August 2004 Best of Falls Church
Mirage, inexpensive. This is a combination Persian restaurant and Lebanese sweet shop. Many customers stay just long enough to purchase a box or two of pastries–some two dozen varieties are made from the several doughs, syrups, nuts, and creams displayed along a wall. Other customers stay for lunch or dinner. Service is informal, with orders placed at a register and with the food served on paper plates with plastic flatware.
The core of the menu is the selection of kebobs. Choose among platters offering one, two, or three skewers of meat plus rice and grilled tomatoes. Available are chunks of lamb, beef, and chicken, as well as ground beef and slices of filet. Prices start at $5.99 for the ground-beef platter and go to $14.99 for a trio of skewers of beef, chicken, and ground beef. There are daily specials, such as a stew of lamb and spinach with a handful of kidney beans. Appetizers include hummus, baba ghanoush, and salads. Dessert is a no-brainer.
Mirage, 5916 Leesburg Pike; 703-845-1600. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
