To have food and dining items happening in Fairfax and Loudoun listed free, mail to 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, or fax to 703-917-0991, or e-mail maweber@connectionnewspapers.com
Stella's Restaurant, across from the King Street Metro in Alexandria, will hold a benefit for the Alexandria Fire Department's "Be Safe" program on Sept. 11. All the day's sales will be donated to the "Be Safe" Coalition Fire Safety Education program. A silent auction will also be held Monday, Sept. 9, to Friday, Sept. 13, featuring items donated by local businesses. For more information, call 703-519-1946. Stella's Restaurant, 1725 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
The Landsdowne Grille will have a wine dinner scheduled in the private Vintage Room with resort wine sommelier Mary Watson-Delauder one Monday each month. Each dinner is designed to feature the tastes of a specific region for the evening and involves six to eight courses The room has a capacity of 16 people maximum, and the price per person ranges from $75-$100, all-inclusive. The evening also begins with a reception starting at 6:30 and continues till about 10:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-729-4073.
For the first time ever, Mount Vernon Estates is holding a fall Wine Festival and Sunset Tour on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4, 5 and 6, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets will be available through TicketMaster or at Mount Vernon's Main Gate beginning Sept. 1.
Because of the sell-out success of the spring wine festival, Mount Vernon decided to hold a fall version featuring wines from 16 award-winning Virginia wineries. There will also be historic interpreters, and Colonial-attired 18th-century friends of the Washington family will conduct special tours of the mansion through the evening, including the brick vaults where George Washington stored his wine.
Visitors will also enjoy a live blues performance by Bruce Ewan and the Solid Senders, and on-site concessions from Kingstowne's Own Red Hot & Blue Memphis Pit
Bar-B-Que and Firehook Bakery.
Tickets are $25 each, and fruit and cheese boxes for two may be purchased for $15. Food will also be available from on-site concessions. Tickets are available through TicketMaster by calling 703-573-7328, or by visiting www.tickemaster.com, or at Mount Vernon's main gate ticket window during visiting hours. For information, call 703-799-8697.
Noodles & Co., a Boulder-based, quick-casual noodle shop serving noodle cuisine inspired by culinary influences from around the world, has opened in Fairfax. Noodles & Co. features Asian-inspired noodle bowls as well as Mediterranean, European and American comfort food, like Japanese pan noodles, Pad Thai noodles, pesto Cavatappi and Wisconsin mac and cheese. Customers may add beef tenderloin, chicken breast, organic tofu or Gulf shrimp to any dish. In all, the menu consists of 10 different noodle bowls ranging from $3.75 to $5.95, two homemade soups, five fresh salads and a stone-oven flat bread, as well as puddin' cookies and Rice Krispie treats. Noodles & Co. offers carryout service or quick-counter ordering with sit-down table delivery. 10296 Main St., Fairfax. 703-218-4400. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, noon-8 p.m.
The Bonefish Grill, located at 6315 Multiplex Drive in Centreville, had its grand opening on July 14. The polished casual seafood restaurant offers a wide selection of fish cooked over an oak-burning grill. For meat-lovers there are also many choices of hand-cut beef and pork tenderloin, along with pasta and chicken dishes. Dinner is served seven days a week from 4-10:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday; from 4-11:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and from noon-9 p.m. on Sunday. Reservations are not required but are available by calling 703-815-7427.
Colvin Run Tavern in Tysons Corner is offering new lunch and dinner specials. The lunch special, available from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, lets diners choose any two courses from the regular lunch menu for $20.02 or any three courses for $29. During "Drive-Time Dinner," served from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, a selection of any three courses from a special dinner menu is available for $39. For additional information and to make reservations, call 703-356-9500.
A new seafood specialty will be on the menu at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants in Tysons and Reston Town Center from June through September – Chignik red salmon. McCormick & Schmick has negotiated with Alaskan fishermen to bring this rare and highly flavorful type of sockeye salmon, found in the waters of Chignik, Alaska, to the restaurant. Chefs at each restaurant are working on their individual preparations using seasonings and food pairings to enhance the flavor of the fish.
Chart House Restaurant, located at 1 Cameron St. in Alexandria, is now open for lunch, offering a new menu of appetizers, salads and sandwiches, as well as suitably pared-down versions of dinner favorites. Weather permitting, guests can choose to dine al fresco on the patio, enjoying the waterfront view of the Potomac River. A sampling of offerings includes coconut crunchy shrimp ($9.95), fried calamari ($8.50), Crab Louis salad ($11.95), tenderloin medallions ($15.95), and Boston scrod ($12.95). Lunch will be served Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 703-684-5080 for reservations.
The 2002 Virginia Wineries Festival and Tour Guide is now available from the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The free annual publication includes a listing of the state’s wineries, directions, hours of operation, maps and a listing of nearly 350 wine-related events. To receive a copy, call 800-828-4637 or visit www.virginiawines.org, or write to VDACS, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.
Every Friday, future chefs from Stratford College’s School of Culinary Arts, 7777 Leesburg Pike, Suite 500, Tysons Corner, invite the public to come and enjoy the fine cuisine that they prepare and serve themselves. A different style of service — buffet, traditional or Russian — is highlighted each week. Lunch ($12) is served promptly at 11 a.m., dinner ($18) at 8 p.m., and a happy hour is available 6-8 p.m. Call 703-821-8570 for reservations or information.