Northern Virginia’s Mediterranean food scene is brimming with options, but these three spots from our 50 Best Restaurants list truly stand out. Whether it’s sizzling seafood, hearty pork chops, or honey-drenched baklava, you’ll find dishes that linger in your memory long after the meal is over.
By Alice Levitt, Olga Boikess, Dawn Klavon, and Alyssa Langer
Price Key: Entrées = $ 15 and under | $$ 16–25 | $$$ 26–40 | $$$$ 41 and over | * = prix fixe only
Agora
Tysons | Mediterranean | $$
Most of us have learned to expect exactly what’s in the name at small-plates restaurants. Agora is a refreshing anomaly where four or five of those dishes can be enough to feed two.
That’s not to say that guests shouldn’t ask for more — one can’t overestimate the pleasures of tasting their way through the Turkish and pan-Mediterranean selections on offer — but when it comes to satiety, this is one small-plates spot that doesn’t skimp.
A sampler of spreads, paired with hot, sandal-shaped flatbreads, includes six favorites. Whether it’s Greek htipiti or mint-speckled Turkish cacik, it’s all worth dipping in. Grilled rings of squid are garlicky and bright with citrus but also sizzle with heat thanks to Maras chiles. Finish with the cheese stretch of the sweet künefe. The plates are larger than you’d think, and the size of the satisfaction is even greater.
Eat This:
Spread sampler, grilled kalamar, künefe
Carmello’s
Manassas | Mediterranean | $$$$
This warhorse of a bistro has been serving Italian and Portuguese fare for nearly 40 years.
Don’t expect anything but a lively scene while eating at the bar, or caring service in the white-tablecloth dining room. Appetizers are hearty. They include arancini (crunchy, cheesy rice balls), flavor-packed tips of filet mignon, and most notably, tender, grilled octopus spiked with lime.
While it’s hard to resist ordering the Flintstone-sized bone-in prime rib, opt for the meaty pork chop, known for its intense, umami flavor. Meltingly tender agnolotti are sauced with sizable bites of lobster. The bright and springy limoncello sponge cake with a rich mascarpone mousse offers a refreshing finish to an indulgent meal.
With a final bite of made-to-order zabaglione, it’s easy to see how this charmer has delighted diners for decades.
Eat This:
Picadas de bife, pernil de porco, limoncello cake
Nostos
Vienna | Mediterranean | $$$
You won’t even know what hit you; this charming Greek restaurant comes to Hellenic life from the moment you hear the strains of the bouzouki. Diners are ushered through the white-walled dining room, adorned with nostalgic black-and-white photos of Zorba the Greek himself, Anthony Quinn, and opera grande dame Maria Callas. Memories of a Mykonos adventure come to mind as parties converse over freshly prepared tzatziki and fava Santorinis.
Kefalograviera cheese is pan-flamed tableside for a saganaki that merits a shout of “Opa!” The simply prepared but supremely tasty grilled swordfish, steak, and chicken souvlakis are memorable for their quality and flavor.
Dessert takes the meal to the next level. Varieties of baklava abound, but our money is on the traditional version, brimming with coarsely chopped walnuts and a divine honey drizzle.
A meal at Nostos is an inspired event from the moment you step foot inside the door. Enjoy every outstanding morsel as if you’d paid for a flight to Greece to enjoy it.
Feature image courtesy Agora
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
