Lucky Fairfax City! El Pollo Rico is here. You’ve heard about it, now try it yourself.
It’s the marinade.
That was celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s conclusion after inhaling half of roasted chicken, skin and all, at El Pollo Rico’s legendary location at Virginia Square in Arlington. He took his camera crew behind the scenes of the always-spinning rotisserie and engaged employees in conversation but none of them would offer what the secret ingredients were to the marinade, which Bourdain said he had never had before.
And now great news: Chicken aficionados in and around Fairfax City are getting their own El Pollo Rico. And as if the regular prices are not reasonable enough — they are! — the new rotisserie restaurant is now open to coincide with the start of Fairfax City Restaurant Week (August 29-September 4).
Fairfax City is the fourth of the independent Peruvian chain’s storefronts since opening the Arlington location in 1984. The fast-casual counter served setting provides convenient inside dining or rapid pick-up, the better to consume in front of drooling co-workers back at the office. (Delivery is available too, via Uber Eats.)
The menu? Chicken, of course with a selection of sides, sodas and deserts.
The tender chicken is grilled over charcoal and served in fractions of a quarter or a half or a whole of dark or white meat. The seasoned skin is roasted to a soft crackle, and even health nuts who ordinarily wouldn’t touch the skin can’t help themselves and devour everything on the plate but the bones.
Insider tip: Dip the chicken meat into one of the two sauces available. Those sauces are called, no kidding, green sauce and yellow sauce.
An extra insider tip: Mix the green and yellow sauces. No idea what’s in them, but ask for extras!
Of course, there the are sides — you get a choice of beans, slaw, rice, fried plantains, fried yuca and fries. There is an assortment of Latin American-style soft drinks — including Rio Grande “Champagne,” coconut juice and the number one soda, Inca Kola — in addition to more familiar brands.
And that’s it! Easy.
Best advice of the day? Get some El Pollo Rico soon!
El Pollo Rico is located at 10801 Fairfax Blvd., in Fairfax City. It’s now open for Fairfax Restaurant Week (August 29-September 4) from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. El Pollo Rico will be open for regular hours starting September 5, open 5 days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Regular breathwork, or the intentional manipulation of your breathing, offers many benefits to your physical and emotional health.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your physical health and mood, just breathe. The practice of breathwork, or the intentional manipulation of your breathing has been gaining attention thanks to the widespread popularity of yoga and meditation. However, researchers have been studying the benefits of breathwork for years.
“Breathing is not new — it’s the most essential thing we do for our bodies — but breathwork is a new approach to wellness,” says William Wesley Myers, assistant vice president of wellness strategies for Mather. Mather is the owner operator of The Mather, a Life Plan Community that is coming to Tysons in 2024.
Renee West knows the power of breathwork. “Breathwork is extremely important in yoga. They call it the intelligence of the body,” she says. When Renee, who plans to move into The Mather, retired from her corporate sales career, she pursued certification as a yoga instructor. Today, with an additional teaching certificate in Yin Yoga, she leads classes in a local yoga studio and has her own practice.
“Breathwork has many health benefits,” Renee explains. “You can use it to increase or decrease your energy, to calm your mind and to help you focus, among many things. There are so many techniques.”
Breathwork Benefits
Physical benefits from deep breathing are often instantaneous. There is a direct relationship between breath rate, mood and systems that activate our fight-or-flight or rest-and-restore responses, which directly affect heart rate, respiration and digestion. Deep, mindful breathing carries benefits to these systems and more.
Emotional Health: One study showed that manipulating the breath can cause up to a 40% variance in emotions. Evoke joy by breathing and exhaling slowly and deeply through the nose. Other research shows breathwork can help to treat anxiety, PTSD and severe depression, even in those who don’t respond well to antidepressants.
Blood Pressure: A regular practice of slow, deep breathing is an effective way to reduce blood pressure.
Stamina: An Italian study found that the lungs of mountain-climbers who practiced slow breathing an hour a day for two years maximized oxygen better, allowing the climbers to forego supplemental oxygen needed by others to summit Mount Everest.
Focus: Breath-focused yoga can sharpen participants’ attention spans and focus by changing brain chemistry.
Pain Management: Multiple studies have shown that slow, deep breathing can reduce perception of chronic pain or help people cope with discomfort. Breathwork can be especially effective with back pain.
Longevity: Research has shown that breathwork improves metabolism and reduces inflammation — both of which contribute to longer life.
“People can all benefit from doing a little breathwork,” says Renee. “You can do some simple breathing exercises sitting on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Even five minutes of breathwork offers benefits!”
The Mather, projected to open in Tysons, VA, in 2024 for those 62 and better, is a forward-thinking Life Plan Community that defies expectations of what senior living is supposed to be. The community is located in the center of a vibrant urban location just two blocks from the Metro and within walking distance to restaurants, retail, and parks.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
If you’re trying to hold onto the last few days of summer and make the most of your 4 day weekend, here are some great weekend trips to look at if you’re looking for an escape.
Outdoor Getaways:
- Aquia Landing Park, Stafford, Virginia: About an hour from Tysons, this is a popular fishing spot and beach for swimming. Note there’s a fee for parking.
- Colonial Beach, Virginia: Colonial Beach is about 90 minutes away from Tysons. It has easy parking, is on the Potomac River (so very few waves), has shallow water and there’s a fishing pier. You’ll find a cute snow cone and ice cream spot, too. (Try the chocolate éclair ice cream!)
- Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, Virginia: This small hidden gem is located under an hour from Tysons and offers fishing plus canoe and kayak rentals. Be sure to call ahead for a reservation. You’ll also find spots for swimming and walking trails.
- Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, Virginia: About two hours away, you’ll find lots of sand and water for swimming and playing, camping grounds for overnight stays and walking trails. Tents are not allowed on the beach.
- Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, Maryland: An hour from Tysons, Sandy Point is a popular beach before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with lots of space for distancing. This is a great spot if you just want to escape for a day.
- Calvert Cliffs State Park, Lusby, Maryland: Located about 90 minutes from Tysons, Calvert Cliffs is a Maryland state park featuring fishing, swimming and walking trails. It’s $7 per car for day use if you’ve got Virginia state plates.
Noteworthy Stays:
- Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia: Here you’ll find a spa, restaurants, wineries, an infinity pool, hiking trails, zip lining and, for golf fans, access to the club at Creighton Farms.
- The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Virginia: Find a top-rated restaurant at The Inn and the quaint town of Washington is perfect for exploring.
- Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland: On the beautiful Chesapeake, Inn at Perry Cabin has a spa, restaurants, pool, fitness center, golf and tennis.
- The Inn at Vaucluse Spring, Stephens City, Virginia: This is a romantic bed and breakfast perched along the Shenandoah Valley.
- Nemacolin Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania: Nemacolin has many types of lodging, a spa, golf, ax throwing, zip lining and tons of restaurant choices.
- The Omni Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia: Filled with historic charm, this huge spa features hot springs, a water park, golf and lots of other family-friendly activities.
- The Tides Inn, Irvington, Virginia: Find a spa, wine trail, sailing school, golf and newly redesigned rooms!
- The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia: This resort contains a spa, a casino, pool, arcade, bowling and so many other activities to keep you busy!
- Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, Virginia: Located in historic Leesburg, Lansdowne Resort has a spa, golf course and more.
- Tidewater Inn, Easton, Maryland: Explore the spa, luxury accommodations, historic Easton and Hunters’ Tavern.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
If you need furniture NOW at Labor Day Sale prices, Herndon’s Furniture Max is waiting for you.
Great news for Labor Day shoppers: Furniture Max in Herndon is reducing prices like never before. The store-wide Labor Day Sale Event continues through the month with reduced prices and special deals that will appeal to anyone in need of furniture or fixtures for any room in the house.
This announcement comes with a warning: While everything is in stock and ready for delivery tomorrow, quantities at Furniture Max are limited.
While inventory lasts:
- Buy a leather sofa and receive a matching loveseat — free!
- Buy any recliner — get the second half off!
- Buy a five-piece bedroom set, get a Serta mattress — free!
Speaking of Serta mattresses, they are starting at just $599 — while inventory lasts!
Did we make it clear? These sale prices will reduce inventory quickly during the Labor Day Sale event — what are you waiting for?
Herndon’s family owned Furniture Max is the one-stop superstore for all-things furniture, for every room of the house. The store’s collection of living room, bedroom, dining room, entertainment room, and home office furniture is in stock and ready for delivery — at Labor Day Sale event pricing.
Financing is available, even online!
Furniture Max is at 2441 Centreville Road in Herndon. Call 571-459-2333 or email [email protected].
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
At Synergy Design & Construction, we take pride in helping our home remodeling clients repurpose or recycle whenever possible.
Salvaging items that can be reused keeps them out of landfills and it always makes our day if we can put unwanted items to good use. It might not be the first thing on your mind when planning a remodel, but we were wondering how important it is to local residents in general. Let’s find out with a poll.
Community Forklift is a non-profit reuse center for home improvement supplies. They take donated materials and make them available at low cost to the public as well as providing vintage materials for old homes.
Habitat for Humanity’s Habitat ReStores are home improvement stores that accept small and large donations of new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials and more.
Homes Not Borders provides required furnishings and household items for newly arriving refugee families. Their moving teams do item pick up 2-3 times a week throughout the DC metro area.
GreenDrop will even come to your door to pick up donations to support a number of different non-profits. They accept small electrical appliances, tools, kitchenware and some electronics in addition to clothes and bedding
Lastly, you might think 123 Junk is just a removal service, but they also partner with a number of non-profits in the DC area to put donated furniture, appliances, clothing and other items to good use.
Next time you are thinking about a home remodel, ask your prospective remodeler if they participate in recycling and repurposing.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
The summer went by so fast! I am thrilled to get my kids off to the first day of school and they were both thrilled to be going back.
I’m a creature of habit and routine and I’m taking the day to clear out, clean up and get everyone into a new routine. If you’re anything like me and can’t wait to dig into their stuff while they’re gone, please consider some of these places to donate your items.
Of course there’s always the option to sell items as well, but if you want to just drop it all off, here’s a list of places:
Women Giving Back — Sterling, Virginia
They’re accepting women and children’s casual, professional and formal attire, shoes (like new), maternity apparel and winter gear. They don’t accept books, toys or car seats. Check their calendar for drop off times as the days and times can vary.
Second Story — Vienna, Virginia
Donations of items like food, clothing, personal hygiene supplies, and household items help teen mothers and homeless teens.
CHO – Vienna, Virginia
Accepting donations of food (PBJ, small canned hams, oil, canned fruit), boys and men’s clothing, bath towels, and furniture.
Children’s Hospital — Washington, D.C.
Don’t forget about Dr. Bear’s Closet. It’s looking for brand new, in-original packing, non-toxic and no latex items with tags. For infection reasons, they do not accept anything used.
Buy Nothing (3 different Vienna Facebook groups based on location) — You can give away items to people in your community
Hope everyone has a great first day!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
With the start of the school year quickly approaching, there are many ways people are starting to help teachers and schools set up their rooms for a successful year.
As some of you may know, my husband is a high school teacher, so I love supporting educators. They work so hard. So, so hard. Many of them spend a lot of their own money on their classrooms, especially elementary school teachers.
Here’s a list of ways you can directly support teachers as well as schools:
- Complete a Teacher’s Amazon Wish List: A recent Facebook group was started for FCPS educators to post their Amazon Wish Lists for people to purchase items off of. You can do so anonymously or with your name, either way, they’re getting many items for their classroom that will directly benefit the kids.
- If your school doesn’t have a Blessings in a Backpack program, consider adding one. The organization quietly provides food for kids over the weekend who need assistance.
- There’s also a website called DonorsChoose.org where teachers can post projects they want to do with a funding request. You can see which teacher, which school and how much they need. I did a quick search for Vienna, Virginia and found multiple opportunities!
Whether you decide to donate or not, consider sending a simple thank you to your favorite educator just to give them a little boost as they head into their final days of summer. Many are already in planning mode for the upcoming school year.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
Today is National Wine and Cheese Day!
Looking to celebrate? Here are some of my favorite charcuterie options and places to pick your own wine and cheese!
If you’re willing to travel, here are some of my local favorites around Northern Virginia:
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
There are so many home maintenance checklists out there, compiled of stuff nobody actually does.
I’ve been through more home inspections than I care to remember so I’ve seen the dirty secrets people hide when it comes to taking care of your home. If you’re looking for a list of stuff you should actually do, here’s my list. I do them all on my own home, so this is definitely something I stand behind.
- Wash your windows inside and out, all ledges and screens. I call E&R Services for my own home.
- Check your chimney to make sure you still have a cap. Many times people don’t notice if the wind takes it away, but it keeps the elements and animals out of your chimney. It should look like a metal mushroom at the top.
- Change your filters — HVAC, fridge water filter, microwave or hood vents, etc.
- Power wash any surface that is now green. Consider sealing your deck or any other stripped or rotted paint. Rotting wood attracts termites and other insects and could get worse.
- Clean out your gutters and downspouts if you haven’t from the spring. The fall will bring more rain and more falling leaves, so beat the issue of clogged gutters!
- Clean your dryer vent!
- Get rid of any empty or old propane tanks. They serve no purpose if they’re empty.
- Check for tree roots — if you see cracks in your driveway (raised ones, not just hairline cracks), or similar cracks in your walk way, you’ll want to have them checked out. Tree roots can cause foundation damage and continue to grow.
- If you plan to do any lawn care, consider getting estimates now for the early fall if you want to aerate it.
- Check your sump pump. We get a lot of rain in Northern Virginia during the summer and prevention is the #1 thing you can do when it comes to your foundation. Check your drainage when it rains. If the water is pooling in one spot, you’ll know where your issues are.
Small things like this have big rewards in the long run. You can avoid larger home maintenance repair bills by staying on top of regular routine check ups.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
If you’ve been reading my Neighborhood Expert column for a while, you’ll see my passions include real estate, my kids and food.
We just returned from a week at the beach and I thought it would be fun to put together a list of our must-eat places along the east coast beaches. I remember the first time we went to Ocean City, Maryland with a 2 year old, we had Five Guys for dinner because I didn’t know where to go or what to eat and that was the easiest thing to do. But now that I have 8 years under my belt of staying in Ocean City and Rehoboth, my list of recommendations has grown a bit.
Hope there’s something for everyone on this list. As always, feel free to comment or email me to add anything I don’t know about yet!
Breakfast
- Barn 34: Benedict’s galore
- Bad Monkey: Get your sugar fix early — monkey bread, Nutella French toast
- Egg: Good mix of healthy and indulgence
- Blackwall Hitch: This could be brunch or lunch/dinner!
Lunch/Dinner
- Barn 34: The bacon wrapped dates appetizer is awesome
- Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli: Incredible sandwiches, plus Jewish staples
- Barrio Taco: The plantains were amazing, huge tamale, and great empanadas
- On the Bay Seafood: We always do this to go because waiting for a table seems impossible some days, but the steamed shrimp is served with old bay and cocktail sauce, steamed crab, and crab cakes. If you want traditional creamy crab soup, skip their herbaceous version.
- Longboard Café: Wrinkly green beans are my favorite thing! So so good. Also great burgers and salads.
- Hooked: Fresh seafood and tons of delicious appetizers
- Ropewalk: This is great if you have a lot of kids to entertain because there’s a play area in the sand, but wouldn’t go if it’s adults looking for great food
- Grab and Go Taco: This is a great grab and go option as there’s standing room only, so no sit down option, but great food, “green crack sauce” is delicious, and bonus it’s next to Fisher’s Popcorn.
- Our Harvest: Really good food with vegan options!
- Salt Air: Make reservations! The food is amazing and they have a real kids menu (think kids steak or shrimp and grits).
- Nicola Pizza: Amazingly delicious simple salad, nic-o-boli (their version of a calzone), and pizza
- Thrasher’s Fries: If you know, you know
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
