Thompson Italian
Gabe and Katherine Thompson’s acclaimed eatery (here’s our dining critic’s review) in Falls Church City is now open for takeout service, serving both prepared dinners and cook-at-home meals, Wednesday through Sunday from 4-8 p.m. The options include garlic bread, meatballs and housemade pastas—including fresh, uncooked pastas and sauces that you can prepare at home. Don’t forget to order dessert while you’re at it. The olive oil cake is a must. Order online and take the opportunity to tack on a meal for first responders. Thompson Italian is making weekly meal donations to area hospital staff, nursing homes and other health care workers. The restaurant is also offering a limited number (50) of Italian Feast Easter Dinner boxes featuring green salad, mushroom arancini, garlic bread, roasted asparagus, lasagna, carrot cake, and almond brioche. Each box goes for $150 and serves 4-6 people. Easter dinners must be picked up on Saturday, April 11 between noon and 3 p.m. // 124 N. Washington St., Falls Church City
SER
Javier and Christiana Campos’s Spanish eatery in Ballston is offering a three-course Sunday Supper Family Table for $45 per person. The package includes a choice of two starters to share, plus one entrée and one dessert per person, and a bottle of cava, white or red wine. Appetizers include favorites such as pan catalana (Spanish tomato bread), gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) and papas bravas (fried potatoes with aioli), followed by entrees such as paella, grilled squid a la plancha and duck breast with mushroom risotto (plus a cut of the day and catch of the day). And for dessert? Flan, rice pudding or churros with chocolate. If you want to pretend you’re in Spain, pick up your dinner and then wait until 11 p.m. to eat it. (Just kidding.) Call 703-746-9822 to order. Pickup is at the front door. // 1110 N. Glebe Road, Arlington (Ballston)
The Liberty Tavern
If LT’s Monday night fried chicken special has long been a family favorite, we’ve got good news: You can still have it (plus mac-n-cheese and collard greens) on Monday nights, in a package deal that serves a family of four. And that’s not all. The beloved Clarendon restaurant, in partnership with its sister bistro, Lyon Hall, is offering a whole week’s worth of family meals to go. They include Tuesday night “Schnitzel Supper”; Thursday night mussels galore; hanger steak and frites on Wednesdays and Saturdays; housemade gnocchi primavera on Fridays; and Sunday night chicken parm. Plus beer and wine to go. Prices vary by dish. What if you’re dining solo? Single servings of the daily specials are available, too. Order online or call 703-465-9360 (curbside pickup provided).
Rebellion on Pike
Running low on toilet paper and cocktail mixers? Rebellion on the Pike has introduced a Commissary menu that includes family meals (smoked whole chickens on Tuesdays; fried chicken on Wednesdays; pulled pork on Thursdays; meatloaf Sundays), along with incidentals such as TP, paper towels, hand soap and cocktail kits (minus the liquor). All meals come with two big sides (Brussels sprouts, collards, baked beans, etc.) and enough grub to serve a family of four. (Or, as some parents can attest, two teenage boys.) The commissary concept also includes a butcher shop selling burger patties, strip steaks, smoked salmon, sausage and deli ham by the pound. There’s beer and wine, too. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates and daily specials. Call 703-664-0297 or email lowdown@rebelliononthepike.com to place an order. // 2900 Columbia Pike, Arlington
Cheesetique
Nothing is more comforting than a hot, cheesy casserole, and lord knows we all could use some comfort right now. Cheesetique’s Shirlington and Del Ray locations are now offering heat-at-home family meal kits with mains such as shepherd’s pie, lasagna (spinach or meat), chicken parm, tomato soup and the restaurant’s signature Mac ‘n’ Cheesetique. Meals for 2 or 4 people come with salad, baguette and wine. Need a few other things, too? In addition to its standard provisions (gourmet cheese, charcuterie, wine, spreads, olives) the Shirlington shop is also stocking fresh produce, baking supplies and cleaning products, which (like the aforementioned items) are available for pickup or delivery. Order online from the Shirlington location or the Del Ray location. //4024 Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington) or 2411 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria (Del Ray)
2941 Restaurant
Looking to do something special for Easter? Or, you know…Tuesday? (Just because?) Bertrand Chemel’s upscale restaurant in Falls Church can hook you up. Consider, for example, a feast centering on Elysian Fields Farm Leg of Lamb with rosemary garlic jus ($140), which also includes a choice of soup & salad, greens, a side and dessert for two to four people. Whether or not your home setup includes a white tablecloth is your call, but the chef promises to make it a special evening with not just a dazzling centerpiece dish, but also sides such as porcini velouté with sautéed cremini mushrooms; haricots verts & shallot confit; or potato gratin with gruyere. For the perfect pairing, customers can select one of five curated wines ($22 to $50 per bottle) to go with the menu of their choosing. Order from the “Meals for Home” online menu for pickup Monday through Saturday, 4 to 8 p.m. Delivery is also available through Postmates. Amid the coronavirus crisis, 2941 is also donating fully-prepared meals to Food for Others for distribution to neighbors in need. // 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church
Patsy’s American and Best Buns
Great American Restaurants (whose properties include Coastal Flats, Carlyle and Sweetwater Tavern and other fan faves) has introduced Great American Grocery Essentials, a pre-packaged kit of hard-to-find items ($59.95) available for grab-and-go, curbside pickup or delivery from Patsy’s American or Best Buns Bakery & Cafe in Tysons. Each kit includes milk, butter, rice, eggs, ground beef, chicken, onions, red potatoes, toilet paper and fresh-baked bread from Best Buns. You can also order carryout or delivery from the full menus at Patsy’s and Best Buns. If you feel like firing up the grill, the takeout provisions menu also includes seven cuts of premium beef that you can cook at home, from prime rib to Wagyu strip steak. For Easter, Patsy’s (along with sister restaurant Carlyle and other GAR eateries) are offering a Prime Rib Package ($79 for two; $150 for four) featuring prime rib, mushrooms, spinach dip, chips, field greens salad, mashed potatoes, mini croissants and white chocolate cake. Packages available for pickup April 10-12. Best Buns in both Tysons and Shirlington are offering a variety of Easter treats for pre-order and pickup. Order online or via the restaurant’s mobile app. //8051 Leesburg Pike, Tysons
Ambar
How about a smorgasbord to go with that Netflix series you’re binging? Known and loved for its all-you-can-eat Balkan spreads, Ambar Clarendon is now packaging up customizable grab-and-go feasts for pickup or delivery (via UberEats or Grubhub), which you can scale to match the size of your household and appetites. A six-course Balkan feast ($60), designed for 3-4 people, includes your choice of soup & salad, spread, vegetable, grilled meat or poultry, and dessert. A larger version of said feast ($110) feeds 6-8 folks and includes a choice of two soups & salads, spreads, vegetables, meats or poultry and dessert. //2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Cookology
Ballston Quarter’s new cooking school isn’t offering classes right now, but Cookology is nevertheless putting its industrial-strength culinary equipment to good use. The kitchen is offering heat-and-serve meal kits to go with tasty options such as Swedish meatballs with penne and grilled asparagus; sesame chicken with fried vegetable rice; Peruvian roasted chicken with sweet potato wedges; Korean pork loin curry with potatoes, carrots and rice; and more. Every meal kit option includes a vegetarian alternative for those who’d prefer to swap out the meat. Place orders no later than 5 p.m. for curbside pickup between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. daily. An online video provides instructions for reheating. There’s beer and wine to go, too. Each meal serves 4-5 people. Cookology has a partnership with The 25th Project, which donates meals to unsheltered homeless people in Northern Virginia. Consider adding an extra meal kit to your online purchase and earmarking it for donation. // 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling
The homegrown barbecue joint on Washington Boulevard has always been an Arlington go-to for easy family meals, and so it remains. Order pulled chicken, brisket, pit beef, sausage or pork by the pound. Or go whole-hog (so to speak) with a “feast for five” package that includes one rack of baby back ribs, two half chickens, a pound of chopped pork, potato rolls, three pints of salads and sides (from coleslaw to corn pudding), plus Rocklands’ signature barbeque sauce, for $69.99. Order online for pickup or delivery. P.S. – Rocklands is a proud partner in Feed the Fight, a charity that supports local restaurants and frontline health care workers. // 3471 Washington Blvd., Arlington
Community Crunch
Fresh Crunch Food, which previously earned its bread and butter by selling boxed lunches to school and tour groups visiting the area, has pivoted to become Community Crunch, a catering operation with a “3+1” business model that allows folks to order three family meals for themselves and donate one family meal to anyone in Fairfax County. Based in Falls Church, the operation is owned by Jenn Mapp Bressan her husband, chef Matt Bressan, who is now busily cooking up family-dinner favorites like jambalaya, pork loin, pot roast, enchiladas and more (plus sides), with vegetarian variations of each dish for the meatless crowd. (Vegan gluten-free and dairy-free options also available, and all meals are prepared in a nut-free environment.) A package of four family meals, each of which feeds 4-6 people, costs $125 ($115 if you order a 4-week subscription). Did we mention that Fresh Crunch also sells its own housemade pickles? Visit the website for order and delivery details or call call 703-459-0878. Delivery is currently limited to locations in Fairfax County. // 354 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Good Company Doughnuts
Yes, you can have a doughnut for dessert, but first you have to eat your squares. Good Company Doughnuts is now offering a pre-order dinner package for one, two or four people that includes an entree, side dish and your choice of doughnut, plus beer and wine if you wish. Each week’s dinner special will be posted on the restaurant’s website and social media feeds on Sunday night. Place your order by midnight on Wednesday by phone (703-243-3000) or via email at orders@gocodough.com. Pickups are Thursdays and Fridays between 5-7 p.m., or you can request delivery. Last week’s special was spaghetti and meatballs with Bolognese, plus garlic bread and salad (and said doughnut). Good Company is also doing good these days by offering free lunches to kids and seniors, as well meals as health care workers at Virginia Hospital Center. // 672 N. Glebe Road, Arlington (Ballston)