According to the National Restaurant Association, 66 percent of adults say that their favorite restaurant foods are those that provide flavors and tastes that they cannot easily duplicate in their own kitchens. At Extra Virgin restaurant, they couldn’t agree more, noting that what brings their customers back time and again, in addition to the atmosphere, is taste sensations that most people would find difficult to duplicate at home.

“When people dine out, they want something special, something out of the ordinary that that will give them a great experience,” explains Chef Scott Jenkins, the executive chef at Arlington-based Extra Virgin restaurant. “That’s exactly what we aim to do at Extra Virgin. We want them to love the ambiance and entertainment, but the food is the focus and we want to make it amazing.”

Extra Virgin’s menu offers a wide array of modern Italian food, but they have announced their top five most popular dishes as being:

Everyone loves a good beer. An ice cold pilsner after a long day toiling under the summer sun, or a hearty stout paired with a juicy steak, or a Belgian wheat beer topped with an orange wedge are all things of exceeding beauty and delight. Beer is the every-man’s drink, but is also highly refined and as sophisticated as the brewer wants it to be. Enter Nick Funnell. Nick is Great American Restaurant’s master brewer and the creator of some truly magnificent beers, some of which have garnered him professional plaudits and won him award after award. Nick took some time off his busy schedule to speak with us about our favorite drink.