Cafe Parisien
Cafe Parisien's slogan is "French Cuisine Made Affordable," and indeed it offers just that---the most expensive item on the menu (as of November 2009) was the steak frites, a small sirloin served with french fries for $13.95 (although the poisson du jour may be priced between $12.99 and $14.99). Other items on the lunch/dinner menu include soups (the classic soupe a l'oignon amongst others), salads (including a Nicoise), sandwiches (served on a choice of baguette or croissant), crepes, roast chicken with rice and a selection of desserts featuring crepes maison, creme caramel and mousse au chocolat.
A breakfast menu is also available between 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with items such as omelets, quiches and croissants. Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.---try the eggs benedictine or the crepes with Nutella. And although your meal may be inexpensive, you can still accompany it with a nice French wine.
4520 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 525-3332
cafeparisienva.com
La Côte d'Or Café
La Côte d'Or owners Raymond and Lynne Campet at one time owned La Brasserie on Capitol Hill, but in 1992 they decided to open this restaurant closer to their home in the Northern Virginia suburbs. The restaurant is known for its Provencal/Basque cuisine, including frisee salade Lyonnaise with bacon and poached egg, merguez (spicy lamb sausage) and Toulouse sausage with lentils. Classic French dishes, which are increasingly hard to find in these days of fusion cuisine, include escargot de Bourgogne (snails in garlic butter), pâté maison, Parisian minute steak and moules mariniere (mussels cooked in white wine). Wines are available by the glass and the half carafe, and the lengthy dessert list features tarte tatin, raspberries au caramel, crepes au sucre and profiterolles au chocolat, among other treats.
6876 Lee Highway
Arlington, VA 22213
(703) 538-3033
lacotedorcafe.com
Willow Restaurant
Willow Restaurant is a less traditional French restaurant, offering dishes that are influenced by both French and Northern Italian cooking styles but owe a lot to the New American style of cooking as well. The restaurant is is quite striking in design, with its Viennese art-deco look featuring mahogany woods, jewel-toned fabrics and 1930's photographs.
French-inspired menu items include the white wine-steamed mussels with capicola, apples and shallots, the wild mushroom bisque with truffle crème fraiche and the crispy confit of moulard duck leg. The must-try dessert for chocolate lovers is the triple chocolate mousse trio, with its mousse of dark, milk and white chocolates, chocolate-caramel tart and milk chocolate hazelnut semi-freddo. If chocolate isn't your favorite, you may prefer the pumpkin creme brulee or the lemon-glazed individual ginger bundt cake with prune-Armagnac ice cream. For a truly continental experience, you may skip (or supplement) dessert with a cheese plate, featuring your choice of from four to eight cheeses, candied walnuts, dried apricots and house-baked bread. The wine list features an extensive selection of reds, whites, roses, ports, sherries, sparkling wines, champagnes, dessert wines and beers (French, Belgian and American microbrews).
4301 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 465-8800
willowva.com
Article Written By Maria Scinto
Maria Scinto has been writing professionally for six years, and contributed articles on sports, nutrition, health, parenting, real estate, education and other topics to publications including "Northern Virginia Magazine," "Montgomery Gazette" and "Fairfax Times." She has co-authored two books, "The Takeout Cookbook" and "Savvy Convert's Guide to Choosing a Religion." She has a master's in library and information science from the University of Denver.
