Food & Drink in Herndon

Since opening their first location in 1996, Robeks sends their customers well on their way to consuming their recommended daily intake for fruits and vegetables, all through a portable smoothie. Customers can step up to the counter and order from a menu of berry, tropical, and ?power? smoothies, the latter of which are named for extra boosts of vitamins A and C, fiber, and protein infused in the drink. Nearly a dozen different supplements lend their revitalizing nutrients to the menu, helping create power smoothies like the metabolism-boosting Venice Burner and the protein-packed MuscleMax. Robeks also offers gourmet stuffed pretzels and oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip ?power? cookies. Each Robeks location makes a concerted effort to support the neighborhood it resides in, through local organizations, such as Save the Children. Robeks also offers free medium favorite or classic smoothie with $30 gift card purchase.

Chefs use grass-fed beef, cage-free chicken, and steroid-free pulled pork that hail from sustainable sources to craft a bounty of tortilla-wrapped treats that take their names from the likes of Caddyshack, Fletch, and Seinfeld. It's this dual mindset of serious food and irreverent attitude that tinges every one of the eatery's southwestern morsels, from the Art Vandalay burrito to the John Coctostan quesadilla. As the kitchen staff crafts their daily batch of guacamole to join the lineup of six zesty salsas, diners choose from a list of more than 20 ingredients to fill out the entree that will soon be conjured before their eyes. Because dishes are made to order, each finds easy customization for vegetarian, gluten free, and low-calorie diets, and the absence of microwaves, trans-fats, and MSG keep eats wholesome. Meanwhile, a complimentary accompaniment of chips and salsa turns portions into full meals faster than an industry-grade blow-up ray.

In the words of owners Ali and Homerya Darugar, Russia House Restaurant aims to cultivate "the warm feeling that you are dining at your aristocratic grandmother's table." Indeed, Mrs. Darugar's years of professional chef experience are anchored in the childhood days she spent in her own grandmother's kitchen. So when the Darugars opened their restaurant in 1992, they naturally combined fine dining with a homey attention to detail and a commitment to addressing every guest as "Czar." In the sun-flooded, linen-cloaked dining rooms, plates of French-influenced Russian, Continental, and Georgian cuisine rack up stellar reviews five stars at a time. Unfussy dishes of stuffed cabbage and lamb casserole share tables with elegant platters of filet mignon and other tender meats in rich, complex French sauces. Depending on what they order, guests may also witness Russia House's flair for culinary drama: many entrees are prepared tableside.

When flames leap out of the tabletops at Matsutake Sushi & Grill, diners applaud rather than dash to the exits. Skilled chefs carefully orchestrate each pyrotechnic display as they man tableside hibachi grills, flipping and searing buttery scallops or thick cuts of filet mignon in front of diners. As they douse platefuls of flame-kissed vegetables and meat with garlic butter, lemon, or their signature sauce, they dazzle guests with adroit knife skills and their ability to keep hoards of roving balloon animals at bay. For more delicate eats, the restaurant's sushi chefs roll tightly wrapped maki and slice orders of fresh sashimi behind the open-view sushi bar. Framed artwork and Japanese-style silk screens lend a traditional feel to the red-walled dining room, although dangling pendant lights, a flat-screen television, and a holographic waitstaff imbue it with modern accents. Outside, guests chopstick into entrees al fresco on the open-air patio.

At TurCuisine, servers deliver plates of creamy hummus, thinly sliced doner kebab, and plump, juicy dolma. Succulent chicken and lamb kebabs or cheesy pide pizzas round out lunch and dinner, while breakfasts and brunches of halloumi cheese, scrambled eggs, olives, and salami plates start off mornings in the traditional Turkish manner. Flaky baklava cakes cap off meals with sweet notes of nut and honey. Like the food, the surroundings cultivate a cosmopolitan vibe, with streamlined furnishings decked out in bold red and white?the colors of the Turkish flag. On select nights, belly dancers help create an exotic atmosphere by twisting their midriffs, swirling gossamer scarves, and delivering seductively phrased lectures on the Ottoman Empire.

Lucia’s Italian Ristorante is a team effort by the Impellizzeri family, which is headed up by native Sicilian Tino. At the feet of his Italian mother and a father who was a chef by trade, Tino mastered his family's recipes, which he now showcases on Lucia's menu. Tantalizing selections include housemade pizza, pasta, and from-scratch sauces. Many of the restaurant's pasta dishes and gourmet pizzas, including the chicken ranch, can be made in the kitchen without the use of gluten or blaring disco music. Chefs enable authentic noshing at home by freezing dinner entrees, pizzas, and sauces for customers to enjoy around their family dinner tables or crypts.