Della J's Delectables Offers Southern Home Cooking At Mount Vernon Plaza

HYBLA VALLEY, VA — A new locally-owned restaurant and parklet space for visitors to use seek to bring new life to the Mount Vernon Plaza along Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley.

Ribbon cuttings for the 3,200-square-foot parklet near Moe's Southwest Grill and the relocated Della J's Delectables were held Wednesday. Della J's, a Black-owned business specializing in Southern comfort food, had been relocated from Springfield to 7692 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA.

The restaurant is owned by Jerry and Lydia Young, who are also celebrating 42 years together. Della J's is named for Jerry Young's mother, Della, who provided inspiration for recipes at the restaurant, according to the restaurant's website.

The restaurant combines Della's favorite recipes with other favorites to offer home cooked food. Diners can find a variety of dishes, from fried fish fillets and jumbo lump crab cake sandwich to smoked baby back ribs, chicken and waffles, and Cajun fettuccine Alfredo. Dishes can be paired with sides like mac and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes and gravy and more. But save room for dessert, because the restaurant's peace cobbler was named one of the top desserts by Northern Virginia Magazine.

The move to Richmond Highway was due to the restaurant outgrowing its old space to provide more room for customers. The new restaurant includes seating, a bar and an option for online ordering.

Jerry Young credited his wife, Lydia Young, and sister, Judy, with helping him with the restaurant along with Federal Realty and other partners. He told guests at the ribbon cutting he grew up in the area, going to Bethlehem Baptist Church down the road and often passing the McDonald's at the shopping center.

"Today I am behind that McDonald's. It's a beautiful place here with the help of Federal Realty," said Young.

The grand opening coincided with the introduction of a new parklet space at Mount Vernon Plaza. The parklet provides new cafe seating, lighting, landscaping, a trellis, green space, porch swing benches and soma stones. Shopping center owner Federal Realty introduced the parklet as a space for visitors to relax and eat outdoors. The concept resulted from discussions between Federal Realty and the Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, which supports projects that promote economic growth in the Richmond Highway corridor.

Two Fairfax County supervisors — Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk and Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck — as well as Del. Paul Krizek were present to celebrate the parklet opening, highlighting what adding the park space at the shopping center brings to the Richmond Highway corridor.

Lusk told Patch Fairfax County's Embark Richmond Highway initiative includes a vision for open plazas and areas for families to use in future development. The supervisor called the parklet a "harbinger of things to come," as it can be a model for other development along the Richmond Highway corridor.

Lusk noted Federal Realty made $55 million in improvements when Mount Vernon Plaza was redeveloped in 2007, but owner Federal Realty has still been looking for ways to improve it. That latest effort was providing a space for people to spend time.

"I look at this as being part of our placemaking along the corridor," Lusk told Patch. "So it's establishing areas where people can come sit and eat, and play with their kids. I think those are things that help bring the community together, and I think it helps people have a greater sense of where they live."

Visions for development and other improvements to the Richmond Highway corridor are intertwined with the county's effort to establish a Bus Rapid Transit system. The Bus Rapid Transit system, a transitway providing quicker bus service through the Richmond Highway corridor, connecting employment centers, shopping centers and residential communities. There are nine planned stations between the Huntington Metro and Fort Belvoir.

Lusk said the projected completion for the Bus Rapid Transit is 2029. The county is working to choose final station names and "community charm" elements for each station. Stations could potentially have murals or other elements so riders know which community they are in. The Bus Rapid Transit system's branding was previously announced as "The One."

The Bus Rapid Transit's Hybla Valley station will put riders near the Mount Vernon Plaza shopping center. Mount Vernon Plaza is located at 7694 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA.