Farmers Market Breakfast

Well, I am back from a slight hiatus at school and ready to eat some great breakfasts again!

To start, s slightly alternative Breakfasting Idea: Go to Breakfast at a Farmers Market!

Since I live in Fairfax, I went to the Saturday Fairfax Farmers Market. There were all sorts of vendors there, far beyond produce. Today there was a Celtic stand serving pasties (a traditional British pouch) stuffed with eggs, spinach and all sorts of other yummy things. There were obviously fresh fruits of all sorts but also bread and pastries stands, jam and honey stands, and some dipping stations at a few. A perfect break to your fast.

I never would've thought of eating breakfast there but I'd like to pass on the idea so that you too can enjoy it fully by making it a plan! If I go again I might bring my own little cup of greek yogurt to put fresh fruit, local honey, and homemade granola in as I walk around!

If you are in Fairfax, see below. If you live in a different part of Northern VA, check out the Farmers Market App for the iPhone or do a google search for your area. There are great ones around here!

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The city’s annual Farmers Market is held from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at Van Dyck Park on Old Lee Highway. For information, call 703-642-0128.

The Downtown Fairfax Coalition Community Market is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the corner of West and Main streets, near the Wachovia Bank. For information, call 703-430-6164.

The Sunday Farmers Market is held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays at the corner of Old Lee Highway and North Street, in the George Mason Square lot. For information, call 703-430-6164.

Virginia Kitchen

[Waffle King's] Virginia Kitchen is an old school greasy spoon and keeping it real. It is hilarious to see this type of place in a Virginia suburb strip mall. By the time you leave, you'll feel like you should be walking out into the main street of a small town.

The ladies with the hair parlor doos, fake nails, and aprons are priceless. There are pictures of friends and family on the menu. The only thing that makes you realize that you are still in Northern Virginia and not Podunk, Middle-of-Nowhere is that these pictures include almost every ethnicity!

As for food...

The home fries were shredded and crispy. The scrambled eggs were typical diner eggs. I've heard that their biscuits are not to miss (I missed them though) and they squeeze their own OJ.

One of my friends ordered the Cinnamon French Toast, a clear winner in her book. She loved them and, I have to say, they made me wish I had ordered them rather than my waffles.

The fresh fruit selection was surprisingly diverse and yummy. They do offer cereal which many places leave off the menu.

Steer clear of the regular waffles. I ate with two friends and two of us ordered the waffles. They were disappointingly thin and rubbery rather than thick and fluffy. And, worst part, the squares were small. I don't know about you but I like my squares big. And if they are going to be small, the crispy edges and fluffy insides better make up for their smallness. They didn't. They do offer a Belgian style which may be better.

Also steer clear of the turkey sausage. I didn't finish mine. It was dry and a little gross.

Seating is available at booths, tables, or the little bar. We ate on a weekday morning and had no trouble getting a seat. I've heard it gets a little packed on weekends... must be that suburban craving for that small town feel. It's here.

450 Elden St.
Herndon, VA 20170
(Be sure to note the picture at the top left. Though it is right on the road, it can be hard to see)

Anita's

Anita's is a local chain of authentic Mexican food. "Anita" was the owner's wife. Every single time I've been at Anita's, I've had a great meal and efficient service. They get it done.

Their breakfast menu is full of yummy choices. There are Mexican style favorites, some fun new Mexican options, and some American classics. I was happy with quality of something as simple as a two egg classic and equally as happy with the Santa Barbara Omelet, stuffed with guacamole. Their salsa is fresh and spicy. Listen to other options:

Machaca Burrito

Shredded beef or fresh pulled chicken and scrambled eggs wrapped in a flour tortilla. Served with refried beans, homefries and "New Mexico Style" red or green chile.

Mr. T Special

Sizzling strips of pork marinated in "New Mexico Style" red chile, grilled and served with two eggs any style, refried beans smothered with red chile, homefries and hot flour tortillas.

There is something about sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and refried beans that compliments breakfast food quite nicely. Piping hot and fast, Anita's breakfasts are just scrumptious. Their coffee is nothing to write home about but it isn't bad. They offer free chips and salsa with your meal which I declined. It was just a little too early to eat chips and salsa.

Anita's home fries are shredded potato, loose, and fried to a golden crisp. Sometimes this style of home fry lends itself to a disappointing uncooked potato under the crisp outer layer but Anita's has never failed to give a satisfyingly crisp serving through and through each time.

The Fairfax location opens at a painfully early 5 AM! Each location has different hours, so check before heading out.

Amphora

Oh Amphora... such an odd mixture of Greek and well, everything else. One of the only 24 hour sit down restaurants in the area (that is not a chain), Amphora captures much of the diner spirit in an eclectic and somewhat international style. Can you call it style? Well, go there and you decide. It suffers a bit from schizophrenia, as seen in the split dinning areas (one side diner, one side restaurant), the 42 page menu (ok maybe not 42 pages, but really... it goes on and on), or the choice between Mexican, Greek, Italian, and American fare (oh wait, do they have egg rolls?). Regardless, if you have a hankering for a cheap breakfast at any time of day or night, roll on over to Amphora and you can have it.

The food will definitely be prompt and hot. Fresh? Not so sure ... But shoot, who really needs fresh when you are eating fried eggs, fried bacon, fried potatoes and the like?! My server called me "honey" and my coffee cup and water glass were never empty. If you suffer from indecision like I do, prepare yourself here. Go decadent with the Banana's Foster French Toast, satisfy your picky eaters with "create your own omelet", Hollandaise lovers will be delighted with the entire section of the menu dedicated to the sauce, or go international with the Greek Pocket, Breakfast pizza, or Huevos Rancheros.

It is not McDonalds fast food, so don't expect to find a $1 menu but the prices are pretty reasonable ($5.50 - $10 for most; steak and crab obviously jack up the prices).

I've heard there is a weekend breakfast/brunch but haven't experienced it myself so I don't know if it is much different than the usual. Have you had it? They also have an entire bakery affiliated with the restaurant that has gotten good reviews.

I went to the location in Vienna. There is a cooler looking diner version in Herndon.

-- S. Coffin

Smith and Clarkson's

When traveling through middle-of-nowhere America, dining along your way usually produces restaurants in a particular mold: American staples (usually fried) on the menu and not so modern decor. Some of these places are real gems of *ahem* unhealthy, really tasty treats! Smith and Clarkson's fits the mold perfectly ... except that it is in Northern Virginia, right near an entrance to 495.

The inside is an awkward little 'L' shape, the ceiling seems too high, the lighting is industrial, the interior "design" is drab, and the people are ... well, I'll just say that I don't think they discuss cheerfulness and hospitality at their shift meetings. Our fellow diners were mostly men, many in jumpsuits. While you won't go there for the ambiance, it is a classic if you want really good diner food.

The ordering concept threw me off a little so let me prepare you. They have it set up for herding people through the restaurant. You are directed by half walls to the counter where menus, cashiers, and guests that entered behind you are all staring at you, waiting for your order. I stepped aside and let someone go ahead of me while I chose. They give you a number with your receipt which is called out either by the short order cooks or the cashier when ready.
The food was awesome, as evidenced by the fact that it was gone before I remembered to take a picture. They have quite the variety, from burritos to eggs Benedict to omelets. I ordered a Breakfast sandwich with egg, sausage, and cheese. Each was cooked to perfection, pipping hot, and obviously real (ie. not carton liquid 'egg').

My Breakfast mate ordered "Plate #5": Corned beef hash with 2 eggs and toast. While it was far too much food to eat in one sitting, the homemade corned beef hash (something I would not have ordered) was actually quite tasty and, to the connoisseur who ordered it, it was perfect! She got her eggs scrambled and they got another thumbs up there.
We saw some homemade muffins, shoved in a glass case up front (still in the pan ... I don't think presentation is much of a concern), and decided to test their baking skills as well. The muffin was very moist but way too sweet for my Breakfast mate.

At a neighboring table we watched as one gentleman consumed one of the "Plates" as well as the French Toast Combo, quite the feat considering the size of both of those things. At other tables the pancakes and omelets were hits with the kids. I am definitely coming back here to try the french toast, waffles, and pancakes. Their waffle is a made-from-scratch malted Belgian waffle cooked to a golden perfection. Their french toast looked thick, perfectly golden, and crispy. Their pancakes took up the entire plate and again, the golden color made my mouth water. They've got that griddle in the back in good hands!
And for you coffee shop die hards, they serve "Seattle's Best" and have local art for sale on the walls.

No frills, just enough grease .. a real winner in my book. Call me if you are going.

Mon. - Fri. 6am - 4pm
Sat. 7am - 4pm
Sun. 8am - 3pm
(They also deliver/carry out. Check out online ordering for quick service!)

--S.Coffin

Arties

Artie's ... If you've never been there for a meal, put it on your list. This restaurant, part of the Great American Restaurants (a local chain), is amazing and is a must in general. But to get to the point, they do an exceptional Brunch.

Only open for Brunch from 10:30am - 3pm on Saturdays and from 10am - 3pm on Sundays, Artie's keeps incredibly high standards for service, decor, and food. It is worth the wait to the weekend hours. From the time you walk in to the time you leave, you will get more than you could ever hope for in a casual dining experience. So much so that you almost feel as though you are in an upscale restaurant.

Its great for couples, singles, friends, and families with kids. The prices are a little more than your IHOP down the street but not by too much and the quality blows IHOP clear to Timbuktu. The ambiance is so cool. Its a classy New England Boathouse inside, with a deck, classic wooden boat models, and murals of boating scenes. Your hosts and servers are so happy, its almost ridiculous. Their smiles are infectious but they won't snuggle up to you or sing to you (ie. its not TGI Fridays).

Every dish I've had there for brunch is tastey. My favorite is the French Toast, thick and crunchy, with a granola crust, fried to perfection... I never knew french toast could taste so good. I don't especially like the way they do their scrambled eggs (in terms of texture) but they sure taste good. If you go for the Brioche French Toast Grand Slam, you get to taste the exceptional French toast, the eggs, the bacon (perfectly cooked), the home fries (I didn't know I liked home fries until I had these), and the yogurt dipping sauce. My other favorites are the Bubble and Squeak and the Brunch Crab cakes, both served on unbelievably fresh, moist, and flaky biscuits. But be adventurous, you won't be disappointed. And be sure to say yes to the offer of bread to start - warm lightly fried dough balls rolled in sugar and a dense breakfast loaf. Oh, and try some of their fun brunch drinks.

Always call ahead (703-273-7600) to Artie's, as they are often on a wait. Calling ahead gets your name on the list and starts your wait before you even get there. They only take reservations at off peak hours.

-- S. Coffin

Clifton Cafe

A cold, cold morning a few weeks ago I met a friend for breakfast in Clifton, VA. Tucked back in the woods of Northern Virginia, Clifton has kept a its small town appeal with a few cute shops and restaurants lining a main street.

Clifton Cafe opened during the financial crisis of last year and is still going strong. They are one of very few local places I know of offering savory breakfast crepes. The restaurant is tiny. My friend and I were the only people in there at first, but that quickly changed. It was definitely a rotating door of people moving in and out. Some stayed, many got theirs to go.

The workers, both of them, were very friendly and obviously personally involved in the restaurant in some respect. Both the cooks and the decor brought a casual, down to earth element to the cafe. The ambiance was friendly; it looked as though a local artist had done murals both outside and in. Guests have a choice of hard chairs and soft chairs.

My breakfast partner ordered "Matt's Meatless Mistake". This savory crepe is filled with olives, artichokes, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese. He laughed as he ordered it, saying he couldn't believe he just ordered a 'meatless mistake' but was delighted with the outcome. I decided on a custom crepe with spinach and swiss and some mango salsa (recommended by my cook). They cooked the crepes right there and brought them to our table. They were warm and fresh and full of flavor. The crepe wasn't too thick, as some places mistakenly make them. While the crepes aren't bursting with the stuffing, they don't skimp on the insides. They serve them very simply, with nothing extra. I can't wait to try one of the sweet crepes! The ones they have on the menu range from fresh to decadent.

The parking lot is small and the place itself is quite small so if they are busy, I imagine things get a little tight. The door kept opening and the cold air comes rushing in, so if you are staying to eat and it is cold out, be ready to keep your coat on. Oh, and the bathroom was uncomfortably freezing.

Schedule your breakfast with a little bit of time to walk around Clifton or drive down the road to see the horse farms and you will not be disappointed.

HOURS:
Mon.-Fri: 6 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Sat: 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Sun: 8 a.m.- 6 p.m

Most things under $9.
They take credit cards.
(also on Facebook)

--S.Coffin

Brooklyn Bagels, in Arlington at Courthouse

Remember the Soup Nazi? Well, if you want a bagel in Arlington County, you might relive that entire Seinfeld episode.
First you should know: they only take cash. Also, there are always lines. And you better bark off your order as quickly as possible. And no matter how perfect your order is they will still find something to ask you about, and get mad when you stammer a response. Plus, by the time I get there, they are always out of egg bagels.

But it's worth it. These are the best bagels I've have in NOVA. They use the New York cooking method, kettle boiled and then baked. That means they are crispy and blistered on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. They have lots of different cream cheeses. Smoked salmon, chive, roasted veggie, etc. When they make egg sandwiches, they cook the eggs right there. No microwaves. Everything is fresh and tasty.

The bagels are best when fresh out of the oven. As they cool they get much harder, and loose some of their flavor. Brave the Bagel Nazi, and stand in line, and order (and devour) it right there.


Brooklyn Bagels
2055 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 243-4442

Mon-Fri 6:30am- 5:00pm Sat-Sun 7:00am- 5:00pm
CASH ONLY

-- posted by M. Perry