Around Town

Another longstanding tenant at Tysons Galleria is preparing to depart.

Wildfire will serve its final customers after around two decades at the mall (2001 International Drive) on Jan. 2, 2027, according to a notice now posted on its website.


Around Town

Falafel Inc. is officially cooking up new food and ideas in an expanded space at the Mosaic District.

The regional chain relocated within the Merrifield neighborhood last week (Oct. 23), moving from a 540-square-foot storefront adjacent to Our Mom Eugenia to a 2,760-square-foot space at 2985 District Avenue, Unit 115, previously filled by Kreole Seafood and Cocktails.


Around Town

After nearly a decade in Centreville’s Sully Station Shopping Center, a family-run Malaysian restaurant is closing its doors this week for good.

With husband-and-wife team Leslie and Penny Phoon ready to retire, Malaysian Kopitiam (5085 Westfields Blvd) will serve its final customers tomorrow (Oct. 31).


Around Town

Fairfax County had a strong showing in this year’s round-up of the 50 Best Restaurants in the region by Northern Virginia Magazine.

Unveiled in full at noon today (Wednesday), the annual tribute to Northern Virginia’s top dining establishments features a total of 24 eateries in Fairfax, including five that made the ranked top 10 released last Friday (Oct. 16) and seven that are making their first-ever appearances on the list.


News

Fairfax County police are investigating a series of potentially connected burglaries targeting mostly fast-casual chain restaurants, dating back to July.

The first burglary was reported on July 13 at 8:05 a.m., drawing officers to a Taco Bamba in Springfield’s Backlick Shopping Center (6691-A Backlick Road).


Around Town

There has been some upheaval at the top of Northern Virginia Magazine’s annual ranking of the region’s best restaurants, but Fairfax County and Fairfax City remained dominant with five spots among the top 10.

After placing first or second for each of the past five years, including a no. 1 finish in 2025, Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel’s 2941 in the Fairview Park area of West Falls Church slipped to no. 7 in the 2026 Top 10 Best Restaurants list released today (Friday) by the magazine.


Around Town

Northern Virginia remains a hot spot for Asian cuisine, judging by the five local establishments that found spots on the Washington Post’s annual ranking of the top 40 restaurants in the D.C. region.

Released yesterday (Wednesday), the 2026 list is the first compiled by new food critic Elazar Sontag, who took over the position in November 2025 following the retirement of longtime reviewer Tom Sietsema.


Countywide

Fairfax County is planning to streamline its restaurant permitting process and improve communications to support small businesses.

The county recently conducted a study of its permitting process, covering the time from when restaurants submit building plans to their opening day to identify areas the process is slow or could be improved. The results were presented to the Board of Supervisors’ audit committee on Oct. 6.


Around Town

An annual fundraiser that encourages diners to indulge their sweet tooth in the name of supporting breast cancer research will return to Northern Virginia this Friday (Oct. 16).

Four eateries in Fairfax County are participating in this year’s Bakes for Breast Cancer campaign, which asks restaurants, cafes, bakeries, grocery stores and other businesses to donate proceeds from their dessert sales to fund research and treatment of the disease.


Around Town

True Food Kitchen has permanently closed its Reston Town Center location after more than five years in business.

The health food chain announced yesterday (Monday) that it has filed for bankruptcy to kick off a restructuring process that involved shuttering 12 restaurants, including ones in Reston and Bethesda. The affected locations had their final day of service on Sunday (Oct. 4).


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