Took the 4-year-old to lunch at Not Your Average Joe’s in Lansdowne, where she had some of the best chicken fingers I’ve had at a restaurant. The chicken was real breast meat, the breading was light and lightly seasoned, and the whole thing was fried to perfection.

My friend Dana had the Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Meatloaf, which was absolutely yummy. Dense and studded with corn, the meatloaf also had chipotle peppers, smoked mozzarella and red peppers to give it a unique depth of flavor. She didn’t care for the barbecue gravy, though.

I had the appetizer special: Crab Lettuce Wraps, described as a “Thai-inspired blend of lump crab meat, granny smith apples, sugar snap peas, carrots and cilantro, served in chilled lettuce cups with a sweet chili-lime vinaigrette.” While light and refreshing, I still prefer The Cheesecake Factory’s Thai Lettuce Wraps, which feature butter lettuce instead of iceberg and satay chicken instead of the crab meat, which was pretty skimpy.

We ended the meal with the Sweet Petites selection of four mini-versions of their desserts: Galaxy Mousse (Devil’s Food Cake soaked with Kahlua, drizzled with caramel sauce and sprinkled with chopped Heath bar chunks and a chocolate shaving), Oreo Cheesecake (New York style cheesecake with an Oreo crust, topped with crumbled Oreos, fresh whipped cream and hot chocolate sauce), Praline Buttered Pecan (white chocolate hazelnut mousse layered with chopped pecans and Heath bar chunks and drizzled with caramel sauce), and Key Lime Pie (Joe’s mom’s recipe topped with raspberry sauce and fresh whipped cream). Presented in cute little martini glasses, the best one was the Galaxy Mousse; all the others were just so-so.

Still I’d give this place a thumbs-up for being kid-friendly: all the kids selections (good variety) are $4.25 and are served with a free ice cream cup. And they’re one of the few restaurants I’ve seen that offer a gluten-free menu! Click here for their full menus.

The Lansdowne Town Center restaurant currently is the Massachusetts-based company’s only Virginia location, but our server told us the owner plans to expand in NoVa, with the next one likely in the Manassas area.

Check out the latest post at SuperNoVa Kids Eat Free for a free $5 off card.

Planning to buy a generator or emergency preparedness supplies? You might want to wait until the end of the month, when you can purchase it free of sales tax.

The Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday takes place May 25-31; it’s the first of three annual sales tax holidays in Virginia, according to the state Department of Taxation:

May 25-31: New! Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Equipment
During this seven-day period, purchases of items designated by the Department of Taxation as hurricane preparedness equipment, including portable generators, will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax. Portable generators must be priced at $1,000 or less, and other eligible items must be priced at $60 or less for each item. Some of the items include:
* Artificial ice, blue ice, ice packs and reusable ice      
* Batteries (not automobile or boat), Cell phone chargers
* Any portable self-powered light sources such as flashlights
* Portable self-powered radios, two-way radios
* Bungee cords, rope, duct tape
* Smoke detectors,  fire extinguishers                  
* Gas or diesel fuel tanks or containers
* Water storage containers, non-electric food storage coolers
* Bottled water, manual can openers
* First Aid Kits

Click here for the full list.

August 1-3: School Supplies and Clothing
During this three-day period, purchases of certain school supplies, clothing and footwear will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax. Each eligible school supply item must be priced at $20 or less, and each eligible article of clothing and footwear must be priced at $100 or less. 

October 10-13, 2008: New! Energy Star Qualified Products
During this four-day holiday, purchases of products meeting the Energy Star qualifications, such as certain energy-efficient appliances, will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax. Eligible products must be priced at $2,500 or less for each item, and be purchased for noncommercial home or personal use.

Check out Allergy Life in Loudoun, where you can get info on a Food Allergy Awareness family event at Brambleton Town Center on Sunday, May 18th from 1-4 p.m.  The first 50 kids who attend will receive an Alexander Croc sandal snap! Co-sponsored by Go Bananas toy store.

If you’ve been wanting to check out the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, this weekend is a good time: on Saturday, May 10, a local NBC affiliate is sponsoring a $10 admission day. Regular admission is $17.95 for adults and $14.95 for children ages 2-12.

Members of the NBC 10 news team will be on hand to sign autographs as well, but unless you’re familiar with the local personalities from the area you probably won’t want to stand in line.

Read my review of the aquarium by clicking here.