#49: Eiffel Tower Cafe

Date Visited: 9 January 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: For our 27th wedding anniversary, I wanted to take Wendy someplace nice. It was almost a no-brainer; the restaurant that immediately came to mind was the Eiffel Tower Cafe. We've been there a few times before and always been extremely happy with the total experience; this visit was no exception.

For appetizers, I got an endive salad (with walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese, and thinly sliced apples), and Wendy got a salad with goat cheese in puff pastry. We shared, and each bite was bliss. I also had a glass of the house Cabernet Sauvignon.



For entrees, we both selected specials of the day (BTW, not on the online dinner menu). I had a seafood dish of scallops, shrimp, and salmon on a bed of risotto, with a white wine sauce. It also came with a side of green beans and carrots. Wendy got Steak au Poivre, with a side of snow peas and carrots, and a potato cake-like delight with grated cheese. Every bite was savored and enjoyed slowly.

For dessert, we also shared a slice of chocolate praline cake. Heavenly! I also had a coffee to finish off the meal.

It's difficult to come up with words that adequately capture the experience of the Eiffel Tower Cafe. Everything about the place (decor, food, and service) is wonderful and delicious. We heartily recommend it to everyone who wants to try French cooking!



As a special surprise ending for our anniversary celebration, I secretly booked a room across the street at the Norris House Inn. We stayed in the Garden Room, and, like the Eiffel Tower Cafe, everything was wonderful. The place is done up in old British-American style, and a great "breakfast Monte Cristo" was served the next morning by Roger the innkeeper. We can also heartily recommend the Norris House Inn as a great in-town getaway!

Location: 107 Loudoun St. SW, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://eiffeltowercafe.com/

Total bill: $119.62 + $25.00 tip = $136.92

#48: Arthur Treacher's

Date Visited: 4 January 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Depending on how you count, there are about twelve restaurants at Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (colloquially known as "The Outlet Mall"). Now, the problem for this blog is that these restaurants are in various degrees of colocatedness. For example, Arthur Treacher's, Kenny Rogers Roasters Express, and Nathan's Famous are all located in the same stall, and you are served by the same people. Likewise, Tropi-Kool, Boardwalk Fries, City Deli, and Cinnabon are also located together in one stall. The others are separate. On the other hand, there is a directory sign that only lists six of these places - so confusing! So, for purposes of this blog, and to give myself and my readers a greater sampling of the offerings, I'm treating them all as separate restaurants. All but the Daily Grind are in the centrally-located Food Court. Here's the full list:
* Starbucks
* Nathan's Famous
* Kenny Rogers Roasters Express
* Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips
* Tropi-Kool Smoothies
* Boardwalk Fries
* City Deli
* Cinnabon
* Burger King
* Sbarro
* Hershey's Ice Cream
* Daily Grind

Now, the problem for this blog is that these restaurants are in various degrees of colocatedness. For example, Arthur Treacher's, Kenny Rogers Roasters Express, and Nathan's Famous are all located in the same stall, and you are served by the same people. Likewise, Tropi-Kool, Boardwalk Fries, City Deli, and Cinnabon are also located together in one stall. The others are separate. On the other hand, there is a directory sign that only lists six of these places - so confusing! So, for purposes of this blog, and to give myself and my readers a greater sampling of the offerings, I'm treating them all as separate restaurants.

My first visit to an Outlet Mall eatery was to Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. I ordered the Fish & Chips combo. It was typical fried fish fast food, which included two pieces of batter-dipped fish (type not specified), two hush puppies, and chips (fries). It was OK. Arthur Treacher's is the only exclusively fish & chips restaurant in Leesburg, although there are other places that serve them too, such as the King's Court Tavern. Long John Silver's is probably the most common here on the east coast.

It turns out there is another connection between Arthur Treacher's, Kenny Rogers Roasters Express, and Nathan's Famous, that explains why they are colocated at the Outlet Mall. According to the Wikipedia article on Arthur Treacher's, "The company was acquired by PAT Franchise Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of TruFoods Systems, Inc., in 2002. Nathan's Famous bought the exclusive rights to market the Arthur Treacher's trademark and sell their products co-branded with Nathan's own concepts Kenny Rogers Roasters and Miami Subs in 2006; however, PAT Franchise Systems has a license agreement with NF Treachers to sell Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips franchises in eight states."

That's one down for the Outlet Mall, and many more fast food meals to go.

Location: 241 Fort Evans Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176

Web site: http://www.arthurtreachers.com/

Total bill: $9.21