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.
Fairfax County Public Schools’ legal bid to restore funding withheld by the U.S. Department of Education due to its policies supporting transgender and other gender-expansive students has found new life.
A three-judge panel from the U.S. Appeals Court for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 yesterday (Thursday) to send the lawsuit filed by FCPS and Arlington Public Schools (APS) in August 2025 back to a federal district court that had previously dismissed the complaint.
Local burger spots serve as gathering places for families and friends, while contributing to Fairfax County’s vibrant dining scene. This week’s Readers’ Choice poll highlights the local establishments crafting the county’s favorite burgers.
Here are the nominees for Best burger restaurants in Fairfax County as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice awards. Did we miss your favorite burger restaurant? Write it in!
Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Voting for Best coffee shops in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best gutter cleaners in Fairfax County. The full results are now official:
From local franchises of national chains to small, family-run businesses, Fairfax’s top gutter cleaners have won over loyal customers by providing timely, thorough services at reasonable prices.
A total of 88 votes were cast.
See every FFXnow Readers’ Choice winner, past and present, here.
Wolf Trap Nursery has been part of the landscape along Leesburg Pike for more than five decades, selling a variety of home and garden plants to gardeners and residents in the surrounding communities.
Now, owner Bill Kupp is preparing to wind down operations by the end of June 2027, closing a business that has become a familiar part of the community.
Fairfax County will soon start testing speed limits of 20 mph on select streets, more than two years after local governments in Virginia gained that authority.
Starting this fall, speed limits will be lowered from 25 to 20 mph on 10 roads in the Dranesville, Mason and Providence districts, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announced yesterday.
AI Tool’s Use at D.C. Region Airports Opposed — “More than two dozen Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to pause the use of an artificial intelligence-powered air traffic control tool that launched last month at the three main D.C.-area airports, citing safety concerns.” [Washington Post]
MWAA Leader to Retire — “Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority President and Chief Executive Officer John E. ‘Jack’ Potter, who has led the organization through 15 years of record-setting growth, unprecedented challenges and profound change, has announced he will retire in early 2027 … Potter’s decision comes as the Airports Authority embarks upon a wide-ranging capital construction program.” [MWAA]
Fairfax County’s volunteer fire departments are persevering in an era of change, local leaders were told earlier this week.
The current situation can be summed up as “good,” but “nothing is ever just a one-word answer,” Shawn Stokes, chair of the seven-member Volunteer Fire Commission, said when delivering the organization’s annual report to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Fairfax County Public Schools this week celebrated the launch of a new program to help young learners make safe choices in the water with an immersive “water safety festival” featuring visits from Olympic swimmers.
Students from grades 3-5 gathered at the Skyview High School swimming pool on Tuesday (Oct. 13) to try out the basics of swimming, paddle from inside an inflatable boat, and hear from two-time Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones. Maritza Correia McClendon, an Olympic silver medalist, also visited earlier in the day.
A Herndon man was recently arrested on drug and weapons charges after allegedly attempting to sell fentanyl to an undercover police detective, the Fairfax County Police Department announced this morning (Thursday).
The 19-year-old has been charged with possession with intent to distribute schedule I/II narcotics, possession of a firearm while distributing schedule I/II narcotics, possession of an auto sear, and carrying a loaded firearm in certain localities.
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.
