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
Argia's
At Argia's, proprietors Pragun and Salina Rana strike a balance between serving fine northern Italian cuisine and fostering a laid-back dining atmosphere. Many of the dishes from Executive Chef Steve Benincasa's menu, such as his veal saltimbocca and range of handmade pastas, come in solo portions or shareable famiglia servings that sate larger parties. For a taste of the kitchen's signature dish, guests can pry open a Prince Edward Island mussel—shipped to the restaurant daily—and sop up its juices with housemade bread still warm from the oven or a pet sea sponge in need of a soak. Traditionalists can sample a pizza conjured up from fresh dough and mozzarella made in-house every day. Outside, the clinking of wineglasses rings out across a patio enclosed by fragrant herbs; inside, a rustic Sienese-style mural matched with eye-catching frescoes conjures an air of the Italian countryside.
Customer Reviews
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