Northern Virginia Magazine's Cheap Eats 2012

Northern Virginia Magazine: The Atomic Tavern Burger: a ½-pound patty of cooked-to-order ground beef assembled with buffalo-sauced onion rings, crumbled blue cheese and three strips of bacon. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Beef Patty and Jerk Pork: a weekend special pairing unctuous swine slow-cooked in a mess of stinging spices, with rice, beans and pickled slaw. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Begun Bartha Quesadilla: roasted eggplant stir-fried with green mango and fresh serrano, for a quesadilla filling. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Buttermilk Fried Chicken: crazy-crispy, crazy-moist chicken (get the leg and thigh combo), hailing from the organic farmland of Bell & Evans. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Buttermilk Marinated Fried Chicken Sandwich: redeye gravy (created with sausage roux and coffee) & sandwich the components with a cinnamon & brown sugar-sweetened sweet potato biscuit. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: California Cruiser: generous spoonfuls of creamy and cooling avocado with crunchy sweet peppers and pungent red onion slices. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Cheese & Bean Pupusa: dotted with beans, surrounded by melted cheese, encased in a thick and doughy corn-based tortilla. When taking the order to go, the slaw lands in a plastic baggy. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Crab Fried Rice: each bite of steaming rice loads scallions, garlic, scrambled egg and prominent nuggets of sweet delicious crab meat —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Curry Chicken: The saucy fowl, served with extra sauce, mixes tomatoes, curry seasonings and chicken stock to form a thick, brown gravy. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Eggs Italiano: a weekend-only special at the Del Ray restaurant, the thinly sliced, Italian dry-cured prosciutto substitutes for the more standard Canadian bacon. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Falafel Platter: the chickpea orbs sport a thick, crunchy crust, due to a “secret ingredient” the restaurant refuses to reveal, only admitting it’s based on a Palestinian recipe. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Fettuccine Alfredo: for determining the uniqueness of this Italian-American classic, the answer can be found through Pomodoro’s unusual use of egg yolk. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Fish and Chips: Swai, what Blue Ridge describes as Japan’s catfish, submerges in an egg and milk wash, letting a light bread crumb coating surround the white fish. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Gobi Manchurian: cauliflower fritters, wide swaths of onion and green bell pepper strips submerged in a searing-hot bath. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Hellimi Pide: the Turkish equivalent of a pizza—canoe-shaped rather than circular—fills the hull with halloumi, a heat-defying cheese that can resist melting in a hot oven. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Vegetarian Rice Dish: Eggplant should no longer hide under a cloak of melted mozzarella and marinara; instead eggplant needs the attention of an Afghani cook. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Tocino: The exotic eye opener features cooked-to-order eggs, a mound of fried rice, chunks of juicy pork tenderloin showered in tantalizing soy-based marinade and zesty slaw composed. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Turkey and Sweet Potato Fries: Throw some beta-carotene into that soft and chewy ciabatta roll. Add freshly roasted turkey, both light and dark meat. Pour on homemade gravy. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Super Double: Forged from savory corned beef, salty pastrami, aged Swiss, robust sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard, all sandwiched between multiple slices of seeded rye. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Steak and Stout Pie: A misnomer of sorts revealing tender steak, mushrooms, onions and carrots swimming in a beer-bolstered stew. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Risotto Ai Gamberi: Risotto laced with sauteed onion, crips pancetta and melted fontina, all flanked by bronzed and butteflied jumbo shrimp. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Raw Vegan Delight: Tomato, cucumber, red peppers, carrots and lettuce lay the base of a large wrap, enhanced with multiple types of sprouts and generous chunks of ripe avocado. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Rare Roast Beef: Can a roast beef sandwich be eaten without the requisite au jus? Slather on enough horseradish mayo, and the answer turns to "yes." —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Pesto Lasagna: It allows the kitchen to buck tradition, but cedes nothing in terms of dairy-derived deliciousness, sealing together strata after strata of spinach-flavored noodles. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Pad See Ew: Thin, long flat noodles slathered in a sweet peanut sauce glow with popularity. Retire pad Thai. Cast an order instead of pad see ew. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: My Turkish Cousin: Thinly sliced rosy lamb shoulder, wrapped with garlicky sauteed spinach and sweet nuggets of preserved grapes smashed together within a doughy flatbread. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Moujadarah: A gratis plate of labneh snakes across the plate like whipped cream. House-made za'atar-crusted baked pita chips scoop up cream cheese's Middle Eastern Kin. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Mak's Special: Named after owner Mak Kibour, a native of Ethiopia, the special offers a non-spicy version of her home country's food. —Stefanie Gans

Northern Virginia Magazine: Huevos & Chilaquiles: A fried tortilla-meat medley akin to the breakfast nachos you've only dreamed of. Tortilla chips, pulled chicken stewed in zest tomato sauce and two fried eggs. —Warren Rojas

Northern Virginia Magazine: Tradito De Pescado: Summons a sashimi-style ceviche highlighting the intermingling of transpacific cuisines, a happy marriage yielding strips of raw talapia. —Warren Rojas