Our Mom Eugenia
Fairfax and Great Falls / Greek / $$$
Nothing can replace a mother’s love. A mother’s cooking, well, there are plenty of other moms out there to make you a moussaka. And your mother’s isn’t as good as that of Eugenia Hobson.
Fortunately for you, she’s the executive chef at a pair of restaurants in Fairfax and Great Falls. Even if she’s not the one personally pulling that casserole from the oven (and she may well be), the cook who did is following in her footsteps.
This is comfortable home cooking from a culture where that doesn’t have to mean a gut bomb. A starter like the feta psiti, a block of tangy cheese baked inside sesame-lined, honey-drizzled puff pastry, may fill you up, but you won’t feel weighed down. A vegetarian combo is even easier on the stomach, lighting up your taste buds with tomatoes and mint in stews that will make you forget about meat.
So she might not have pushed you into the world. In the culinary sense, Eugenia is your new mom.
See this: Intricate tilework makes even the floors a joy to behold at the bright Mosaic District location; hanging pots and pans give the Great Falls one a homey feel.
Eat this: Feta psiti, vegetarian platter, apple cake à la mode
Service: As warm as the waters of Mykonos. If you’re lucky, a Greek native will regale you with stories of the old country.
When to dine here: Your family wants an informal night of Hellenic cuisine.
This post originally appeared in our November 2021 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.