Foreign Cuisines Force Out Dull Kitchens on NoVa Mag’s Latest 50 Best List

Northern Virginia Magazine dining editor and restaurant critic Stefanie Gans takes readers behind the scenes of the regional glossy’s annual dining guide with a missive teasing out the newcomers added to the 50 Best Restaurants list and the one-time favorites that have since fallen off.

Though she does not reveal the official rankings of the featured eateries (stay tuned), Gans does point out that nearly a quarter of this year’s roster is new. Incoming establishments include modern Indian restaurant 1947 in Sterling, Balkan small plates restaurant Ambar (which also has an outpost on Barracks Row), homespun Greek restaurant Our Mom Eugenia in McLean, and tiny Japanese restaurant Nasime in Old Town Alexandria.

Modern American standby the Ashby Inn, which made it to number five in the 2016 issue, is completely gone. Same goes for regionally inspired, horse country retreat Goodstone Inn.

A couple of others disappeared for more obvious reasons; Water & Wall, the restaurant Kyirisan chef and founder Tim Ma planted in Arlington before turning his attention to the District, closed, as did short-lived seafood spot Social Restaurant & Oyster Bar in McLean.

NVM’s 50 Best Restaurants issue is scheduled to hit local newsstands Thursday, October 26.