Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte.

Willow is a locally-sourced Modern American restaurant in the Ballston area of Arlington, VA. Willow has become well-known in the Arlington area after winning the Taste of Arlington award and after being nominated for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year last year. My curiosity piqued, I decided to try it for myself with some girlfriends during Restaurant Week.

What initially drew me to the restaurant was that it appeared to have a wide variety of gluten-free dishes on the menu. Even during Restaurant Week, I was pleased to discover that I had more than one option to choose from for each course. I had the warm spinach salad for my appetizer, the Norwegian salmon for my entree and the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Torte for dessert. Everything was cooked to perfection and deliciously flavorful. The artistry in staging each dish was also impressive. My friends agreed and found each of their food offerings to be tasty as well. We left with full bellies, feeling quite satisfied with our selections.

Beautiful Salmon.

In addition to their participation in Restaurant Week, Willow has other deals and events to offer their patrons. Every Monday-Friday from 3-7, Willow offers Happy Hour, which includes food specials as well. They also offer Mussels Mondays and Wheatless Wednesdays, where you can even purchase their gluten-free delicacies to take home for the freezer. To be interactive with their public, they even offer a variety of classes like wine tasting or cocktail making which are scheduled throughout the year. Overall, Willow distinguishes itself as more than just another restaurant. It is a comfortable environment to relax and feel at home, while also being a place to learn and experience food as an art form, rather than just fuel to ingest. Make sure you go check it out for yourself. Enjoy!

-Joyana (JPM)