Some Arlington restaurants have been honored, by association at least, in the latest edition of the city-centric Michelin Bib Gourmand list.
A number of D.C. restaurants with Arlington outposts made the list, which highlights great but affordable during experiences.
Among them:
- Jaleo, which has a location at 2250 Crystal Drive in Crystal City
- Napoli Pasta Bar, which is closed, leaving the new Napoli Salumeria at 1301 S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City as its only location
- Sfoglina, which has a location at 1100 Wilson Blvd in Rosslyn (with a notable rooftop terrace)
- Stellina Pizzeria, which opened two months ago at 2800 S. Randolph Street in Shirlington
- Timber Pizza Co., which operates Turu’s by Timber Pizza Co. at the Quarter Market food hall at Ballston Quarter mall and is also opening an outpost at National Airport’s new concourse
Arlington has traditionally been an also-ran to the District in terms of award-winning restaurants, but has lately been attracting more culinary sophistication. Four of the five restaurants on the above list — Jaleo is the exception — opened within the past couple of years.
Arlington has also recently upped its barbecue cred, scoring four spots on a recent Washington Post list of the top 10 BBQ joints in the D.C. region.
Of course, critical acclaim from professional reviewers doesn’t always equate to relative popularity. None of the above are among the top 40 diner-reviewed restaurants in Arlington, according to rankings on Yelp.
Photo courtesy Stellina Pizzeria