Chef Geoff ’s Tysons is the antithesis of any national midrange restaurant. There is an actual chef named Geoff behind the establishment. He lives in Metro DC with his beautiful kids and internationally known TV anchor wife, Norah O'Donnell. He invests in this community, and he makes his livelihood from the four area restaurants that he opened. When you eat at his Tysons location, you feel like you are tasting gourmet versions of many of the familiar dishes, if not household favorites. I recently visited his location for a business lunch with three other welltraveled businessmen, including a discerning French citizen.

My family is an avid visitor to the Portrait Gallery and for years we parked our cars directly across from a historic looking carriageway portal that led into a beautiful courtyard. Th e sign outside said Poste and for the longest time, we thought this place was a private residence. Later on, we found out that it was actually the Poste Modern Brasserie that was located in the home of the original mail sorting room of the 1841 General Post Offi ce. Get it-La Poste in French means the post office. When you enter the courtyard of this stately stone building, you are greeted by the 16–foot cast-iron ceilings and skylights from the original post office that have been fully restored into an inviting dining room on raised platforms. Poste is committed to using organic and sustainable foods. In the courtyard, the chef’s garden is planted and tended by Chef Weland himself. I was told by my lovely waitress that seasonal herbs like chives, vegetables and greens are grown and harvested for immediate use in Poste’s dishes. During the cooler months, squashes and winter vegetables are grown and brought to your table for immediate consumption.

I recently went to Poste to have what it is called a “Power Lunch” for the curious amount of $20.09. As an appetizer I ordered the French Onion Soup served in the ornamental white soup bowls I am accustomed to seeing when I visit my old aunt in Istanbul. Th e French Onion Soup is served hot, with a delicious onion broth, day old French bread and aged Comté cheese, also known as the good old Gruyère. As an entrée, I selected the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad. Served over a very unusual rectangular shaped elongated fl at plate, the salad is separated into 3 sections. Starting from the left , you have a mix of lettuce and frisée topped with crumbled blue cheese. In the middle, you find more mix of lettuce topped with quail eggs and grilled green onions. Th e right hand side of the plate has additional salad mix topped with shaved country ham and avocado slices.

The North Dakota Farmers Union had a problem. They were not getting the recognition or price for their high quality products. They wanted to connect consumers and their money with high end food produced by American family farmers without the interference from the middleman. They decided to open a restaurant that showcased their high quality produce, meat and poultry products and that’s how Georgetown Waterfront gained Farmers & Fishers in June of 2006.

We all love our children, right? We want to feed them the best food possible. We also want to live long and healthy lives. Right? So if you have to eat cheeseburgers, wouldn’t you rather eat the ones that have been prepared with 100% USDA-certified organic, grass- fed, free-range beef that has been freshly ground on premise? How about having delicious fries that have been fried using heart-healthy olive oil? What if I tell you that you can have all of that, and eat it in buildings that are LEED certified to be environmentally friendly and non-hazardous? Elevation Burger, with its two existing locations and two additional ones planned for Northern Virginia in winter of 2009-10, is the place for you and your family.

I visited their Falls Church location during a lunch time rush on a week day and I could not believe the number of customers that packed the restaurant. The crowd was a good mix of business lunch goers and moms with their young ones. Staff is very friendly and helpful. You can have your choice of healthy soft drinks made with pure sugar cane or the usual Coca-Cola products. I tried their Elevation Burger that is served with double meat patties and double cheese (real cheddar), a Veggie Burger that had a fire roasted taste and french fries. I selected from a variety of toppings that are available including caramelized onions, pickles, ketchup and mayo. The difference of taste comes out with the quality of ingredients used in the construction of the burgers and the fries. The patties are flavorful and the melted cheddar actually tastes like a slice of cheese. The Veggie patty could have fooled me into thinking that I was eating a beef cheeseburger easily. And the fries tasted like the ones that my mother used to fry in olive oil for us when we were kids in Istanbul.

911 King Street  Alexandria,VA 22314
703-837-9117
www.majesticcafe.com
Majestic Café has been in operation on King Street since 1932. Starting in 2007, it has been operating with the addition of new investors, including Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and a very talented chef, Shannon Overmiller. I decided to give Majestic a try during a busy Friday lunch time.

As you enter this landmark, everything including the beautiful full bar looks the same, yet updated. The walls are painted with light-colored paint and the giant framed mirrors add depth to this narrow restaurant. In the tray ceiling, cascading dry wall is mixed with old style silver-colored metal panels. Directly in front of you is the open kitchen, slightly elevated and buzzing with the chef ’s energy. You look up one minute and she is Majestic Café has been in operation on King Street since 1932. Starting in 2007, it has been operating with the addition of new investors, including Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and a very talented chef, Shannon Overmiller. I decided to give Majestic a try during a busy Friday lunch time.