Grab your appetite and head to Fairfax City. To showcase the caliber and variety of its culinary cuisine, the City is holding its winter 2023 Restaurant Week, March 6-12. Diners will be able to experience a taste of the globe as they enjoy a wide range of delicious and imaginative cuisine.  

During this hugely popular event, more than two dozen restaurants will be offering special, fixed-priced menus. These three-course meals will cost $25 for lunch and $40 for dinner. Food-and-drink places that don’t serve whole meals will feature $10 specials.

A ribeye being grilled at Meokja Meokja 

 

“Fairfax City Restaurant Week shows the region why the City is the new, regional-dining destination and home to so many diverse and locally owned businesses,” said Fairfax Economic Development Director Chris Bruno. And besides that, he added, it accomplishes many of Fairfax City’s goals. 

“This event supports our local businesses with important exposure opportunities and connects them to new visitors,” explained Bruno. “At the same time, it generates an infusion of interest in the City, which allows our EDA [Economic Development Authority] to continue supporting Fairfax’s restaurant industry.”

Customers may feast on everything from classic American to Indian, Italian, Latin American, Irish, Mexican and Korean cuisine and more. For details of what each restaurant will serve, go to https://www.fairfaxcityrestaurantweek.com/.

Participating restaurants are: Audacious Aleworks, Big Buns, Baku Delicious, Bellissimo, Ben Gong’s Tea, Bollywood Bistro, Capital Ale House, Coyote Grille, Curry Mantra, Dolce Vita, Draper’s, Earp’s Ordinary, El Pollo Rico, Hamrock’s, Jas & Fam Caribbean Flavor, Kim’s Kitchen & Bar, Marumen (ramen), Meokja Meokja, Merkado Mexican Grill & Bar, One Bar & Grill, Ornery Beer Co., P.J. Skidoos, Patriots Pub & Grill, Roots Natural Kitchen, Slice of Matchbox, The Auld Shebeen, The Wine House, and Vivi Bubble Tea. 

“I look forward to a week where someone else is doing the cooking,” said Fairfax Mayor Catherine Read. “We have so many unique restaurants in Fairfax City with a variety of cuisines from around the world. It’s a great opportunity to visit new places and revisit longstanding favorites. Grab the family and invite the neighbors to share a meal where no one has to do the dishes.”

Below are examples of just some of the many entrees (not the whole meal, including appetizers and desserts) that a sampling of the restaurants will be serving:

Bellissimo

Fish of the Day; Crabmeat Ravioli - spinach pasta stuffed with crabmeat in lobster cream sauce garnished with black tiger shrimp; Chicken Marsala - sauteed with portobello mushrooms in marsala demiglace; Veal Sinatra - with mushrooms, shallots, prosciutto ham, spinach, fontina cheese in white-wine demiglace; Chicken Florentina – in bechamel sauce with spinach and fontina cheese;  Gnocchi Marinara - potato dumplings tossed in a light, herb marinara sauce; Agnolotti Amore - homemade egg pasta stuffed with goat cheese and spinach in a goat-cheese cream sauce; Fettuccine Veal Ragu Pasta – topped with goat cheese; and Braised Lamb Shank – served over pappardelle pasta.

Capital Ale House

Roasted Salmon and Shiitake Mushrooms - with shiitake rice pilaf and wilted baby spinach; Jägerschnitzel – crispy, breaded pork-loin cutlets, sauerkraut, German mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy; Sirloin – 8-ounce grilled, seasoned sirloin with choice of garlic blue cheese butter or peppercorn-tarragon butter (with vegetables and potatoes); Chicken, Shrimp & Andouille Pasta – with creamy Creole alfredo, fresh baby spinach and cavatappi pasta; or a 22-ounce strip steak to share, with two sides.

Curry Mantra

Butter Chicken – with a spiced tomato and butter sauce; Chicken Korma - cooked with spices, onion paste, yogurt and nuts; Lamb Vindaloo – with red chilies, vinegar, garlic and spices; Lamb Shahi Korma - cooked with spices, onions, yogurt, cream and nuts; Palak Paneer - made with fresh spinach, onions, spices, paneer cheese and herbs.; and Aloo Gobi – a vegetarian dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, spices and herbs.

Kim’s Kitchen & Bar

Filet Mignon Pho - hearty beef broth simmered 15 hours, plus filet mignon and rice 

Kim’s Kitchen summer rolls

 

Merkado

Tacos – Carne Asada, Al Pastor (spiced, marinated pork) or Lime-Chili Roasted Chicken; and Carne Asada – marinated, premium skirt steak with Mexican green onions, Pico de Gallo, rice and charro beans (pinto beans stewed with onion, garlic and bacon).

One Bar & Grill

Butcher’s choice cut – open-fire-broiled hanger steak, herb mushrooms, maple-glazed carrots, roasted potato and demiglace; Garlic Tuscan Chicken – creamy and herb-brined, with exotic-mushroom risotto; Cold Water Salmon – pan- seared filet with Jasmine rice pilaf and vegetables; and Lobster Ravioli – with champagne rose cream and Reggiano parmesan cheese.

The Auld Shebeen

Burdocks Fish and Chips - battered, deep fried, cod filets with fries and coleslaw; Corned Beef and Cabbage – with mashed potatoes, carrots, parsley cream sauce and traditional Irish mustards; St. James Gate Guinness Beef Stew - served over mashed potatoes; Shepherd’s Pie - Prime ground beef and vegetables in rich brown gravy over mashed potatoes; and Cottage Pie - breast of chicken with onions, carrots and mushrooms in a creamy herb sauce, topped with mashed potatoes and Parmesan cheese. 

One Bar & Grill’s branzino.