for which we trekked out to 2941 was unavailable! It was another website menu mirage.

There was no apology, no conciliatory gesture from the restaurant for anything. In fact, the arrogance and dismissiveness was so thick you could not cut it with our dull butter knife that was on our table.

While the restaurant still gets busy, there must be some appeal to some, no doubt, as its own website touts it as "one of the most celebrated restaurants in the metropolitan area."  The ambiance of high ceilings, larger-than-life paintings and meditative style music has its admirers. The real draw for repeat customers is a welcoming staff and delicious food.  That's what counts. And that's where 2941 falls short. Very very short. 

Much-ballyhooed Koi Pond at the restaurant's entrance

THE REAL 2941 Fall 2017 Menu, not to be confused with the menu on its website by the same name

 Bread, water and butter - for one of us that was the entire sad meal

 Calamari appetizer with dipping sauce that tasted like 3/4 vinegar and 1/4 mayo

 Mushroom Tartine Appetizer - A grease-dripping mushy boat of bland mushrooms garnished with grass, it was so bad we sent it back

Nantucket Scallops entree in a tiny bowl with barely a quarter inch of sweet potato confit sauce 

A Chef-improvised attempt at a vegetarian creation, which was bland and tasteless, also sent back 

 Unrolled napkin with black spots all over it, on a wobbly table that had to be wedged by our waiter, so it wobbled less

 THE REAL 2941 DESSERT MENU Fall 2017, different from the one on the restaurant website, which, as explained to us, does not get updated regularly, and even the print menu may change without any notice 

Some kind of a dry jelly square that was rolled in layer of thick sugar. One bite was more than enough.

1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria Fast Casual - Arlington, VA

3400 Columbia Pike

Arlington, VA 22204
Tel: (703) 920-9000

Everyone knows that when pizza originates in New Jersey, it's gonna be good. Nuff said. 

Straight out of Bridgewater, NJ, the brainchild of an Italian American, the first Northern Virginia storefront of 1000 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria opened in Arlington about a month ago.  It is only the third one in the State of Virginia. 

We went for a Sunday lunch.  Here is what we thought. 

If you are from the New York - New Jersey area, like we are, you undoubtedly appreciate good pizza and lament its lack outside the Empire and Garden States. Our favorite go-to in this area for just under a decade has been The Italian Store.  While 1000 Degrees Pizza is very different from The Italian Store pizza, it was definitely a pleasant surprise. 

To be clear, 1000 Degrees Pizzeria doesn't claim the New Jersey taste or make lofty promises of tri-state authenticity. But both in its concept and its execution it's definitely New York - New Jersey. How? Easy. First, it offers a ton of topping choices - all for a flat price, depending on one of two crust sizes. Have you ever taken the subway in NYC? If so, you know that for one flat price you can go anywhere you like in any of the boroughs. Same with this pizza. There is literally no limit to how many toppings you can put on your pizza. All the sauces, all the cheeses, all the meats, and all the veggies combined in any quantity any way you like. Split the pizza in half, or even in quarters, if you choose to do so. It's all up to you - no extra charge.

The second way this pizza demonstrates its tri-state origins is speed - it's ready in TWO MINUTES. Yes, you read that right. The pizza with ALL your toppings goes into the oven and comes out fresh and delicious in two minutes, thanks to the high heat of the brick oven.

Even though the restaurant is "Fast" Casual, there is a lot of preparation done by the friendly staff ahead of time to make every part of the dining experience pleasant and speedy. Staff mix and bake the dough on premises two days ahead of baking it. There are no trucks that drop off frozen crusts that have sat on dry ice for many miles. Ingredients are fresh and numerous. The crust is not thick, it is not thin - it is just right. You can customize every aspect of the pizza toppings - about 6 or 7 sauces, 6 or 7 cheeses, and even more meats and veggies. Note - the jalapenos are not for the wimpy at heart. They are goooood.

You can get a 10" or a 14" pie and either eat-in or carry-out. As you move down from the sauces to the cheeses to the meats to the veggies, the staff assembles your pizza exactly how you tell them.  If you choose from the menu of pre-selected combinations, like The Classic New Yorker, The Philly, or The Trenton Tomato Pie, you simply can't go wrong. But you can also tap into your own creativity and design any kind of pie you want. Then watch the whole thing come together right in front of your eyes from start to finish.

Getting there and parking is easy. The newly-opened restaurant is on the first floor of a brand-spankin'-new residential building. The spacious modern dining room is shiny and clean with large ceiling-to-floor windows. Parking in the building is free and relatively plentiful, or at least it was relatively plentiful on Sunday at lunch time, when we went. So, the logistics are great.  

And for the added bonus - they serve wine AND beer.  AND ice cream. Seriously, how can you go wrong here?

Below are pictures of the restaurant and the food we had, all of which was fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back.

Entrance

 Sauce Choices

Cheese Choices

 Meat Choices

Veggie Choices

Dough gets mixed by hand on premises.... 

 .... and crusts wait for about 48 hours to be baked

Pizza assembly in progress

Sunny. our pizza artist!

 Decor

 Decor

 Decor

 Decor

 Brick-oven where it all comes together

 Our own creation half and half with marinara sauce, mozarella and veggies

 Half Athenian Half and Smokey Pollo (hold the bacon)

 Half The Meatza and Half The White Out

 Wine and Beer Menu

Save room for the Ice Cream Bar