La Rue 123, at the Bailiwick Inn in Fairfax - Closed

[wrash]

Virginia is unique within the United States in that its cities are completely independent of its counties. Fairfax City is completely surrounded by Fairfax County, and is indeed the county seat of Fairfax County (the county courthouse is in the city), but is not part of the county. Fairfax County surrounds no other city. It abuts Falls Church and Alexendria cities. Vienna is not a city, just a town that is part of Fairfax County. If Fairfax County were to become a city, which in some ways makes sense, it would continue to surround the current Fairfax City, unless some new arrangement were contrived. What they would call this new city is problematical. The typical formal name of cities in Virginia is "City of X", and there is already a City of Fairfax, so the new city couldn't very well be called that, unless they somehow merged with the currently existing City of Fairfax, which I think the City of Fairfax would very much object to. This could be a wonderful opportunity to come up with a zippy new name, such as the City of the Sex Kitty, or the City of Kool Kats, or the City of Brotherly Incest, or the City that Time Forgot. (I guess that last one would really have to be the City of Forgotten Time to fit the pattern.)

To return to the topic, try Villa Mozart in the City of Fairfax. This place gets very little buzz, but I ate there a couple of weeks ago and was impressed. The carpaccio della mare, if I've got the name right, was a beautiful presentation, with mosaic-looking paper thin slices of delicious octopus and somewhat thicker slices of scallop, with a tasty topping on the scallop whose pineapple wasn't at all as off-putting as it sounds. Then came a rack of wild boar, with a beautiful reduction sauce and some sort of ravioli whose filling I can't remember, but they were delicious. Gracious and attentive service. I really liked the place. It's right in the middle of the old town.

There's also a fairly new restaurant just a couple of doors down from Villa Mozart called Rue 123. I know nothing about it, except that it allegedly serves French cuisine. It's in the old Baliwyck Inn location. It has actual parking, which is a plus. If anyone's been to this place, I'd be interested to learn more.

Wayne Rash

[dgreen]

There's also a fairly new restaurant just a couple of doors down from Villa Mozart called Rue 123. I know nothing about it, except that it allegedly serves French cuisine. It's in the old Baliwyck Inn location. It has actual parking, which is a plus. If anyone's been to this place, I'd be interested to learn more.

Wayne Rash

Here's Tyler Cowen's comments about Rue 123. It's a couple years old, though.

[Sundae in the Park]

Here's Tyler Cowen's comments about Rue 123. It's a couple years old, though.

I agree with what Tyler says. Everything is fine-good, nothing is exciting. It's a classically French place, but isn't too snooty. I've had (it's been a while and I was ony there once, but I went with a lot of people and they agreed with me) a duck dish, a foie gras appetizer, and some type of fruit tart for dessert.

[DonRocks]

This news is at least a month old now, but La Rue 123 has closed.