#120: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

Date Visited: 19 November 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 6 - Me, Wendy, Bob, Joyce, Perry, Laurie

Experience: The rapid opening of restaurants in the Village at Leesburg continues! The newest one is Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, which opened on Wednesday, 16 November. It’s a chain with twenty locations, mostly in the eastern U.S. From their website, here’s what Firebirds is supposed to be all about: “Firebirds Wood Fired Grill introduced a taste of Colorado to the Carolinas when it first opened its doors in Charlotte, North Carolina in December of 2000. The restaurant is the creative concept of owner and restaurateur, Dennis Thompson, who regularly travels out west. He fell in love with the feel of the area as well as the food. Drawing from those experiences, he developed Firebirds.”

At the risk of being repetitive (as reported in #119), there are ten restaurants now open in the Village at Leesburg: Flame Kabob, Faang Thai, Noodles & Company, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Eggspectation, King Pinz (yes, they have a restaurant too), Wegmans (yeah, it's technically a restaurant), Finnegan’s, Pinkberry (just opened), and the subject of this review, Firebirds!

On this Saturday evening, we were joined by our best friends Bob, Joyce, Perry, and Laurie, and there was quite a wait (not unexpected). After we were seated, drink orders were taken; two of us decided to have a glass of Casa Lapostolle (a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile). Our server came back to tell us they were all out of that. Then the three of us guys decided to order a bottle of Firebird Red (Napa Valley) to share. Our server came back again to tell us they were all out of that. Finally, we just decided it was every man for himself, and I ended up with a glass of Red Guitar Tempranillo (Spain); I don’t remember what Bob & Perry got, but this was not a good start. The wine was actually pretty good, a little fruity but not overpowering.

We chose a two appetizers; first was the Ranch Rings (“Buttermilk-battered onion rings with panko bread crumbs. Served with roasted garlic ranch dressing.”) The panko made these deliciously different than normal onion rings. We also got the Lobster Spinach Queso (“A spicy blend of lobster, baby spinach, tomatoes and pepper jack cheese with tri-colored tortilla chips.”) Big pieces of lobster and fresh-made chips. Everyone liked both very much; nothing was left!

Several of us had the Firebirds BLT Salad (“Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, applewood-smoked bacon, roasted garlic ranch dressing.”) The dressing was the same garlicky goodness as that which came with the Ranch Rings, but there was a bit too much of it; the bacon was a little strange - good taste but seemed to be in small chewy nuggets rather than thin pieces.

I ordered the Bleu Cheese Filet (“Bacon-wrapped wood grilled filet topped with bleu cheese sauce and port mushrooms”) with a loaded baked potato. No vegetables come with the dish, maybe because they assume you’ve already had a salad? The steak was quite good, and the clean wood fire taste was noticeable. The bleu cheese sauce and mushrooms (large) complimented the steak well. The baked potato wasn’t all that “loaded” - not enough fixins to spread over the whole potato. However, they do rub salt on the outside of the skin, which makes the skin so much tastier.

Wendy got the Filet & Shrimp (“Bacon-wrapped wood grilled filet served with shrimp basted in a Key lime butter”) with a loaded baked potato. The steak was the same as mine, minus the bleu cheese sauce and mushrooms. The shrimp were also wood fired, and had the grill marks to prove it. I’ve never had Key lime butter before, but it really made the shrimp excellent. She had a Lemonade that came with a sugar-encrusted rim, a nice touch.

I didn’t take detailed notes on everyone else’s dinners. Laure had a chicken salad (don’t remember which one) but the chicken was ice cold rather than warm as expected. She didn’t have a good experience.

There were a few hiccups in our experience: wine problems, cold chicken in the salad, drink refills were slow to come, and we weren’t even asked if we wanted dessert (after being briefly shown the dessert menu!) But this was only the fourth night they’ve been open for business; I think Firebirds will work out these kinks and prove to be one of the better Leesburg restaurants. I encourage you to give them a try (maybe in a couple of weeks!)

Location: 1607 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-840-0443

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

Total bill: $92.23 + $20.00 tip = $112.23

#119: Finnegan's Sports Bar & Grill

Date Visited: 23 October 2011

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: Finnegan’s is one of the newest restaurants to open in the rapidly expanding Village at Leesburg. As reported in #117, there are ten restaurants: Flame Kabob, Faang Thai, Noodles & Company, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Eggspectation, King Pinz (yes, they have a restaurant too), Wegmans (yeah, it's technically a restaurant), Pinkberry (just opened), Firebirds Wood Fired Grill (opening soon), and the subject of this review, Finnegan’s!

Regular readers of this blog know that I rarely even come close to writing a negative review, but this time is different. When we arrived, we were taken to the main seating area and presented with menus that were all wet. Then we discovered our appetizer plates were dirty; when we pointed this out to our server, she made a face and got us clean ones but no apology or even “sorry!” At Finnegan’s each table has it’s own TV and I was struggling to find the Redskins game, so I asked our server for some help. All she could manage was “I have no idea” with no offer to get help from someone else (I did finally figure it out myself). It was also very cold inside, which was probably comfortable for the staff, but not us customers.

I had the beef Pub Sliders (3), which seemed to be more bun than meat and come just with cheese. The only condiment offered was ketchup. This dish also came with Cole slaw, which was surprisingly good - wet and tangy. I also had a Guinness to wash it all down. Wendy had a side salad with apple-bacon vinaigrette, which was also surprisingly different, in a good way. She also had the Macaroni & Cheese with beer cheese and bread crumbs. It was a nice take on an old favorite, providing good taste and a little crunch. Andy had the Bacon Blue cheeseburger. He said it was good, not a typical pre-cooked thing, but he ordered it medium and it came out pretty much well done.

To top it all off, it took forever to get our check; we finally had to ask another server to get it for us. Finnegan’s is probably alright if what you want is a basic sports bar, but you wouldn’t want to go there for the food. Reviews on Yelp pretty much confirm my opinion.

Location: 1608 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-771-2333

Web site: http://www.finnegansirishbar.com/leesburg/

Total bill: $45.03 + $10.00 tip = $55.03

#118: Jimmy John's

Date Visited: 3 October 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: The new Jimmy John’s Leesburg location has been open for a few weeks now (the former site of Blockbuster, years ago). It is a franchise operation with stores all over the country. The menu features only cold sub sandwiches; they seem to make it a point of pride that they don’t serve soups, salads, or hot sandwiches. Jimmy John’s uniqueness in the sub market focuses on fresh ingredients and fast delivery (including catering). They also seem to hava a “Mama” theme, as in “Your Mom wants you to eat at Jimmy John’s”, and this disclaimer on the menu:

“OK, so my subs really aren’t gourmet and we’re not French either. My subs just taste a little better, that’s all! I wanted to call it Jimmy John’s Tasty Sandwiches, but my Mom told me to stick with gourmet. She thinks whatever I do is gourmet, but I don’t think either of us knows what it means. So let’s stick with Tasty!” -- Jimmy John

I had the #11 Country Club: “Fresh sliced turkey breast, applewood smoked ham, provolone, and tons of lettuce, tomato, and mayo! (A very traditional, yet always exceptional classic!)” Wendy had the #12 Beach Club: “Fresh baked turkey breast, provolone cheese, avocado spread, sliced cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and mayo! (It’s the real deal, and it ain’t even California.)” Andy had the #17 Ultimate Porker: “Real applewood smoked ham and bacon with lettuce, tomato & mayo, what could be better!”

We all upgraded to a combo, which includes a fountain drink (they have Mello Yello!) and a bag of chips (Jimmy John’s own brand).

Our overall evaluation is that the food is good, fresh, and reasonably priced, but not compelling. Andy’s comment: “Totally generic.” They did deliver of the promise of fast delivery; our sandwiches were ready within a few minutes of ordering. Try it, you might like it!

Location: 11 Catoctin Cir. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176, 703-779-2111

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

Total bill: $27.47

#117: Eggspectation

Date Visited: 28 August 2011

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: The Village at Leesburg currently hosts ten restaurants: Flame Kabob, Faang Thai, Noodles & Company, Travinia Italian Kitchen, Wegmans (yeah, it's technically a restaurant), King Pinz (yes, they have a restaurant too), Finnegan’s (just opened), Pinkberry (opening soon), Firebirds Wood Fired Grill (opening soon), and the subject of this review, Eggspectation!

Eggspectation is a franchise operation with U.S. locations in Ellicot City (MD), Silver Spring (MD), Chantilly (VA), Gainesville (VA), and now, Leesburg! They also have 11 restaurants in Canada and 3 in India - interesting! Eggspectation’s niche is indicated by their name - they specialize in lots of unique egg dishes.

We started out with an appetizer of Deviled Eggs (with sugar-cured bacon & candied pecans). The savory bacon and sweetness of the pecans formed a good combination, not overpowering. I ordered the Southwestern Benedict, which is one of their many varieties of eggs benedict. It featured two poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, plus some Tex-Mex additions such as a little jalapeño, and served in a half tortilla shell. Wendy got the EggFrittata (“Three egg frittata with tomatoes, bacon, and cheddar cheese, grilled potatoes and chef’s fruit garnish”); her comment: “Very cheesy!” Andy ordered The Sugar Shack (“2 scrambled eggs, two crêpes bretonnes, ham and baked beans. Served with grilled potatoes.”) and a Vanilla Yogurt (served in a fancy glass with warm honey). He liked the crepes.

Eggspectation is fun and kinda quirky because of all the egg puns and creative dishes. It is a bit on the expensive side in my opinion. Still, it’s worth a visit if just for the experience.

Location: 1609 Village Market, Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-777-4127

Web site: http://eggspectations.com/

Total bill: $59.90 + $12.00 tip = $71.90

#116: Los Tios Grill

Date Visited: 21 August 2011

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: We attended a friend’s birthday party a couple weeks ago and were impressed by the quality of the catered food (fajitas & such). When we asked where it came from, the answer was “Los Tios”, to which we replied, “Los Tios?” It turns out that Los Tios Grill is the new establishment that moved into the location formerly occupied by Nido Ristorante Italiano (reviewed in May 2010, just before they closed) in Leesburg’s Market Station.

Los Tios Grill specializes in fresh Tex-Mex and Salvadorean food. We visited late on a Sunday afternoon after the lunch rush. We were immediately seated and treated to their delicious homemade salsa (and chips, of course!)

Wendy had the Cheese enchilada & chicken enchilada combo, which came with chili con queso and more chips - yum! Her main comment: “Lots of chicken!”

I had the Beef fajitas. Almost every restaurant that serves fajitas does it by bringing a sizzling iron skillet to the table. At Los Tios Grill, I have never seen such mega-steaming - it was a cloud of steam at the table! Their tortillas are a bit larger than usual, which I really appreciated. The meat was perfectly seasoned, and came with a very hot habanero sauce on the side. Excellent.

All out food was very fresh, hot, and delicious. The staff was very attentive and courteous throughout the meal. Our server (Carlos) came back to explain some menu recommendations in detail, especially the Salvadorean dishes (which we’ll have to try next time). The excellent service also featured the table being wiped off after clearing the plates - a nice touch.

Their website is printed on the receipt, but doesn’t appear to be quite set up yet. There is apparently another location in Alexandria that does have a functioning website (with the same menu).

Location: 201-A Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Website: http://lostiosgrilllsb.vpweb.com/

Total bill: $42.04 + $10.00 tip = $52.04

#115: Burger King (Outlet Mall)

Date Visited: 14 August 2011

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: I had to get out of the house because Wendy was hosting a meeting of the Waterford Quilters Guild right after church. I took the opportunity to have a quick lunch out by myself and get some uninterrupted time to read my Bible (via Logos Bible Software on my iPad) and catch up reading the London by Edward Rutherfurd.

I went to Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (aka The Outlet Mall) and got my lunch at Burger King. I arrived just after the lunch rush, so there were no long lines and plenty of tables. I got a combo meal consisting of the BK Double Stack (double cheeseburger with lots of bacon), large fries ( a little stale) and a large diet Pepsi. No, I did not see the King.

Burger King is not one of my favorite fast-food restaurants, but I needed to visit this one just to cross it off the list in my overall quest. So now I've done both of Leesburg's Burger Kings (the other one was reviewed on 1 November 2008). Burger King = done!

Location: 241 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://bk.com/

Total bill: $8.67

#114: Sal's NY Bar & Grille

Date Visited: 13 August 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: I'd been looking forward to reviewing Sal's, as they're still relatively new to Leesburg, located in the spot formerly occupied by J&W Asian Bistro. They are also affiliated with Sal’s NY Pizza in Ashburn (Broadlands).

On this Saturday night, the restaurant was not too busy, and we were enthusiastically greeted by our server, Nicole. When she brought our menus, I opened mine up to find that it was blank! When I pointed this out to her, she joked that it was the "low Carb menu" - good recovery!

We were started off with the free house appetizer called Garlic Knots, which are egg-sized knots of pizza dough with real garlic, and sprinkles of Parmesan, parsley, and salt. They are served with small bowl of homemade Marinara sauce for dipping. Nicole said to be careful, because they are addicting, and she was right!

For our beverages, I tried the limited availability Dominion Double D IPA, and Wendy had an iced tea. I asked Nicole if she had any recommendations, but she replied that it was all good, and that she "had never had a bad meal" there. (Maybe it's just me, but I expect servers to provide more useful answers than that.) I ended up ordering the New York Strip steak, which came with a choice of pasta (I picked angel hair with Marinara sauce), and a side salad (I picked Caesar). Wendy sampled mine and said the pasta was done just right, and the sauce was not overspiced but slight sweet - not too acidic - and mild. Wendy got a small White Cheese pizza (fresh garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, & Parmesan) and a garden salad.

The food at Sal’s was indeed all good, and we’d go back again. Try ‘em out yourself!

Location: 707 E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-777-7707

Website: http://salsnybarandgrille.com/

Total bill: $45.80 + $10.00 tip = $55.80

#113: Palio Ristorante Italiano

Date Visited: 19 June 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Palio is a very nice upscale Italian restaurant, self-described as "Old World tradition with contemporary flare" on their excellent web site. Located in the heart of historic downtown Leesburg, it was previously home to the GG Cafe and La Bella restaurants. We chose Palio to celebrate Father's Day with a good Italian dinner, and we were not disappointed.

To start off, we chose an appetizer (antipasto) of Prosciutto di San Danielle e Annas (prosciutto, grilled pineapple slices, grilled local Virginia peaches, and a dill sauce). The combination of the sweet fruit and the salty prosciutto was a perfect starter. I also had the Insalata di Rucola ("Baby arugula salad, Forelle pears, Balsamic vinaigrette, shaved Parmesan cheese") and a glass of Sangiovese red wine. Again, a perfect combination of flavors.

For my main course, I chose one of the daily specials, the Garganelli pasta. This pasta is something like penne, and had generouse bits of crab meat mixed in. Wendy also got one of the specials, the Veal Chop; it was huge and delicious. Alicia got the Gnocchi Sorentina, which came in a tasty orange-red tomato sauce.

Surprisingly, we still had room for dessert, so we went for broke and all got something. I had the Cannoli Siciliani, Wendy got the Crema Bruciata (Creme Brulee), and Alicia got the Torta della Nonna (basically cheesecake). I also had an espresso, which came in one of those cool tiny cups with a tiny spoon - a perfectly fun finish.

For a reliably good Italian meal and dining experience, we can heartily recommend Palio.

Location: 2 W. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176, 703-779-0060

Web site: http://palioofleesburg.com/

Total bill: $117.50 + $30.00 tip = $157.25

#112: Aashiana Authentic Indo-Pak Cuisine

Date Visited: 2 June 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Well, here's an interesting story. One day I'm driving home and saw a sign for our Angeethi restaurant in front of the Holiday Inn Leesburg at Carrodoc Hall (1500 E. Market St.) What? I thought maybe they just relocated. Then I drove down Catoctin Circle and saw what appeared to be a new restaurant at the old Angeethi location (17 Catoctin Cir.), with a sign that said "Aashiana Authentic Indo-Pak Cuisine." I thought "Great, another new restaurant to visit!" Here's what I found out: Aashiana is only sorta new; it's the same staff, same chef, same menu, same food, same decor as when it was Angeethi, except that the original owner left and restarted Angeethi over at the Holiday Inn. Other than this shared history, the two restaurants are unrelated.

Since it had been some time since we last ate at this location, this was a nice opportunity to re-aquaint ourselves with their wonderful cuisine. We started out with the Paneer Pakora appetizer ("Homemade cheese stuffed with delicious spiced mixture cooked in chickpea butter.") They look a little like Chicken McNuggets (sorry), but are in fact delicious, as advertised. For main courses, I had the Lamb Rogan Josh ("Chunks of leg of lamb simmered to perfectionin a creamy yogurt curry sauce with a hint of basil.") I ordered it medium spicy and it was great. Later, I realized this was the same dish I got when I first reviewed Angeethi on 26 September 2009 - I think it's still the best thing on the menu! Wendy got the Tandoori Chicken Tikka ("Boneless chunks of chicken marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and spices, then barbequed over charcoal.") She liked it. We also shared a Garlic Naan; hot, buttery, garlicy, yum!

We continue to be impressed with the quality of the food, as well as the excellent service at Aashiana. They also have a lunch buffet seven days a week. Give them a try!

Location: 17 Catoctin Cir., Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-777-7751

Web site: http://aashianacuisine.com/

Total bill: $45.51 + $10.00 tip = $55.51

#111: Travinia Italian Kitchen

Date Visited: 9 April 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Bob, & Joyce

Experience: Travinia Italian Kitchen is another new restaurant in the Village at Leesburg. We heard good things about it and decided to give 'em a try. Travinia is actually a chain of restaurants and they currently have eight locations (2 in VA, 5 in SC, and 1 in NC). On this Saturday night visit the place was packed, and we were joined by our good friends Bob and Joyce. It seemed a very family-friendly place. Oddly, Travinia doesn't take reservations except for parties of six or more.

We began with a mini loaf of focaccia bread and olive oil; pretty typical for an Italian restaurant, but nontheless delicious. We decided to share an appetizer called Italian Nachos ("Lightly fried chips layered with Italian sausage, mozzarella, black olives, tomatoes, scallions, banana peppers and an asiago cream sauce"); it was unusual but good.

As for the main courses... Bob got the Chicken Marsala, and commented that it was "the second best i've ever had(!)" Joyce got a house salad with balsamic vinegar dressing and the Pine Nut Encrusted Salmon, and after finishing it said, "It was very good; I ate it all!" Wendy got a bowl of Tomato Basil soup ("chunky!") and the Scampi Travinia ("Jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, herbs, diced roma tomatoes and lemon white wine sauce with capellini"). Her comments: "sweet shrimp with a light and delicious cream sauce." I got a glass of La Terre Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sinatra Chicken ("Pan seared chicken tenderloins topped with smoked pancetta, mozzarella cheese and a light semi-sweet Grand Marnier cream sauce with pasta."), which I enjoyed very much.

We had a good time and a good meal at Travinia, give 'em a try yourself.

Location: 1605 Village Market Blvd. SE #104, Leesburg, VA, 20175, 703-777-6511

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

Total bill: $60.22 + $12.00 tip = $72.22

#110: Hunan Cafe

Date Visited: 4 April 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Hunan Cafe is the latest Chinese take-out restaurant to open in Leesburg. They have been open for about two months and are located in the new Sycolin Corner shopping center (corner of Sycolin Rd. and Battlefield Pkwy.), next to the new Walgreens. According to their web site, there are five other Hunan Cafe locations in Reston, Herndon, South Riding, Sterling, and Ashburn. Hunan Cafe advertises that they serve Chinese and Thai Cuisine. There are also lots of lunch specials (combos), quite a few kinds of noodle soups, and many Chef's Specialties on the menu.

On this our first visit, I had three mouths to feed and wanted to try a variety of our favorite dishes (we didn't try any of the Thai dishes on the menu this time). We started off with the Crab Rangoon appetizer; the pastry was a bit heavy, shaped in a triangle, and did not come with any special kind of sauce, but they were good. Wendy and I tried the soups; she had the Wonton ("delicious") and I had the Hot & Sour (a bit bland). For main courses, I had the Kung Pao Chicken (good, but a little dry and not very spicy). Wendy had the Chicken with Cashew Nuts (also a bit bland). Alicia tried the General Tso's Chicken (adventurous for her!), but it too was rather tame.

The service was courteous and quick. Overall, the food was OK, and I'm sure will improve as they get the business going; we'll certainly try them again.

For Chinese take-out, my favorite is still Tai Pei Cafe. For Chinese sit-down, I recommend Jasmine or newly-reopened-after-the-fire China King.

Here's a summary of all the Chinese restaurants I've reviewed so far:
- Hunan Cafe (visited 4 April 2011)
- Wei's Garden (visited 8 January 2010)
- James Cafe (visited 25 November 2009)
- Golden China (visited 5 April 2009)
- China King (visited 3 April 2009)
- Jasmine (visited 25 April 2008)
- Tai Pei Cafe (visited 18 April 2008)

Asian-style restaurants that offer at least some Chinese dishes:
- Pho Royal (visited 11 February 2010)
- Aiyara Thai (visited 16 October 2009)
- Pei Wei (visited 18 April 2009)
- Red Apple Buffet (visited 19 October 2008 - out of business, replaced by Buffalo Wings & Beer)
- Thai Pan (visited 24 August 2008)
- J&W Asian Bistro (visited 22 June 2008 - out of business, replaced by Sal's NY Bar & Grill)
- Xuan Saigon (visited 25 May 2008)

Location: 414 Sycolin Rd. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-443-9281

Web site: http://hunancafeva.com/

Total bill: $39.50 + $8.00 tip = $47.50

#109: Starbucks (Outlet Mall)

Date Visited: 5 March 2011

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Starbucks. It's where I go for coffee. Now I've visited the last one in Leesburg. I had a grande Pike Place, black. Because I've given up cream & sugar so I can taste the coffee.

My research: The Starbucks web site's store locator reveals that there are currently four locations within the Leesburg town limits:
Starbucks #1 is on Market Street in the Bellewood Commons shopping center.
Starbucks #2 is on Edwards Ferry Road in the Battlefield Shopping Center.
Starbucks #3 is on Edwards Ferry Road inside SuperTarget.
Starbucks #4 is on Fort Evans Road in the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (this one).

There you go. I've visited them all. So you don't have to. But I'm still gonna go there for my coffee.

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

Web site: http://starbucks.com/

Total bill: $2.12

#108: Pollo Loco & Bakery

Date Visited: 13 February 2011

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Pollo Loco & Bakery (not to be confused with the El Pollo Loco chain) is one of our newest locally-owned restaurants in Leesburg, serving up delicious Peruvian-style chicken dishes, along with a a full bakery operation. Pollo Loco is located in the Bellewood Commons shopping center (along with Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Quiznos, Josefina Market, and Red Kabob). There used to be a bakery named Panaderia in the same location, but it closed before I could review it, and it's not affiliated with the current owners of Pollo Loco. Among all the Mexican/South American restaurants in Leesburg, Pollo Loco is most similar to La Chocita and Wishbone Rotisserie. Full-service Mexican restaurants include Del Rio, Anita's, and Casa Gonzales (closed), and our fast(er) food options are Moe's, California Tortilla, and Taco Bell.

Pollo Loco has a full menu of grilled items, burritos, rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, soups, salads, various side dishes, desserts (slice of cake from the bakery!), and beverages. On this visit I got the Pollo Saltado ("Tender chicken sauteed in olive oil with onion and tomatoes served over french fries and rice"). The chicken was indeed tender and juicy, and being served over french fries (large home fries) and rice (with some corn kernels mixed in) was a unique combination for me. Wendy got the Burrito Bowl with chicken ("Served with lettuce, cheese, rice, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole"). Her chicken seemed to have a char-broiled taste, and she said it was moist and flavorful, a perfect combination of ingredients.



While we were waiting for our lunch to be prepared, we were mesmerized by the vast array of bakery items on display, so we bought a sampling of some giant almond cookies, a churro, and a concha (round, sweet bread); all yummy.

Give Pollo Loco & Bakery a try!

Location: 525-E E. Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176, 703-669-2896

Web site: none

Total bill: $19.42 + $5.00 = $24.42

#107: Flame Kabob

Date Visited: 4 February 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: One of the first restaurants to open in the Village at Leesburg, Flame Kabob had it's official ribbon-cutting ceremony with Leesburg town officials on 31 July 2010. Flame Kabob is a family-owned restaurant serving delicious Afghan food. They also have locations in Springfield and Fairfax. The new Leesburg location was recently reviewed very favorably in the Loudoun Times-Mirror. We were fortunate enough to be served by the owner, Marai Naimi, who was quite friendly and made us feel very welcome.

On this visit, I got the Flame Combo #1 ("A combination of boneless chicken breast and chunks of tender beef cooked to its perfection, served with rice, salad, a side your choice and fresh homemade bread with spicy yogurt sauce on the side"). I chose the chickpeas for my side. Wendy got the Tikka (Steak) Kabob ("Chunks of tender beef marinated in spices and herbs, charbroiled to its perfection, served with rice, salad, a side of your choice and a fresh homemade bread and spicy yogurt sauce on the side"). Wendy chose black beans for her side. We were delighted to be served the homemade bread and spicy yogurt sauce as an appetizer, before the rest of the meal - a nice touch. I especially liked the spicy yogurt sauce; it was just spicy enough to give a kick that complemented the homemade pita bread. We were also surprised to be served small bowls of vegetable soup along with the appetizer - an unexpected treat on the cold night we visited. The kabobs were excellent; each meat was marinated in its own unique blend of herbs, the rice was great, the salad had a tasty cool yogurt dressing, and the sides tasted home-cooked too. We finished dinner by sharing a Firnee (a sweet custard with a bit of rosewater added) - Yum!

We can highly recommend Flame Kabob and will be sure to visit again. This brings the total of Leesburg's kabob restaurants to six: Flame Kabob (Afghan), Kabob & Falafel (Lebanese), Zara Kebab (Turkish), Red Kabob (Jordanian), Hamburg Doner (German), and Mama Lucci's (Italian/Greek/Middle Eastern). This review also marks the third of six restaurants at the Village of Leesburg: Flame Kabob, Faang Thai, and Noodles & Company. Still to go are Wegmans (yeah, it's technically a restaurant), Travinia Italian Kitchen (open now), and Eggspectations (scheduled to open sometime in February).

Location: 1601 Village Market Blvd., Suite 108, Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-779-7799

Web site: http://flamekabob.us/

Total bill: $27.83 + $5.00 tip = $32.83

#106: Noodles & Company

Date Visited: 15 January 2011

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: The Village at Leesburg is beginning to fill up with restaurants, and that's a good thing for us, dear readers. Having been open now for a few months, we decided to give Noodles & Company a try. It was a cold night, and noodles sounded like the right thing. Noodles & Company is a chain with company and franchise locations across much of the U.S. The menu is fairly compact, but offers a surprising variety. They specialize in noodle dishes (duh!), soups, salads, and sandwiches with Asian, Mediterranean, and American flavors. They also offer a few other appetizers/sides, beer & wine, and simple desserts. The noodle dishes are the most unique, distinguishing offerings. Basically, you pick a regular (recommended) or small bowl, pick the kind of noodles you want, then (optionally) add in a protein choice (chicken, beef, shrimp, meatballs, or tofu). This was all explained to us by our server, Thomas, who did a great job detailing the choices and providing recommendations, all with good humor.

On this visit, I ordered the Indonesian Peanut Saute ("Spicy peanut sauce and rice noodle stir-fry, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, Asian sprouts, cilantro, crushed peanuts and lime"). I added the recommended chicken breast too. I was pleasantly surprised at the presentation - the dish was very nicely arranged, came out steaming, and smelled great. This dish is the spiciest one on the menu, and was just right for me. The regular size bowl was plenty and will leave you quite full. Wendy got the Wisconsin Mac & Cheese ("A blend of cheddar and jack cheeses, cream, elbow macaroni - our number one seller"). She said the pasta was firm, and it was good. She also got the Cucumber Tomato Side Salad, which was very fresh and had a "zippy" vinaigrette dressing.



We liked that everything seemed fresh, made-to-order, tasted good, and reasonably priced; a great alternative to typical fast food. It was good enough that we'll be back. We also saw our Pastor, who was also there for the first time. Maybe he'll comment too, but you should give Noodles & Company a try yourself!

Location: 1607 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-443-1284

Web site: http://noodles.com/

Total bill: $20.45