Mold Remediation in Alexandria, VA

Make a reservation to enjoy a holiday feast at one of Northern Virginia’s restaurants.

By the time you get to Christmas Eve, you’ll be ready to rest, relax and indulge in a holiday feast with family and friends. Instead of cooking, why not make a reservation for a festive meal to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year? These 13 NoVA restaurants will be open for a dazzling Christmas Eve meal.

Chef Bertrand Chemel will create a three-course Christmas Eve menu at 2941, Northern Virginia Magazine’s No. 2 Best Restaurant of 2024. Guests can choose from decadent dishes like Hawaiian Hamachi crudo, butter-poached lobster, grilled ribeye, Australian lamb chops, Dover sole, and more. The prix fixe holiday menu is $135 per person, served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church

In addition to Ada’s traditional menu, the waterside eatery offers two delicious Christmas Eve specials. Savor the Chilean sea bass, accented with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, fingerling potatoes, herbs, and miso brown butter or a 24-ounce prime Kansas City strip steak. Sip on a special holiday hot toddy or spiked cider to warm the soul. Open from 11:30 am to 11 p.m. 3 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria

Soak up stunning waterside views while you devoir specially curated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day cuisine. In addition to Barca’s traditional menu, guests can enjoy two festive specials: Catalan lamb kebab or crab stuffed jumbo shrimp. Barca will be open on Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Christmas Day from noon to 9 p.m. 2 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria

On Christmas Eve, celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes with memorable food, friends and family at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Reston. The three-course traditional Italian Christmas Eve menu features unique and delectable seafood courses with prawns, lump crab, scallops, lobster, swordfish, clams, and mussels, in addition to the à la carte menu. Join Davio’s between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Reservations are recommended for the $85 per person three-course meal. 1902 Reston Metro Plz., Reston

Celebrate the season with Eddie Merlot on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Ashburn restaurant will serve its traditional menu, which includes hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and signature cocktails. Or, diners can peruse a special holiday menu with sommelier-selected wine pairings, available through January 6, 2025. The options include a porterhouse steak and king crab trio, surf and turf, elk chop, and veal osso buco. 20350 Minot Dr., Ashburn

The new Ballston location of Immigrant Food will be open for Christmas Eve brunch, with holiday specials including fried chicken and Belgian waffles. The brunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and reservations are encouraged. Plus, if all guests at your table wear festive holiday sweaters, you’ll receive a “Hong Kong French Toast” on the house. 4245 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington

J. Gilbert’s will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, serving its traditional menu in a cozy atmosphere. Dig into classics like center-cut filet mignon, blackened chicken penne, and maple plank roasted salmon. 6930 Old Dominion Dr., McLean

Visit this iconic Great Falls restaurant for an unforgettable meal. The seven-course holiday experience features delectable beef Wellington and holiday cuisine curated by chef Jacques Haeringer. On top of marvelous fare, enjoy award-winning décor, decorative lighting, trees, flowers, and three roaring fireplaces to enhance your bucket-list experience. Three seatings are available, at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. 332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls

On Christmas Eve, Mia’s offers two special dishes — veal chop parmigiana, made with a pounded and breaded bone-in veal chop, spicy rigatoni pomodoro, melted mozzarella, and saba or lobster ravioli, featuring Maine lobster, pecorino, lobster sauce, ricotta, and sherry cream sauce. The Old Town Alexandria restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.100 King St., Alexandria

Plan to indulge in traditional and innovative Vietnamese American recipes at this elegant Falls Church restaurant. Dine family style or a la carte on delights like lump crab asparagus soup, honey-lacquered duck, coconut curry risotto with Hokkaido scallops, and bò kho pappardelle. Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 944 W. Broad St., Falls Church

Join chef Roberto Donna at his cozy Vienna restaurant on December 24 for the Feast of the Seven Fishes seafood extravaganza. The elevated eight-course menu includes poached cod, sauteed squid, halibut with truffle sauce, lobster raviolo, and sauteed sea scallops with black truffle. The meal ends with warm panettone and caramel sauce. Cost is $110 per guest. 144 Church St. NW, Vienna

The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria offers two special additions to its regular menu on Christmas Eve. Guests can enjoy pan-seared duck breast with butternut squash purée, honey glazed parsnips, and orange sauce or rockfish roasted with zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, onions, tomato-caper sauce, and herb oil. The restaurant is open on Christmas Eve from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 911 King St., Alexandria

Vola’s will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, engaging in the holiday spirit. Guests can enjoy two special holiday dishes. The first is lobster and spinach ravioli with asparagus, tomato cream sauce, pecorino romano, and fried sage. The other is king salmon with quinoa, confit pearl onions, roasted butternut squash, watercress, and salsa verde. Vola’s regular menu will also be available. 101 N. Union St., Alexandria

Feature image of L’Auberge Chez Francois by Rey Lopez

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Tacombi's Arlington, the Mexican taqueria, will hold a one-night pop-up featuring all four of El Califa de Leon's award-winning tacos.

Michael O'Connell, Patch Staff

ARLINGTON, VA — Tacombi, the acclaimed Mexican taqueria, has partnered with the first Michelin-starred taquería, El Califa de Leon from Mexico City, to offer DC-area diners, including those in Arlington, the opportunity to taste its menu for a limited time.

Beginning on Dec. 10, the collaboration will kick off at Tacombi’s Bethesda location, 4749 Bethesda Ave., with a one-night-only pop up featuring all four of El Califa de Leon’s award-winning tacos served in the authentic taco stand experience, according to a news release.

On Dec. 11, the four tacos will be available at Tacombi's Arlington location at 1550 Crystal Drive. Then, from Dec. 12-26, a selection of El Califa’s tacos can be found at both Tacombi's Bethesda and Arlington locations.

During a trip to Mexico City and over many rounds of tacos, El Califa de Leon Owner Mario Hernandez Alonso and Tacombi Founder Dario Wolos dreamed up the idea of collaborating. It will be the first time these Michelin-starred tacos come to the U.S.

“We are honored to partner with El Califa de Leon and share their tradition with our guests across Tacombi,” said Wolos.

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For more information, visit www.tacombi.com or follow along @tacombi on Instagram.

About Tacombi:

Tacombi began its journey in 2006 as a taco-serving bus on the sands of the Yucatán and now operates 20 taquerias across New York City, Miami, Chicago, and the Greater Washington, D.C. area. Drawing on the culinary traditions across distinct regions of Mexico, its menu offers a variety of authentic taco recipes alongside traditional Mexican bites and beverages.

With the opening of its first New York City location in 2010, Tacombi crafted its own line of fresh tortilla products under the brand Vista Hermosa that are made from scratch daily for use in its taquerias. Vista Hermosa now includes corn tortillas, flour tortillas, tortilla chips (“Totopos”), and frozen burritos, and are sold in the taquerias and in 2,000 retail stores.

As Tacombi opens kitchens in new cities, each new taqueria is participating in growing The Tacombi Foundation’s impact, with a mission to advance Mexican communities through food accessibility and education. As part of the foundation, The Tacombi Community Kitchen provides local food relief for families and neighbors in need by donating hundreds of meals made at each taqueria kitchen.

Alexandria, Virginia, located south of Washington, D.C. on the opposite side of the Potomac River, is like the capital’s older, more enchanting sister. It's perhaps best known for its Old Town neighborhood, founded in 1749, and is packed with historic Southern charm thanks to its plethora of gas lanterns, cobblestone streets, and 18th-century townhouses. While Old Town is a must-visit any time of year, it shines the brightest during the holiday season.

There is no shortage of things to do in Old Town during the holidays, but one of the most exciting events to attend is the Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade (taking place this year on Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Alexandria was founded by Scottish merchants and gets its name from John Alexander, the Scotsman who once owned the land that became the city. To honor its heritage, Alexandria celebrates with an annual mile-long parade that has multiple Scottish clans giving bagpipe and drum performances alongside their terriers and hounds.

Then, in the evening on Dec. 7, a different kind of parade will take off — a nautical one. At 5:30 p.m., dozens of boats aglow with holiday lights will sail down the Potomac for Old Town’s annual Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Those watching from dry land can enjoy the pop-up Port City Brewing Company beer garden and food vendors that will set up shop for the occasion.

The heart of Old Town is arguably King Street, a pedestrian-only, mile-long avenue packed with independently owned boutiques and restaurants. One of my favorite places to peruse is Old Town Books, which has a great selection of reading materials for both kids and adults. There's also Crème de la Crème, which sells a curated selection of French and Italian homewares, and The Hour, a petite shop specializing in vintage barware and cocktail accessories.

Just outside of town at George Washington’s Mount Vernon is one of the area’s most beloved holiday traditions: Christmas Illuminations. During the event, Mount Vernon is transformed into a recreation of an 18th-century winter encampment and visitors can even watch a blacksmith at work or purchase wares from artisans specializing in historic crafts. The event takes place from Dec. 20 - Dec. 22 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. each night, and every evening will end with fireworks. If you can't make it up to Mount Vernon but are still interested in Washington history, keep your eyes peeled around Alexandria for plaques that mark places where the first president ate, slept, and danced.

Old Town will end the holiday season with its First Night Alexandria celebration. Beginning at noon on New Year’s Eve and stretching until midnight, the event is a family-friendly, alcohol-free, and budget-conscious extravaganza involving comedy performances, live music, and fireworks. There will also be an abbreviated encore firework display at the stroke of midnight for those still awake — not a bad way to ring in the new year.

Cold air and damaging winds are sweeping into Northern Virginia Thursday, with gusts of 55 mph possible, the National Weather Service said.

Deb Belt, Patch Staff

VIRGINIA — The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a wind advisory for parts of Virginia on Thursday.

Expect winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph until 5 p.m. Monday across portions of DC, central, northern, southern, and western Maryland, and central and northern Virginia, according to the weather service.

"Winds continue to increase this morning and into the afternoon as a strong front passes through," the Baltimore-DC office of the National Weather Service said. "Gusts of 40-50 mph are expected for most of the region w/ gusts up to 60 mph across the higher terrain where blizzard warnings remain in effect. Winds slowly decrease through Friday."

A wind advisory is in place until 5 p.m. for these areas: Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page, Warren, Clarke, Rappahannock, Fairfax, Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Manassas, and Manassas Park.

A hazardous weather outlook is also in place Thursday for the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, Tidal Potomac River, and I-95 corridor through central Maryland, northern Virginia, and District of Columbia.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

While snow and showers have moved out of the Baltimore-DC region, they have been replaced by howling winds and winter-like temperatures in the 30s with wind chills in the 20s, The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang said. "The cold and wind linger into Friday but, take heart, by Sunday a real warm-up gets underway."

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Windy, with a west wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. West wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. West wind 5 to 7 mph.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. West wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 26.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 53.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

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VIRGINIA — Washington, D.C.-area drivers should prepare for a potentially messy commute Thursday as an arctic cold front is expected to bring heavy snow showers, slick roads and gusty winds to parts of Virginia.

Several weather alerts were in effect Wednesday ahead of the front, which forecasters said will move into the D.C. region around sunrise Thursday.

A wind advisory is in effect through 6 p.m. Wednesday for central, northern, northwest and western Virginia. According to the National Weather Service, the state will see sustained 20 to 25 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph.

The NWS also released a hazardous weather outlook for Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. According to forecasters, a line of heavy snow showers could move through the area Thursday morning, producing slick road conditions and reduced visibility.

"If this threat materializes, it could lead to travel disruptions during the Thursday morning commute," the NWS said Wednesday. "The threat is greatest along and north of U.S. Highway 50."

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Once snow showers clear, Virginians can expect cold winter temperatures to linger through Saturday.

"Overnight lows Thursday night will dip into the lower 20s, with wind chills dropping into the teens by Friday morning," CBS News forecasters said Wednesday. "Highs on Friday will struggle to climb beyond the mid-to-upper 30s. Even colder temperatures are expected Friday night, with many areas seeing lows around 20 degrees by Saturday morning."

Saturday will remain cold, but temperatures are expected to warm and climb into the low 50s on Sunday.

Here's a look at the latest NWS forecast for Northern Virginia:

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 44. South wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow showers, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 38. Breezy, with a west wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 46 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 51.