Food: Virginia

Virtue was the first Virginia restaurant we dined at after COVID. We had heard that it was a great place for drinks so we had to try one of their flights! Their drinks certainly got us lit so people weren’t wrong about the cocktails. I didn’t care much for the food. The menu was quite limiting for the type of establishment it is. We didn’t really agree with the hype on this spot.

Taco Rock is known for its intricate and unique tacos & cocktails. We expected the spot to be much bigger than presented so just be cautious that indoor seating is limited. We happened to go on a rainy day so we saw a few disappointed faces when they realized there was no more space to sit and eat. Chauncey and I got lucky and snagged a table. Although we enjoyed the food, we didn’t enjoy it enough to go back.

From bad location to bad service to bad food. La Sandia was not the place for us. We noticed the waiter was memorizing our order instead of writing it down – which is quite normal when you’re an experienced server. This wasn’t working in his favor this time because he brought out dishes that we never ordered & of course charged us for them too. The chips and salsa were good but that’s about the only thing.

We drove out to Richmond specifically to try this Haitian food. It was our first time having it in the US (Haitian food is very popular on the Caribbean islands we’ve traveled to). The rasta pasta wasn’t the typical one I’ve had (no spice at all) but was still magnificent! Some of the food was kicking with heat and some was a little too salty. Overall, we were just shocked at how great the flavors balanced out with each other! We need to find more local Haitian spots.

Leila is a brand new Persian, Northern Indian restaurant located inside of Tysons Corner Mall. Now, most mall restaurants have a negative connotation but Leila will have you changing that opinion! This chic spot has amazing decor & flavors to match. All of the food and cocktails are handcrafted to perfection. We see this restaurant being a popular spot for a long time & can’t wait for our next visit!

I went here for one of my “DMV Women Meetups” and sadly didn’t have the best experience. The service was extremely slow considering us being one of the only 3 tables full at the establishment. The food had very obviously been sitting under a heating lamp & the drinks were not strong at all. The interior design was my favorite part. There are 3 parts to Lenas; The Loft, The Oasis, and Beer Garden – we may try the Oasis & Beer Garden sometime.

Chauncey’s favorite food is Pho so anytime we can have noodles & soup, we’re taking advantage of it! We stopped by Jinya after a date night of making candles & we’re pretty disappointed in the food. Some was good, some was bad. I’ve never been to an Asian cuisine that makes bad rice until I went here.

For some reason, French food tastes best outside of France. We love this little breakfast spot! The customer service is spotty but don’t let that turn you off from trying their egg benedict.

Who knew rolled ice cream could be so fun? They let you pick all of the toppings and sauces that you may want to add & it’s truly a fun experience playing around with all of the flavors! This spot is amazing for kids & they even teach rolling classes!

We found this spot from a Richmond Tik Toker and regret taking her recommendations. The food was not good & they blamed everything on the new chef. We don’t care for places that don’t take accountability & we certainly don’t care for overhyped spots by Tik Tokers that are lying for views.

If there’s any place that you MUST go to before you die, it’s Crumbl Cookies. They change their menu every week for you to try new flavors all year long! They NEVER get rid of their famous chocolate chip cookies so don’t worry because that’s everyone’s favorite!