The Rosslyn Walking Food Tour was created to build community while discovering hidden gems and new hot spots around Rosslyn. Attendees indulged in a signature dish from five local restaurants while meandering Arlington streets in pursuit of neat public spaces, fun facts and new connections!

Exploring Rosslyn

Can we talk about this past month for just a second?! I am still geeking out over the fact that we successfully pulled off an incredible Walking Food Tour of Rosslyn, VA!

For those of you who might not follow, we partnered with the fabulous WalkArlington and Rosslyn Business Improvement District to host the first ever Signature Rosslyn Food Tour.

The first of its kind, the Discover Arlington Food Tour Series was created to build community, discover the gems and hotspots within the Arlington, VA neighborhoods and learn some interesting history and fun facts along the way! We offer unique tours on foot with an emphasis on food, storytelling and local culture. Our groups are kept small with the intention to give guests one-on-one interaction while experiencing art, food, and more. We show you the sites that only the locals like us know. For this Food Tour, we had two groups of 16 each, which was the perfect size for this type of event. It allowed our guests to bring a friend or date, but enabled them to still meet a new friend along the way!

Quinn’s on the Corner

We kicked off the tour with our first stop at Quinn’s on the Corner with an incredible Steak + Brussels salad (5 oz grilled hanger steak, crispy shaved Brussels sprouts, kale and mixed greens, red onions, cherry tomatoes, Cashal blue cheese, chopped bacon, + house-made ranch). Attendees were given Rosslyn purple tote bags and WalkArlington umbrellas to keep dry from the light rain. After diving into the salad, we walked along Quinn Street to discover one of Rosslyn’s many unique public art displays. Attendees were invited to not only discover the delicious cuisine, but also the eccentric art displays and public spaces that Rosslyn has to offer.

IL Radicchio

We were then greeted by the owner of IL Radicchio, who graciously opened his restaurant just for our Food Tour. Guests were treated to a bit of history on IL Radicchio, an Arlington staple that has been in the area for over 20 years. They served us Penne Pollo (sautéed chicken, spinach, tomato, goat cheese & light cream over penne pasta with a piece of toasted bread). This dish was a crowd favorite for sure! The best part? Several of the tour attendees had not been there before and were very excited to come back for dinner! Side note: Il Radicchio is only open for dinner and on Wednesday’s you can check out their special Wine Down Wednesdays (half off wine + pizza).

Our guides chatted more about the Capital Bikeshare program and introduced us to the unique Bennett Park Atrium Space. This space is open to the public on a daily basis, but it can also be rented out for larger events. Attendees were greeted by Rosslyn BID ambassadors and given some fun free giveaways to take home in their tote bag!

Piola

Next up, we made our way into the doors of Piola. Attendees were pleasantly surprised to see a champagne bar await them as they walked through the doors. This is a main staple for Piola every Saturday and Sunday for their brunch! If you haven’t been, check them out for weekend brunch, or lunch/dinner! The manager kindly spoke about the history of Piola and then brought out 3 different types of pizza to indulge in (Pizza Burrata, Pizza Copenhagen, and Miami Beach).

At this point, we were starting to feel full, but that didn’t stop us from walking past more art spaces and heading to Heavy Seas Alehouse. Upon walking in, attendees were immediately served a glass of house wine or a pilsner of their Tropicannon Beer. Heavy Seas kindly gave out discount cards and spoke more about the story behind their businesses. (They also have a location in Baltimore). We were then treated to some spicy Fish Tacos. Also u-n-r-e-a-l.

Hyatt Centric: Cityhouse Restaurant

After hearing a few more fun facts about Rosslyn, (aka the internet + Watergate, enough said), we ended on a sweet note at the Hyatt Centric: Cityhouse Restaurant. Cityhouse just welcomed new Chef, George Fassiadis, to their venue last week. We didn’t realize how much of a treat we were in for until the waiters brought out the S’mores in a mason jar with coffee + tea. This dessert was just the right amount of chocolate with graham cracker taking you to another level. Insert food coma here.  What locals and tourists might not know about the Hyatt Centric is that it was recently renovated offering for a beautifully designed modern space. The Cityhouse restaurant is quite cozy and offers a wide variety of menu items plus several awesome specials throughout the week! Starting in June, they will be hosting Terrace Thursdays, happy hour out on the terrace with amazing deals.

We are so thankful for our incredible co-hosts, WalkArlington and Rosslyn BID, for helping us make this event a success! Thank you as well to our talented photographer, Elyse Mueller and the fabulous Rosslyn restaurants that participated along the way.

Cheers,

Discover Arlington