DINING & SHOPPING really know the merchandise. The sales associate at Burberry, for instance, talks to me about the expert stitching and high quality of their jackets. Because of its proximity to the DC market, you’ll also find shops here that you can’t find most places – stores that are in it for the experience. One of the more fascinating at Tysons Corner Center is the Dyson Demo store; where else can you find some joy in a well-designed vacuum? Another surprise is a retailer like the Japanese fashion boutique Uniqlo. I did not think I needed Roger Federer gamewear, until I saw Uniqlo. Those of us who revere historic American department stores can find their fill in Tysons. Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and Macy’s are at Tysons Corner Center; Neiman Marcus and Saks are at the Galleria. Well-stocked and eclectic, these stores give you that grand feeling that seems to be disappearing in some areas. We’ve worked up quite an appetite shopping, so we’re excited to arrive at FOUNDING FARMERS , a giant-scaled restaurant near the two large shopping centers. Owned by 47,000 farmers and started by the North Dakota Farmers Union, Founding Farmers is emblematic of today’s Fairfax County. Urbane, but with rural roots, it is situated near The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner and Neiman Marcus. It is, perhaps, the most interesting restaurant I have visited. At once slick and down-home, the tables are handmade. The back mural is of blooming dogwood trees and red cardinals, reminders of the old Virginia “fancy” restaurants that once were in every Virginia city. Ceiling lights are farm baskets filled with “egg” lights. The backlit wall of vintage spirits near the bar gives the restaurant a gorgeous brownish glow, like a cozy campfire. PHOTO: FOUNDING FARMERS APPETIZER (FOUNDING FARMERS) After our dinner of regional seafood and vintage-recipe breads, we pose for pictures at the front of the restaurant. In perfect Fairfax style, it’s a horse mural of the Blue Ridge Mountains by local Vienna artist Nate Loda. Just to the left, a sign at the entrance reads “Welcome to our Virginia Farmhouse.” I can’t help but think that this modern Tysons “farmhouse,” situated amid towers and department stores, evokes another gentler era of Fairfax County, where families and friends gathered together to share blessings and mark special occasions at their own handmade tables. • FXVA.COM • 23
Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide Fairfax County Official Visitors Guide 2020: Page 23
