Think you’ve eaten everything there is to enjoy in Northern Virginia? I was pretty sure I had until I saw the list of menu items start rolling in for Taste of NoVA. Northern Virginia Magazine’s food and drink festival takes place in just a few weeks, on October 11 and 12. There will be more than 120 regional food-and-beverage favorites sharing their wares across the two days, but one thing that’s stood out to me is the high-quality meat that will be on offer. Here are the five finds I’m most excited to try.
At Saturday’s Signature Sips & Bites, guests can expect a drink-focused day paired with exceptional but more casual bites. I have my eye on the Moroccan-style lamb sausage with broccoli rabe from AhSo Restaurant. It’s finished with harissa aioli for a tangy piquancy that I hope will recall my time in Marrakech.
Carnegie Diner & Café is another draw. I can’t wait to eat my weight in samples of beefy pastrami on rye from the Vienna diner, part of a New York–based small chain.
At Sunday’s Grand Tasting, the experience will lean more toward food, though there will still be plenty of tipples. Expect to see your favorite celebrity chefs, including Patrick O’Connell of The Inn at Little Washington. But I’ll be there for the wide selection of meats.
Bertrand Chemel of 2941 is pulling out all the stops with binchotan-grilled A5 Japanese wagyu served over pomme purée with dashi bearnaise for a fun French-Japanese fusion.
One of my favorite burgers, the LoPro Lamb Burger from Sterling’s Local Provisions, will be on offer. On a house-baked sesame focaccia roll, diners will bite into juicy grilled lamb, long hot peppers, and roasted tomato, zhushed up with tangy housemade labneh.
This summer, I developed a serious crush on the duck breast served at Harvey’s in Falls Church. I couldn’t be happier that it’s making an appearance at Taste of NoVA in the form of duck three ways. Besides the fire-roasted breast, you’ll be able to bite into a duck confit croquette, flavored with a duck fat and Bavarian mustard zabaglione.
Still looking for more to love? I’ll fill you in on other dishes that have caught my attention next week.
Feature image courtesy Carnegie Deli & Cafe
