La Granja de Oro

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

La Granja de Oro, 2920 Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-534-5511 / 5519 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
The place to go for Peruvian mixed grill, including beef heart, tripe, calf liver, etc. The other items are adequate, though not the very best around. Not on a major strip, so most people don’t know about it. Not so far from either Rt. 7 or 236. Live music on some evenings. I’ve heard there is a good branch in Washington, also (1801 Adams Mill Road, Washington, DC, 202-232-8888 [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp])
By the way, don’t drink Inka Kola, no matter how many locals you see ordering it. It’s like boiled, sweetened, liquefied bubble gum.

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Posted in Adams Morgan/Mount Pleasant, DC, Falls Church/Seven Corners, Peruvian, The Best, Virginia | 2 Comments

Santa Rosa Seafood

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Santa Rosa Seafood, 2224 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, in Adams-Morgan, 202-518-8100 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp]
Very good place for ceviche. Ceviche is raw fish, and the Peruvians mix it with coriander, red onions, and a lime marinade. This place also has good scallops. The cooked fish is quite good, but the raw seafood is the thing to get. I suggest getting the ceviche mixto, and the paella, although you cannot finish both. Pescado Saltado is another treat. That being said, I find the atmosphere of this place depressing. I love dumps, but somehow this place is a dump without trying to be.

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Posted in Adams Morgan/Mount Pleasant, DC, Peruvian, The Best | 1 Comment

El Pollo Rico

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

El Pollo Rico, 932 Kenmore Street, Arlington, VA, 703-522-3220, near the GMU Law School, they have moved from the old location. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | openlist | Yelp]
You have to admire any restaurant that has only one item on the menu. One of the best chicken places. Maybe the best chicken. And certainly the best fries. But no yucca. On the negative side, the portions are smaller than in many places, and it doesn’t always come piping hot. Great for people-watching.
(Peruvian chicken is “pollo a la brasa’)

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Posted in Arlington, Chicken, Peruvian, The Best, Virginia | 1 Comment

Pollo Inka and Pollo Real

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Pollo Inka, 656 Elden Street, Herndon, VA, 703-481-9090 (703-871-0362?) (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper]
Another good Peruvian chicken place in a Herndon mini-mall.
A reader recommends Pollo Real, again in Herndon, 1114 Herndon Pkwy, Herndon, VA, 703-796-9000, Elden Street at Herndon Parkway. [Yelp]

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Posted in Chicken, Herndon/Reston/Ashburn/Chantilly / Dulles Airport, Peruvian, Reader Recommended, Virginia | 1 Comment

The Chicken Place

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

The Chicken Place, 5519 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-931-3090, near Bailey’s Crossroads, where the old Edy’s used to be. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window)
They have one of the tastiest chickens, a place to go if you are tired of the large crowds at Edy’s, you can eat here with no sacrifice in quality, plus the chicken comes more quickly.
– – –
Never been to these other restaurants named “The Chicken Place”: 2418 University Blvd. West, Wheaton, MD, 301-946-1212 [Washingtonian | Gayot]
In Gaithersburg, La Flor de la Canela used to be called “The Chicken Place”: 117 N. Frederick Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD, 301-519-9100 [WaPo]

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Posted in Chicken, Falls Church/Seven Corners, Peruvian, The Best, Virginia | Comments Off on The Chicken Place

Edy’s Chicken and Steak

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Edy’s Chicken and Steak, 5240 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-820-5509, Las Brasas, Leesburg Pike, Bailey’s Crossroads, on the north side of Route 7, just east of Chesapeake Plaza, where the old Borders used to be (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | City Paper | Yelp]
After moving to fancy new digs, at first the quality declined but now it has recovered. That being said, the waits for chicken are now sometimes interminable, once it took a solid 35 minutes. One is reminded of Yogi Berra’s old adage: “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” Still, I love this place. And an A plus for atmosphere and good general fun. Oh, get the chicken, not the steak. For yucca fries, I think the best is Brasa Roja, in Fairfax, or the place in Willston Plaza (Peruvian Chicken and Steak), on Rt. 50; the yucca here is actually substandard.

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Posted in Chicken, Falls Church/Seven Corners, Peruvian, The Best, Virginia | 1 Comment

Machu Picchu

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Machu Picchu, 5912 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA, 703-379-7777, near Bailey Crossroads, in the same shopping center as Maxim’s, the Chinese place previously known as Fortune. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press | City Paper | openlist | Gayot]
I went once and had a good experience with grilled salmon and the Peruvian spicy green sauce. Plus they have some good stuffed avocado appetizers. Rio Bravo failed in this locale in the past, the premises are simply too big to support an ethnic restaurant, here’s to hoping that I am wrong.

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Posted in Falls Church/Seven Corners, Peruvian, Virginia | 1 Comment

El Majahual Chim-Pun Callao Restaurant

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

El Majahual Chim-Pun Callao Restaurant, 3815-B S. George Mason Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-845-9501. Off Rt. 7, just east of Skyline Mall, or take the confusing Seminary Road from Alexandria. Open any time you would care to go. (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Yelp]
This restaurant’s name has something to do with soccer, it seems. Many Peruvian wonders here. Papa Huancaina makes for a nice appetizer – potatoes covered with a spicy cheese sauce. The Ceviche is very good. Among the mains, Seco is lamb stew with beans. Lomo Saltado is the dish I use to gauge any Peruvian restaurant – salty beef, olive oil, tomatoes, and french fries all mixed together. Don’t worry, the French Fries are supposed to be soggy. It’s best here. The Italian-sounding dishes are less interesting. Same with some of the steaks (see the remarks under “Cecilia’s” Bolivian on this point). Go for the dishes that mix ingredients.
The restaurant also serves good El Salvadorean food; I like the Taquito appetizer. Plus the usual E.S. assortments. The mini-mall also deserves a full walk, both front and back sides. This is what Northern Virginia is all about, and what makes living here tolerable. You’ll find ethnic groceries for Filipino, Ethiopian, Indian, Afghan, and Vietnamese foods.

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Posted in Falls Church/Seven Corners, Peruvian, Salvadorean, The Best, Virginia | 1 Comment

Sam’s Restaurant and Cafe

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Sam’s Restaurant and Cafe, 765 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 301-424-1600 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [WaPo | openlist | Yelp | Gayot]
Stews, kabobs, lamb shank, special rice dishes. Sounds pretty good, I have yet to go, one reader claims they make the best gelato in the DC area.

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Posted in Maryland, Persian, Reader Recommended, Rockville/Gaithersburg | 2 Comments

Kabob Bazaar

Posted on 2006/05/07 by .

Kabob Bazaar, web site, 3133 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, 703-522-8999, just across from Clarendon Metro (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
The best ground beef kabob around, period.
The daily stews are great, too. Doesn’t look like much, but this place is excellent. Addictive. And don’t be afraid to get the ground beef kabob, which in most other places is just boring. Here it could be the best dish. With the barberry rice, if they have it that day, they usually do on Thursdays or Fridays.

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Posted in Arlington, Persian, The Best, Virginia | 1 Comment