I was at Fairfax Corner this afternoon and noticed the windows and doors to the corner empty lot (used to be that container store) now has a image wrap with "a new restaurant" coming soon. It is the company that owns Coastal Flats.

"Great American Restaurants - not just American anymore.

The thriving local chain will go outside its comfort zone and debut its first foray into Italian cooking next year.

The plan's in the very early stages, according to spokeswoman Lauren Sadlon. So early that the restaurant still lacks a name and a chef - Sadlon said the company hopes to snag a high-tier chef with an extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine. The group is working with developer the Peterson Companies to put the restaurant at the intersection of Grand Commons Ave. and Monument Wall Way in the Fairfax Corner development.

The lease was signed about a week ago; the restaurant will occupy a space where retailer Organized Living used to be. It's scheduled to open in fall 2010.

This will be the twelfth restaurant for the GAR chain, which operates Sweetwater Tavern, Carlyle, Artie's and a number of other local restaurants, and its first foray beyond casual American fare."



Let's see what happens. Sounds like very early stages... don't even have a chef yet.

Oh--that's good news. I love Great American Restaurants but have become somewhat bored with their menu since many of the restaurants serve similar food and they don't change it much. I'm confident they'll do a good job and if anyone can make something work there, they can.

it will happen, should open next year. i heard they are getting malto mario.

Fairfax Corner Welcomes Great American Restaurants’ Newest Concept 
First Italian restaurant for this leading restaurant company and the shopping center.
 
 
Fairfax, VA June 19, 2009 – Residents, shoppers, workers, and visitors of Fairfax Corner will soon have another option to consider when posing the all important question of “where should we eat?”  Great American Restaurants, owner and operator of 10 restaurants and 1 bakery in Northern Virginia, has chosen Fairfax Corner as the location for its newest concept, an Italian restaurant that is yet to be named.
 
 
“We’re very pleased that Great American Restaurants has chosen Fairfax Corner as the first location for this exciting new restauant concept, just as they did when opening their first Coastal Flats.  This speaks volumes about the project and will add to it a unique and exciting new dining option that will be a strong draw fr the people who live and work at Fairfax Corner as well as its many visitors,” says Paul Weinschenk, Vice President of Retail at The Peterson Companies.
 
Great American Restaurants is currently working on creating the menu and designing the architecture for the Italian concept, which is a brand new venture for them.   VP of Kitchen Operations, Chris Osborn and GAR’s Culinary Research & Development team have been touring the country and eating at all the best Italian restaurants for inspiration.  Meanwhile, the company is actively interviewing several top notch chefs specializing in Italian cuisine to assist in menu development andlead kitchen operations.
  
“We decided on Italian for our 12th location because it fits in well with the existing restaurants of Fairfax Corner, and we love Fairfax Corner.  This concept is something we have wanted to pursue for years, and we are excited for this opportunity to create a new restaurant and menu we think our guests are going to love,” says Randy Norton, CEO of Great American Restaurants.
      
The new restaurant will be located at the corner of Grand Commons Avenue and Monument Wall Way on the east side of Fairfax Cornr, and is scheduled to open in fall of 2010.
    

Oh, do tell. Well while I like Great Amer Rest - Arties, Coastal etc - I do not think that Malto Mario - or Mario Malto - that fat dude from Food Network - is a good choice for the Chef - unless they are simply using him as a consultant - but don't think he would be worth the money

If they are going to pay someone I would invest in Giada D'La - or whatever her name is - or perhaps even that annoying Rachel R - for consultants

i can't imagine anyone with background at Food TV coming to be a chef in Fairfax

Mario is out of touch with the general public of Fairfax County - and really has been quite a ghost from Food Network as I think he is unlikeable

Great American Restaurants are LAME- (my two cents)

At best Mario Batali would be a consultant and I think that his input would really help to distinguish this GAR as a unique dining destination with Italian food unlike what you typically find. Places like Carraba's and Macaroni Grill do this to some extent, but they are a step or two below the image that GAR tries to uphold with how they train their waitstaff, manage front of house, and deliver food that is memorable which creates tremendous guest loyalty.

While you would have to find classic standard dishes, I could see this restaurant covering many regions and blending them together so that you get a taste of cooking styles and ingredients from all over Italy. This is an area where Mario Batali's input would be visibile and I do not believe that his approach is out of step with what people who eat at this type of restaurant are looking for.

curious Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great American Restaurants are LAME- (my two
> cents)


Thank You

let me guess, you two were fired from GAR and now work at bonefish.

curious Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great American Restaurants are LAME- (my two
> cents)


I'd have to disagree. Another good meal at Jackson's this evening. The crowds were huge....

ClinGon Wrote:
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> let me guess, you two were fired from GAR and now
> work at bonefish.


It's funny cuz it's true. While GAR knocks it out of the park with food, bar, service, and buisness, they do not take care of their employees. No loyalty whatsoever.

That hasn't been my experience. I've been going to the Sweetwater in Centreville for years and have been seeing the same faces around forever. Even when they do leave they often are just moving to a different GAR location.

haha Wrote:
>
> It's funny cuz it's true. While GAR knocks it out
> of the park with food, bar, service, and buisness,
> they do not take care of their employees. No
> loyalty whatsoever.

Its a good company but in my years of waiting tables no company really takes care of their staff. Insane hours, one day off a week and no health insurance is standard fare for restaurants even large chains like GAR.

Does anyone know what's the name of the new restaurant?

Farties?

Mario Batali has at least one restaurant in Vegas - a very, very upscale Italian restaurant. Perhaps he has others and GAR would operate one under his name? Who knows. I doubt they do much consulting work as their careers seem quite successful. Even the new chef Guy Fieri has a garage full of cars to die for.

It'll never beat Paolo's

have become somewhat bored with their menu since many of the restaurants serve similar food and they don't change it much.

Restaurants are ok but similar menu gets boring quick

What about al fornaio in the TC? it used to be good, but the food has gone downhill the past few times I've been there. really, aside from the company i'm there with, the wine has been the most enjoyable thing about the place. which sux, since the location and outdoor heated area are swank.

This place opened a week or so under the name "Ozzies". I checked it out last night. As you would expect from Great American, it has a nice atmosphere, good service, and is well-run. The wait time was a little long for a Wednesday night, but I was expecting that since they have just opened. The menu has a number of interesting looking things that I am looking forward to trying. They've broken it down in a typically Italian way with salads, pasta courses, and meat entrees.

I had the wedge Caesar salad, which was tasty but suffered from a couple of things that Great American does wrong with their salads. The plate and lettuce were too cold and the dressing had way too much raw garlic in it. If they don't tone down the garlic I probably wouldn't order it again because I can't stand feeling like I ate a head of garlic. Conceptually, it was a nice salad and I did enjoy the actual eating of it--just not the after effects.

I was in a pasta mood and I love pasta with meatballs, so I ordered the tagliatelle with meatballs. I knew this wouldn't be the most exciting option on the menu but it's the kind of thing I like and rarely have at home. The pasta was fresh and cooked correctly--not overdone as it is so many places. I was expecting a wider noodle--it seemed more like a linguini to me, but whatever.

The bread is from Best Buns, which is the same you get at other Great American. I would prefer a good crusty Italian bread, but I guess those little doughnuts are popular so they stay with what works.

I was pleased with the wine list. They focus on Italian wines, which is nice, but also offer the other usual options for people who want those. If I were running the place I'd drop varietals like Malbec, which seem out of place on an Italian menu. The bottle we ordered was served just a little too cool, but I give them points anyway for not serving it too warm, which is the typical problem. The prices seem a little closer to 2x retail at the lower end, instead of the typical 3x, so there were plenty of good values. I think the lowest priced bottle was $21 and there were several very good wines in the $25-$35 range.

Another good restaurant from Great American...

is it somewhere you'd go for lunch?

Those little donuts they serve as bread have been called Ozzie Rolls for years. I wonder whether there is another connection to the restaurant name.

Lunch? Your best bet would be the panini, which are priced around $10. They also have a burger for the same price.

From the website:

Some information on how we decided on the name: Many guests know our VP of Kitchen Operations, Chris Osborn, as “Ozzie†and are familiar with his famous rolls. “Corner†because we are on the corner of the building and in Fairfax Corner.



Roll Luver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Those little donuts they serve as bread have been
> called Ozzie Rolls for years. I wonder whether
> there is another connection to the restaurant
> name.

Ozzie's would be great for lunch, but it is type of place where I would have a client meeting since it is not inexpensive.

Once again, GAR has put together a great restaurant and the perfect addition to their brand with the Italian theme. We went there on Saturday after calling ahead at 5:15 and were told that the wait was 45-60 minutes. Arriving at 6:15 the place was packed and we learned that it would be another 20-30 minutes which was fine since we wanted to get a drink at the bar before eating. Albeit pricey ($9 for a bellini) the bar has a nice mix of cocktails and the lemoncello lemonade was very good. This may also be the only local restaurant to have Peroni on tap.

The noise level in the dining level is higher than at Sweetwater or Artie's, but not too bad considering the open floor plan. We ordered the calamari which was excellent and served in a traditional style with the tentacles (some folks only like the rings and our server made a point to mention this). My wife had the arancini (which seemed to be the most popular appetizer based on the number of plates we saw) and a chopped salad while my daughter had the Rigatoni Gorgonzola Dolce and I had the Bistecca Fiorentina. GAR does beef right and the hanger steak was perfect, cooked medium with a warm pink center. I substituted the smashed brussels sprouts for the potatoes and it is a vegetable dish that will convert any hater into someone who craves them. The rigatoni may be their best pasta dish, but I look forward to the simple spaghetti and meatballs mentioned by a previous poster.

Nice wine selection both by the bottle and glass which is reasonably priced, but you can splurge on something more expensive if you want.

GAR is for folks who wouldn't know good food if it smacked them in the head. The McDonalds crowd, when they have a special occasion.

Diner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This place opened a week or so under the name
> "Ozzies". I checked it out last night. As you
> would expect from Great American, it has a nice
> atmosphere, good service, and is well-run. The
> wait time was a little long for a Wednesday night,
> but I was expecting that since they have just
> opened. The menu has a number of interesting
> looking things that I am looking forward to
> trying. They've broken it down in a typically
> Italian way with salads, pasta courses, and meat
> entrees.
>
> I had the wedge Caesar salad, which was tasty but
> suffered from a couple of things that Great
> American does wrong with their salads. The plate
> and lettuce were too cold and the dressing had way
> too much raw garlic in it. If they don't tone
> down the garlic I probably wouldn't order it again
> because I can't stand feeling like I ate a head of
> garlic. Conceptually, it was a nice salad and I
> did enjoy the actual eating of it--just not the
> after effects.
>
> I was in a pasta mood and I love pasta with
> meatballs, so I ordered the tagliatelle with
> meatballs. I knew this wouldn't be the most
> exciting option on the menu but it's the kind of
> thing I like and rarely have at home. The pasta
> was fresh and cooked correctly--not overdone as it
> is so many places. I was expecting a wider
> noodle--it seemed more like a linguini to me, but
> whatever.
>
> The bread is from Best Buns, which is the same you
> get at other Great American. I would prefer a
> good crusty Italian bread, but I guess those
> little doughnuts are popular so they stay with
> what works.
>
> I was pleased with the wine list. They focus on
> Italian wines, which is nice, but also offer the
> other usual options for people who want those. If
> I were running the place I'd drop varietals like
> Malbec, which seem out of place on an Italian
> menu. The bottle we ordered was served just a
> little too cool, but I give them points anyway for
> not serving it too warm, which is the typical
> problem. The prices seem a little closer to 2x
> retail at the lower end, instead of the typical
> 3x, so there were plenty of good values. I think
> the lowest priced bottle was $21 and there were
> several very good wines in the $25-$35 range.
>
> Another good restaurant from Great American...

Careful or that douche-troll WTL will call you Wayne Rash

ValueMeal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GAR is for folks who wouldn't know good food if it
> smacked them in the head. The McDonalds crowd,
> when they have a special occasion.


Where do you eat when you want "good" food? Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but Artie's is regularly rated as one of the top restaurants in the metro DC area and you cannot seriously compare GAR to family dining options like Olive Garden or Applebees.

ValueMeal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GAR is for folks who wouldn't know good food if it
> smacked them in the head. The McDonalds crowd,
> when they have a special occasion.

Now you're just trolling.

Seeker - Find a place that was opened by, or is run by, a chef...There are plenty around and the cost is usually not substantial. If you want a good Cougar Hunting spot, go to a GAR restaurant.

Thought the title read 'Fairfax Coroner to get a new restaurant"

I was like really, people actually get hungry when they have to visit that place?
.

==================================================================================
"Why don't you LOSERS just pack your flower print DOUCHE BAGS
and get your stoopid @$$#$ THE FUCK OFF MY INTERNETZ!"

- 'philscamms' (the YT Watchdog) ; internet & YouTube® extraordinaire.

Ozzie's sucks. I went there Sunday and their beer selection and menu suck.

Troll@AOL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thought the title read 'Fairfax Coroner toget a
> new restaurant"
>
> I was like really, people actually get hungry when
> they have to visit that place?

Arlington County jail has a Subway sandwich shop

There are lots of different types of dining, and claiming that there is only one kind of restaurant you should go to is about like saying the best food is lobster and you should only eat that. GAR is not a high-end dining experience, but they have very good food at their price level and very good service. There are times when I go to a restaurant to have a three-hour, multi-course meal with expensive ingredients. Wednesday night when I don't feel like cooking isn't one of them.

ValueMeal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seeker - Find a place that was opened by, or is
> run by, a chef...There are plenty around and the
> cost is usually not substantial. If you want a
> good Cougar Hunting spot, go to a GAR restaurant.

Diner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are lots of different types of dining, and
> claiming that there is only one kind of restaurant
> you should go to is about like saying the best
> food is lobster and you should only eat that. GAR
> is not a high-end dining experience, but they have
> very good food at their price level and very good
> service. There are times when I go to a
> restaurant to have a three-hour, multi-course meal
> with expensive ingredients. Wednesday night when
> I don't feel like cooking isn't one of them.
>
> ValueMeal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seeker - Find a place that was opened by, or is
> > run by, a chef...There are plenty around and
> the
> > cost is usually not substantial. If you want a
> > good Cougar Hunting spot, go to a GAR
> restaurant.

He's a troll just trying to feel better about himself by looking down on everyone else. Don't feed him.

Diner - That's valid, although I do think there are a decent number of good non-chain restaurants in the area that have reasonable prices and don't take 3 hours.

Kardinal - I guess you don't really have anything to contribute to the conversation.

I was there yesterday and saw the place, I didn't know it was part of the Great American Restaurants company.

we need fooooo