Customer Reviews
What You'll Get
Archestratus, the first food critic, praised Italian cuisine's "top-quality and seasonal" ingredients and "fair-to-middling" ability to tranquilize out-of-control mayors. Today's Groupon similarly stuns, and rightfully so: $20 gets you $40 worth of Italian cuisine and drinks at Argia's, in Falls Church.
Argia's menu provides choices apt for both lone-dining wolves and members of a pack. Start a feast with an appetizer such as arancine, fried risotto balls with fontina and parmesan cheeses ($5.95 single order, $10.95 family), or mussels Argia, steamed in white wine, garlic, and basil ($12.95 single, $21.95 family). Vowel-filled main courses include fettuccini funghi, pasta with wild-mushroom ragout ($16.95 single, $28.95 family), the pancetta-wrapped pork tenderloin served with asparagus, spaghetti aglio, and lemon-caper sauce ($22.95 single, $42.95 family), and the homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with mascarpone-cream sauce ($17.95 single, $30.95 family). Some pastas also come in gluten-free form. A side dish such as grilled Italian sausages ($4.95) and a bottle from Argia's wine list make for a complete ensemble.
Reviewers love Argia's art-filled atmosphere, featuring the work of local painter Thomas Mullaney. Dining beneath the murals enables patrons to savor their meals beneath scenery free from the shackles of oppressive picture frames. After you sate your guests' stomachs with a meal at Argia's, there are plenty of Segway-accessible parks to enjoy nearby.
Reviews
The Washingtonian and Gayot both have great things to say about Argia's, as do 75% of Urbanspooners. Yelpers give it 3.5 stars.
- This northern Italian restaurant offers very good food at very reasonable prices...The menu is unusual in that it lets diners choose normal-size dishes or famiglia portions that serve two or more…Good starters are the beef carpaccio with apples, walnuts, and shaved Parmesan; the classic bruschetta; and the steamed mussels. – David Dorsen, Washingtonian
- Several words apply here: charming, rustic, welcoming. The menu is welcoming, too. We started with the beef carpaccio. We found the salami, provolone, and caramelized onion combination sandwich a particular delight…Leave room for dessert. The ricotta cheesecake, a rarity in these parts and seemingly best done in New York’s Little Italy, is memorable. – Gayot
The Fine Print
Promotional value expires Oct 19, 2010. Amount paid never expires. Limit 2 per person. May purchase multiple as gifts. Limit 1 per table, 2 for parties of 6 or more. Not valid with other offers. Tax and gratuity not included. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About Argia's Restaurant
At Argia's, proprietors Pragun and Salina Rana strike a balance between serving fine northern Italian cuisine and fostering a laid-back dining atmosphere. The Ranas and Executive Chef Steve Benincasa have devised a diverse menu, including the veal saltimbocca and a range of handmade pastas, and dish them out in solo portions or shareable famiglia servings.
On the outside patio, the clinks of wineglasses mingle with the scent of fragrant herbs. Inside, a rustic Sienese-style mural and eye-catching frescoes create an air of the Italian countryside.
For a taste of the kitchen's signature dish, try the ready-to-open Prince Edward Island mussels, shipped to the restaurant daily and best enjoyed with the housemade bread still warm from the oven. Traditionalists, meanwhile, can order pizzas crafted from fresh dough and mozzarella made in-house every day.