This has been touched on in a few threads, but since No Va is growing so quickly, let's give it another try.

I'll start with my list and hope others have a few others to share:
Thai - 4912 Thai Cuisine, Sterling
Indian - Cafe Taj, McLean
American - Sweetwater (and other Great American restaurants)
French - L'Auberge Chez Francois, Great Falls
Sushi - Aoba, Sterling and Tachibana, McLean
Breakfast - Amphora, Herndon

Thai - Thai Square, Arlington
Ethiopian - Meaza, Arlington

I don't think it exists, but I'm open to suggestions for a good Mexican place.

American- Clyde's (Tyson's, Reston, other places too)
American- Tuscarora Mill (Leesburg)
I like the Great American restaurants but sometimes they annoy me when everything on the menu comes with bland potato sides. But their flourless chocolate waffle is the best dessert anywhere, as long as they don't screw it up trying to put cranberries in it like they do (did? maybe it changed after the nasty letter I wrote them) at Coastal Flats.

Mexican- Rio Grande (Reston, Fairfax)
Tex-Mex- Chevy's
Asian- Pacific (Sterling)
Thai- Thai Luang (Herndon). This is an Idine restaurant. There is also some Thai place at the clocktower shopping center in Herndon that is good, but I can't remember the name of it now.
Italian- Avanti (Charles Town)
Pizza- Generous Georges (Alexandria) also Idine IIRC
Seafood- Joe's Crab Shack (Sterling), 220 Seafood (Winchester).

I agree w/most of whlinder's picks (since we do dine out together)
but I'd like to add a couple:

French: Le Gaulois (Old Town Alexandria)
Seafood: Bonefish (Chantilly, Warrenton, etc) -even though it's a chain,
it is VERY good

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=339885

I'd like to add that my beloved Le Grille on Centreville Road in Herndon has closed, with a new restaurant in its place--Saigon Grill. Same Spicy Lemongrass Chicken, though. Yum.

Timothy

But let's then look for some new places, maybe in the areas that are "growing so quickly," and leave out the chain restaurants, which don't add much, if anything, to the dining landscape.
Also, I think that we should assume for argument's sake that almost all of the ethnic Asian places there are good to excellent. Therefore, we really should not need to mention any of them in this thread unless they prove themselves to be lacking in some way.
In Northern VA, we have always stopped for Asian food at the first place we happen to see when we get the urge and are almost always happy with what is put on the table, but we also would like to be warned off the few stinkers. I myself, instead of immediately fogetting, will now make a note of the names of places like the lousy Japanese place in the shopping center near the Dulles Marriott Suites so that I can pass them along in threads like this.

Picante, in Chantilly. On 50, about a mile east of 28.

http://www.picantetherealtaco.com/

Lots of good places to dine in Loudoun County,Virginia...

Thai - 4912 Thai Cuisine, Sterling (as recommended by others here)
American - Blue Ridge Grill, Leesburg (pricey but tasty)
Pizza - Giovanni's Pizza, Leesburg (authentic tradition NY style)
Chinese - House of Emporor, Ashburn (best Chinese in the county!)
Sushi - Matsuba Sushi, Ashburn (very creative and attentive chef)
Brewhouse - Old Dominion Brew Co, Ashburn (fun place if you can find it)
Italian - Treviso Ristorante, Ashburn (always a good meal)

I'm admittedly new to FT, so please pardon if my few recommendations have already been discussed...

Upscale, offbeat American - The Carlyle (formerly Carlyle Grand) in Arlington (shirlington section). 703/931-0777. I like this one so much I have the # programmed into my cell phone.

Steak - Ray's the Steaks, Wilson Blvd., North Arlington. About the best value you'll find in the DC area.

Upscale - Colvin Run Tavern, Rte. 7, Tysons (McLean). Owned by same guy who owns Kinkead's in DC. Great food, service. Place is is surrounded by Tiffany, Hermes, etc. 'Nuff said?

My best friend recently moved to Clarendon (central Arlington) so we've been trying out some of the restaurants in the area.

American: Silver Diner - has some great sandwiches and pasta dishes
Vietnamese: Nam Viet on Hudson St (just off Wilson Blvd) - very reasonably priced. The lemongrass chicken is amazing!

Hama Sushi in the Clock Tower shopping center is as good as Tachibana, but lacks the arrogant, snotty service.

My current favorite is Shahi Kabob House in downtown Herndon. Cusine is as Pakistani as it gets. Go for chicken Karahi. I like it bone-on which makes it messy finger food, but the flavors! Scoop it up with Naan, and spit out the bones. Try Samosa Chaat. Think of it as a Middle Eastern taco salad.

http://www.gmu.edu/jbc/Tyler/ethnic.html

Overall some good hits.

www.opentable.com and www.restaurant.com Great Websites!

Bon Appetit!

(leaving for Roma again on Sunday)a

New place just opened called Don Corelone's. It's in the Cascade Marketplace shopping center -- right off of Cascades (just North of Rt. 7).

Best pizza I've had in No Va...

There are lots of places close in to dc in alexandria and arlington but no one has mentioned my favorite in the dulles area in Fairfax -- the blue iguana.

http://www.blueiguana.net/

casual, but food is pretty spectacular

I stumbled upon this place while getting my Ben & Jerry's fix a couple of days ago. B&Js is next door and has only been open for a week or so. I had a slice at Don C's. It was good, OK even. I will have to try it again, upon your recommendation.

What did you have?

In spite of the menu giving the option of basic slices with add your own toppings, they could only offer me a slice of pepperoni or sausage. Of course, they proposed to upsell me on a small pizza with whatever toppings I wanted. Give me a break!

I found the pizza to not have much taste. I crave a pizza sauce with some seasoning. Best individual slices I have found in the area is from Luciano in Oakton and Tysons Corner mall. Whole pies from Primo Italiano in Reston are not bad. Still looking...