Looking for ideas for dinner/post dinner near Fair Lakes, VA

Going to the DC area for Thanksgiving and we're going to ditch the parents and do a sibling dinner Saturday night.

DH & I and one sister & husband are very adventurous - we'll do all kinds of ethnic and don't have a problem spending a decent amount of money on a nice dinner. The other sister & DH have a much more limited budget and I think a less adventurous palate as well, but I know DH & I would be willing to pitch in for a nicer dinner for all if necessary.

We don't want to do just dinner if we could end up at a place where we could have another drink or 2 and chat for a longer time and not feel like we were holding up a table like you can feel at a restaurant.

I am looking for recs for a non-chain or local only chain (since we are from Chicago) for dinner in a moderate price range and also a place we might be able to hang out after that would be a nice place to just relax and visit.

Some of the nicer national chains in the area we do not go to very often, so we would be happy with that, like Cheesecake Factory or PF Chang's if it came to that, but new places are always ideal, IMO.

Hi,

How far are you willing to travel? Fair Lakes is quite a ways from D.C.

Knowing that my info is a few years out-of-date . . .

In Fairfax, near the intersection of Fairfax Blvd and Chain Bridge Road, there are a few nice casual spots. Bombay Bistro is a casual, but not hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant. I think I only went once, but it was pretty good. Anita's is VERY casual New Mexican food. Even if you don't go out for dinner there, it's pretty close to Fair Lakes and a good option for lunch.

A bit farther away is Tysons Corner. Tons of shops, tons of chains, and probably a handful of decent restaurants. Cafe Deluxe may fit your bill. It's not unlike the Cheesecake Factory, but it's a local chain and they do a good job. Same with Chef Geoff's Tysons. I don't know if Googlemaps is up-to-date, but there's also a Legal Seafoods and a Palm. A Woo Lae Oak, too, if you'd like to do Korean. It's a pretty densely populated area, so I'm sure there are plenty of other options if you do some research. If you're looking for options without driving into D.C., I'd try the Tysons Corner area.

Ronna

About 2 weeks ago I had above average fish and chips in Fairfax at a fake Irish pub called the Auld Shabeen. Nice, thick pieces of juicy cod with crisp, well-seasoned breading and tangy, house-constructed tartar sauce. Fries were mediocre, but the Boddingtons tap was pouring nicely.