#45: Blue Ridge Grill

Date Visited: 12 December 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Wendy and I were sans children on a Friday night, so that meant time to go to a fancy restaurant! The Blue Ridge Grill was one on the list of unvisited restaurants, so we decided to go there. Regular readers of this blog will know that we've lived in Leesburg since 1987, so we remember when this location used to be an Applebee's; we were not unhappy to see it go.

The Blue Ridge Grill has now been here in Leesburg a number of years and has a reputation for being one of our nicer restaurants. We've eaten there just a few times, so I was anxious to go back and write up our experience for the blog. I was also eager to visit because a few friends had commented that it was nice, but overpriced, so I needed to check it out for myself.

I'm happy to say our experience was very positive!

We started off by sharing an appetizer called Steak & Cheese Eggrolls ("Seasoned Steak grilled w/ Peppers & Onions, mixed w/ Monterey Jack & Cheddar Cheese, rolled in a Jalapeno Cheddar Tortilla, flash fried & served w/ a Queso Dipping Sauce"). They were nice and hot, both temperature and spice-wise, as well as delicious. They were similar to the Tex Mex Eggrolls we get at the Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling, VA. Wendy also got a house salad as a starter.

For the entree, I ordered the Surf & Turf (daily special, not on the menu), which consisted of Filet Mignon and Fresh Lump Crab Cakes. The steak was super-tender, with deep grill marks - excellent! For my side, I ordered a baked potatoe, not expecting it to be anything special, but I was surprised! It came will all the fixins (sour cream, chives, bacon, and cheddar cheese), and the outside skin was covered in yummy coarse salt - mmm... every bite was full of salty goodness.

Wendy got the Pork Chops ("Two French cut, 8 oz., marinated Pork Chops grilled and served over Mashed Potatoes and Gravy"). Her evaluation: "delicious".

Overall, we were impressed and liked Blue Ridge Grill very much. We found the food quality to be on par with the prices. We would definitely eat there again. They also have another location in Brambleton, so it's not quite a local, Leesburg-only business.

Location: 955 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA 20176

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

Total bill: $69.44 - $50.00 gift card + $15.00 tip = $34.44

#44: Joe's Pizza & Subs

Date Visited: 5 December 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Joe's is a semi-local establishment with locations in Leesburg, Manassas (3), and Sterling. Their web site says the owners of Joe's have been making pizza for over 20 years. I'm not sure how long they've been in the current location, but they were there when we moved here in 1987. Joe's is located on Plaza Street, just a couple blocks from the intersection with East Market Street.

In order to sample the variety of Joe's menu, we ordered three items for carry out: a medium Old Fashioned White Pizza ("Fresh homemade pizza w/chopped garlic, basil, oregano, olive oil, mozzarella"), a 7" Steak & Cheese sub ("served on an Italian roll with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, onions, hot peppers, and Italian dressing"), and a Calzone ("Half-moon shaped fresh dough stuffed with ricotta cheese, buffet ham & mozzarella cheese").

It was all very good and equal or better than any of the national chain pizza restaurants here. We also felt good about supporting a local establishment, and will certainly return. Oh, and their web site is great!

Location: 62 Plaza St. NE, Leesburg, VA 20176

Web site: http://joespizzaandsubs.com/

Total bill: $31.71

#43: Starbucks (Market St.)

Date Visited: 4 December 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & my friend Gary

Experience: As mentioned in a recent post, I meet with my friend Gary about every other Thursday evening. We usually meet at a local coffee house, like Starbucks. There are six Starbucks to choose from here, and this time we met at Leesburg's first Starbucks, the one in the Bellewood Commons shopping center on Market Street.

I ordered my usual Grande Latte, and since this is a food blog, I also got a Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffin to share. It was pretty good, unlike my previous Starbucks experience. Like last time, we were there until closing, and we had to be asked to leave.

What else can I say about Starbucks? For purposes of this blog, that's two down and four to go.

Location: 531 East Market Street, Leesburg, VA 20175

Web site: http://starbucks.com/

Total bill: $5.42

#42: 803 Deli

Date Visited: 3 December 2008

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: This is one of the "hidden" restaurants of Leesburg, and I'll bet most residents have never even heard of it. I only noticed it by chance when driving by on the way to church. The 803 Deli gets its name from the address of the building in which it is located. It's mainly intended to serve the needs of the tenants of 801 & 803 Sycolin Road, which include the Loudoun County Electoral Board, the Girl Scouts, the Loudoun County Department of General Services, the Dulles Area Association of Realtors, and Farm Bureau Insurance. However, it's open to the public and fully qualifies as a restaurant by my definition (see sidebar).

The 803 Deli has a full breakfast and lunch menu, consisting of breakfast sandwiches, breakfast platters, breakfast sides, sub, club, and combination sub sandwiches, hot specialties, vegetarian dishes, salads, various sides, and desserts.

On this visit I got an Egg & Bacon breakfast sandwich, an Everything bagel with cream cheese, and a large coffee, all to go. I was pleasantly surprised to watch the very neat and meticulous preparation of these items by the cook, as well as the careful attention paid to wrapping and presentation. Nothing really special about the food itself, but it was a great experience, and I feel like I discovered a hidden treasure! Now, if they just had a cool web site...

Location: 803 Sycolin Rd. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $6.60

#41: Peppermill Grill

Date Visited: 23 November 2008

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Peppermill Grill is Leesburg's newest restaurant, as far as I know. We went there after church on Sunday after seeing a sign for brunch that lasted until 3:00.

The brunch menu had a wide variety of interesting choices. Everything on the menu sounded great, and I was having trouble making a choice. I asked our waiter (Tim) what he recommended. He answered that he had not actually had a chance to try many of them yet, but he had tasted the Hollandaise sauce, and recommened that. So I ordered the Eggs Benedict ("Poached eggs, Canadian bacon, fresh Hollandaise and scallions over croissant"). It was an excellent dish, and the Hollandaise sauce was very smooth and creamy.

Wendy had the Omlette du Jour ("Served with breakfast potatoes"). Today's omlette was Ham & Swiss. She liked it very much.

Alicia had the French Toast ("Served with choice of topping; Apple Cinnamon or Strawberry"). She chose the strawberry, and it looked pretty good to me. Her comment was that it was "eggy" (I think that's good).

All of our dishes included an assortment of fresh fruit, including huge globe grapes (mmm...), cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. The plates themselves were all of different design, which produced a nice effect.

Other brunch menu options that we'll have to try sometime are: Breakfast Burrito, Peppermill Steak & Eggs, Hash & Eggs, Home Made Crepes, Shrimp & Grits, Grilled Mahi Mahi, Wild Mushroom Pasta, and Chicken Picatta. I looked over the regular lunch and dinner menus, and they include a good variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and beef/chicken/seafood entrees. I guess that's the "American Bistro" part of this place.

We also met some old friends while we were there. Dr Sampson (of Leesburg Chiropractic) and his family were there for their first visit too.

History: This is a Leesburg location that has seen a lot of change over the years. Before Peppermill Grill, it used to be Zeffirelli Ristorante, and from their web site, you'd think they were still there! It was a fairly high-end dining experience; we only went there once. There are still etched "Z"s on the interior windows. Before Zeffirelli's, it was Waffle King's Virginia Kitchen (not sure I'm remembering the name exactly). It was a simple family-friendly restaurant, and we ate there a few times.

The verdict on Peppermill Grill: love it, we'll be back! They do need to get a decent web site too.

Location: 5 Catoctin Cir. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $38.52 + $8.00 tip = $46.52

UPDATE, 5 April 2009: I've been informed that Peppermill Grill now has a web site; it's http://peppermillgrillva.com/

UPDATE, 10 May 2009: We went to Peppermill Grill for a Mother's Day dinner. This restaurant continues to impress! I had the Pork Spare Ribs (extra-large, meat falling off the bone, excellent teryaki sauce), Wendy had the Pork Scalloppini, Andy had the New York Strip Steak, and Alicia had a Caesar Salad (even the salads are outstanding here). For desserts, we got a couple Creme Brulees and a Chocolate Mousse cake. See the online menu for more details. Go to the Peppermill Grill today!

#40: Domino's

Date Visited: 22 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: When in the mood for pizza, our preference is usually Vocelli's, because of their excellent pizza and sandwich combinations. When Domino's started advertising sandwiches too, it was time to check them out.

When at Domino's, our favorite is a large Deluxe Feast ("A mouth-watering combination of pepperoni, savory Italian sausage, fresh green peppers, fresh mushrooms, fresh onions and cheese"). We've had this one many times and it's always good - except this time! For some reason, it was a bit undercooked and chewy. Oh well, I won't hold it against them, but it's ironic that it happened the one time I'm going to write about it on this blog.

On to the new item: "Domino's Hot Baked Sandwiches". We tried the Philly Cheese Steak ("Tender slices of Steak, Premium American & Provolone cheeses, and Onions, Green Peppers & Mushrooms all layered on an Artisan Italian Bread and baked to a perfect golden brown"). It was underwhelming and again, it seemed a bit undercooked. The "artisan" bread was pretty tough and did not make for a pleasant eating experience.

For fast pizza, we'l probably stick to Vocelli's for now.

Location: 944 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://dominos.com/

Total bill: $21.68

#39: Bob Evans

Date Visited: 15 November 2008

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: It's a sleepy, rainy, unusually warm winter Saturday morning, and I'm starving! So off we go in search of a new breakfast experience. Bob Evans is the choice today.

I grew up on the west coast, and there were a lot of IHOPs, but no Bob Evans. On their web site it says Bob Evans "provides homestyle food and friendly service to our customers primarily in the East North Central, mid-Atlantic and Southern United States." Well that explains it.

I had the Farmer's Choice ("Your choice of one fruit crepe, two hotcakes or two slices of French toast served with two eggs, Bob Evans Sausage or bacon and home fries") and selected the hotcakes and bacon. Wendy had the Western Omelette ("Diced smoked ham, onion, green and red peppers cooked
into the eggs, then stuffed and topped with shredded cheddar cheese").

The food was fine but unremarkable; I think I still prefer IHOP.

Location: 225 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://bobevans.com/

Total bill: $18.95 + $3.00 tip = $21.95

#38: Starbucks (Edwards Ferry Rd.)

Date Visited: 13 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & my friend Gary

Experience: I meet with my friend Gary every other week to discuss theology, parenting, music, and software development (some combination, eh?). We used to meet at Market Street Coffee until they closed this summer. So on this Thursday night we went to Starbucks.

My research on their web site's store locator reveals that there are six(!) Starbucks in Leesburg:
1. Market Street in the Bellewood Commons shopping center
2. Edwards Ferry Road in the Battlefield Shopping Center (this one)
3. Edwards Ferry Road inside SuperTarget
4. Promenade Drive in the Lansdowne Town Center
5. Fort Evans Road in the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets
6. Xerox Document Training Center - Lobby Alcove (this one I'll have to research further)

Since this is a restaurant blog, I thought I should make sure to order a food item in addition to my standard Grande Latte. I checked out the pastry case and selected an Apple Cinnamon Stella; it was kind of dry and not very tasty to me. Oh well. I really do like the coffee.

Gary and I were there talking until closing, at which time we got asked to leave. Well, that's one Starbucks down, and five to go!

Location: 1011 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://starbucks.com/

Total bill: $5.53

#37: Ruby Tuesday

Date Visited: 11 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: On this Tuesday night, Veteran's Day, we went out to one of our most favorite comfort-food restaurants, Ruby Tuesday. The one here in Leesburg has been consistently serving fresh and delicious meals ever since we moved here.

One of the big draws for us is the Fresh Garden Bar. It's got everything I love: all kinds of veggies, broccoli salad, cottage cheese, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, peas, edamame, red onion, pumpernickel croutons, real bacon (not "bits"), and much more. The only minor irritation is that it's located right next to the bar area's smoking section, and you can smell smoke while loading up your dish. We all added the Fresh Garden Bar to our meals.

For entrees, I had the Bacon Cheddar Minis ("Mini masterpieces made even more magnificent with crisp bacon, melted cheddar, garnished with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and a crisp pickle. Served with a side of crisp, piping-hot fries"). Alicia got the Ruby Minis ("Fresh, USDA Choice mini masterpieces topped with American cheese and crisp onion straws, garnished with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and a crisp pickle. Served with a side of crisp, piping-hot fries"). Wendy got the Chicken Fresco ("A fresh, grilled chicken breast topped with seasonal vine-ripened tomatoes, lemon-butter sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. Served with fresh, steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes").

It was all good, fresh, and filling; we left very satisfied.

Location: 1003 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://rubytuesday.com/

Total bill: $37.54 + $8.00 tip = $48.73

#36: Pizza Hut Express

Date Visited: 9 November 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Pizza Hut Express is located inside Leesburg's SuperTarget at the Battlefield Shopping Center. It turns out that Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Express are two very different entities. From the Wikipedia article on Pizza Hut, it is explained that "Pizza Hut Express locations are fast food restaurants licensed by Pizza Hut and operated independently. They offer a completely different menu with many products not found at traditional Pizza Huts, and are often found on college campuses, food courts, theme parks, and in stores such as Target." Other than this mention on Wikipedia, I couldn't find any reference to Pizza Hut Express on Pizza Hut's main web site.

Leesburg's Pizza Hut Express offers personal size pizzas and breadsticks, as well as some very un-Pizza Hut items like salads, deli sandwiches, soups, and even hot dogs.

On this visit, I got a combo meal with an Italian Sausage pizza, breadsticks, and a drink. It was OK; they did have Cherry Coke on tap, which was a nice surprise. The pizzas are made ahead of time, so you just pick the one you want from the rack and hope it hasn't been sitting there too long. The menu is obviously oriented towards providing quick snacks to shoppers on the go.

Location: 1200 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://pizzahut.com/

Total bill: $6.28

#35: Arby's

Date Visited: 8 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Arby's is the place to go when you have a fast food craving, but are tired of average burgers and fries. Arby's is mainly about roast beef sandwiches and curly fries.

On this visit, I got the Bacon Beef 'n Cheddar Sandwich ("Thinly sliced, oven-roasted beef and thick-cut pepper bacon with cheddar cheese and Red Ranch sauces served on an onion roll"). The meal combo also included Curly Fries ("Curly-cut French fries with a crispy seasoned coating") and a drink. It was a nice change from normal burgers, well-prepared, and tasty.

In addition to roast beef, Arby's offers chicken, deli-type sandwiches, wraps, salads, toasted subs, shakes, and desserts. They have some other unique items on the menu such as Mozzarella Sticks, Potato Bites, and Onion Petals. Check 'em out!

Some background info from About Arby's on their web site:

"From day one, Arby’s Roast Beef Restaurants offered an innovative menu, offering guests something other than hamburgers in the newly inspired quick service segment. When foodservice veterans Leroy and Forrest Raffel opened the first Arby’s in Boardman, Ohio on July 23, 1964, customers enjoyed roast beef sandwiches, potato chips, and Texas-sized iced teas. To name their new venture, the brothers decided on Arby’s, which stands for R.B., the initials of the Raffel Brothers - although many suspect the R.B. stands for roast beef."

"On September 29, 2008, Triarc Companies Inc. merged with Wendy's International, Inc. to form Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States."

Location: 605 Potomac Station Dr., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://arbys.com/

Total bill: $7.26

#34: Deli South

Date Visited: 8 November 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: I found myself on my own for the day, and ended up having a wonderfully enjoyable and relaxing Saturday.

I started off the morning by attending the Men's Steak 'N Study breakfast at Cornerstone Chapel (my home church). Steak, eggs, fried potatoes, fresh fruit, donuts, and coffee - not to mention fellowship with friends and good teaching. An excellent start to the day.

Next, I stopped at Leesburg's Saturday farmer's market at Virginia Village. I picked up some Golden Crisp apples from C. Hess Orchard & Produce, Martinsburg, WV. I also discovered a new Leesburg winery called Zephaniah Farm Vineyard, and I bought a bottle of their Cabernet Franc - my favorite!

On the way home, I dropped in at The Coffee Bean (110 South King St.) and had a cup of the flavored coffee of the day. Mmm...

And now for the real purpose of this post - lunch at Deli South.

Deli South has been in Leesburg since 1993, located in the Virginia Village shopping center. It's not a chain or franchise, just a good local deli! They offer an interesting selection of sandwiches with names that somewhat reflect our region's heritage, like The King, Rhett Butler, Robert E. Lee, New York Special, Grilled Turkey Special, Scarlet O'Hara, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Stonewall Jackson, George Mason, Michelle's TNT Club Wrap, Bill Clinton, Patsy Cline, Fried Fish Delight, and John Mosby. They also have name-your-own-sandwich (you pick everything), homemade deli salads (like potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, etc.), garden salads, and a full breakfast menu.

I ordered the John Mosby ("Pork BBQ on a toasted Kaiser roll with our homemade cole slaw. A guaranteed treat for all BBQ lovers"). Well that's me, a BBQ lover, so I had to try it. It was pretty good.

On a previous visit (way before this blog existed), I tried one of their breakfast sandwiches, which had egg, cheese, and lots of bacon - it was very good. I recall that their coffee was pretty good too. Now they also have an espresso bar.

After all this eating, I had to go outside and rake some leaves to work it off!

I urge you to help support local restaurants like this in Leesburg; go our and eat at Deli South!

Location: 38-D Catoctin Cir., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://delisouth.com/

Total bill: $7.69

#33: Zpizza

Date Visited: 7 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: According to their web site, "we opened in Laguna Beach, California in 1986 to create a pizza that was lighter, healthier, delicious & creative." Zpizza has locations in sixteen states, most of which are in California, and many more all along the east coast.

Zpizza lives up to their claim of "creative" pizzas; they offer such creations as the Napoli, Greek, Thai, ZBQ, Mexican, California, Moroccan, Mediterranean, American, Santa Fe, Berkely Soy Cheese Veggie, Casablanca, Tuscan Mushroom, Provence, and Italian. They also offer "normal" pizzas as well as salads, pastas, sandwiches, and desserts.

For this visit, I ordered the Provence ("Organic tomato sauce, homemade roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, basil"). It was very good! The artichokes, garlic, and capers give it a very strong, different taste, compared to average pizza. On a previous visit (about a year ago), we tried the ZBQ, which was very different, but made well. In line with their "lighter" claim, Zpizza crusts are somewhat thinner than average, and the whole thing is fire-baked, for a yummy result.

Leesburg's Zpizza is located in a sort-of back corner of the Potomac Station shopping center (or, more properly, "Marketplace at Potomac Station"), which also includes Moe's and Subway. It seems to me an unfortunate location, as it can't easily be seen from the roads surrounding the shopping center. But now you know it's there!

If you want to try an alternative to "normal" pizza, check out Zpizza.

Location: 659 Potomac Station Dr., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://zpizza.com/

Total bill: $17.85

#32: Subway (Catoctin Circle)

Date Visited: 4 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: According to Wikipedia's Subway page, it "has over 30,016 franchised units in 88 countries as of October 2008 and is the fastest growing franchise in the world. Currently, Subway is the third largest fast food operator globally after Yum! Brands (35,000 locations) and McDonald's (31,000 locations)." Also, "Many restaurant analysts attribute Subway's fast growth to the growing concern on health by restaurant customers, a trend that Subway has taken advantage of in its marketing."

Subway has two locations in Leesburg; one on Catoctin Circle (this visit), and another in the Potomac Station shopping center (to be visited soon). As I've mentioned before in reviews #29 and #33, I tend to like Subway over other sub sandwich restaurants such as Quiznos.

On this visit, I ordered what I almost always get at Subway: the 12-inch Big Philly Cheese Steak! I usually ask for exta onions, banana peppers, and their southwest sauce to spice things up a bit. It was very good and filling, as usual. You can't go wrong with Subway.

Location: 47-D Catoctin Cir., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://subway.com/

Total bill: $8.45

#31: Quiznos (Market St.)

Date Visited: 2 November 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: This was my obligatory visit to the second Quiznos in Leesburg, located on Market St. in the Bellewood Commons shopping center. I visited the other Quiznos (on Edwards Ferry Rd.) back on 27 September - hmm... not that long ago.

On this visit I got the Mesquite Chicken with Bacon sandwich ("Mesquite Chicken, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, Ranch Dressing"). I ordered it as a combo lunch and got a side salad with Caesar dressing, and a drink. I really like that they offer the salad as an alternative to the normal chip selection.

That's it for Quiznos; I still think Subway is generally better.

Location: 525J Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://quiznos.com/

Total bill: $9.53

#30: Burger King

Date Visited: 1 November 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Burger King is just another fast-food burger chain, but it holds a special place in my heart because I went there often while growing up in California.

On this visit I got the Steakhouse Burger ("...packed with Angus beef, melted cheese, crispy onions, lettuce and tomatoes, all smothered in A.1. Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce"), with a king size side of onion rings (substituted for french fries) and a drink. It was good, but I woke up later that night with a stomach ache - too much grease?

This particular Burger King has a somewhat shabby feel to it, and is not particularly inviting. Nothing much more to say about Burger King, except that now it's checked off my list.

Location: 940 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://bk.com/

Total bill: $8.45

My California Culinary Adventure

I haven't posted for about a week because I've been in Orange County, California (yes, the real O.C.) from 23-28 October 2008 taking care of some family business. Since I'm a native Californian, it was great to visit old favorite restaurants. I was hosted by Larry (my wonderful brother) & Stephanie (my wonderful sister-in-law).



I wanted to write up a few culinary highlights of my trip, but of course these don't officially count for this blog, since the restaurants aren't in Leesburg. I'm also including these notes here because some of the places we ate at are California classics, and have no equivalent here in Virginia. I may be stretching the term "Culinary Adventure", since most of these places were fast-food, chain restaurants, but it was an adventure nontheless.

A couple of times we ate at L&L Hawaiian BBQ. It's a kind of fast-food chain store, but very unique. The first store was in Hawaii, and now they have many locations, most in California. The menu is full of apparently authentic Hawaiian favorites, served in the classic Hawaiian "Plate Lunch" style. The main offerings are BBQ beef, BBQ chicken, BBQ pork short ribs, Mahi Mahi, and shrimp; all served with rice and macaroni salad(!) If you can't visit in person, at least check out their web site to get an idea of what it's all about (the intro video is interesting).

Keeping with the island theme, we had lunch once at a place called Islands. They have old surfer videos playing continuously on the monitors placed throughout the restaurant, for "atmosphere", I guess. It's basically a hamburger joint, and all the burgers have Surfer/Hawaiian names; I had the Kilauea ("jalapeno & black pepper-crusted burger with pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli & seasoned red onion strings") and Larry had the Bleunami ("bleu cheese dressing, lettuce, tomato, red onion & crumbled bleu cheese"). Interestingly, when you go to their web site, you get redirected to a secure (SSL) URL - I guess this is really sensitive data!

One morning we drove into San Juan Capistrano and had breakfast at Sarducci's Capistrano Depot. The weather was perfect and we were able to eat outside in their beautiful brick courtyard; it was very relaxing. Their homestyle potatoes, served with most of the egg dishes, were unique and delicious.

Carl's Jr. is a classic California burger chain that's been around since the 1950's. The menu is typical burger joint but better than average quality and taste. One of their newer items is "The Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger"; it's made with a charbroiled Black Angus beef patty, guacamole, bacon, and more. The joke is that although it's called the six dollar burger, it really costs about four dollars - it's just big. Larry and I had breakfast there a couple of times; the breakfast burritos are pretty good.

We had two dinners at the Claim Jumper, a slightly upscale chain restaurant, with locations mostly in California. It's basically a steak house; on one visit I had Barbeque Ribs, and the next time the Ribeye, and it was all good.

We had breakfast at Denny's twice. Not that Denny's is anything special, but it was fun because we don't have any very near Leesburg. I have to confess that I really liked the "Lumberjack Slam" breakfast, plus it just sounds cool.

Finally, we had lunch a couple of times at that most iconic of all California burger joints, In-N-Out Burger! Their menu only has burgers, fries, and drinks - that's it. The only burgers on the official menu are singles and doubles. However, they also have a "secret menu" (no so secret anymore, since it's on their own web site), that you can order from if you're in the know. I had a Double-Double Animal Style, and there are other interesting choices. And of course they have a store (online & in the restaurants) where you can buy t-shirts, hats, etc. to show you're a true devotee. Yes, I bought a t-shirt.

Thus concludes my California fast-food chain restaurant adventure.

#29: Red Apple Buffet

Date Visited: 19 October 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Red Apple is a very unique restaurant in Leesburg. It's a buffet, open only for lunch and dinner, and there's no other menu. If you go to Red Apple, you're having the buffet!

The buffet itself is an eclectic mix of offerings. About half of it is composed of Asian items; mostly Chinese. The rest is a variety of traditional American items. Between the three of us, I think we tried most of what was there.

Here's what I can remember of the buffet content:

Asian items: Sushi (various kinds), Yakitori, Sczechwan green beans, Crab Rangoon, egg rolls, dumplings, hot & sour soup, wonton soup, egg drop soup, Kung Pao chicken, Sesame chicken, sweet & sour pork, fried shrimp, parchment shrimp, Kimchi, seaweed salad, and Mongolian barbeque, made to order.

American items: Pizza, crab salad, french fries, onion rings, macaroni & cheese, Bourbon chicken, roast beef, meat loaf, meat balls, corn, mashed potatoes, salad bar, and a dessert bar.

All this for $12.25 per person on Sunday! The quality and taste of the food ranges from OK to pretty good. If you want all-you-can-eat variety at a reasonable price, Red Apple is a good choice.

History: When we first moved here in 1987, there was a Sizzler at this location. The nearest Sizzler in now in New Jersey! When they closed, a Ponderosa Steakhouse was there for a while. It appears that Ponderosa has gone bankrupt; see the Wikipedia article. Then came Red Apple, and we hope they stay.

Location: 962 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: none

Total bill: $36.75 + $7.00 tip = $43.75

#28: Wish-Bone Rotisserie

Date Visited: 18 October 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Wish-Bone Rotisserie is a relatively new addition to Leesburg. It's located on the southwest corner of the intersection of King Street and Catoctin Circle, around the corner from 7-Eleven. It's also a location that has seen a lot of restaurant turnover throughout the years we've lived here. Wishbone is a small establishment featuring chicken and other items with a Peruvian twist. It was obvious as soon as we entered that this is a place that local latin americans love, which to me meant it must be good and authentic!

I got a 20-piece order of wings, medium hot, which was fairly hot for me, but good. I also got a side of onion rings, which were done just right. Wendy got a quarter rotisserie chicken with salad and corn-on-the-cob sides. She liked it, but I was too stuffed to try any of it.

Wish-Bone doesn't have their own web site, but I found this description on dc.metromix.com:

"Savor the smoky flavor of flame-broiled charcoal chicken and other Peruvian specialties at the Wishbone Rotisserie, a humble fast-food style eatery located in Leesburg. Have your chicken and ceviche with a side of plantains, corn on the cob or crispy yucca. Surprisingly, there are also some not-so-Peruvian items on the menu, like the falafel wrap and bacon cheeseburger – perfect for the non-adventurous or ruefully picky."

That pretty much sums it up. The staff is very friendly, the prices are low, and the food is great.

When you visit, be sure to check out this painting that hangs inside the entry.

Location: 9D Catoctin Cir. SW, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $22.77 + $5.00 tip = 27.77

#27: Quiznos (Edwards Ferry Rd.)

Date Visited: 27 September 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Leesburg has two Quiznos locations, this one is on Edwards Ferry Rd. in the Battlefield Shopping Center. The other one is on Market St. in Bellewood Commons. And strangely, no, there is no apostrophe between the "o" and the "s". I'm not sure what the name means, and there's nothing about it on the web site. According to all-knowing Wikipedia, "Quiznos is a fast-food restaurant franchise. As of 2005, it was the second-largest submarine sandwich shop chain in North America, after Subway." Quiznos' claim-to-fame is that they toast all their sandwiches, which does somewhat set them apart from other sub sandwich restaurants.

After yet another long day back from an LCHS marching band competition, we were ready for a quick dinner. On this visit, I got a 9-inch Baja Chicken sandwich ("chicken, bacon, cheddar, red onion, mild Chipolte Mayo, sweet and smoky Baja sauce, fresh cilantro.") and a side Caesar salad. The Baja sauce was unique and made this sandwich very good. I very much appreciate the fact that Quiznos offers combo meals with salad in addition to the standard chip option. Wendy got a 6-inch Turkey Ranch and Swiss sandwich ("turkey, swiss, lettuce, tomato, red onion, Ranch Dressing"). All Alicia got was a big cookie(!)

Quiznos is good, but to me not really much different than Subway. I'll be visiting the other Leesburg location sometime soon.

Location: 1015 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://quiznos.com/

Total bill: $16.68

#26: IHOP

Date Visited: 20 September 2008

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: IHOP is an American icon, and like many people of my generation, I grew up going to IHOP for breakfast on Saturdays with my family. Of course, back then it was more commonly known by it's full name, the International House of Pancakes. I still experience that nostalgia when I take my own family there now.

On this visit, Wendy and I enjoyed a late breakfast by ourselves. I ordered what I always order, which is the Breakfast Sampler ("two eggs, two bacon strips, two pork sausage links, two ham strips, hash browns and two fluffy buttermilk pancakes"), plus copious amounts of coffee. One funny thing I found is that a search for the word "coffee" on their online menu yields no hits! Wendy had the Bacon Temptation Omelette special; all I remember from the tastes shared with me was that it indeed contained a lot of bacon.

There's no better iconic breakfast than at IHOP, and of course there are locations everywhere.

Location: 980 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176-3317

Web site: http://ihop.com/

Total bill: $22.74 + $5.00 tip = $27.74

#25: Vocelli Pizza

Date Visited: 19 September 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: On the one hand, Vocelli's is just another pizza franchise, but on the other hand, it's one of the good ones in Leesburg. After yet another all-day LCHS marching band competition, we were ready for a simple pizza dinner.

On this particular visit, we got our favorite "Deluxe" Gourmet Pizza (pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, black olives, and spicy Italian sausage). Wendy also got the Steak Panini (seasoned steak, mozzarella cheese, red onions, green peppers, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, and Italian dressing), which for some unknown reason was not shared with me this time. Alicia got the Vocelli Chicken Caesar salad (fresh mixed greens, tender chicken breast, imported Pecorino cheese, and traditional Caesar salad dressing), but without the chicken!

It was all good, and I'm sure we'll be back. However, now that Domino's has sub sandwiches in addition to the basic pizza menu, Vocelli's will be getting some competition.

History: The location where Vocelli's is today used to be a Little Caesar's when we moved to Leesburg in 1987. Some years later they closed most of their locations in Northern Virginia; the closest one is now in Martinsburg, West Virginia! The store was empty for quite a while, then another non-descript pizza place opened up there, called Pizza Time, or something like that. They lasted only a year or so, then Vocelli's took over and has been doing fine.

UPDATED, 8 December 2008: A comment by Anonymous confirmed that the old name was Pizza Outlet, and that it is in fact the same company as Vocelli's.

Location: 34 Catoctin Cir SE, Suite E , Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://www.vocellipizza.com/leesburg_va/

Total bill: $34.69

#24: Hamburg Döner at the Mighty Midget Kitchen

Date Visited: 30 August 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Hamburg Döner is located inside Leesburg's historic Mighty Midget Kitchen. More specifically, the food is cooked in the old Mighty Midget, but orders are taken and drinks served in an adjacent end of the building shared with MacDowell Custom Kitchens. Hamburg Döner first opened in 2006 at Virginia Village Shopping Center in Leesburg operating out of a food truck, and finally moved into the Mighty Midget Kitchen in March 2008.

The German feel of the place becomes evident as soon as you arrive. Hamburg Döner's unique specialty is the Döner, a Turkish dish which in the 1970s was transformed into a flatbread sandwich, usually with chicken or beef, when Turkish immigrants arrived in Berlin. "It's the most popular food in Germany," co-owner Nicole Marschall says. "The first thing people miss when they move out of Germany is the Döner." "It's the food of our generation," says the other co-owner Timo Winkel. To help explain what a Döner is, I've copied a picture from their menu.

Besides the Döner, they also serve Felafel, Currywurst, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, and Pommes (french fries!), and salads. Check out the online menu to see pictures and more descriptions - and see if it doesn't leave your mouth watering! They also have a large selection of German beers, both on tap and by the bottle.

For this visit, Wendy and I both got the Döner, and we shared an order of Pommes (excellent spices!). It was all fresh, healthy, and delicious, just as advertised. Alicia was with us, but not feeling very adventurous, and only ate a few fries. I didn't have a beer this time, but will surely sample one in the future.

A Little History:

The Mighty Midget Kitchen has been in Leesburg since 1946, and was originally located at the "Y" intersection where Market Street splits into two: Loudoun Street to the left, and Market Street to the right. That's where it was when we moved here in 1987. In those days everything was done in the tiny metal building, and they had hamburgers, hot dogs, and chili. The building was actually made from an old World War II airplane. Unfortunately, they were not able to stay in business and closed a few years later. Long-time Leesburg residents seem to have a high degree of nostalgia for the place.

The Mighty Midget Kitchen was narrowly saved from being scrapped and bought by the Town of Leesburg. In 1996, Gordon MacDowell signed a 20-year lease with the town for $10 a year on the condition that he fully restore it and keep it operating on his property on Harrison Street, right across the street from Tuscarora Mill. He ran it for several years, but eventually could not balance running his regular business and it too. So in 2001, the Mighty Midget Kitchen got a new tenant, Brian DeVaux, who served BBQ. Apparently there was some trouble with the arrangement, and MacDowell asked DeVaux to vacate in December 2007. The town tried to help DeVaux relocate, but it didn't work out. The old web site (http://mightymidgetkitchen.com/) is still up, and refers you to their new location at the Paeonian Grocery & Gourmet.

Despite the recent controversy around the venerable Might Midget Kitchen, we are extremely happy with Hamburg Döner and will surely be visiting again soon.

Location: 202 A Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web sites: http://hamburg-doener.com/ or http://doener-usa.com/

Total bill: $23.83 + $5.00 tip = $28.83

#23: Tenderjack's

Date Visited: 29 August 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Tenderjack's is one of the newest restaurants in Leesburg, and fills a unique niche. They specialize in a simple menu of fresh chicken tenders, salads, hamburgers, and fries. In fact, their published philosophy is “Keep It Simple, Keep It Fresh”.

Wendy and I were out on a Friday night and wanted something inexpensive and good, but not typical fast-food. I hadn't blogged about Tenderjack's yet, so that became the choice.

Wendy got the Five Golden Tenders plate, which consists of buttermilk-battered chicken breast pieces. This seems to be more or less their signature item, and like most of their offerings, comes with a choice of two dipping sauces (out of 10). I got the Combo Platter, which is basically a Tenderjack's sampler. It comes with two Crispy Chicken Tenders, two Mini Cheeseburgers, one Southwest Eggroll, two Coyote Wings, and two dipping sauces. The Coyote Wings are spicy mesquite-smoked chicken wings. The Mini Cheesburgers were quite good (I had a less-than-satisfying experience with the full-size version on a previous visit, but that was when Tenderjack's had just opened, and they were still working on things - all better now). The Southwest Eggrolls are particularly good, described in the menu as "stuffed with shredded chicken, red pepper, black beans, corn, cilantro and cheddar cheese, then hand-rolled, fried golden-brown and served on a bed of mango salsa with creamy cilantro sauce and avocado butter for dipping." You don't get those dipping sauces when you get them with the platter, but they're still great. We also got a side of the Fresh-Cut Fries with Tenderjack's special seasoning blend. They were pretty good, if a little droopy.

The Tenderjack's web site is also very good. There is currently only one Tenderjack's location (Leesburg), but the site has a "Locations" tab, hinting that there may be more in the future. I hope so; Tenderjack's is a welcome substitute for the normal fast-food chains. We'll be back.

Location: 506B E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://tenderjacks.com/

Total bill: $22.30

#22: Thai Royal

Date Visited: 24 August 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: Leesburg has had it's ups and downs in regard to Thai food. In the beginning, you could find a few Thai dishes at places like Orient Kitchen (now J&W Asian Bistro). Then in 2007 we got Tup Tim Thai, and it was good, but only lasted about a year (they had two locations - Leesburg and Sterling - and both closed). But now Leesburg has a real Thai restaurant, run by a real Thai person, serving real Thai food - Thai Royal!

Thai Royal is one of Leesburg's hidden gems, and I mean hidden in the literal sense. By their own description, it is "conveniently located at Liberty Gas Station" on Harrison Street, between Market and Loudoun Streets. It's actually part of the Liberty gas station; in fact, there's just one door between the restaurant and the gas station's mini-mart. Thai Royal also houses a Blimpie sub shop, but they don't make it very obvious when you're inside the restaurant, which is a good thing; we're here for Thai food, not generic sub sandwiches.



This blog post is my "official" write-up on Thai Royal, but I've already been there several times. Despite the odd location, Thai Royal is just about my favorite restaurant in all of Leesburg - really, it's the greatest! We always get friendly, helpful service, and the food is outstanding.

On this visit, Andy and I got the Chicken Lava, a Thai Royal signature dish, described in the menu as "Exotic dish! Sizzling battered crispy chicken with sweet chili sauce served with cabbage on a hot sizzling plate." I've had it a couple of times before, and it never fails to please me - a perfect mixture of sweet, savory, and crunchy. It comes with either a soup or a spring roll appetizer; Andy got the spring roll, and I got the Tom Yum soup, and well, it was yum! Wendy got the Chicken Tamarind, described as "Sizzling crispy chicken with sweet and sour tamarind sauce served with mixed vegetables on a hot Sizzling plate." She also got the spring roll appetizer.

On previous visits, I've also had the Taro Spring Rolls and the Panang Curry, which is rich and just spicy enough for me. This is what I usually get when I'm out on my own for dinner.

Thai Royal seems to be doing well business-wise, as they are now issuing several kinds of coupons, and have a Frequent Customer Card (one free entree after seven orders). Now all they need is a web site.

Support Thai food in Leesburg and visit Thai Royal!

Location: 2 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $25.87 + $7.00 tip = $32.87

UPDATE, 19 April 2009:
Apparently, Thai Royal has very recently changed their name to Thai Pan Leesburg Restaurant, and they have a new web site: http://www.thaipanleesburg.com/ - we'll have to check it out!

UPDATE, 2 May 2009:
Andy and I visited Thai Pan to get some takeout, and happened to talk to one of the employees about the recent changes. He said everything is the same (like the cook) except the name. He went on to explain that they had to change the name because there is a local laundromat of the same name! They also couldn't register the thairoyal.com domain because it's taken (by a restaurant in Germany), and there are lots of other businesses with the same name. So they just decided to change the name.

#21: Moe's Southwest Grill

Date Visited: 17 August 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Alicia, & Andy

Experience: As mentioned on a previous post, on the spectrum of Mexican fast-food in Leesburg, I'd list Taco Bell, California Tortilla, and Moe's, in order of increasing goodness. Yes, Moe's is a nationwide chain too, but it's pretty good. Upon entering the restaurant, you're always greeted with a hearty "Welcome to Moe's!" from the crew.

Moe's is mainly about burritos, but they also have tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, nachos, and salads. All of the menu items have unique names: I had the Homewrecker burrito ("Choice of grilled meat, beans, rice, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole"), Wendy and Alicia had the John Coctostan quesadilla ("Choice of grilled meat, beans and shredded cheese with a side of pico de gallo and sour cream"), and Andy had the Triple Lindy burrito ("Choice of grilled meat, beans, rice, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole or sour cream"). In each case, the grilled meat choices are fajita steak, chicken, ground beef or tofu - TOFU?!? Nobody I know would call tofu a "meat choice". Everything about Moe's seems to be big - the burritos are enormous, and they make it right in front of you so you can ask for extras or leave things off, just the way you like it.

Anyway, we like Moe's a lot, and go there when we want to get full!

Location: 667 Potomac Station Dr., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://moes.com/

Total bill: $38.97 + $6.00 tip * = $44.97

* Normally I don't leave a tip at fast-food restaurants, even though they cleverly have a place to add it on the credit card slip. However, Wendy apparently wasn't aware of my policy when she went to pick up our order.

#20: Roy Rogers (King St.)

Date Visited: 16 August 2008

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: This is the "other" Roy Rogers restaurant in Leesburg, on King Street. I've already reviewed the first one, which is on Market Street. But I have to make this entry so that I can truly experience and document every restaurant in Leesburg.

There's not much different from the other Roy Rogers; I went there for the same breakfast I always order: the Sourdough Ham, Egg, and Cheese breakfast, upgraded to a large coffee. But this time they surprised me - it turns out you can get large size home fries with the meal, so I got that upgrade too! The people at the other store never make me that offer - hmm...

Here's another weird thing - they gave me the !0% senior discount! What, do I look like an old man?!?

I can't put my finger on it, but there is something different about these two restaurants, even though they belong to the same chain, and probably use all the same ingredients. To me, the food always seems better at the Market Street location; don't ask me why.

The other night we were at a Loudoun County High School Band event, and they served everyone fried chicken from Roy Rogers. It was not very good; Popeyes is still the best in my opinion. However, my recommendation for breakfast at Roy Rogers still stands.

Location: 451 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://royrogersrestaurants.com/

Total bill: $4.67

#19: California Tortilla

Date Visited: 3 August 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: California Tortilla is one of the newest additions to Leesburg. It's a fast-food, Mexican-type chain restaurant. I'd rank them somewhere between Taco Bell and Moe's. For being a fast-food chain, California Tortilla is pretty good.

The specialty burritos are the most distinctive items on the menu, and that's we we go there. On this visit, I had the Thai burrito ("Grilled mesquite chicken, Mexican rice, our spicy Thai peanut sauce, fresh salsa and lettuce"), Wendy had the Blackened Chicken Caesar burrito ("Our Best Seller! Blackened chicken, black beans, Mexican rice, Monterey jack cheese, Caesar dressing, fresh salsa and romaine"), and Alicia had the Classic Chicken burrito ("Choice of chicken, beef or steak (50 cents extra), Mexican rice, black beans, Monterey jack cheese, sour cream, fresh salsa and lettuce"). We all got the combo that includes chips & queso and a drink.

There are a few things that make California Tortilla more fun than your average restaurant. One is that they have the "Burrito Elito Loyalty Program". You accrue one point for each dollar spent, and when you reach 50 points, you get five "Burrito Bucks" to use on your next visit. Another fun aspect is the "Wall of Flame" - they stock over 75 different hot sauces that you can use in the restaurant, or buy a bottle to take home. One final thing is that they play classic rock music, not the sterotypical Mexican tunes.

When the urge for Mexican fast-food hits, California Tortilla is usually our first choice. It's close, cheap, and good.

Location: Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://californiatortilla.com/

Total bill: $26.95

#18: Vintage 50

Date Visited: 18 July 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: We hadn't been to a "nice" restaurant for a while, but Leesburg does have a few, and one of the really nice ones is Vintage 50. This location used to be called Thoroughbreds (yes, with a Loudoun County horsey-theme and a brewery), but it closed in June 2006. We were sorry to see it go because we had been there a couple of times and it was very good. Thankfully, some months later it reopened as Vintage 50, and now it's better than ever!

One look at the menu told us this was going to be a great experience. Everything sounded so good we were afraid to get filled up too much before the really good stuff, so we didn't get an appetizer. At these kinds of restaurants, our rule is to always order different things between us, so that we have more to try by sharing.

For salads, I got the Grilled Watermelon and Crispy Goat Cheese salad, and Wendy got the Vintage Greens salad. Both were good, but there was something about the grilled watermelon in mine that made it especially good. The goat cheese comes in a compact little shape that resembles a small biscuit; it was a warm, yummy contrast to the cool watermelon and greens.

For entrees, I got the "West Texas Wild Boar Sausage and Potato Gnocchi" with "local asparagus, wild mushrooms,black truffles." I'm not sure what wild boar is supposed to taste like, but it was clearly no ordinary sausage. It was served in a soupy sauce that brought everything together very well. The truffles were just barely detectable, not overwhelming. Wendy got the "Asiago Stuffed Baby Tortellini" with "trio of stuffed pastas with roasted peppers and squashes tossed in a Chardonnay-Parmesan cream sauce."

Vintage 50 (and Thoroughbreds before it) has a brewery on the premises, operated by Brew Master Bill Madden. I'm no beer aficionado, but I tried one that was brewed there. I forgot to take notes, so I don't remember which one I tried, but it was excellent. I'm sure there's some kind of psychological factor at work here that makes the beer taste better because you know it was made here, but that's OK, it was still very good and went perfectly with my meal. I also found that there are several sites that post beer ratings, and Vintage 50 seems to do quite well.

For desset, we ordered a sampler of chocolate treats. There were four bite-sized pieces, a perfect end to the meal. I also had a coffee, that comes served in a French press, for the extra special touch.

The only real disappointment was that the menu offered a cooking class with Executive Chef Aaron McCloud, but it had been held three days before! So now I've signed up with their email notification service, to find out about these things earlier.

I heartily recommend Vintage 50. It's a little more pricey than most of the restaurants in Leesburg, but it's worth it and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Location: 50 Catoctin Cir. NE, # 100, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://www.vintage50.com/

Total bill: $81.48 + $16.00 tip = $97.48

#17: Popeyes

Date Visited: 13 July 2008

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Sometimes you just want fried chicken. The primary cheap, fast-food fried chicken place in Leesburg is Popeyes. We went there on a Sunday night, and business was very slow.

We got one of the family meal deals that included twelve pieces of chicken (we got half mild and half spicy - for me!), two large sides (we got mashed pototoes and red beans & rice), and six biscuits. When we go to Popeyes, we always get a large side of onion rings too - they're pretty good. When you want good, cheap, fast fried chicken, Popeyes is not so bad.

As has happened before, sometimes the restaurant's web site is more interesting than their food. It turns out that the full name of the restaurant chain is actually Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits. It was started by Al Copeland in 1972 in Arabi, Louisiana. Popeyes is named not after the cartoon sailor, but for the character Popeye Doyle in the movie “The French Connection.” According to the Popeyes wikipedia article, "Copeland would claim facetiously that he was "too poor" to afford an apostrophe."

I found two "official" Popeyes web sites: one appears to be the main corporate one, and the other is just for the Virginia/Maryland/DC locations. You can download desktop images and screen savers that show a variety of Popeyes food, and even download some of their jingles (although I can't imagine why you would want to).

Location: 515 E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web sites: http://www.popeyes.com/ and http://www.popeyeschicken.com/

Total bill: $31.11

#16: J&W Asian Bistro

Date Visited: 22 June 2008

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: J&W Asian Bistro is the new name for the Orient Kitchen (it still says "Orient Kitchen II" on the receipts), and it had some other name that I can't remember before that; I haven't been in there for many years. The interior design of the restaurant is all new, effective, and beautiful, with many oriental artfiacts adorning the dining area.

We were there for lunch, and the buffet looked good. For $6.95 you can have Sushi, Oriental salad, General Tso's Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Beef with Broccoli, Seafood medley, Spicy Green Beans, Lo Mein noodles, Fried Rice, and a few others I probably overlooked. It was all very good, but not ourstanding. We all tried different things, but I was the only one who tried the Sushi.



On the day of our visit, we were the only customers in the place except one other lady. I happened to recognize another person I saw at the bar; it was the guy who runs Tai Pei Cafe! Maybe he was exchaning recipes? or spying? or maybe he's just a friend of the proprietors.

Location: 707 M E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: none

Total bill: $31.80 + $6.00 tip = $37.80

#15: La Chocita Grill

Date Visited: 16 June 2008 (Father's Day)

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: La Chocita Grill bills itself as serving "Mexican, Central and South American Cuisine", which helps you understand this is no average Mexican restaurant. Situated in an old house between Market and Loudoun streets, on the back side of the Liberty gas station, it's easy to miss this gem. As you can see in the first photo, La Chocita Grill unfortunately shares a driveway and a sign with "Doggy Do RIght" (a dog training business?) on the Market Street side. The back side sign on the Loudoun Street side is much better (second photo).



One of La Chocita's specialties is their Rotisserie Charcoal Chicken, but no one in our party wanted it for this visit. I ended up ordering from the "Latino Specialties" section of the menu, and got the "Carne Con Camarones (Flank charcoal steak with shrimp and our delicious Salvadorean style sauce; served with rice, beans, and pico de gallo)". Whatever the "Salvadorean style sauce" is, it was delicious! (sort of like BBQ sauce, but way better.) Wendy had something with chicken and avocado (couldn't remember the name of the dish). Alicia had the Chicken Quesadilla. We also ordered a couple of Pupusas (Cheese and Pork) to round out our experience. Everything was great.

La Chocita Grill offers a great variety of Latino dishes, and seems to be fairly authentic, judging by the majority of Latinos in the restaurant. We will certainly go back again, and try the Rotisserie Charcoal Chicken!



Location: 210 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://lachocitagrill.com/

Total bill: $35.59 + $7.00 tip = $42.59

#14: Taco Bell

Date Visited: 16 June 2008 (Father's Day)

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: I haven't posted anything for about two weeks because we've been on the South Beach diet, phase 1 (the strictest phase). So no restaurant visits until today.

When you're in the mood for Mexican-style fast food in Leesburg, the basic choices are Taco Bell, California Tortilla, and Moe's. Today after church I had a hankerin' for Taco Bell, and it was OK because we're off the strictest part of the diet!

I had my all-time favorite, the #6 combo: two Chalupas (beef, supreme), one taco, and a drink. Wendy had the new Fresco Zesty Chicken Border Bowl (fairly South Beach-friendly at 8g fat + 350 calories), a Chalupa, and a drink. Alicia got two soft tacos, Cinnamon twists, and a drink.

The most interesting thing about Taco Bell is their history. It mostly happened in southern California where I grew up. As a little kid, I remember going to Taco Bell, and the old Mexican boy logo. I liked it even back then! Here's a short history of Taco Bell (summarized from their web site):



In 1946, at age 23, Glen Bell opened his first hot dog stand in San Bernardino, CA, called Bell's Drive-In. The sauce he developed for his chili dogs was the basis for Taco Bell's current taco sauce. He wanted to expand the menu, and had an interest in Mexican take-out, so he started a second location began to offer tacos. He basically invented the idea of commercially fried, ready-to-stuff taco shells. The taco stand did well, and Bell convinced business partner Ed Hackbarth to move out to Barstow, CA to run a second unit. Hackbarth later founded the Del Taco chain of restaurants. In 1954-55, Bell opened more stands, called Taco Tia, in San Bernardino, Redlands, and Riverside, CA. During the years 1956-58, he sold his interest in the Taco Tias and opened up a new chain of stands called El Taco, with locations in the Long Beach, CA area. John Gallardi, commisary manager for the El Tacos, was encouraged by Bell to go out on his own; Gallardi took the advice and started the successful Der Weinerschnitzel hot dog chain (the name was suggested by Bell's wife, Martha). In 1962, Bell sold his interest in all the El Tacos and opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, CA. Soon after, eight more in Long Beach, Paramount, and Los Angeles. In 1964, the first Taco Bell franchise opened in Torrance, CA (corner of Carson St. & Western Ave.), very near where I grew up in Harbor City. In 1969, Taco Bell finally went public. It was acquired by PepsiCo in 1978. In 1997, PepsiCo spun off Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut as Tricon Global Restaurants. In 2002, Tricon was renamed Yum! Brands, Inc., after acquiring Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food Restaurants.

Location: 982 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://tacobell.com/

Total bill: $17.71