Stores & Markets in Arlington

Not a lot of kids grow up on farms anymore. So when families start flocking to working farms to get their yearly dose of fall activities, kids have a lot of questions. That’s why the Cox family decided to open up their Spider Hall Farm to kids and adults who want to know more about the day-to-day agricultural lifestyle, the importance of being a good steward of the land and water, and how to apply school lessons to real-life situations on the farm. Their education center features six lab-style classrooms where guests can learn through interactive lessons, followed by a tour of the farm’s 362 acres, which are filled with tobacco, corn, and grain.

Throughout the year, the farm sells seasonal produce, meat raised in southern Maryland, organic milk and ice cream, and seasonal plants, allowing guests to roam the farm and experience the full circle of where food comes from without moonlighting as a cafeteria lady. When the last of the crops are harvested, visitors are invited to celebrate with the Cox family at the corn maze and pumpkin patch or to come back when the weather gets chilly to pick out a Christmas tree and take a merry horse-drawn carriage ride.

This neighborhood market has been growing groceries from its blossoming shelf-branches for more than 50 years. Over the years, the store has changed locations, grown, and been asked, "Does Chevy Chase own this place?" by out-of-towners 6,030 times—but has always remained family owned and robot operated. Shoppers will find a deli and floral and meat departments within this small-scale, full-service grocery store. The pristine condition of the store is legendary among area neat freaks. The cleanliness extends to the shopping carts, which are treated with the PureCart system to kill 99% of germs, creating a sanitary stage for fruit squeezing or eating off cart handles.

Gourmet Again emphasizes fresh groceries and homemade goods in its myriad marketplace departments. In addition to fresh meat, seafood, and produce options, guests can spring for picnic fare or fall into a summer lunch with Gourmet Again's extensive deli menu. Here, shoppers can top their choice of bread—options include rye, pita, Kaiser roll, multi grain, whole wheat, and French roll—with meats, condiments, and extras such as bacon, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Indulge in egg salad ($4.95), dominate the Old Dominion flavor of Virginia baked ham ($7.50), or sink mouth hooks into jumbo shrimp salad ($9.50). Baked goods are also plentiful, with a wide assortment of daily-changing oven offerings such as pastries, fresh fruit pies, and homemade cookies.

Springfield Butcher has been filling bellies and empty barbecue pits with fresh, hand-cut steaks and seafood for more than 30 years. Prime cuts of beef range from filet mignon and Prime rib roast to flank steak, cube steak, and fun-size steaks perfect for trick-or-treaters. Other protein options run the gamut from Danish-style pork ribs to a variety of game meats including buffalo, venison leg steaks, and wild boar.

Sausages made in-house are available smoked or un-smoked, and bacon wraps its smoky flavor around scallops, which—like the rest of the shop's seafood offerings—are delivered fresh every day, except Sunday. Those looking to go from stove to table as quickly as possible can opt for oven-ready entrees such as chicken cordon bleu or pork chops with onion stuffing, and local deer hunters may find their freezers get filled faster after enlisting the help of Springfield Butcher's venison-processing services.

Cravings for hard-to-find treats from the UK come here for their just deserts. Classic Cigars and British Goodies boasts rows of indulgent chocolate treats, such as Cadbury Crunchie bars, and flaunts a selection of international beers that can assist any living room in its dreams to become a British pub some day. Cigars encasing tobaccos from the likes of Honduras and the Dominican Republic send olfactory beacons from their boxes within the walk-in humidor, and cigarette lovers who prefer the sweet drag of an import may find just the right blend among the shop’s selection.