#94: Nido Ristorante Italiano

Date Visited: 15 May 2010

Meal: Dinner

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

Experience: In all of our years in Leesburg, we hadn't visited Nido until now. We were just in time, as we learned from an article in Leesburg Today that they are planning to close at the end of May 2010. The reason? "James Nido Capaldi, owner of Market Station's Nido Italiano Ristorante, said business revenue had been on the decline for the past two years."

So for our one and only visit to Nido, I started out with Nido's Salad (their green house salad), and Wendy got the Antipasto plate to share (Artichoke hearts, Salami, Bologna, cheeses); it wasn't too bad. Some unexciting white Italian bread was also served. For our entrees, Wendy and I both got the Nido's Pasta con Prosciutto, Andy got a pizza with Salami, Prosciutto, and Italian Sausage. Alicia didn't order anything, having already eaten(!), but she did pose for a nice photo. It was all pretty average; not bad, but nothing to make me want to go back. Reviews on Yelp generally rate the place as average too.



Sadly, another locally-owned and operated restaurant is now going away. I wish their food quality was more of a reason to keep them in business.

Location: 201 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-777-7786

Web site: none

Total bill: $74.50 + $15.00 tip = $89.50

#93: Lightfoot Cafe

Date Visited: 12 March 2010

Meal: Dinner

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

Experience: Lightfoot Cafe is one of our top restaurants, located in the heart of downtown Leesburg. Everything on the menu is mouth-watering and top notch; you really can't go wrong no matter what you order. Reservations are recommended, and can be easily done via their web site's convenient link to OpenTable. On this visit, we were celebrating birthdays and had four of us present, so we could try lots of things.

For starters, we ordered the Wallace Cheese Plate ("Cambozola Blue, Goat, San Joaquin, and Farm House Gouda set with Fig Jam, Dijon, French Bread, Crackers, and Ginger Snaps.") There were two hard and two soft cheeses. I also had a glass of Lightfoot Merlot. Fresh bread and corn muffins were brought out; Alicia's comment: "the butter is very good." A great start.



For the next course, I got the Blue Ridge Spinach Salad ("Fresh California Spinach tossed with Smithfield Ham, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Sun Dried Cherries, Pecans & Sherry Vinaigrette"); a wonderful collection of tastes. Wendy got a cup of the Lightfoot Spicy Creamy Tomato Soup ("Roasted Garlic & Sweet Basil topped with Parmesan Cheese & Pumpernickel Croutons"), and Andy got a big bowl of the same. Definitely creamy and spicy. We all liked it a lot. Alicia got the Traditional Caesar Salad ("Romaine tossed with Traditional Caesar Dressing, Garlic Croutons, Parmesan Cheese & topped with an Anchovy Fillet.") I had to quickly remove the anchovies for her, and then she was able to thoroughly enjoy the salad.

For entrees, I got one of the night's specials, the Harris Ranch Ribeye Steak. It was topped with Black Trumpet Mushrooms and other things I can't remember, with Garlic Onion Rings and Spicy Baked Beans on the side. Kind of a delicious barbeque experience. Wendy got the Artichoke Gratin Crusted Salmon ("topped with Jumbo Lump Crab and set over Sauteed Baby California Spinach, Orange Scented Cous Cous with Dried Fruits and finished with Citrus Beurre Blanc.") Sweet sauce! She also got a side of Sweet Potato Garlic Fries to share - yum! Andy got the Grilled 8 oz. Filet Mignon ("topped with Horseradish-Chive Butter & Crispy Onions, set on a bed of Chive Mashed Potatoes with Grilled Asparagus and Bearnaise Sauce.") He said it was one of the best steaks he'd ever had, and that's quite a compliment! Alicia ordered from the Casual Entrees section, getting the All Natural 8 oz. Hamburger ("on a roll with Cambozola Blue Cheese or Vermont White Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Shredded Lettuce, Grilled Onions, and Chef's Special Sauce served with Cole Slaw and French Fries.") She took all the toppings off, and had about two bites; I had the rest for lunch the next day. Lightfoot is just not how she rolls, culinary-wise.



For dessert, I was already pretty full, so I just got an espresso. It comes in a very cool tiny cup, with tiny saucer and tiny spoon. It was also just about the strongest espresso I've had in a long time, but very good! Wendy got the Frozen Key Lime Torte ("Graham Cracker Crust served with a dollop of Whipped Cream, Toasted Coconut, and a Coconut Macaroon"). By that time she was pretty full too, so I ended up eating about half of it - not that anybody had to twist my arm! Andy and Alicia shared a Traditional Sundae ("Vanilla Bean Ice Cream topped with Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Chopped Roasted Peanuts, and a Cherry"); Andy's comments: "much chocolate ensued," and "more chocolate than the average sundae." This means he liked it a lot.

Lightfoot Cafe is an experience I encourage all my readers to try; have a great meal and support a local Leesburg business!

Location: 11 N. King St., Leesburg, VA 20176, 703-771-2233

Web site: http://lightfootrestaurant.com/

Total bill: $182.55 + $40.00 tip = $222.55

#92: Rocco's NY Pizza & Subs

Date Visited: 6 March 2010

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy & Alicia

Experience: Rocco's is Leesburg's newest pizza restaurant, at the old Joe's Pizza & Subs location on Plaza Street. I was told by one of the employees that Rocco's bought out Joe's several months ago, and although the location and genre are the same, the recipes are all new. He also told me that Rocco's was owned by the same people that now own Spanky's Shenanigans.

We decided to order a few different things to sample the menu. We got a large Pepperoni & Bacon pizza, a Calzone, a Steak sub, and some Breadsticks. I'd say the pizza was above average, the Calzone was OK, the Steak sub was very good, and the Breadsticks were rated by Alicia as "cheesy - they had cheese on them." Overall, it was all plenty good for more visits, and I like to support our locally-owned businesses. They have a lengthy menu; give Rocco's a try!

Unfortunately, the old Joe's web site is still up, giving one the impression that they are still in operation at that location. The Rocco's employee told me that they couldn't do anything about that, but would have their own web site up soon.

Location: 62 Plaza St. NE, Leesburg, VA 20176, 703-443-8500

Web site: none

Total bill: $31.44

UPDATE: 23 August 2011
Rocco's has their own website now: http://roccosny.com/

#91: City Deli

Date Visited: 5 March 2010

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: I'm trying to finish off visiting all the places in the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (aka, "Outlet Mall") as quickly as possible. We just needed a couple of sandwiches for dinner last night, so I thought of City Deli. It's located in the main food court, in the contiguous Nathan's-Kenny Rogers-Arthur Treacher's-Tropi-Kool-Hershey's-Boardwalk Fries-City Deli-Cinnabon complex.

I had the Turkey Bacon Club Sub ("Turkey, Swiss cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayonnaise"), and Wendy got the Chicken Caesar Wrap ("Chicken strips with Romain Lettuce, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing in a tortilla wrap"). Both were fine, but nothing better than you would make at home for yourself. The guy making them at the counter had to keep looking up at the menu board to remind himself of what to put on them!

I'm pretty sure City Deli is some kind of franchise, but apparently my Google skills are not up to the challenge of finding anything about it.

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

Web site: none

Total bill: $13.76

#90: Mandarin Express

Date Visited: 28 February 2010

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, and Alicia

Experience: Today we were having our standard where-to-go-for-lunch-after-church discussion, and it occurred to me that I only had one more Chinese restaurant to visit in Leesburg, and I would have visited them all! So today we visited the final Chinese restaurant in Leesburg, which also happens to be the oldest. Mandarin Express has been in the same Plaza St. location in Leesburg since we moved here (1987). It's gone through many changes over the years, but is still going strong.

Mandarin Express offers a simple buffet for lunch, including Chicken & Broccoli, Beef & Broccoli, Pork in barbeque-style sauce, Shrimp, Chicken wings, Green Beans with Shrimp, fried Rice, Spring Rolls, Egg Drop soup, Hot & Sour soup, and assorted fruits and desserts. It was all good but not outstanding. The service was prompt and friendly enough, and the atmosphere/decor was, well, unpretentious and family/kid-friendly. No web site.

For Chinese fast food, 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:

• 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)


• Thai Pan (visited 24 August 2008)


• J&W Asian Bistro (visited 22 June 2008)


• Xuan Saigon (visited 25 May 2008)

Location: 24-A Plaza St. NE, Leesburg VA 20176, 703-777-9898

Web site: none

Total bill: $22.50 + $5.00 tip = $27.50

#89: Subway (Potomac Station)

Date Visited: 14 February 2010

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, and Andy

Experience: To review one of the key purposes of this blog, the goal here is to visit EVERY restaurant in Leesburg, including ALL locations of mundane fast-food chain operations. With that cheery introduction out of the way, I'll begin today's review...

We needed a quick lunch after church and decided to visit the second Leesburg Subway location (the other one on Catoctin Circle was reviewed on 8 November 2008). This one is located in the Marketplace at Potomac Station shopping center, along with other previously reviewed eateries: Manhattan Pizza, James Cafe, Arby's, Zpizza (now closed), and Moe's Southwest Grill.

On this visit, we just got sandwiches to go, and we all took advantage of the current "$5 foot-long" deal. I got the Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Wendy got the Italian B.M.T., and Andy got the Subway Melt. Everyone was happy with what they got - Subway is good and predictable.

Back when I did my original Subway review in 2008, I said that I tended to like Subway over Quiznos (I've already reviewed both locations). Many subs later, I've now changed my mind and I tend to choose Quiznos when I want a sub; I really have come to like their Baja Chicken sandwich.

Location: 653 Potomac Station Dr., Leesburg VA 20176, 703-737-6973

Web site: http://subway.com/

Total bill: $16.28

#88: Pho Royal

Date Visited: 11 February 2010

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Pho Royal has been open for about three months in Leesburg, but I only learned of it this week when I saw an ad for it in the Feb-Mar 2010 issue of Clipper Magazine. With all the snow and cold weather, a nice hot spicy bowl of Pho was sounding real good. Pho Royal is located in the relatively new Fort Evans Plaza II shopping center (along with CiCi's, reviewed 28 December 2008). There are two Pho Royal locations, the new one here in Leesburg, and the original one in Sterling. Pho Royal now competes with Xuan Saigon (reviewed 25 May 2008), as our second Pho restaurant in Leesburg. It's great to have these choices!

On this visit, (early Thursday afternoon, after our blizzard the day before, with mounds of snow all over the parking lot) we were surprised to find a regular stream of customers. It appears that Pho Royal has already established a loyal following at this new location. For our appetizer, we got the #A1 Cha Gio (Crispy Spring Rolls), which were indeed crispy, not greasy, and very good. For entrees, I got the #1 Pho Tai ("Pho with thinly sliced eye round steak"), which was recommended for "beginners or health conscious individuals"). Wendy got the #6 Pho Tai Nam ("Pho with thinly sliced eye round steak and flank"), which was recommended for those who want to try something new "with beef cuts that have slight fat covering that makes them tastier." Well, both were excellent, with delicious broth, and the usual accompaniments of Thai basil, bean sprouts, Jalapeno peppers, and lime. There was also an assortment of sauces at the table, including Soy, Fish, Plum, and Sriracha chili sauce (my favorite!) I spiced up mine with the Jalapenos and some Sriracha to the point of perfect heat, just short of pain. We both got the small size bowls and were left very full and satisfied. For drinks, Wendy had the #50 Tra Nong (Hot Tea), which was a mysterious passion-fruit-like variety. I had a #34 Cafe Sua Da ("Ice French Expresso with condensed milk") which was an excellent companion to my Pho.

The service was excellent; there were three different people who showed up at our table at various times to deliver the food, keep our water glasses filled, and clear away used dishes. All were very pleasant and courteous. The brightly lit yet warm atmosphere enhanced our experience significantly. There are several good reviews on Yelp that confirm our good experience. Curiously, the Pho Royal web site URL printed on the menu does not seem to be in operation yet, but I'm including it below in hopes that it will be set up soon.

Overall, our experience at Pho Royal was great, and we encourage you to visit too. At this point, I'd still give a slight edge to Xuan Saigon, as being a little more comfortable and Vietnamese home-style.

Location: 542 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Leesburg VA 20176, 703-779-1774

Web site: http://phoroyalrestaurants.com/

Total bill: $19.74 (after 15% discount coupon) + $6.00 tip = $25.74

#87: Manhattan Pizza

Date Visited: 22 January 2010

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: Leesburg's newest pizza restaurant opened up a few weeks ago, and we decided to give Manhattan Pizza a try. It's a chain restaurant, with two other locations nearby in Ashburn and South Riding. Manhattan Pizza is located in the Marketplace at Potomac Station shopping center, in the space formerly occupied by Caribou Coffee. Andy had been itching to go, since he works next door at Giant, and was eagerly watching for the grand opening. However, as Manhattan Pizza opened, the Zpizza store (reviewed here on 7 November 2008) closed. Apparently the owners of Manhattan Pizza are buying up some Zpizza locations.

We ordered a large pizza with pepperoni and bacon (our family standard), a Manhattan Supreme ("Mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, onions, sausage, pepperoni and green peppers"), and a Steak & Cheese sub ("With grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise"). The pepperoni and bacon was pretty good, but there was a lot of grease in the bottom of the box. The Supreme was not very good, seeming to be a bit underdone, and much grease on the bottom. The sub was just OK.

There is a bit of Greek influence evident in the menu, which includes a Classic Gyro and Shish Taouk. The guy who took our order also gave us a free Baklava! The service experience was very good, with much courtesy and concern shown.

Overall, then, our experience was somewhat below average, which maybe we can chalk up to the newness of this establishment. We'll give 'em another couple of tries soon; stay tuned for an update. Curiously, the web site printed on the menu is wrong; http://manhattanpizzacompany.com does not appear to have any Manhattan Pizza content. The correct site is http://manhattanpizzeria.net (also see below).

Location: 647 Potomac Station Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176, 703-669-4020

Web site: http://manhattanpizzeria.net/

Total bill: $43.24 + $8.00 tip = $51.24

#86: Wei's Garden

Date Visited: 8 January 2010

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: It's Friday night, daddy's hungry, and feelin' like Chinese! We decided to try Wei's Garden, having seen it's brightly lit sign from the Route 15 bypass many times before this our first visit. We were informed by our order-taker that Wei's has already been open for about a year.

We decided to try out some of our favorites, to see how Wei's Garden stacked up. For an appetizer, we tried the Crab Rangoon, which comes in triangular pieces, rather than the traditional pinched-together four-cornered style. It was nontheless delicious. We tried a couple of soups; Wendy got the Wonton Soup and I got the Chicken with Hot & Sour Soup. Wendy said the Wonton was very flavorful, as opposed to the bland kind you often get elsewhere. The Hot & Sour was nice and thick, tangy, and not too hot. For her entree, Wendy got the "Triple Delight (Mandarin Combination): Combination of shrimp, beef, and chicken sauteed with vegetables in our special sauce." She thought it was very good; I had the leftovers for lunch the next day and it was still very good! For my entree, I got the Kung Pao Chicken. It was unlike other Kung Paos I've ever had; it wasn't very "saucy" - each piece was was fully coated with the sauce, along with the peanuts and vegetabies, but it appeared kind of dry on the outside. Fortunately, it was very tender and juicy on the inside, and delicious. It also had just the right amount of spiciness for me (most people would probably call this "medium").

As for the service, it took a while for our food to be ready (we ordered there, for takeout). Apparently they felt sorry for us having to wait so long, so they brought us an extra couple of Crab Rangoon pieces while we waited.

We went back again a week later to see if our experience would be any different. I ordered the same Hot & Sour Soup and Kung Pao Chicken. It was exactly as before, which is to say, very good! Wendy got the Wonton Soup (again very good), but decided to try one of the Chef's Specialties: "Crispy Jumbo Shrimp with Walnut". The shrimp were jumbo all right, but not very crispy. I think this was a result of it being for takeout; it got a bit soggy in the container by the time we got home with it - not really their fault. Again, the service was very slow, and a couple of customers who were there before us had to wait a long time too. By the time our food was ready, a different lady brought it out from the kitchen, and told us she included something extra because we had to wait. It was some kind of dessert (not on the menu); kind of a custard with orange flavoring.

If you'd like to try some Chinese food that's a little different, give Wei's Garden a try!

Location: 161 Fort Evans Road NE, Leesburg, VA 20176, 703-771-9188

Web site: none

Total bill: $30.22 + $6.00 tip = $36.22

#85: Boardwalk Fries

Date Visited: 5 December 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: We visited Boardwalk Fries on the same visit as the Kenny Rogers Roasters review below. This is the fourth in the set of reviews of "restaurants" at the Outlet Mall.

Boardwalk Fries is a national chain serving up, well, fries. They're really good: hot, thick, salty, and yummy! We shared a combo large order of fries and a drink (to go with our Kenny Rogers Roasters sandwiches). Boardwalk fries - highly recommended!

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

Web site: http://boardwalkfries.com/

Total bill: $3.22 (includes 10% "Mall Discount")

#84: Kenny Rogers Roasters

Date Visited: 5 December 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: As I commented when reviewing Arthur Treacher's (4 Januarty 2009) and Nathan's Famous (10 Januarty 2009), it's kind of debatable as to whether these places in the food court of the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets should be considered as separate restaurants or not. Well, I decided that they will be reviewed separately, so that's the end of the debate.

Wendy and I were doing some shopping at the Outlet Mall and needed a quick bite to eat. We decided to try out a couple of the Kenny Rogers Roasters' Original Crispy Chicken Sandwiches. They weren't too bad, and at least lived up to the "crispy" part of the name. You can check out the history of Kenny Rogers Roasters on Wikipedia. Not much more to say; not exactly highly recommended.

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

Web site: http://kennyrogers.cc/

Total bill: $7.00 (includes 10% "Mall Discount")

We're Famous!

Local restaurant critic Warren Rojas, who writes for Northern Virginia Magazine, interviewed me about my blog on 4 December 2009, in an online article entitled, "No Stove Left Unturned". Warren writes a variety of online content under the "Food & Wine" section (including "Gut Check" where my interview is), hosts a weekly live food chat called "Grill Warren", posts to Twitter, and also writes for the print version of the magazine. Warren did a great job of capturing the spirit of this blog, and left me with a challenge to do something similar when I've finally eaten at Every Restaurant in Leesburg!

#83: James Cafe

Date Visited: 25 November 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Out of nowhere, sometime in the last month, the James Cafe popped up next door to Moe's in the Marketplace at Potomac Station shopping center. Leesburg already has lots of choices for Chinese food: Jasmine, China King, Golden China, Tai Pei Cafe, and Mandarin Express (not reviewed yet). Additionally, we have many Asian-style restaurants that offer some Chinese dishes: Pei Wei, J&W Asian Bistro, Thai Pan, Aiyara Thai, Xuan Saigon, and Red Apple Buffet. So how will James Cafe fit in?

The James Cafe menu is full and has all the expected Chinese favorites; they also offer some items that are not common, such as Mei Fun and Ho Fun. For this visit, we both ordered from the "Chef Special" section of the menu, for takeout. I got the "Kung Pao Triple Delight", which consisted of chicken, beef, and shrimp. It had a mild spiciness that was enjoyable. Wendy got the "Orange Chicken" but didn't notice the little "spicy" icon next to the name on the menu. It was very good but a little too spicy for her; I loved it! It was maybe the best Orange Chicken I've ever had! One thing I noticed is that they used jalapeno peppers instead of the usual red chili peppers. We also got a couple of egg rolls and a complimentary Hot and Sour soup. All good!

James Cafe also has an interesting web site, in that it consists of one page with four JPG images of the printed menu, and that's all. I'm sure they'll add some more interesting content soon.

Next time you're in the Potomac Station area, stop in and try the James Cafe, a local business!

Location: 671 Potomac Station Dr. NE, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://linjamescafe.com/

Total bill: $26.80 + $5.00 tip = $31.80

#82: Galletta's Pasta & Italian Specialties

Date Visited: 23 October 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: According to their web site, Galletta's has been in Leesburg since 2005, but somehow I never noticed them. Recently, my friend Micah enthusiastically recommended Galletta's after reading this blog, so I had to check them out.

Micah highly recommended the di Parma sandwich, so I went to Galletta's on this Saturday afternoon and got one. The di Parma is described on the menu as "Thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma, roasted red peppers, basil pesto, fresh mozzarella di bufala, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil." It's served on ciabatta from South Street Under. Wow - it was great! The combination of flavors was superb, with the prosciutto and basil pesto dominating. Yum!

Galletta's is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, but only Friday and Saturday for dinner. The dinners are Trattoria-style, and the menu changes every week. Since I'd had such a good experience for lunch, I went home and brought Wendy and Andy back for dinner!

When you show up for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night, you are immediately greeted with "choose your wine." The wines are mostly all Italian and all are on display in the first-floor shop. They don't serve any wine by the glass, so you have to buy a whole bottle, but there are plenty at very reasonable prices (some under $10), and you get to take the bottle home, so it's no big deal. I selected a 2006 Aia Vecchia Lagone (about $20). As for my teetotalling companions, Wendy got a San Benedetto Peach Ice Tea, and Andy got a San Benedetto bottled water. Once you've selected your beverages, you head upstairs to the small dining room. With our beverages came some bread (also from South Street Under) with olive oil, which was a perfect starter.

For appetizers, Wendy got the Antipasto plate ("a selection of cheeses, cured meats, marinated vegetables, etc."); ours came with prosciutto, salami, 4 kinds of olives, Romano Peccorino cheese, artichokes, and roasted red peppers. We all shared - Andy said "It's good", and Wendy said "Delicious" and liked the artichokes the best. Andy and I got the Spring Mix Salad, which was an unusual mix of arugula, radiccio, carrots, celery, mozzarella, tomato, house vinagrette. It was good.

We all got different entrees so we could share. I got Galletta's Homemade Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce, which turned out to be everyone's favorite. Wendy got the Penne All' Amatriciana ("a tomato based sauce with pancetta, crushed red pepper, and Peccorino Romano cheese"), and Andy got the Cotto Pizza ("Marinara sauce, Italian Fontina cheese, & thin slices of Italian Prosciutto Cotto"). He didn't like it very much, not being used to fancy, real Italian pizzas.

Overall, we enjoyed everything and can heartily recommend Galletta's for lunch or dinner - and they have a great and informative web site! Support this Leesburg treasure!

Location: 211 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://gallettas.com/

Total bill: $88.40 + $16.00 tip = $93.74

#81: Aiyara Thai Restaurant

Date Visited: 16 October 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Aiyara Thai is Leesburg's newest restaurant, open for about a week as of our visit. It's great to have another Thai restaurant in Leesburg, especially since Tup Tim Thai closed a couple of years ago. We also have Thai Pan, but this story is about Aiyara Thai...

We went on a Friday night at about 7:30 PM, and the place was packed - a good sign!

We began with the Thai Sampler appetizer plate ("Combination of Satay, Crispy Rolls, Fried Tofu, Steamed Dumplings, and Fried Calamari.") The rolls were very delicate and crispy, the calamari good, and the satay had a great grilled taste. I also got a Thai Ice Tea and Wendy got a pot of the premium Jasmine tea, which came in the coolest elephant teapot!



For our entrees, we ordered from the Chef's Special section of the menu (we'll have to come back again to try the standards, like Pad Thai). I got the Four Buddies ("A combination of shrimp, chicken, beef and pork sauteed with carrot, baby corn, mushroom, snow pea tomato and cashew nuts in chef's special sauce.") The veggies were nice and crisp, and the meats were perfectly seasoned with the tangy sauce. Wendy got the Crispy Duck ("Roasted crispy duck (boneless) served with crispy noodles and Thai sweet soy sauce.") This dish consisted of a HUGE portion of duck that was very tender and made unique with the crispy coating and wonderful, slightly spicy sauce. Happy tummies ensued!

A refreshing part of the experience was the very pleasant, courteous, and friendly service we received from our server, Goy, and the rest of the wait staff. She really made our visit a memorable one.

Support our newest Leesburg restaurant and enjoy Aiyara Thai soon!

History lesson: Aiyara Thai is located in the building that formerly hosted Peppermill Grill (lasted about a year); before that it was Zeffirelli's (lasted a couple years), and before that it was Waffle King's Virginia Kitchen (lasted many years).

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

Web site: http://aiyarathairestaurant.com/

Total bill: $64.89 + $15.00 tip = $79.89

UPDATE, 11 December 2009:
We visited again on a Friday night and tried some other selections. We first tried a couple of soups - Wendy had the Coconut soup with chicken, and I got the Lemongrass soup with shrimp (spicy heat just right). For entrees, Wendy had the "Valcano Chicken" (nicely flavored through, with sticky rice and extra spicy sauce). I had the Panang Curry with pork (very generous portion). For dessert, we were offered the Mango Sticky Rice - nice treat! Everything was delicious, and the service superb. We can highly recommend you visit Aiyara Thai!

#80: The Coffee Bean

Date Visited: 3 October 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: The Coffee Bean is one of those original Leesburg landmarks. It is the original coffee shop in Leesburg, located in Historic Downtown Leesburg, and a must-see tourist attraction if you're visiting. The Coffee Bean is small inside, but is instantly warm, cozy, and inviting.

The Coffee Bean used to have it's own old time roaster (named "Plutonius") running inside the place, but it's gone now. I can't find any trace of it online except for this comment on fairtradecoffee.org: "The Coffee Bean Of Leesburg is famous for its rich dark brew, Using Plutonius, one of the first dual drum roasters designed in the 1800's, the slow roasting over a gas fire extracts the fullest."

I usually go to the Coffee Bean on Saturday mornings and get the flavored coffee of the day. On this visit, I got Chocolate Macadamia Nut - yum!

Support our local businesses and get yourself a great cup of coffee at The Coffee Bean!

Location: 110 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $1.79

#79: Angeethi

Date Visited: 26 September 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, & friends Jim & Teresa

Experience: Leesburg now has two Indian restaurants: Angeethi, and the Indian Restaurant and Grocery (reviewed on 8 February 2009). Angeethi actually has three locations, the new one here in Leesburg, one in Herndon, and one in Bethesda. We've visited Leesburg's Angeethi just a few times since they opened, and for this official blog visit invited our friends Jim and Teresa. We all agreed to order different items so we could share and try them all.

Wendy, not wanting anything too spicy, got the Sheesh Kabob Tandoori ("Succulent rolls of minced lamb blended with herbs and spices then shaped on a skewer and barbecued.") She said it was "tasty."

Teresa, also not wanting anything too spicy, got the Murg Makhini ("Barbecued chunks of boneless chicken breast cooked in a fresh tomato-based curry sauce with a touch of butter.") Commonly known as "Butter Chicken", it had a creamy orange/red sauce. She liked it a lot. This was also Wendy's personal favorite!

Jim got the Lamb Chop Masala ("Tender rack of Imported Australian Lamb half done in Tandoori then sautéed with onions, ginger, and garlic in creamy curry sauce.") The meat was perfectly falling off the bones. It had a little spiciness to it, and the sauce was great.

I got the Rogan Josh ("Chunks of leg of lamb simmered to perfection in a creamy yogurt curry sauce with a hint of basil.") This dish was the spiciest of the ones we ordered (only mild, really), and therefore was my favorite!

We also sampled two kinds of Naan: Garlic ("Leavened bread stuffed with garlic flat bread"), and Cheese ("Leavened white flour flat bread stuffed with cheese and spices.") They were both good additions to the meal, but the Garlic was my favorite.

Everyone did try everything, and it was all wonderful! We enjoyed outstanding service; our server very patiently answered all of our questions, made recommendations when we couldn't make up our minds, and did so with such style (and great humor). Angeethi provided us with a very enjoyable experience, and we will certainly be visiting again soon - try it yourself!

Location: 17 Catoctin Cir., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://angeethiva.com/

Total bill: $72.80 + $20.00 tip = $92.80

#78: La Villa Roma Restaurant & Pizzeria

Date Visited: 26 August 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience:

La Villa Roma has been in Leesburg for as long as we have lived here (about 21 years now), the only restaurant in the Tollhouse Shopping Center. It's your basic casual family-style restaurant and pizza place, offering both dine-in and takeout. It's a very popular place for after-Soccer game celebrations and such, and it's normally a busy, noisy place! We've eaten there many times over the years, and now it's time for the official blog report.

On this visit, we decided to get a variety of items to sample and discuss. Here's what we got:

* Large pizza with pepperoni, bacon, and green bell pepper. Andy (our pizza maker) said it was OK.
* Steak Philly Cheese sub, with onion rings. I ate most of this myself; it was good, and the onion rings were not bad either.
* Order of 10 wings with Garlic sauce. Good.
* Free Garlic Bread with melted Mozzarella. Via a coupon. It was OK too; we couldn't finish much of it before our entrees arrived.

Overall, La Villa Roma is a fine place to go for a relaxing time, a good (but not outstanding) meal, at a good value.

Location: 305G E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://lavillaroma.net/

Total bill: $43.93 + $8.00 tip = $51.93

#77: Cold Stone Creamery

Date Visited: 13 August 2009

Meal: Dessert

Diners: 5 - Me, Wendy, Andy, Eric, & Alicia

Experience: As I've written before, I not much of an ice cream man, but it seems everybody I know loves the stuff. Wendy had a $15.00 gift card for Cold Stone Creamery, and the whole family was home, so off we went in search of ice cream adventure. Besides Cold Stone Creamery, the other primary ice cream places in Leesburg are Milwaukee Frozen Custard (reviewed 21 February 2009), Razzle Dairy Bar (reviewed 13 June 2009), and Baskin-Robbins (colocated with Dunkin' Donuts - not yet reviewed). Cold Stone Creamery is situated in between Starbucks and Quiznos in a building in the middle of Battlefield Shopping Center, and aims for the high end of the ice cream spectrum.

I got a "small" (i.e., big) scoop of Coffee Lovers Only ("Coffee Ice Cream, Roasted Almonds, Heath Bar, Caramel") in a cup. This flavor is part of their Signature Creations, which are hand-mixed to order; from the web site: "By mixing nuts, fruits and candy into our smooth and creamy ice cream on a frozen granite stone (around here, we call it “the stone”) we're actually more like ice cream artists." Well, it was extremely good!

Wendy got a medium-size Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip ("Mint Ice Cream, Chocolate Chips, Brownie, and Fudge"). In her words, it was "delish", but so sad, it was more than she could finish - boo hoo!

Alicia got a scoop of Strawberry Banana Rendezvous ("Strawberry Ice Cream, Graham Cracker Pie Crust, White Chocolate Chips, Strawberries, and Banana") in a waffle cone. In her words, it was "utterly amazing". Now that's high praise, coming from a very discerning ice cream palate.

I don't remember what the boys got, but they were equally amazing selections.

Our experience seems to prove that Cold Stone Creamery is in fact "the place to indulge your ice cream dreams."

Location: 1013 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

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

Total bill: $32.46 - $15.00 gift card = $17.46

#76: Pizza Hut

Date Visited: 26 July 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Finally we come to Pizza Hut's "mother ship". I've already written about Pizza Hut Express (reviewed 9 November 2008) and Pizza Hut WingStreet (reviewed 26 June 2009), so now I'll finish with the original Pizza Hut in Leesburg. There's not that much to say; it's a national chain restaurant, and the quality is pretty consistent wherever you go. But I have to visit EVERY restaurant in Leesburg, so here we go...

I got an order of 10 Medium Buffalo Wings, bone-in style. They're not bad at all, in fact, I'm starting to really like them when I'm in the mood for wings. Wendy got a Medium Super Supreme, which is sort of our favorite kind of pizza anyway. It was all good.

The only thing that bugged me was that they were offering a $14.99 + $2.00 delivery online special for the combination that we ordered, but I really wanted to go pick it up instead of have it delivered (too often there are problems). I was frustrated to find that there was no way to choose pickup instead of delivery when ordering online. So I abandoned the online order and just called it in. I was surprised to find it was so much more without the special; I could have paid $9.00 less by going ahead with delivery and giving the same amount of tip. Oh well.

Pizza Hut - for when you want, um, pizza.

Location: 505A E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://pizzahut.com/

Total bill: $26.01 + $5.00 tip = $31.01

#75: Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Date Visited: 26 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: I was on my own for lunch on this Sunday afternoon, and tired from getting up early to play bass with our church's worship team. I was pretty hungry too. I had been meaning to give the Tropical Smoothie Cafe a try, so I went for it. It's one of the newer restaurants in Leesburg and shares a building with Tenderjacks (reviewed on 29 August 2008). It turns out that Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national chain, and according to their web site (very Flash-y), they currently have 275 restaurants open and 80 more in development in 34 states.

On this visit i got a Buffalo Chicken Wrap ("Chicken Breast Strips, Romaine Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese, Hot Buffalo Sauce & Light Ranch Dressing. Wrapped in a White Tortilla.") It was good but not great. Of course I had to try a smoothie, so I got a Blimey Limey ("Strawberries, Pineapples, Orange, & Lime"). It was very good; I could really appreciate and taste all the fresh fruit, freshly prepared. All this came as a combo, which included some chips (Nachos Doritos).

Tropical Smoothie Cafe's food is OK, but if you've got a hankerin' for a big fruity smoothie, give they're the place to go.

Location: 505A E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/

Total bill: $10.84

UPDATED 29 August 2010: Corrected the comment about sharing a building with Pei Wei; Tropical Smoothies actually shares the building with Tenderjack's.

#74: Puccio's New York Deli

Date Visited: 25 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Puccio's opened in 2003, and its popularity has grown mainly by word of mouth rather than massive advertising. Because of this, I think Puccio's is another one of the hidden gems in Leesburg's collection of restaurants. Their web site says that their motto is "Big city taste without the traffic," and their mission is to "Serve Quality Food for Great Prices." My experience confirms that they are hitting the mark on both counts. Puccio's is located on south Loudoun Street, across from another recently reviewed gem, The Cajun Experience.

All of the Puccio's Special sandwiches have interesting names in line with the New York/Italian deli theme. On this visit I ordered the Hambino ("Maple Honey Ham, Bacon & American cheese, topped with lettuce, tomatoes & Ranch dressing, served hot on a sub roll.") The ham and bacon combination was very tasty, and overall the sandwich was great. I also ordered a side of Homemade Cole Slaw, which was fresh, crispy, and just right.

Puccio's also has a great web site, chock-full of delicious menu items and other information. Stop by and support this great local restaurant!

Location: 15 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://puccios-deli.com/

Total bill: $9.22

#73: South Street Under

Date Visited: 3 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: South Street Under was born about ten years ago, originally intended as just a place to bake great breads and make specialty desserts, an extension of the kitchen for the Tuscarora Mill ("Tuskie's") restaurant. On the Tuskie's web site, South Street Under is simply referred to as the "Bakery". South Street Under gets its name from the fact that they are physically located under Tuskie's, in Leesburg's Market Station shopping center. On Sout Street Under's own web site, it is self-described as a "Perfect Blend of Bakery, Deli, Custom Cakes Design, Coffee House, and Take Out." Taking advantage of the Independence Day holiday (July 3 this year), we decided to go out to lunch on this beautiful Summer afternoon; the weather was perfect, making the experience all the more enjoyable in the outdoor seating.



I ordered a New England Clam Chowder appetizer, which was nice and chunky. Wendy got a bowl of Chilled Tomato Gazpacho, which was crisp, chunky in its own way, and in her words, "wonderful!" We both got the Special sandwich of the day, which was Grilled Chicken, bacon, avocado, lettuce, and tomato on ciabatta bread. The sandwich was quite delicious, the bacon being good and salty, the avocado perfect, and the chicken just right. We didn't know it at the time, but the web site says that South Street Under is "famous for our great Italian flat bread 'Ciabatta'" - and it was great. Everything we had was fresh and delicious.

Go out and support this great local restaurant!

Location: 203 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://southstreetunder.com/

Total bill: $27.02 + $5.00 tip = $32.02

#72: Pizza Hut - WingStreet

Date Visited: 26 June 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Ubiquitous Pizza Hut has three locations in Leesburg: the original one on Market Street (not reviewed here yet), Pizza Hut Express (inside Target), and the newest one, Pizza Hut - WingStreet. This location is a small, take-out only operation, but offers pretty much the full Pizza Hut menu, featuring the new chicken wing offerings. Pizza Hut stores that serve the wings now have the "WingStreet" logo/sign outside. Pizza Hut is owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., that also operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and A&W restaurants.



On this visit, we only needed a light dinner, so I got a ten piece order of medium-hot Buffalo wings (crispy, bone-in), Wendy got a ten piece order of Garlic Parmesan wings (crispy, bone-in), and Alicia got a personal-size "PANormous" pizza with cheese and chicken. We took it home and ate it all while watching "Raising Arizona" (highly recommended). It was all good.

So, for all your pizza and wing needs... whatever.

Location: 300 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Suite 101, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://pizzahut.com/

Total bill: $20.59 + $5.00 tip = $25.59

#71: Red Kabob

Date Visited: 19 June 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: I just discovered yet another new restaurant in Leesburg as I was leaving Starbucks last night. Tucked away in a corner of Bellewood Commons, Red Kabob had their Grand Opening on May 30th, and was attended by the mayor! Somehow I missed it. Red Kabob specializes in Mediterranean food, and is a family-run business. Husband and wife team Jon and Rana Younes, who are from Jordan, run the place and provide the most friendly service and welcoming atmosphere that you will find in this town!

We ordered the #4 Lamb Kabob ("Fresh tender chunks of lean Lamb Fillet which have been marinated in our own special sauces") and the #5 Ground Beef and Chicken Kabobs combo ("We grind our own beef then mix it with onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, and koobiden seasoning then marinate in our own special sauces; Fresh chunks of Chicken which have been marinated in our own special sauces").

We were "mmm"-ing and "ahh"-ing throughout the meal, just savoring the delicious and unique flavors of the three meats that we tried. It was pure pleasure. Both dishes came with a couple a dipping sauces; a spicy green one with mint, and a white yogurt-based one. They also come with a large pita bread (fresh from a local bakery), perfect Basmati rice (with a bit of nutmeg sprinkled on top), and a generous side salad.

For dessert we had a yummy kind-of-like-baklava-but-not-as-sweet pastry thing with a nice flaky crust and a pistachio filling. Hard to describe, but easy to enjoy.

To top off the experience, they have free WiFi, and a great web site with a friendly video greeting/introduction.

Red Kabob is another great locally owned and operated restaurant that we hope you'll visit. We hope to see you there sometime!

Location: 521A E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://redkabob.com/

Total bill: $33.37 + $5.00 tip (cash) = $38.37

#70: La Lou Bistro Restaurant & Lounge

Date Visited: 14 June 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: La Lou is another new Leesburg restaurant, open for about a month now, and occupying the former location of Market Street Coffee (next door to the Tally Ho Theater). La Lou is self-described as offering "a wide variety of modern American and Mediterranean cuisine such as: pizzas, pasta, seafood, lamb, steaks, burgers, paninis and much more…" I'll say right here at the start that our experience was so good, I hardly know where to start - we were quite impressed! From the minute we walked in, we were warmly greeted and welcomed by owner and head chef Driss Lahlou. The weather was perfect on this Sunday afternoon, so we took the offer of outside seating, which overlooks the Leesburg Town Hall Green, where they hold the Acoustic on the Green concerts.

We started off with some refreshing iced tea to drink. Driss then brought out some bread - not just any kind of bread - this was a pizza-style fried flat bread with a light topping of herbed cheese, along with an absolutely delicious olive tapenade. We suspected that the tapenade was homemade too, and this was confirmed when Lahlou's business partner Mohamed Touzani came out to our table for a visit. An incredibly delicious way to begin our meal!



The La Lou lunch menu included not only the regular lunch items, but also a special Saturday and Sunday brunch menu. I ordered from the brunch menu and got the Steak & Egg ("Strip steak with two eggs any style & home fries"). The steak was surprisingly tender, and a very generous portion. Wendy was more adventurous and ordered one of the specials of the day, called the Bistro Trio - and what a special it was! It featured chicken stuffed with sausage on a bed of pasta with a slightly spicy tomato sauce, a filet mignon on a bed of home fries, a small kebab with shrimp and grape tomatoes, and a side of green beans. Every bit of it was amazingly tasty! The stuffed chicken was a real treat, expertly prepared. Every detail seemed perfect, even the green beans - cooked just right.

Overall, we had a completely satisfying and pleasant dining experience in every dimension - the food was great, the service superb, the weather wonderful, and the company lovely (my honey!) Driss invited us to come back anytime! If you want to have this unique dining experience for yourself, visit La Lou as soon as possible. Support this truly great local Leesburg restaurant!

Plus, they have a great web site, unusual for many new restaurants.

Location: 19 W. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://laloubistro.com/

Total bill: $43.29 + $12.00 tip = $55.29

#69: Razzle Dairy Bar

Date Visited: 13 June 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Alicia

Experience: Razzle is a great little local business, located in the Virginia Village shopping center since about 2006. Although it's primarily about ice cream, we checked out their lunch menu on this visit. The name Razzle supposedly comes from the Razzle machine, like the McDonald's McFlurry.

I had a Chili Cheese Dog, which was filled to overflowing with chili and cheese so you have to eat it with a knife and fork, just the way it should be. Alicia had the Chicken and Fries, which turned out to be chicken chunks. We got a couple of classic sodas in glass bottles: I had a Stewarts Classic Cream Soda, and Alicia had an 8 oz. Classic Coke. Yum!

We've been to Razzle plenty of times before for ice cream, and they have pretty much anything you want. Razzle is a very popular place for soccer and little league baseball after-game treats, as evidenced by the hoardes of little kids we saw running around the place.

Support another local Leesburg restaurant, and give Razzle a try!

Location: 13 Fairfax St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $13.04

#68: Leshers

Date Visited: 30 May 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Andy & Alicia

Experience: Leshers Coney Island Style Dogs & Burgers has been open in the heart of downtown Leesburg for about a month. According to the Washington Post, "Owner and Brambleton resident Dennis Martz said he mirrored Leshers after a similar hot dog eatery in his hometown of Reading, Penn. In fact, even the Berks hot dogs and many of the sodas he serves are manufactured in Reading, he said." Their hours are somewhat limited at this time (11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday - Saturday), but perhaps they'll be open later for special events this summer.



Leshers is all about simplicity; there are only four food items on the menu (see photo):
#1: Mustard, chili sauce, & onions, $2.20
#2: Mustard & sauerkraut, $2.20
#3: Plain, $2.00
#4: Hamburger with mustard, chili sauce, & onions, $2.80

Leshers also offers several kinds of canned sodas, plus the specialty bottled Reading Soda in various flavors.

I had a #1, Andy had a #2, and Alicia had two #3s (unusually big appetite that day!) We forgot to try the Reading Soda, but will certainly do so on our next visit. And yes, there will certainly be a next visit.

The best thing about Leshers is that the food is good and cheap! Visit today and support this locally-owned and operated restaurant!

Location: 28 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: none (yet)

Total bill: $10.95

#67: Fractured Prune

Date Visited: 30 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 2 - Me & Alicia

Experience: Another new addition to Leesburg's restaurant lineup, the Fractured Prune is a unique type of donut shop. Their main uniqueness is that donuts are made to order while you wait, so they're always fresh and warm - no donuts sitting on shelves. The donuts are hand-made and dipped in various toppings. There are many standard combinations with crazy names like "Creamsicle", "Morning Buzz", "Ms. Prunella", and "Myrna Medley". You can also create your own custom combinations. The Fractured Prune also serves a small variety of sandwiches and hot dogs.

Alicia had one of the specialty donuts called the "OC Sand". They were also handing out small samples of this one the day we visited. It was pretty good.



Not being a hard core donut man, I ordered the Breakfast Club (ham, egg, cheese, and bacon on a bagel), and a coffee. The sandwich was also hot and made fresh, but kind of bland. I asked for salt and pepper and they seemed kind of surprised, and an employee went off in search of some, eventually finding a couple of small packets. The bagel tasted like it was bought next door at Bloom.

I guess I'll have to come back again with some donut-loving people and give the Fractured Prune another chance. Visit their web site and discover where their unusual name comes from! I also learned from their site that Fractured Prune is a chain, with restaurants in several eastern states.

Location: 828 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://fracturedprune.com/

Total bill: $9.65

#66: The Cajun Experience

Date Visited: 29 May 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: It's always fun to check out a brand-new restaurant, so we were really looking forward to visiting one of Leesburg's newest, The Cajun Experience. Especially after fellow blogger Tara commented on her experience there (pardon the pun), we were eager to try it ourselves. The Cajun Experience bills itself as a "taste of South Louisiana". The interior is simple, unadorned, and unpretentious, yet there is just a hint of Louisiana atmosphere inside.

We began with an appetizer of Boudin Balls (two), which are deep-fried crunchy round balls of ground pork and onion, served with a dipping sauce - delicious!

For the main course, I had the Seafood Gumbo ("Mixture of crab, shrimp and crawfish, cooked in a dark roux with a mixture of the “trinity” (bell pepper, onion, celery) with hints of garlic"). Nice and hot, with perfectly balanced flavors. Wendy had the Shrimp Maque Choux ("A flavorful, spicy shrimp dish with corn, tomatoes, and peppers; presented over a bed of rice that's signature of the Lafayette Parish Bayous"). I didn't really get to try much of it, as she liked it a lot and there were no leftovers! It wasn't too spicy either.

For dessert, we ordered the highly-recommended Beignets ("Fritter-like doughnuts paired with bold coffee with chicory that's reminiscently familiar to mornings in the French Quarter") and cafe au lait. The Beignets were marvelously warm and yummy!

The experience (pun again, sorry) was completed by the excellent attention of our server, Schuyler. We also got a visit from the Chef as he made the rounds, greeting the diners; we found out he is actually from Louisiana, which accounts for the authentic, flavorful dishes we tried. Unlike many smaller, family-run restaurants, The Cajun Experience has a good web site too, with the current lunch and dinner menus to salivate over!

Support local restaurants and experience (sorry) The Cajun Experience today!

Location: 14 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://cajunexperience.biz/

Total bill: $43.86 + $ 10.00 tip = $53.86

#65: Dunkin' Donuts

Date Visited: 6 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Dunkin' Donuts is, of course, everywhere, so Leesburg has one too. The current slogan is "America runs on Dunkin'". Ours is colocated with a Baskin-Robbins; Dunkin' Brands is the parent company for both.

On this visit I got a combo with an everything bagel, cream cheese, and a coffee (I don't need the extra sugar of a donut right now). It was a nice breakfast snack on the drive to work. I've also had their iced coffee (which I learned to love while in Japan), and it's pretty good on a hot day.

For donuts, bagels, and great coffee, Dunkin' is the place!

Location: 521 J E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://dunkindonuts.com/

Total bill: $4.00

#64: McDonalds (Edwards Ferry Rd.)

Date Visited: 5 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: For completeness' sake, I have to visit every restaurant in Leesburg, and that includes McDonalds. I last visited our other McDonalds (Market St.) back on 24 April 2008. This time I got the same thing: the McSkillet Burrito with Steak, and an upgrade to a large coffee.

For purposes of my quest, McDonalds is all done!

Location: 965 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://mcdonalds.com/

Total bill: $4.86

#63: Spanky's Shenanigans

Date Visited: 3 May 2009

Meal: Lunch

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

Experience: Spanky's Shenanigan's is another Leesburg establishment that's been here as long as we've lived here. On their web site, Spanky's claims to be "Leesburg's Oldest Pub". Spanky's has undergone a significant makeover in recent times, recasting itself as a more family-friendly restaurant rather than just a neighborhood bar. Their current slogan is "Good Food - Good Music - Good Times", and their new Mission Statement(!) is "Get Relaxed, Get Your Belly Full, Have Fun, Try our Variety of Beverages & Let Spanky's Take Care of Business." Not normally frequenting this kind of place, with much fear and trepidation I took my family here for lunch on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the first thing to greet us upon entering the place was the strong smell of cigarette smoke, even though the dining area is advertised as smoke-free from 11 AM to 9 PM. However, we braved this first obstacle and decided to give them a try. Spanky's menu has a relatively good selection of appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta, and seafood specials.

We got "Spanky's Onion Ring Thang" for an appetizer (although I couldn't bring myself to say "thang" to our server, and substituted "thing"). It's basically a plate of oversized onion rings (about eight), and it was all the greasy goodness you'd expect. For my lunch, I got the "Spanky's Steak & Cheese Sub"; good, but kind of average. Wendy got a bowl of Irish Potato Chowder, with big chunks of potato and toppings of bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions. Her comment: "I like all the stuff"; I had a small taste and it was good. She also got the "General Jubilee" (ham, turkey, and bacon sandwich). Her comment: "nice fat sandwich!" Andy got the "Pub Burger" (8 oz. burger with bacon and cheddar cheese extras), which he judged as "average". Alicia got adventurous and ordered a Caesar salad (dressing a bit bland), and a bowl of Spanky's Chili ("flavorful").

Overall, a few of the food items were pretty good, but most were average. As non-smokers, the atmosphere was a bit hard to take, but hey, it's a bar! In warmer weather, there is seating out in the back, and there are other seafood specials from time to time. If any of this sounds interesting, check it out for yourself!

Location: 538 E. Market St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://spankyspub.net/

Total bill: $49.91 + $10.00 tip = $59.91