Food & Drink

Cured ham from a pig that was fed only acorns in life…Codfish jowls in a velvety sauce…and that quintessential Spanish comfort food, paella. These are some of the enticements you’ll encounter at SER, the new Ballston restaurant that celebrates Spanish family cooking...

If you’re more than a few years out of college, you may prefer wine with pizza instead of beer. But at a time where it’s hard to find a good glass of vino that doesn’t cost more than your appetizer—or your entrée, for that matter—pizza becomes an odd proposition: How do you reconcile a meal that’s supposed to be quick and cheap with a decent vintage that most assuredly is not? Ari Malcom, the CEO of Pizza Vinoteca, the New York-based chain that recently opened in Ballston, wants to absolve that inherent tension. “Pizza’s humble, simple—not expensive,” Malcolm says. Which is why he sampled more than 1,000 wines last summer to come up with a list of 36 wines by the glass that are all $10 or less ...

It’s too bad Mae West didn’t live to visit Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken—especially now that it’s opening a second location in Falls Church this summer. Because who can get enough of maple-bacon and crème-brulee doughnuts, or a fried-chicken doughnut sandwich? ...

George Pagonis, who oversees the kitchens at Ballston’s new Kapnos Taverna and also at Kapnos downtown, grew up in a thoroughly Greek household in Alexandria. His dad ran the now-shuttered Four Seasons Diner—an eatery in the tradition of New York and New Jersey diners “with tons of things on the menu,” and which always had Greek specials ...

Eating healthy during pregnancy isn’t easy when you’ve got ravenous food cravings combined with utter exhaustion...

Celebrate the season with these tasty and festive treats

BRIAN NOYES lives in Arlington’s Glebewood neighborhood, but his cult-status baked goods—including pies, cakes, cookies and a granola that Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern called “the best granola in North America”—are made in points west. Housed in a charmingly repurposed gas station in Warrenton, Noyes’ award-winning Red Truck Bakery takes its name from the cherry-hued 1954 Ford pickup truck parked out front, which Noyes bought from designer Tommy Hilfiger.

The former Top Chef contender has opened the first of three new restaurants in Arlington.

Every other weekend, Clarendon resident Tom Madrecki converts the living room of his small, one-bedroom apartment into a one-seating supper club for 12. Someday the enterprising 24-year-old hopes to open a legitimate restaurant. But for now the makeshift operation is his test kitchen ...

Soup for You - Need something to warm you up when temperatures start to dip? These steaming elixirs will have you feeling toasty in no time. Busara- 8142 Watson St., McLean, 703-356-2288; busara.com. The aromatic Thai tom ka gai ($4.75) is rich with ginger, cilantro, coconut milk and tender sliced chicken ...

Necessity is the mother of invention. Just ask Andie Nelson, who launched Creative Kids Kitchen three years ago while she was at home full time with her two young kids. “I started brainstorming how I could sign up people to come over to our house to do something fun and interesting,” says the Arlington mom, now 36. She decided to host a cooking playgroup for toddlers and their parents, inviting kids to get their hands dirty by mixing up batches of cupcakes and pizza bites. After three months of informal gatherings, Nelson felt she had enough interest to turn her hobby into a business. Creative Kids Kitchen now offers year-round classes for kids ages 18 months to 14 ...

Old school restaurants in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean that keep customers coming back.