Why you might roll your eyes:
Yes, this is the restaurant whose claim to fame is that it was a Bush-family favorite. With all the great restaurants in the area, why eat at this oldie in a tired-looking strip mall?
Why you’ll love it:
The Falls Church restaurant offers a tasty version of Peking duck, a Chinese delicacy involving elaborate preparations and roasting that results in a bird with crisp, glazed skin and tender meat. The whole duck is carved tableside and served on platters, along with julienned jumbo spring onions, thin pancakes, and hoisin sauce.
Eating here feels like an event: The place is typically packed with large parties celebrating something or other, and walls are blanketed nearly floor to ceiling with smiley photos of staff alongside notable patrons, including John Travolta and, of course, George W. Bush.
6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church; 703-671-8088; pekinggourmet.com.
