Skip to main content

Mosaic District

Don't get out to the Mosaic District very often, so when I do it's always an adventure.  Today's trip was no exception.  I meant to check out "Four Sisters" which was closed due to a power outage so I wandered into Cyclone Anaya's, a "Mexican Kitchen."  Perusing the menu I discovered not a single vegetarian option.  Even the guacamole had bacon on it.  I ended up at True Food Kitchen (see review, above) and then discovered Pastry XPO, which might be my favorite "hidden" Mosaic eatery.  As a district, Mosaic has grown a good bit from a year or so ago but it still hasn't realized its full potential as a foodie destination, IMHO.  There are a good number of decent chain restaurants (Cava, Cheestique, District Dumplings, Le Pain Quotidien, Matchbox, Naked Lunch, Nando's Peri-Peri, Sweetgreen and Ted's Bulletin).  Choolaah got good write-ups but I found it to be disappointing.  Jinya Ramen only has one veggie dish but it is delish -- and perfect on a cold winter day.  Artisan Confections is over-priced and not nearly as good chocolate as some seem to think.  Much of Mosaic is on the high side, price-wise.  I'm thinking that the leases are not cheap.  Parking is free and plentiful (yes!) but the ex-urb drivers aren't as careful with pedestrians as they are closer in, such as Shirlington, so watch yourself in the crosswalks.  Mosaic is likely nice in fair weather but I keep ending up there in the winter.  The place could use some of the waterfront's amenities, like a fire pit or a warming lamp.  It could also use some greenery and/or a water feature to keep it from being a typical suburban concrete island.  The bones are there.  You have retail, grocery, Target, movies and restaurants.  Given time it could warm up to be a real enhancement, rather than just an addition, to the area.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Afghan Bistro

With family members moving to Springfield, it has been a struggle to find good places to eat so far afield.  After flirting with some chain restaurants near the mall, we tried a Pakistani restaurant (there are many, many Pakistani restaurants there), but it fell flat.  Finally, someone suggested this amazing place.  It's a little hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall.  With oilcloth table coverings, the vibe seems questionable.  For about a minute.  Then you are warmly greeted and given menus with a plethora of choices.  My party ordered a great number of items and every dish rose above expectations.  The staff are eager to please and checked in to make sure everything was okay, from food to drink needs.  When a member of my party dropped a piece of silverware on the floor one of the waiters swooped in with a replacement before we could even ask.   But onto the food.  We ordered the Potato and Leek turnovers, the Aushak (leek and sc...

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch.  We compromised and went together.  Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is.  Across the board.  The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud.  Conversation was difficult.  The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet.  Or I tried to.  Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice.  My companions opted for coffee.  It was ice cold.  Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well.  I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients.  It had three.  The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teen...

Dera

Was looking for a good Pakistani restaurant in Springfield and this one had some of the best reviews, so I gave it a shot.  Arrived for an early dinner to find some regulars around a table in a cavernous room.  The restaurant staff looked at us like we had interrupted a private party.  We sat and were grudgingly given menus after asking.  Tepid water in questionably clean glasses were eventually brought.  One member of the party ordered a salad.  It arrived in a large mixing bowl and was mostly iceberg lettuce.  A plastic basket of cold bread was literally "dumped" on the table, then the waiter disappeared.  Eventually we were able to get someone to take our orders, which included a curry, a biryani and a kebab.  Portions were huge and the rice, again, came in what looked like a mixing bowl.  It was enough to feed ten.  The food wasn't bad.  Sometimes the seasonings were a bit heavy handed (particularly for the rice) but it was...