A Loudoun County nonprofit organization is expanding into Reston with a new food distribution site at Cathy Hudgins Community Center.
Better A Life plans to give out food every Wednesday at noon at the community center, followed by the launch of cooking classes in March. The organization also plans to start a homework club, which includes a free hot dinner for children each week and the mentors that assist them.
For Better A Life president and founder Elizabeth Ford, the expansion into Reston is personal. She grew up in Reston as a “child of hunger,” Ford said.
Her mother, who was a single mom, lost the townhouse where they lived in Southgate Square. After moving several times, Ford says she was permanently kicked out of her home when her mother moved overseas with her new husband. She then lived in a Red Rood Inn in Manassas and eventually became homeless.
“I used to sit at the 7-11 outside of Shadow Wood apartments and bum quarters for my food each day,” Ford said. “There were no resources for kids like me to get free food that any of us kids knew of. They finally opened The Pit over behind the police station…and I lived with my friend in Bowman Towne for most of my days as a young teen. This would give us a place to hang out safely.”
Ford went on to get a bachelor’s degree in information technology. Now in a position to help others, she says she wanted to bring more resources to the community.
Based in Purcellville, Better a Life provides food and educational assistance for kids and families with the goal of breaking the cycle of poverty.
“My programs are selected from experience,” Ford said. “I needed all the above, so my nonprofit BetterALife runs off the three programs (Growth4ALife, Cook4ALife, InspireALife) to help the children learn they can make it; there is hope, and they are loved and never forgotten.”
In addition to supporting 12 schools in Loudoun and Fairfax counties with weekend lunches, shoes, socks, blankets and other necessities, the nonprofit made its Reston introduction with a meals and toy distribution event on Dec. 16. The Reston expansion will officially launch on March 1.
The organization is seeking volunteers, particularly high school juniors and seniors. Applicants can email admin@betteralife.org for more information.
A food truck that delivers free meals throughout Fairfax County has encountered nothing but support in its bid to stay long-term at the Lewinsville Center in McLean, county staff recently told the Fairfax County Planning Commission.
The commission gave SevaTruck Foundation another endorsement by recommending after a public hearing on Jan. 24 that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve a special exception amendment so the nonprofit can continue to operate out of the center, which includes a senior center, adult day care and two child care programs.
“It’s an important program,” Dranesville District Planning Commissioner John Ulfelder said. “People think of McLean, they say, ‘Well, people of McLean don’t need this kind of help.’ The fact is there are people in McLean who need it, as well as other areas that can be served by this…It’s an important service that the county provides to help people that really need it.”
The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) contracted SevaTruck to make meals for low-income and other vulnerable residents in 2021, according to county planner Zach Fountain. The county board had suspended zoning code provisions preventing temporary uses that could be helpful for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, SevaTruck’s presence in Fairfax County dates back to its arrival in the D.C. area in 2017, when it began providing meals to Title I schools and low-income neighborhoods. With the NCS contract, it got access to the Lewinsville Center’s commercial-sized kitchen, enabling it to expand its capacity and reach, NCS North County Region 3 Assistant Division Director Karen De Mijango said.
Since launching, the nonprofit has served over 380,000 meals in the D.C. area, including more than 85,000 meals in Fairfax County in 2023, according to De Mijango. In addition to providing food at the Lewinsville Center (1613 Great Falls Street), the employee-run food truck and volunteers have visited communities from Herndon to the Route 1 corridor.
There are no plans to further expand the program, but with the county’s emergency status for the pandemic now expired, the nonprofit needs a special exception to keep using the Lewinsville Center’s kitchen, a dining room and a designated parking spot.
SevaTruck operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with two workers and up to two volunteers preparing meals in the kitchen each day.
“I think what we’ve established the last few years with SevaTruck Foundation, it has worked well for us and the senior program and other campus partners,” De Mijango said. “We would like to ensure this resource continues to benefit Fairfax County residents, especially the Title I schools in low-income communities and neighborhoods.” Read More
The McLean Chocolate Festival will be back in action for a 12th year this Sunday (Jan. 28).
Organized once again by the Rotary Club of McLean, the annual celebration of all things cocoa will take over the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For a $3 admission fee that includes a tote bag, attendees will be able to peruse various regional chocolate vendors. The festival will also feature live music by the Sunshine Gang Band, a return of sponsor Mars Inc.’s “History of Chocolate” presentation, and a children’s room with face-painting and other activities.
As of press time, the festival had confirmed 14 vendors, per its website:
- Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates
- Capital Candy Jar
- Le Papiyon Chocolatier
- River-Sea Chocolates
- Pacari Chocolate
- Arcay Chocolates
- Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
- My Alfajor
- Tysons Creamery
- Artisan Confections
- Lammar Marie’s Gourmet Popcorn
- Chesterbrook Residences
- El Ceibo Bolivian Chocolate
- Fahrenheit 99
In addition to supporting local businesses, the festival’s proceeds go to the Rotary Club of McLean for community and charity projects. Here’s more from the nonprofit on the initiatives that will benefit:
The projects supported by the festival include scholarships for graduating high school seniors, books for Timber Lane Elementary School, McLean Project for the Arts, playground equipment at the Fairfax Children’s Center, hygiene products for school-age girls, medical equipment and clean water initiatives in several African countries. The funds will also support global initiatives such as eradicating Polio abroad, medical needs in Central America, food insecurity across the globe, helping find abused single moms a safe place to live, and many other community projects.
The McLean Chocolate Festival will be followed a week later by Fairfax City’s Chocolate Lovers Festival, which is set to return on Feb. 2-4. A few vendors are scheduled to appear at both events.
The D.C. region’s biannual restaurant showcase is cooking up a return next week.
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington has enlisted dozens of establishments to participate in this year’s Winter Restaurant Week, which will run from Monday, Jan. 15 to Sunday, Jan. 21.
The roster of first-timers includes the Vietnamese restaurant Nue (944 W Broad Street) in Falls Church and two Tysons restaurants: Ingle Korean Steakhouse, which opened at Pike 7 Plaza (8369 Leesburg Pike, Suite A) in 2022, and Tysons Social Tavern, which can be found inside the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel (1960 Chain Bridge Road).
Pisco Y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar, which opened at Reston Town Center (1871 Explorer Street) last summer, is also making its Restaurant Week debut.
All of the participants will serve multi-course brunch and lunch menus for $25 or $35 per person, along with dinner menus for $40, $55, or $65 per person for on-site dining, though some restaurants will offer delivery.
With the promotional campaign launching on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, some participants will have extended brunch offerings, according to a press release.
“Additional menu prices have been added to the promotion to allow more restaurants to participate and have these participants offer more dining options to customers at a variety of price points that fit every budget,” RAMW President and CEO Shawn Townsend said. “Offering menus at a variety of price points helps keep the program sustainable and gives restaurants the chance to offer more memorable culinary experiences for their guests.”
The tail end of the regional campaign will run into the first-ever restaurant week planned by Falls Church City, which will kick off a 10-day celebration of its food service industry on Jan. 19. Over 40 restaurants in the Little City will offer three-course meals and discounts.
The other Fairfax County restaurants involved in RAMW’s 2024 Winter Restaurant Week are below.
- 2941 Restaurant (2941 Fairview Park Drive in Merrifield)
- Agora Tysons (7911 Westpark Drive)
- Alta Strada Mosaic (2911 District Avenue in Merrifield)
- American Prime (1420 Spring Hill Road in Tysons)
- B Side (8298 Glass Alley in Merrifield)
- Bellissimo Restaurant (10403 Main Street in Fairfax City)
- Chima Steakhouse (8010 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 100 in Tysons)
- Circa at The Boro (1675 Silver Hill Drive in Tysons)
- Earl’s Kitchen + Bar (7902 Tysons One Place)
- Founding Farmers (locations in Tysons and Reston)
- Hamrock’s Restaurant (3950 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax City)
- Joon (8045 Leesburg Pike, Suite 120, in Tysons)
- Kirby Club (2911 District Avenue in Merrifield)
- Makers Union (1811 Library Street in Reston)
- Matchbox (multiple locations in Merrifield, McLean and Reston)
- Morton’s (11956 Market Street in Reston)
- North Italia (locations in Reston and Tysons)
- Passionfish (11960 Democracy Drive in Reston)
- The Capital Grille (locations in Fair Lakes and Tysons)
- The Melting Pot (11730 Plaza America Drive in Reston)
- Trummer’s (7134 Main Street in Clifton)
- Wildfire (2001 International Drive in Tysons)
- Wren (1825 Capital One Drive South in Tysons)
A new District Taco quietly opened its doors last fall in the Old Keene Mill Shopping Center.
The Mexican-inspired fast-casual chain began welcoming customers at its West Springfield location in September 2023, according to a spokesperson for District Taco.
Spanning 2,043 square feet, the restaurant at 8432 Old Keene Mill Road is co-owned by Hicham El Abbassi and Isalmou Boussaa, who also launched a District Taco franchise in McLean last August. The West Springfield restaurant operates from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, according to District Taco’s website.
Originally from Morocco, the franchise owners started their journey in the food industry working at Five Guys before franchising several restaurants, including Five Guys.
In 2016, Abbassi and Boussaa approached District Taco with aspirations of running a franchise. Fast forward to seven years later, they now oversee 13 locations. Last August, they inked a deal to open five more outlets in Northern Virginia, including the Old Keene Mill and McLean locations.
“Their story mirrors the resilience and determination of our own CEO and co-founder of District Taco, Osiris Hoil who transformed his own opportunities and dreams into reality,” District Taco’s spokesperson told FFXnow.
District Taco, which started out as a food cart in Arlington over a decade ago, now boasts 16 locations throughout the D.C. area and Pennsylvania.
While the company says there are no specific expansion plans in the D.C. region that it can share, the spokesperson disclosed that 70 stores are currently in development nationwide, including northern New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York, and Tampa, Florida.
The menu at every District Taco offers customizable tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, and quesadillas, with vegetarian and vegan options available.
The West Springfield location, however, is unique in that the interior has more of an “industrial” design.
“We kept the existing brick infrastructure as is and it is exposed in the interior of the store in the front,” District Taco Director of Design Victoria Stratton told FFXnow. “It also has more of an open kitchen design where you can clearly see the prep area and the employees making guac right in front of you!”
So far, customer feedback for the West Springfield location has been overwhelmingly positive, according to the company.
“The new location’s success has exceeded expectations and has received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from guests,” the company spokesperson said. “We hope to continue to deliver a delicious and memorable experience to our guests, and we look forward to creating a stronger relationship with the Springfield and McLean community in the New Year.”
A Merrifield bakery that specializes in poffertjes — a traditional Dutch snack that resembles puffed-up pancakes — has closed up shop.
Poffy ceased operations during the weekend after Thanksgiving, opening its doors in the Mosaic District (2985 District Avenue, Suite 170) for the last time on Nov. 25, the business announced on Instagram.
“We have enjoyed meeting and getting to know each one of you,” Poffy said. “THANK YOU for getting to know us…for cheering us on and supporting us…for your friendship.”
Opened in May 2021, Poffy was started by owners Lilian Wanandy-Perez and Kevin Perez, who adapted a poffertje recipe from Wanandy-Perez’s grandmother to avoid dairy, eggs and other allergens, according to a profile by Northern Virginia Magazine.
Here’s more from Poffy’s farewell message:
Our journey started as a scribble of ideas in our notebook.
✨ An idea to create food & space that are safe for those diagnosed with food allergies just like our kids so that they can have fun and eat without worry (even just for a bit)
✨An idea to create ‘not your everyday’ culinary experience that is simple, delicious and fun for everyone
✨An idea to create a space to connect with one another and form human connection in this instant, fast paced environment
✨An idea to be able to make a positive impact even in the smallest way for anyone we serve each dayTHANK YOU for being part of our journey … .our journey in an effort to make an impact in one’s life… our journey in an effort to bring joy to your day!
Unfortunately the twists & turns, ups & downs have brought us to the end of this journey.
Come & visit us this week as we would like to meet you all and thank you in person!
For our allergy community and beyond, please head to #linkinbio or DM us as we would love to continue connecting with you as we craft our new journey… to receive updates on our upcoming projects.
Last but not least, a special THANK YOU to all Poffy crew members that have become an integral part of our journey. Thank you for being YOU…for your heart…your grit…your hardwork….your creativity..your passion. We’re forever grateful!
Thank you Mosaic!
There’s no indication yet of what will replace Poffy, but the ice cream shop Mimi’s Handmade opened next door around the same time that its neighbor closed. The Mosaic District is also slated to add Beaufort Bonnet Company, a children’s clothing store, and the Asian street food chain Hawkers in the coming months.
Hat tip to Adam Rubinstein
A bakery that regularly appears at farmers’ markets around the D.C. area recently opened a permanent production facility and shop in Chantilly.
Toimoi Bakery announced the soft opening of its new “croissant hub” at 4520 Daly Drive in Chantilly Square on Nov. 20. During the week, the shop focuses on making the buttery, flaky pastries that are its specialty, but it opens to walk-in customers on Saturdays and Sundays.
Walk-in hours are currently 9 a.m. to 2 or 3 p.m. for the soft opening, as staff gets acclimated to the flow of operations, Toimoi owner Shurou Pu says. Pre-orders and special requests are also accepted online.
“So far, it’s been pretty good,” Pu told FFXnow. “We get a lot of walk-in customers who really want our stuff, but sometimes they can’t make it to the farmers market, because we normally sell out even before noon. So, it gives them different options.”
Pu started Toimoi in 2021, baking croissants and other pastries at her home and selling them at Fairfax City’s farmers market. The bakery soon expanded to FreshFarm’s market in Arlington and now participates in markets throughout the region, including the year-round markets at the Mosaic District in Merrifield and at One Loudoun in Ashburn.
In addition to being crafted in house and by hand, Toimoi’s baked goods are distinguished by the use of Asian ingredients, such as matcha, ube and pandan, Pu says. The bakery will tailor its flavors to different seasons and holidays.
Pu is one of many local Asian American bakers tapping into their culture to introduce Asian treats to new audiences or put fresh spins on western, usually French pastries. Other businesses working in that vein include Herndon’s macaron-focused Chiboo Bakery, the recently opened taiyaki shop Rice Culture and the slew of mochi donut chains that have cropped up in the area.
Even with a new brick-and-mortar location, Pu says Toimoi will continue to focus primarily on farmers’ markets, where it has built up loyal customer bases. There are no plans for additional locations yet, as the team is still settling into the Chantilly shop, aiming to ramp up production to support an eventual grand opening.
“It’s a lot of things to consider,” she said. “So far, we’re doing only two days. [We] probably want to expand to maybe three days in the future, like Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
Rice Culture is now serving taiyakis and ice cream just outside the Dunn Loring Metro station.
The pop-up bakery, a regular at several D.C. area farmers’ markets, kicked off the soft opening phase of its first brick-and-mortar shop last week on Nov. 30. Its location in the Shops at Avenir Place (2672D Avenir Place) had been vacant since Bruster’s Real Ice Cream closed in 2020.
“Come through and bring a friend,” Rice Culture said in an Instagram post announcing the opening. “We want to extend our thanks ahead of time for everyone’s patience as we get adjusted to our new space and find our footing.”
Founder MikkiJo Bayawa started Rice Culture in January 2021 with her fiancé Kevin Tsai after getting delivery requests for her homemade taiyakis, a Japanese waffle snack that’s shaped like a fish and stuffed with sweet fillings.
The business quickly gained traction and moved production to Frontier Kitchen in Chantilly, Bayawa previously told FFXnow. It has appeared at the Mosaic District’s weekly FreshFarm market and The Block in Annandale, among other locations across the D.C. region.
With its new, permanent space, Rice Culture has expanded its menu to include soft-serve ice cream, which can be purchased by itself in a cup or with a taiyaki on top. The ice cream flavors — ube, black sesame, corn and pandan — can be swirled, and toppings are available.
Inspired by Bawaya’s Japanese and Filipino heritage, taiyakis can be filled with ube, pandan, nutella, Oreo, or corn and cheese, along with the traditional flavors of traditional red bean paste and vanilla custard. They come in single, three-pack and six-pack orders.
Bayawa says a grand opening will be held in January, but an exact date is still being determined.
For now, the shop is operating during limited hours of 4-9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Cornerstones, a Reston-based nonprofit organization, has expanded into Sterling.
The nonprofit organization — which has offered food and other supports for individuals and families in need since it was founded in 1970 — opened the Free from Hunger Center last week.
The 10,000-square-foot center is a food distribution hub intended to keep food pantries throughout the Dulles corridor area stocked up and ready for demand.
Cornerstones CEO Kerri Wilson said the hub addresses an organizational issue, not a supply problem. Many organizations that offer hunger relief suffer from an unconventional challenge: inadequate storage space.
“This is not about interrupting existing supply rescue chains; it’s about figuring out how to be smarter,” Wilson said.
The center will also house soon-to-expire food from grocery stores and offer storage for local food pantries, while providing services for the community.
Larry Schwartz, who chairs Cornerstones’ food hub task force, said the hub will have space for offices, training, and events. Thousands of tons of food that may otherwise have gone to waste will be collected, sorted and repackaged.
“This opportunity to scale our food programs in ways we couldn’t before, this opportunity to reduce food waste, food insecurity and carbon emissions all at the same time — opportunities like this, to effect systemic change, don’t arise often and they don’t occur without hard work, without your generosity,” Schwartz said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 27.
The center was made possible by the support of several community partners including Bob and Lisa Van Hoecke, HomeAid Northern Virginia, Floris United Methodist Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Creative Strategies, and Gary and Kate Buschelman.
Bob Van Hoecke, a principal and CEO of a Reston-based oil industry consulting firm, compared the hub to an Amazon warehouse.
“What we are talking about here, in my mind, is transformative,” he said. “We have the ability to evolve how we’re going to deal with this problem. Every day, tons of food is destroyed, but yet people are going home and going to sleep at night hungry.”
Fairfax County’s annual Stuff the Bus food drive has gone virtual, allowing people to make online donations directly to local nonprofit organizations that provide food assistance in the county.
This is the county’s 12th year partnering with local nonprofits to participate in the campaign, according to a county release. Previously, people could only make physical donations directly inside Fastran buses parked outside grocery stores or libraries.
“While that will still be offered for the Winter 2024 Stuff the Bus campaign, the virtual food drive will help prepare Fairfax County’s nonprofit food access partners for the busy holiday season,” Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) said in the release.
The campaign comes months after the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2023 Hunger Report found that 24% of county residents are food insecure — a statistic referenced in the NCS release.
“Inequitable economic recovery from the pandemic, inflation, and the end of many federal benefit programs make it difficult for families to put food on the table,” the release states.
NCS Equity Program Manager Ramona Carroll said in the release that virtual donations will open up the campaign to people who can’t donate in person.
“In addition to convenience for the donors, it helps the nonprofits receiving the contributions because they can use the funds to purchase fresh and culturally-appropriate foods for the neighborhoods they serve,” Carroll said.
Stuff the Bus was created in 2011 as a “response to a critical need to help restock the shelves of local food pantries after the holidays.” The campaign has collected more than 220 tons of food since it started.
The virtual campaign runs through Nov. 30. An in-person Stuff the Bus campaign will return on Jan. 24 at local grocery stores and other locations throughout the community. The county encourages donations of items that are high fiber, low sugar and low sodium.
The most-requested items include:
- Cooking oil
- Corn Flour Maseca
- Bag (dry) beans, peas or lentils (16 oz.)
- Rice – brown or white (5 lbs. or smaller)
- Canned fruit in light syrup or juice (20 oz. or smaller)
- Healthy hot and cold cereal (42 oz. or smaller)
- Healthy snacks (e.g. raisins, granola bars)
- Canned tuna, salmon or chicken (15 oz. or smaller)
- Canned tomatoes – low sodium, no salt added (29 oz. or smaller)
- Soup – lower sodium (19 oz. or smaller)
- Canned pasta (16 oz. or smaller)
- Macaroni and cheese
- Peanut butter (40 oz. or smaller)
- Fruit jam (32 oz. or smaller)
- Instant potatoes (16 oz. or smaller)
- Pancake mix (32 oz. or smaller) and syrup
- Canned vegetables – low sodium, no salt added (29 oz. or smaller)
- Canned beans or peas (29 oz. or smaller)
