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Mediterranean restaurant ‘Lezzet,’ a Centreville favorite, opens in Vienna

Lezzet’s first week in Vienna went down as smoothly as a bite of buttery rice pilaf.

The Centreville-based Mediterranean restaurant has gotten a warm welcome at the Cedar Park Shopping Center (262 Cedar Lane), where its second location opened on April 10, General Manager Burcin Can says.

“[The opening] was overdue, so they were excited that we are in this community, especially in Vienna and especially inside this shopping center,” Can said. “…Right now, we are getting very good feedback from the community and Vienna residents. It’s going well so far.”

Taking its name from the Turkish word for “delicious,” Lezzet occupies 3,310 square feet of space in Suites F and G with two dining rooms and a cocktail bar. It’s two doors down from the recently opened Mexican restaurant El Sabor Grill, which is also managed by Can.

Where El Sabor is more of an experiment for the restaurants’ Turkish owners, Lezzet arrives with a confidence forged by experience.

The flagship restaurant launched in the Old Centreville Crossing shopping plaza (13850 Braddock Road) in May 2020. It was founded by chef Serkan Gozubuyuk, whose resume includes stints as executive chef at Ankara in Dupont Circle and sous chef for Agora Tysons.

Gozubuyuk’s family has been involved in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years now, stretching back to a restaurant they owned in Turkey before immigrating to the U.S.

Can says that familiarity with the cuisine and culture permeates everything at Lezzet, from the menu to the decor and the style of dishes, which include mezze small plates as well as family-sized platters.

“Lezzet has a lot of experience in authentic Mediterranean cuisine. That’s what makes it special,” Can said, pointing to the mucver, or zucchini pancake, as one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

Even though it opened during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when service was still limited to takeout and deliveries, Lezzet proved so successful that its owners quickly started exploring options for an expansion.

According to Can, the owners were drawn to Vienna by the Tysons area’s growing population and residents’ embrace of international cuisine. They started renting the space at Cedar Park about a year ago, building out the interior from scratch.

Because of the pandemic and related health precautions, though, construction lagged, as did the permitting and certification process. Construction was completed in January, and a health certificate was finally issued in late March — about three-and-a-half months after the restaurant applied.

The Vienna Lezzet opens at 11 a.m. It operates until 9:30 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays, and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The menu, which Can says is the same as the Centreville restaurant, features grilled meat, flatbreads, salads, lunch wraps, seafood, yogurt entrees, and more.

While juggling two restaurants presents some challenges, Can says he’s committed to providing an atmosphere and level of service that will make both Lezzet and El Sabor successful.

“I’m trying to greet all my clients, all my customers over here, trying to meet with these wonderful Vienna residents, and meet and exceed their expectations when it comes to authentic Mexican food and authentic Mediterranean food,” Can said.

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Camps are just the beginning of what’s in store at Art House 7 this summer. We’re thrilled to offer an array of exciting classes for both kids and adults!Rediscover your creativity with some of our AH7 favorites, such as drawing, hand-sewing, modern embroidery, and our popular 3-week Jump into Crochet classes. But that’s not all! We’ve added some fresh and exciting options to our summer class selection, guaranteed to spark your imagination.

To enhance your artistic journey, we have intensified some of our Ceramics: The Wheel classes to a full 3-hour duration. This extended time allows for more creativity and skill development in each class session. If you’re eager for a captivating twist, give Contemporary Still-Life Drawing & Painting a go. Or why not try an immersive outdoor painting adventure? We have a unique opportunity for you to bring your painting skills to life while learning and creating in the great outdoors with our Landscape Painting: Studio and Plein Air class!

We invite you to visit our website and explore our full Summer Session schedule, brimming with a diverse range of classes and camps. Classes and camps begin June 20th. Unleash your inner artist, broaden your horizons, and embark on a summer adventure like no other. Let’s make this a summer to remember at Art House 7!

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Potomac Harmony Chorus has a new director! We’re ready
to kick off the season with new music, a new approach, and YOU!

Potomac Harmony is one of 500 choruses in Sweet
Adelines International. We’re a vibrant,
contemporary, inclusive, welcoming, and open community of women singers who
perform four-part harmony, barbershop style, committed to a high level of
achievement through teaching, mentoring, personal growth, and performance. Our vision is to entertain, educate, and
enrich lives through musical expression while promoting the barbershop art
form.

Potomac Harmony recently had our first performance
with our new director, receiving rave reviews! We invite you to stop by any Wednesday
evening and be part of the fun and harmony!

Read More

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Army Birthday Festival – Free and Fun

Make Saturday, June 10, 2023 a great day!

Come celebrate the Army Birthday Festival at the National Museum of the U.S. Army from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Rain or Shine!

• Experience outdoor and indoor fun activities, for all

Unveiling of West Ford historical highway marker

Gum Springs will be celebrating 190 years of its founding by freedman West Ford on Saturday, June 17, 2023. To kick-off the celebration, there will be an unveiling of a Virginia historical highway marker for West Ford on Fordson Road

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