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  • The 10 most popular restaurant reviews of 2020
Chateau de Chantilly
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The 10 most popular restaurant reviews of 2020

Our readers are an eclectic bunch, showing love for restaurants ranging from pizza and corn dogs to fine dining.

By Alice Levitt December 31, 2020 at 7:00 am

Where were you eating this year? Whether you were ordering takeout or taking the risk of dining out, the pandemic has done little to dim the ardor for our local restaurants. Here, in descending order, are the 10 reviews that had readers drooling in 2020. If you haven’t visited any yet, perhaps a resolution is in order?

10. Alice’s Latest Obsession: Château de Chantilly

Real hot chocolate and airy cakes attract a crowd to this hip café. Our food editor/critic Alice Levitt is especially fond of the chocolate cream cake filled with fresh strawberries.

Bufords

9. Alice’s Latest Obsession: Buford’s Biscuits

News of this Leesburg cathead specialist hit hard. Y’all were eager to know if the biscuits lived up to the hype. They do.

8. Online Exclusive Review: Good Eats Emporium

Get the bacon cheeseburger and buttermilk fried chicken, forget the brisket when dining at Great American Restaurants’ latest Sterling endeavor.

Crust Pizza

7. Alice’s Latest Obsession: Crust Pizzeria Napoletana

On her hunt for the best Neapolitan pizza in the region, Alice came across the quirky Pizza Alla Crust. Half calzone and half Margherita, it’s 100-percent worth your money.

Pizza 360

6. Casual Friday: Pizza 360

In a year when comfort food took the driver’s seat, pizza was king. Our critic’s favorite? The spicy butter chicken pie from this Ashburn Indian pizzeria.

Bulgogi Supreme Sub at Chicking

5. Alice’s Latest Obsession: ChicKing

Alice’s longstanding dream of a bulgogi hoagie came true when she encountered the Ribeye Bulgogi Supreme Sub at this fried chicken stand inside the Chantilly Lotte Plaza.

italian food on white table

4. Chef Fabio Trabocchi’s Virginia debut proves a success with Sfoglina

Back in January, writer Nevin Martell called the food at the Rosslyn restaurant “highly polished and expertly executed.”

doughnuts

3. Whole Foods in McLean is not your average grocery store. Here’s a look inside.

In February, writer Rina Rapuano reviewed the 70,000 square foot supermarket’s prepared food offerings, from oysters to doughnuts.

bacon tower at black sheep restaurant2. The Black Sheep Restaurant is an unexpected beauty in Manassas

Alice was impressed by the soaring ceilings and chandeliers in the converted barn, but still called the restaurant “more than a pretty face.”

Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs

1.Alice’s Latest Obsession: Two Hands Seoul Fresh Corn Dogs

Our readers went gaga over the sweet-and-spicy batter-dipped hot dogs and cheese sticks at this stand inside Centreville’s Siroo & Juk Story.

 

Alice Levitt

Alice Levitt

Contributing Food Critic/Editor

Alice Levitt has been writing for Northern Virginia Magazine since 2020. She began her restaurant critic journey at Seven Days in Vermont in 2007 before moving on to Houstonia Magazine in Texas. Her food, travel, and health innovation stories have appeared in Vox, EatingWell, Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and many other national publications.

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