A recipe for Spetzofai (Greek Sausage and Peppers) inspired by my time at Mosaic District in Fairfax, Virginia! This comforting dish comes together by simmering sausages with a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and spices.
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Mosaic District

Mosaic District is a family and dog-friendly shopping center in Fairfax, Virginia just outside the beltway about 11 miles (18 kilometers) west of Washington, D.C.
It is a little over 0.5 mile (0.8 kilometer) from the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro Station.

This shopping area has become a particular favorite of ours since moving back to Northern Virginia with the abundance of fantastic restaurants, easy garage parking (parking often gives me anxiety, so this is always appreciated), weekend market, and colorful murals.

While I am focusing on the food and restaurants in this post, there are plenty of shops as well.
The festivals, decorations, and events throughout the year to celebrate the seasons and holidays are also fun.

FRESHFARM Mosaic Market

The FRESHFARM Mosaic Market began in 2019 and is a year-round farmer’s market on Sundays. The exact hours vary based on summer/winter season.
During market hours, parts of District Avenue and Strawberry Lane become pedestrian only and are lined with vendors featuring products from ready-to-eat food to pantry staples, sauces, pasta, drinks, produce, and more.

A few of our personal favorites (at the time of this post) include RavenHook Bakehouse, Jinlan Wenhua, The Fermented Pig, Ana’s Twist, Zeke’s Coffee, Open Hand Pasta, and Pasta Ilgatto.

I first tried Toimoi Bakery‘s fantastic croissants and other treats at this market as well. These delicious pastries feature a variety of East and Southeast Asian flavors- often with seasonal specialties.
She still has a booth here, but has recently set up a kitchen in Chantilly with pickup options.

The market is also dog friendly. Our Olivia particularly loves the Snarfies booth for their freeze-dried treats (perfect for training).
We usually have a water bottle (Amazon link) for her, but there are often water bowls outside many of the shops.

Colada Shop

One of our first stops in the Mosaic District after moving back to Virginia was breakfast at Colada Shop!
This cafe focuses on Cuban flavors with a collection of sandwiches, salads, bowls, snacks, pastries, desserts, coffee, tea, smoothies, and more. They have indoor and outdoor seating with easy ordering from the table or online.
For the photos above, we ordered the following:
- Churro Café con Leche (seasonal) – espresso, brown sugar syrup, milk, and churro.
- Manzana Café con Leche (seasonal) – Havana blend coffee, spiced apple syrup, milk.
- Guava and Cheese Pastelito- guava and cheese filled Caribbean style pastry.
- Salmon Tostada- buttered Cuban bread with fresh sofrito yogurt spread, Mojito-cured salmon, and micro greens.
- Kid’s Grilled Cheese- Cuban bread, cheese, butter.
- Churro Bites with Condensed Milk.
- Jamón Croquetas- Béchamel-based Cuban fritters with ham.
This continues to be a favorite stop to grab coffee in the morning, especially before or after walking through the market on Sundays.
There are additional locations in DC; Potomac, Maryland; and recently to Clarendon, Virginia.
Our Mom Eugenia

Chad and I enjoyed a lunch date at Our Mom Eugenia and it was such an incredible meal!
Our Mom Eugenia is open daily for lunch and dinner with indoor and outdoor seating. Their menu is filled with a wonderful variety of Greek soups, salads, spreads, appetizers, meat, seafood, vegetarian options, and desserts. Reservations and online ordering are available through their website.
We enjoyed the following:
- Arni Giouvetsi- oven braised lamb with orzo.
- Pastitsio (Fridays only at the time of this post) – oven baked pasta with minced meat, thick macaroni, and generous layer of bechamel.
- Three spreads- we picked Tirokafteri (our favorite- feta with roasted red peppers and cayenne), Skordaliá (garlic, potatoes and olive oil), and Tzatziki (yogurt with cucumber, garlic, olive oil, dill).
- Greek Salad- tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers, red onions, olives, and whole feta with oregano, olive oil, and vinegar.
They have additional locations in Great Falls and Shirlington.
Gyu Shige

We stopped by Gyu Shige for a special Father’s Day lunch.
Gyu Shige Japanese BBQ & Bar has over 160 stores across the world and this location is the first in the US. They are open daily for dinner plus lunch on weekends with a fantastic variety of grilled meat/seafood/vegetable options, small plates, sushi rolls, desserts, cocktails, Mocktails, and other drinks.
Reservations and online ordering are available through their website. We ordered the following during our visit:
- Smoky Birdhouse- Roku gin, St Germain, Framboise, Lime, Orange Blossom Water.
- Agave Sour- Casamigos Reposado Tequila, Agave Nectar, Lime, Egg White, Angostura Bitters.
- Gyoza.
- Nanban Karaage- fried chicken bites with a tartar sauce.
- Imo Cheese Mochi- potato cheese mochi.
- Salmon Heaven Roll- salmon and mango inside with torched king salmon, ikura, mayo, and scallion.
- Garlic Beef Fried Rice.
- Top Blade, Outside Skirt, Prime Short Ribs Boneless, Yuzu Jalapeño Shrimp, Garlic Chicken Thigh, Garlic Pork Belly.
Pastry XPO

Another great spot for breakfast or an afternoon treat is Pastry Xpo Cafe! They are the sister shop of Eclairons in Rosslyn.
Pastry Xpo Cafe is open daily with a delicious variety of coffee, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and wraps, pastries, cookies, cakes, tarts, and eclairs.
I ordered the Soujouk Egg Wrap (eggs, spicy soujouk sausage, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese) and a Hot Café Noisette (hazelnut latte with a toasted hazelnut garnish).
I also picked up a few pastries to take to my aunts- Trio Chocolate Terrine, Chocolate Crunch, Fresh Fruit Tart, Key Lime Tart, Éclair a la Pistache, Éclair Boston Cream, Éclair au Chocolat, and Nutella Éclair.
Kirby Club

Kirby Club was another perfect date lunch! This restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner plus weekend brunch with Eastern Mediterranean flavors.
The menu is filled with appetizers, salads, plates, platters, cocktails, and other drinks. Reservations are available through their website.
We enjoyed the:
- Kirby Tiki (such a fun glass)- mezcal, strawberry Campari, Passionfruit, rose water.
- Baharat Old Fashioned- bourbon, baharat syrup, cardamom bitters.
- Pick 3 dips- Havuç (carrot dip with garlic and lemon- Muhammara is usually my favorite, but this was incredible), Minty Labneh (strained yogurt, mint, lemon), and Grilled Red Pepper Dip with walnuts and pomegranate.
- Gold Plate- choice of rice or couscous (or half/half!), chicken shish taouk, kofta, toum, pink tahina.
- Chicken Shawarma Wrap with salad (or fries), pickle, and sweet harissa.
Dolcezza Gelato

Dolcezza Gelato is a favorite with the kids. They feature handcrafted gelato using local ingredients along with hot/cold coffee and tea.
During our last visit, we had the Dulce de Leche Latte, and scoops of Coffee & Xmas Cookies (coffee gelato with chocolate covered Biscoff cookies), Peanut Butter Mash, and Hot Cocoa (spiced milk chocolate gelato with blackout cookies and itty bitty marshmallows).
We also grabbed a couple of pints to take home- Sugar Cookie Dough (sugar cookie dough batter with dark chocolate flakes and bits of sugar cookie dough) and Black & White Cookie Batter (collaboration with Call Your Mother Deli (Black and White Cookie batter gelato with cookie pieces).
Additional locations in DC and Maryland.

Looking for more DC Area Travel?
Check out:
- Grilled Mac and Cheese Sandwich and Georgetown, DC
- Rice with Butter and Soy Sauce and National Building Museum
- Galaxy Doughnuts and National Air and Space Museum

Spetzofai (Greek Sausage and Peppers)

To pair with this post, I made Spetzofai (Σπετσοφάι, Spetsofai) using the Loukaniko sausage I picked up from The Fermented Pig at the market.
This comforting dish comes together by simmering the flavor-packed sausages with a variety of peppers, tomatoes, and spices. It can be enjoyed on its own for a meal or alongside other items for a spread of small plates (mezethes).
There are variations based on region. The area where Spetzofai originated around Pelion often includes eggplant.
Serve warm from the pan with a crusty bread for soaking up the sauce and some feta (or kefalotyri) for a nice salty contrast.
Loukaniko
Loukaniko (λουκάνικο) is a Greek sausage made with pork (and/or lamb) and often flavored with orange, fennel, and garlic.
I picked it up from the market, but it can sometimes be found in the refrigerated or freezer section of grocery stores with Greek ingredients.
If unavailable, swap for a raw spicy Italian sausage (or mild if you are looking to decrease the heat)- preferably with fennel. The flavor just won’t be quite the same.
A Few Spetzofai Tips

I used one each of yellow, green, and red bell pepper for a variety of color.
This recipe comes together with less than an hour of cooking. The cookbook, The Greek Slow Cooker, also has a slow cooker version.
Cut the vegetables in all roughly the same size, about 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces.
If avoiding alcohol, omit the red wine and deglaze the pan with a little more water.
The seasonings are mostly just guidelines. Adjust based on personal tastes. This will also depend on the type of sausages you use.
For more heat, you can toss in a spicy green or red pepper or add a larger amount of ground red chili.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Chad says the flavors were even better the next day for lunch.
Spetzofai (Greek Sausage and Peppers) Recipe
Adapted from The Greek Slow Cooker
Spetzofai (Greek Sausage and Peppers)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) olive oil divided
- 1 pound (450 grams) Loukaniko sausage cut into 1 1/2 inch (4 centimeter) pieces
- 1 red onion peeled and cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 yellow bell pepper stem and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
- 1 green bell pepper stem and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
- 1 red bell pepper stem and seeds removed, cut into 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) pieces
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) tomato paste
- 2 tomatoes core removed and diced
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) red wine
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch ground red chili
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
For Serving:
- Fresh parsley
- Feta cheese
- Rustic bread slices
Instructions
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
- Once heated, add the sausage pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the yellow, green, and red bell pepper pieces, followed by the tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
- Pour in the red wine, stirring the bottom and sides, to deglaze the pan.
- Once most of the wine has evaporated, add the water and season the mixture with the salt, paprika, black pepper, and red chili.
- Cover the pan and simmer until the peppers and tomatoes have softened.
- Stir in the browned sausage pieces.
- Simmer the sausages uncovered until they are completely cooked through and the liquid has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the oregano and season to taste.
- Serve immediately with parsley for garnish and alongside Feta and slices of a rustic-style bread.
TAYLER ROSS
It looks delicious! So full of flavor!
dana
I love how this dish is such a nice mixture with its cozy feel and bright flavors. I will definitely be making this!
Angela
This dish reminds me of the wonderful mezes I’ve had while vacationing in Cyprus. Bookmarked this to make once I can track down some Greek sausages.
Tiffany
This recipe is one that my whole family will enjoy! The flavors sound like they mix together perfectly! Thank you
Vicky
We are visiting Greece later this year, so I am excited to make this to help get us in the spirit for our trip. This dish looks yummy and filling!