701 9th Street NW  Washington, D.C. 20001
202-638-0800
www.zaytinya.com

Zaytinya means olive oil in Turkish. The wild olive trees originated in Asia Minor, today’s Turkey, five thousand years ago and they have been spreading around the world ever since. Today 95% of the world’s olive trees are cultivated in the Mediterranean region and the oil of this bountiful fruit acts as the binding agent for the majority of the common dishes cooked in the region.

7960 Crescent Park Drive Gainesville
571.248.0660
www.desideriorestaurant.com

Northern Virginia. It is known as the lover’s state, has some of the most historical areas in the country and is famous for its wineries, and gorgeous sceneries. Lastly and most importantly, NOVA is home to a host of wonderful culinary gems hidden away inside the plethora of mini malls that dot the landscape. While this phenomenon is more apparent east of Manassas, things seem to be changing for those of us living in historically overlooked areas. Enter Desiderio, a new Italian restaurant in Gainesville that I happened upon a few days ago. Like so many other NOVA hotspots, Desiderio is located in a mini mall.

20693 Ashburn Road, #100
Ashburn
703.726.1045
mediterraneanbreezeashburn.com

Greek and Italian cooking are two of the major cuisines of the world. So why would anyone decide to merge the two? I do not know the answer to that, but the end result is a menu with more than a hundred items. I did not try anyone of the Italian foods off the menu, but concentrated on the Greek dishes that are native to the owner’s country of origin.

21100 Dulles Town Circle
Dulles
703.574.4740
vapianointernational.com/vapiano

Vapiano is an international restaurant phenomenon growing very rapidly in more than 17 countries. Their growth plans are very aggressive within the US, especially in Virginia and Maryland areas with the additions of Reston, Georgetown, Bethesda and Baltimore locations to the existing four.

I first started to go to CafeSano 5 years ago during lunches when I was working off Wiehle Avenue. I was so impressed with the quality and freshness of the food that I took my family for dinner and we have been going back ever since.

I recently went back to taste my favorites again. Before we get to the food, let’s talk about the ambiance. CafeSano is tucked away in an older looking strip mall. The entire strip mall looks like it needs a new façade, but don’t let that scare you away. Inside CafeSano is very modern, neat and clean.

When you enter inside, all of the food items are visible through the large glass case for your visual pleasure. Ordering brick over pizzas is also made easy for you with pre-set combinations like Pollo (chicken) or Margherita (basil and tomatoes).

Gather around this cauldron for your family feast

Kazan in the Turkish language means “a large cauldron” and it is generally associated with plentiful food shared by large crowds of people or families. Kazan Restaurant has been serving feasts to Fairfax families since 1980.

Owner Zeynel Uzun, who comes from a long line of famous cooks from Mengen, Turkey is ever present to oversee every detail of the restaurant as well as entertain the guests with his stories about his famous and political friends. We started our dinner with Kazan Meze Special appetizer. It is plentiful and served over a large plate that is ideal for sharing. Our family enjoyed sharing hummus, stuffed grape leaves “Dolmas”, feta cheese and circassian style chicken. Our kid’s favorites were the spicy Turkish sausage called “Sucuk” and the feta stuffed phyllo “Boreks” shaped like cigarettes. In fact, in Turkey they are called “Cigarette Boreks” and it is a favorite of kids’. The name is not surprising considering cigarettes were invented by Turks.

A Little Bit of Hamburg in the Heart of Leesburg

You know it was inevitable. First, England adopted curry as their national dish, and now it seems Turkish Döner became as German as strudel. Turks, who arrived in Germany as a supplemental work force after World War II, are now 3 million strong with 3rd and 4th generations having been born in the country.

Those of you who visited Germany may have seen Döner Houses at every street corner serving the Turkish version (the original) of gyro sandwiches. You now have a Loudoun County version in the heart of Leesburg, behind the government building and across from Market Station.

First thing you notice with this establishment is the silver colored Döner Kiosk outside that sits in the middle of a German biergarten. You order your food and beer(s) inside the adjacent building that seats up to 8 with re-used airplane seats (yes, you may still end up in the middle seat), with the outside biergarten providing supplemental seating. There are numerous German and Turkish beer selections including Warsteiner and the Turkish Efes, which is a great lager. From the menu, we tried Döner Sandwich, Döner Box and the Schnitzel.

A Persian Gem Hidden Among Commercial Buildings

Famous Persian poet Omar Khayyam wrote “If one may have a loaf of the flower of wheat - a two Maund jar of wine - a thigh of mutton - seated with a heart’s darling in a ruined place – that is a pleasure that is not the attainment of any Sultan.” You don’t have to be a Sultan to find 3 out of the 4 (bread, wine and mutton) at this Persian Kebab restaurant.