Make Thursday Date Night at La Bergerie

Visit La Bergerie Thursday nights in March from 5:30pm-9:30pm for their $20 Date Night Specials!

March 14th - Red Snapper Fillet served with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Apple Smoked Bacon and Saffron Sauce
March 21st - Culotte Steak “Rosini Style” served with Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Red Bliss Potatoes and Truffle Sauce
March 28th - Atlantic Salmon Fillet wrapped in Phylo and Herbs
served with a Lemongrass Sweet Pea Puree

To make this deal even sweeter, all bottles of wine under $100 are discounted 40%!

218 N. Lee Street – Alexandria, VA – 22314

 

My Turkish Cousin – A Lunch Time Treat!

Society Fair on S. Washington Street has me hooked on this delectable creation they call “My Turkish Cousin”.

This smoked lamb shoulder sandwich is served on fresh, grilled flatbread topped with preserved lemon yogurt, Sultana mustard, and sautéed spinach.  TO DIE FOR! GO EAT IT NOW! Seriously, the combination of flavors and spices, all of which you can taste individually, also blend to create this melt in your mouth deliciousness.  

The Eat Good Food Group has done it again.   Now that my office is on King Street and knowing that this sandwich is so close to my fingertips will create a daily battle between my desire for goodness and guilty conscience.  It will certainly be the treat of all treats when I do give in to the devil on my shoulder.  

Eat This Sandwich!

Society Fair on Urbanspoon

Cupcake Tasters Challenge!

With all the hype surrounding the cupcake craze (yes, craze – I think this fad will fade) have you ever want to know, once and for all, who has the BEST cupcake in Alexandria?  Well, I have.  Tasters Challenges are my absolute favorite way to solve this dilemma for just about any food item, (shoot me an email if you have a suggestion for another one!) so one was arranged.  My favorite cupcake eating partner from New York City came to visit and of course a tasters challenge was on our list of things to do.  Then, it was rainy and cold and we had to cut down our list.  Womp Womp.  Luckily, I had already tried a some of the other cupcakes on our list, so I can speak to those.

Here our my final thoughts:

Losing out totally was Occasionally Cake.  The frosting to cupcake ratio was way off on the side of too much frosting, and the cake wasn’t very good either. 

Buzz Bakery

Buzz Bakery definitely has great cupcakes and always a fun variety of flavors like peanut butter & caramel, lemon chiffon with green tea buttercream and, of course, the cookie monster.  Their cupcakes are moist and sometimes have that little bit of frosting in the middle, which I love.  I had these for my birthday last year and was very pleased. 

 

I was told that Lavender Moon had the BEST cupcakes in Alexandria, so I was eager to try them.  You could really taste the coco in both the chocolate frosting and cake which was borderline over powering.  The cake was good, but a little dense for me.  The cake to frosting ratio was solid, but the frosting itself – not impressed.  The peanut butter frosting was cream cheese based instead of butter cream.  Big mistake- if you ask me. You get that tangy aftertaste that goes well with a carrot cake but not peanut buttter.  It’s hard to mess up a chocolate-peanut butter combo, but I think they pulled it off.  Still, the cupcakes here certainly weren’t bad.

Finally - Alexandria Cupcake!  I LOVE this place.  From the very first cupcake I had here, I knew this place was special.  I was excited to find that it was definitely the best in Alexandria.  The customer service is off, but who cares when the cupcakes are so delicious.  The frosting is fluffy and perfect.  They have a great variety of flavors and the cake is consistently good.  By far the winner in the “Overall Taste in Mouth” category.  YUM.  Treat Yo’ Self!

All of this being said, I’m not a HUGE cupcake person. I’d choose a salty, savory appetizer over dessert any day, but I certainly don’t dislike them.  If I do splurge on the sweets, it will be with an Alexandria Cupcake. 

 

 

 

  • Alexandria Cupcake - 1022 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 - (703)299-9099
  • Buzz Bakery - 901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314 – (703) 600-2899
  • Lavender Moon – 16 South Royal Street  Alexandria, VA 22314 – (703) 683-0588
  • Occasionally Cake - 207 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 - (703) 647-9638 AND 8859 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309 – (703) 780-CAKE

No Going Back to Chakra Cafe

After taking a nice evening walk over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, I was famished and decided to try Chakra Cafe for some Indian “fusion”.  I was kind of confused as to with what the Bengali cuisine was actually fused.  The website says that the owner is an American of Indian heritage and that “Every description of India begins with its diversity and cultural richness. At Chakra Café, you will experience how that diversity allows the flavors of India to meld with the flavors of the world’s cuisines, such as Latin American, Thai, Chinese and Italian, to name a few.”  Well, I didn’t really see where the Chinese or Thai was meshed in with the Indian Cuisine, but the Latin American and Italian were on the menu in the form of quesadillas filled with Indian staples and naan “flatbread” pizzas.  I had asked the guy taking my order what he recommended, and he couldn’t help me out since he said he hadn’t tried anything I questioned.  This was a little frustrating as employees should be able to speak to the food at least a little bit.

I had the Begun Baja Flatbread which was actually pretty good.  The naan was topped with spiced eggplant (which was delicious but didn’t need to be quite so fried), caramelized onions, goat cheese and cilantro.  However, after I finished eating it I was still quite hungry.  This should have been an appetizer rather than a meal.  But we had already ordered the hummus as an appetizer.  It tasted like that cheap brand – Tribe, I think - that you get at the grocery store for $2.  The naan was good, but the hummus was weak.

My walking and dining partner of the eve ordered the vegetable curry from the “Traditional Bengali” menu.  Now I’ve had a lot of curry in different forms, but this was just bad.  I don’t know how you mess up a vegetable curry dish – and I’ll eat pretty much anything Indian, but not this.   There was something rotten or acidic about the taste.  Perhaps this is some type of fusion of which I am unaware, but I was seriously disappointed with this seemingly “safe” dish.

As much as I love Indian, I try not to eat it too much because while delicious, it’s just not that healthy. I feel like I seriously wasted my Indian allotment for the month.  While some items on the menu might be good, it’s just not worth it to go back and try them. Perhaps I’ll allow myself to indulge at Aroma in Shirlington or Capitol Hill Tandoor & Grill in Eastern Market – suggestions welcome if you know of great Indian restaurants in Alexandria, because my hopes for Chakra Cafe were crushed last night.

Field Trip – New Orleans!

As a lover of food, I can’t believe it took me so long to finally visit New Orleans.  This was my first trip and other than spending time with one of my all time favorite people, I just wanted to eat.   I set out with a list of New Orleans staples I wanted to try (preferably in multiples so I could get a good sampling), and I was off!  I will admit that I didn’t eat a po-boy, but I’m going back in May and I’ll have one (or 3) then.  There was just too much to cover!

Beignets: Of course Cafe Du Monde was on my list, but I wasn’t super excited about it.  Usually the big touristy spots are a let down.  Not this one! What a tasty treat!  The Cafe Au Lait and a plate of beignets (they come in orders of 3 – I told myself I wouldn’t eat more than 2 – I ate 3) was the perfect way to start a day of exploring the French Quarter.  Later, I stopped by Cafe Beignet to see if they stood up to Du Monde – they did not.  These fritters were of course yummy, but I took a bite and easily passed on the rest.  A gift for my host!

Muffaletta: I tried one muffaletta at Napoleon House but plan on more during my next trip.  This NOLA sandwich is consists of a muffuletta loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated olive salad, capicola, mortadella, salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone and Swiss cheese. These are not my favorite ingredients, but when in Rome….

Gumbo: My plan was to do a Gumbo Tasters Challenge during my visit, but I was so full from everything else that I only ordered it twice.  I had the File Gumbo (along with Alligator Sausage!) at Praline Connection on Frenchmen Street and the Chicken and Andouille Gumbo at Mr. B’s Bisto in the Quarter.  The former was probably better and more authentic, but I realized that I don’t actually love gumbo as much as I thought.  While the gumbo at Mr. B’s was perfect for a rainy day, the best part of the experience was eating it along with $1.50 bloody marys and chatting with the tall, dark and handsome Australian traveler sitting next to me. 

As for the rest, the pomme frites at Delachaise were great, but the dipping sauces that came with them were amazing! For cocktails and great bar food, I would highly recommend Oak, Cure and SoBou.  If you make it Bywater, Bacchanal is a fantastic wine shop where you take your bottle out to the garden to listen to live music and order snacks, and Brunch at Elizabeth’s is a southern breakfast to be had! 

If you’re looking for great listing of restaurants and “best of” for every cuisine, check out The Man Who Ate New Orleans.

 

Tired of the Brown Bag?

Check out some of the great lunch deals around Alexandria:

  • Jackson 20 - $11 lunch special- Ribs, Roast Beef, Meatloaf, French Dip and Fried Chicken or Fish round out the weekly menu. Dine in or take it to go. M-F 11-2:30
  • The Majestic Cafe – $12 Royal Pick. Includes one entrée, iced tea or a bottle of soda at the bar
  • Restaurant Eve Lickity Split Lunch – Choose ANY 2 items $15 served only in the lounge weekdays 11:30-4
  • Bugsy’s Pizza – $7.45 All you can eat pizza buffet or $5 ALL-STAR LUNCH specials upstairs at the sports bar
  • A La Lucia – $20 for three course lunch including appetizer, entree, dessert and/or glass of wine weekedays from 11:30-2:30.
  • La Tasca – $12 for two tapas or $20 for unlimited tapas everday from 11:30-4
  • Las Tapas – $8 for 1 Soup + 1 Selection from the Hot Tapas OR 1 Selection from the Meat Tapas (M-F)
  • Le Refuge – $19 three course lunch weekdays from 11:30-2:30
  • Sam Phao Thai Cuisine – $8 Red Curry Fried Rice, Pad Thai Big Noodle, Mixed Vegetable Tofu, Minced Kapow Chicken or Pad Nam Pik Pa. (Dine in only)
  • Casablanca Morrocan Cuisine – $8 All you can eat buffet
  • Virtue Feed & Grain – $10 for 2 Hot Dog Bar (with all the fixin’s) M-F 11:30-2:30 At the bar

Back to School with Cheesetique

This is back-to-school season, but why should the kids have all the fun? You too can go back to school… at Cheesetique! They’re hosting a series of 101-level courses intended to get you up and running toward even bigger and foodier things. Sign up for one, sign up for all. Just remember – you’re never too cool for school.

The four classes include Wine 101, Beer 101, Chocolate 101, and Pickling 101. Read more about each class and sign up by clicking HERE!

VA’s Best Sandwich is in Alexandria!

Fried Chicken Sliders

Last month’s edition of FOOD Network Magazine featured an article highlighting the best sandwiches around the county.  Alexandria’s own No. 9 Lounge (The bar behind Evening Star) was noted in ”50 Sandwiches, 50 States” for their Fried Chicken Sliders.  There are actually a number of items on the lounge menu that I’ve been meaning to try, and I plan on doing so this weekend, but I’m quite sure you can’t go wrong with fried chicken drenched in redeye gravy served on sweet potato biscuits. 

 

 

 

 

The Majestic & No. 9 Lounge: 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave - Alexandria, VA 22301 (703) 549-5051

Killer E.S.P. – I Already Knew This Would be Good

I’ve probably walked by this place twenty times and thought it was just a gelato shop.  Oh, how wrong I was!  I guess I never considered what Killer E.S.P. stoof for, but had I given it more than a passing glance I would’ve realized that E.S.P. stands for Espresso, Sorbet and Pies and that this little cafe has a lot more to offer than just the gelato that I tell myself I don’t need to consume as I continue down King Street.

Iced Coffee

Espresso – self-explanatory.  But this is not just any coffee shop. Unlike many of the other charming coffee shops around Alexandria that are inviting and popular, this place actually has really good coffee.  You can’t really go wrong if you’re brewing with Stumptown beans, but most places around here don’t carry this Seattle based coffee roaster.  Now, I love me some St. Elmo’s or Misha’s on a Sunday morning for a muffin and cup, but the coffee is really nothing to write home about. Owner Rob Shelton traveled to Seattle to learn the brewing techniques and had a Stumptown employee spend three days in Alexandria training his staff how to make the perfect shot of espresso and cup of mud. Another cool thing about this cafe is their iced coffee brewing process.  The filtered water slowly drips through this science project-like contraption for a full flavored, balanced cup.

Homemade Gelato

Sorbet – not their only frozen treat, they also have gelato! Rob has fun experimenting and perfecting with new flavors for both the gelato (milk based) and sorbet (water based). He likes to find exotic fruits at the nearby Latin market and mix traditional flavors to make new ones – like the pineapple mint flavor that was on tap last week.   The gelato is creamy and wonderful, and the kind staff at Killer E.S.P. will offer you a sample if you’re having trouble deciding between the many delicious options. 

Julia’s Empanadas

Pies – I don’t know why more places don’t serve savory pies, because they are yummy and fun!  Killer E.S.P. gets their pies from Dangerously Delicious Pies, a DC favorite.  They have interesting pie combos such as curry tofu, steak-mushroom-onion-swiss, pork BBQ and sausage-tomato-fennel. The sweet pies are your traditional pie flavors, but they also have more unique ones like strawberry rhubarb or caramel apple crumb.  (I’m getting hungry just typing this).  It will be a toss-up as to what Killer E.S.P. decides to serve each day which keeps the variety fresh!  As if savory and sweet pies aren’t enough, they also sell Julia’s empanadas for a different, spicier kind of pie. 

Get excited! There is a lot more happening at this great new find.  Rob is planning to expand the breakfast options with sweet potato & gluten-free waffles and hopefully start creating healthy, organic smoothies as well.  The cafe is also getting a face lift and renovations are underway.  Next time you are walking along King Street, don’t pass by Killer E.S.P. without popping in and sampling their offerings.  If you do, I have a feeling you’ll be back!

Killer E.S.P – 1012 King Street - Alexandria, VA 22314

 Get half priced coffee now with the Scoutmob App - click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

Vaso’s Kitchen (and no one else’s!)

Although Vaso Volitoti, the Greek Mama, owner and chef of Vaso’s Kitchen (you know, the place with the landmarked Dixie Pig BAR-B-Q sign on the roof), was away on a much-needed vacation when I came to visit, I was lucky enough to spend some time talking to her son Johnny.  This family run operation has been a neighborhood staple since 2006.  Vaso’s cuisine meshes the northern Italian cooking she learned during her 26 years working as a waitress at Mike’s Italian and the authentic Greek she picked up from her mother while growing up in Cyprus.

This neighborhood joint is constantly crowded with the regulars who show up for multiple lunches each week and the local families and couples who fill the place at night. The restaurant produces a fairly extensive menu for being so small.  Personally, I think if you’re going to go to this restaurant you should order the Greek dishes.  The Italian is fine, but if you want pasta, just go to A La Lucia down the street.   It’s the home style Greek cooking with a touch an Italian that makes this place unique.

Artichoke Fiorentina

As for food, the Zesty Feta Spread is a treat on pita! (I’m a sucker for dips.) Of course the Tzatziki is fantastic, especially on the gyro – a hearty sandwich if ever there was one.  The artichoke appetizer is fun to eat if you’re in the mood for picking but its a little heavy on the garlic, so maybe opt for something less potent if you’re on a date. (Which I was while I was there. Whoops.) during an earlier visit, i tried the Spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese baked in filo dough), and I’m very thankful I did!  I always take the recommendations of an owner, so when he recommended the veal special, I obviously took his suggestion.  This massive piece of veal was stuffed with more veal, gooey, melty cheese and ham, lightly breaded, baked and served in some sort of lemony deliciousness.  It was amazing and I probably ate more of it than I should have, but I just couldn’t stop!

Dessert!

As if we weren’t stuffed enough, Johnny brought out the Yalaktoboureko for dessert.  Good thing too, because I would not have known how to pronounce it had I tried to order it myself.  This traditional greek dessert is basically a warmed sugar and cinnamon pastry filled with liqueur-based orange custard wrapped in filo dough.  A perfect way to end the dinner! Although it wasn’t quite the end since we had some after dinner drinks. (Apologies for the photos.  I usually forget to take them until I’m about half way through my meal! I anxiously await my food and dive in immediately.)

Spanakopita

Veal

What struck me the most about Vaso’s Kitchen was the sense of family you experience when you enter this tiny restaurant - not only because most of the people working here actually are part of Vaso’s family, but because they treat you as if you are as well. Growing up in a small town where you pretty much know everyone, the familiarity you find at Vaso’s, and rarely in other dining establishments today, has not been not lost on me. It’s places like this that make me love living in and experiencing Alexandria.

Vaso’s Kitchen – 1225 Powhatan Street - Alexandria, VA 22314 – (703) 548-2747

Vaso's Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Let Them Eat Crepes!

I’m typically not one to be tempted by a creperie, but the menu at Fontaine Caffe & Creperie struck my fancy.  After taking advantage of the Wednesday wine specials at Grape + Bean across the street, I headed to Fontaine to give crepes a shot.  The Creperie is in its fifth year in Old Town – an establishment created by Kyong Yi, who is the chef and owner.  The idea for this Creperie was spurred by the type of atmosphere she wanted to create in Old Town -that of a casual European Cafe, which she has most certainly achieved.  

I think the reason I’m usually discouraged from eating crepes is because it seems kind of overpriced for what you get – a bit of food wrapped in a super thin pancake?  Eh.  At least at Fontaine the crepes either gluten-free and made with a buckwheat flour or made with whole wheat flour, so you do feel as though you’re having a healthier snack.  And I’m sticking with the word “snack”, because I left feeling a bit hungry.  I guess I dont think of crepes as a dinner meal – maybe I should just eat them for lunch.  I had the Savory Moroccan crepe stuffed with spinach and feta and topped with a mint, yogurt drizzle (sauces get me every time), and it was definitely a good combination of flavors. My friend had the Old Towner (Ham, spinach and caramelized onion) with cheese.  I will say, hers looked a lot more filling than mine so maybe for a hungry girl, I just ordered poorly.  For dessert, we split the Sweet Marathon crepe which was filled with bananas, Nutella, peanut butter and chocolate sauce.  Its called The Marathon because this food combination is a favorite of Kyong’s – she likes to eat these items on a hike or after a long run.  You really can’t go wrong with this mixture (or anything with peanut butter and chocolate, in my opinion), and we easily cleaned our plate.  That was plenty of sweet for me, but I could have used more savory. 

Moroccan

Old Towner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For most women, this would probably be a perfect meal.  For me, I had just gone to the gym and then had some wine while people around me ate delicious looking cheese plates, so I was famished and ready for a hearty meal.  For you men out there, you should probably just go ahead and order something else on the menu or get two crepes.  And the menu certainly does have a lot more to offer – like most French bistros, they offer Steak Frites, Mussels, Salmon and a number of other non-creperie items.   Perhaps I’m doing this wrong – are you supposed to order more than one crepe for dinner, or do I really need to work on curbing my appetite?
Fontaine Caffe & Creperie on Urbanspoon

Brunching Around Town

After moving from Manhattan to the DC area, I had a horrifying realization: People don’t brunch!! Yes, brunch is used as a verb here, and no - that statement is not entirely true.  People DO brunch, just not as often (like, every Saturday AND Sunday morning).  I think this is because people work such long hours in NYC and are less able to embrace the same work-life balance as we Southerners, so brunches become is the social meals of the week up north. You can generally find time to fit in a meal on the weekends, but trying to schedule a dinner during the week? Ugh.  I’ve found that, since relocating, I have altered my behavior as well. I meet my friends for catch-up meals during the week and spend my weekend mornings reading my news source of choice, having french pressed coffee and making a healthy breakfast (its called breakfast when you do it at home).  

I most certainly have not given up on brunch entirely, especially in the winter when I like to post-up at the bar at Chadwicks next to the fireplace and drink $3 delicious bloody marys (also $3 mimosas & drafts and $9 bottles of champagne).  I come here for the drinks, not the food - which is fine but nothing special.  Although, the cinnamon butter that goes with the yummy little blueberry and chocolate chip muffins they provide is amazing – I want to spread it on everything!  

Biscuits & Gravy

For brunch in Old Town, I think Jackson 20 in the Hotel Monaco is spot on. I can never decide what I want because the entire menu looks amazing.  I was there yesterday with a friend who reminded me of the joke “your mama’s so fat that when they bring her a menu, she just says, OK.”  We were ravenous after a 12 hour celebration of her birthday the day before and that is exactly what we wanted to tell the waiter.  After considering our waist lines (but clearly not TOO much), we decided not to order everything but opted instead to start off with some biscuits and gravy and then each get an eggs benedict dish.    For once in our lives, we forewent the $12 unlimited mimosas due to our state, but this is a huge perk of Jackson 20′s brunch menu.  We both left feeling very full and satisfied.  Yes Please to Jackson 20!  Jackson 20 on Urbanspoon

Other great brunches in Old Town? Check out Vermillion (which is just great for everything) and Columbia Firehouse, who also has an awesome brunch menu.  Stay away from Bilbo Baggins. I went here with two friends and we were all incredibly disappointed with our food.  Bilbos is place to go if you want to grab a beer – not to eat, and most definitely not to eat brunch.

Brunch at Del Ray Cafe

Del Ray also has some really fantastic brunch spots. Evening Star Cafe is always a safe bet for food, and I’ve heard Del Ray Cafe has an amazing brunch, although I haven’t tried it yet.   If you’re up for some cocktails, check out Cheesetique’s Brunch Bucket (view from past post).

For more brunch recommendations and reviews, check out Bitches Who Brunch, A Southern Brunch Guide.

Monday Wine Specials

If you get home from work after a long Monday at work and the last thing you want to do is cook (and the first thing you want to do is have a glass of wine), check out some of these Alexandria restaurants that offer great Monday wine specials.

 

Make Reservations Through Savored – Save $$!

Create an account for free and make your reservations through Savored to save up to 40% on your bill.  No need to print coupons or whip out your smartphone - the discount will automatically be deducted from your entire bill (including alcohol!). Right now, Alexandria restaurants participating in Savored include The Grille at Morrison House and Tempo.  Hopefully more will join soon!

Eamonn’s and TNT Bar – Now Open

Yes, I know – It’s in Arlington, but the Eat Good Food Group whose restaurants we love (Restaurant Eve, The Majestic, Virtue Feed & Grain, Society Fair, Eamonn’s A Dublic Chipper & PX Lounge) has opened another version of Eamonn’s on Columbia Pike in Arlington.  Come on – it’s not THAT far!  The new version of King’s Street’s Eamonn’s maintains the fish and chips menu but adds new items such as chicken wings, meat pies and a variety of burgers. Don’t worry – they still have fried candy bars (you can check out the full menu here).  While the original Eamonn’s sits below the cocktail haven PX Lounge, the new restaurant will contain a 30 seat bar called TNT, named after mixologist Todd Thrasher’s son.  The cocktail menu, with Thrasher’s own creations as well as concoctions borrowed from his friends and fellow bartenders, will no doubt have something for everyone.

Field Trip! Savannah, Georgia

I was recently in Savannah, GA for work and was able to find a bit of time to squeeze in some good eats.  I love sharing my thoughts on food in Alexandria, but I tend to travel a lot and might as well offer up some insight into other cities.  Take it or leave it as you will…

I got in late on a Sunday night and hit up Moon River Brewing Company across the street from my hotel.  There was a close-talking “boy” sitting next to me who looked no older than 16, but hey – he was kinda drunk, kept me entertained and gave me some beer recommendations.  I like to order flights when I’m at a brewery so I can get a sampling of the local beers, and this one was, eh – it was ok.  The Slo-Vannah was my favorite and actually had a good flavor with a bit of hops.  I can’t speak to the food as I ordered a salad with grilled chicken.  My fault – I should’ve known.  Restaurant salads are typically overpriced and I usually leave hungry – which I did.  I wouldn’t go back. 

Dinner

The Shack

I made up for the next night at The Crab Shack on Tybee Island with a very fun crowd of new friends.   The shellfish (and drinks) were aflowin at this Florida Everglades-esque type establishment.  There was actually a mote with live alligators surrounding the decks where diners pick their crab, lick their fingers and throw their trash down a hole in the middle of the table.   I’m fairly certain that the melted butter served in Styrofoam bowls would not have been up to the standards of local chef Paula Dean, but everything was dipped in it nonetheless.  The food wasn’t superb but the atmosphere made up for it.  Definitely worth a visit if you have more than a few days in the Low Country.

On my last night in this historic city, I took the advice of both the locals and the websites and went to The Olde Pink House.  I sat in Savannah’s most-beloved tavern lined with antique brick walls, fireplaces and the type of plush leather chairs that make you want to stay seated forever.  Unlike most restaurants frequented by tourists, everything we ate was absolutely delicious – a lovely dining experience for sure.  Its funny that I’ve been training myself to like seafood for years now, and its only been in the last month that I’ve started coming around to it.  (My sister has trying to get me to like the taste of things that swim for so long that she will flip at this next sentence.) When you take my advice, along with everyone else’s in this town, and eat at The Olde Pink House, I would highly recommend the calamari, shrimp and grits and pan seared scallops from this Savannah staple.

Wednesday Wine Bar Specials at GRAPE + BEAN!

GRAPE + BEAN is a wine bar, wine shop and coffee spot that has a lovely menu of select cheeses, charcuteries, flatbreads and other fun small plates.  Stop by the Old Town location on Wednesdays starting at 4pm to enjoy some special hand picked glasses featured at Half Price. Get through hump day in style!

118 S. Royal Street (Old Town) and 2 E. Walnut Street (Rosemont) in Alexandria, VA

 

Del Ray Pizzeria: A Neighborhood Gem

Some people are appalled when I inform them that I don’t have cable and settle for basic TV, but there are definitely some benefits that come with the lack of services.  One, my interactions with Comcast (who I despise to no end) are kept to a minimum. Two, I have an excuse to frequent the bar at Del Ray Pizzeria whenever a sporting event is broadcast on a non-network station.

Frickles

I have to admit, the pizza here is certainly not the highlight of this place, despite the name of restaurant.  However, chef Eric Reid has recently introduced a new dough, so perhaps there has been an improvement.  I’m yet to try it.  What this bar really has to offer are the appetizers, entrees and a great beer selection.  I say “bar” because that’s the only place I sit, although I did eat outside one lovely day.  The restaurant area is more of a family oriented space, which is great for the majority of Del Ray.  I, however, prefer to post up at the bar and chat with other singles, young couples still enjoying their childless years or neighborhood dads who offer to pick up dinner so they can sneak in a quick beer before heading home. There is always something new and fun on tap, but no matter what I’m drinking the calamari and frickles (not on the menu, but you can always order them!) are a perfect addition.

Shrimp & Grits

As entrees go, the shrimp and grits are delicious and took home top honors in the People’s Choice category at this year’s Taste of Del Ray.  I’ve had a few of the sandwiches and those are usually very tasty – especially The Moose Ruben, a creation of the former chef at Evening Star where Eric got his start.  He has actually spent his entire culinary career along Mount Vernon Avenue working as a sous chef at Evening Star and chef at Del Merie before reworking the menu at Del Ray Pizzeria.  He recently returned from a vacation in France and has some new ideas for the DRP menu, so be on the look out!

The bar at DRP is one of my favorite places to unwind, watch sports and have a beer, but I do wish they would change their name.  Pizza is not their forte and is expensive for what you get.  I’ve heard much the same from many other patrons, but clearly they’re doing just fine with everything else on the menu (which is very reasonably priced).  The place is constantly packed and is an all-around neighborhood gem.  Who knows, maybe this new crust will make me eat my words, and more pizza…

Happy Hour: 4-7pm weekdays – $2 off drafts and appetizers
Del Ray Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

 

Del Ray Cafe – Tasting Table DC Review

Today’s edition of Tasting Table DC highlighted the recently opened Del Ray Cafe located on E. Howell Avenue:

Del Ray du Jour: Pause any time of day at Del Ray Café

Exquisiteness has swerved toward the homey in Del Ray.

After years spent mastering fine French cuisine at Old Town’s La Bergerie, Laurent Janowsky has embraced a homier vibe at his new Del Ray Café.

Janowsky’s strategy began long before any guests glanced at their menus. The restaurateur refurbished a split-level home, creating a country-inspired retreat with sliding barn doors and a screened-in porch overlooking the yard. Inside, classic Gallic songs filter through the rooms while the kitchen–presided over by La Bergerie veteran Sylvain Tonello–prepares crusty baguettes, herb-speckled roast potatoes ($5) and thick, summery dishes of ratatouille ($5) from breakfast through dinner.

The day starts with buttery pains au chocolate ($3), or eggs flanked by rotisserie ham, potatoes and warm bread with goat cheese ($14). By dinner, the kitchen is preparing snails in garlicky butter ($6) and tender local rabbit loin ($27) with smoky bacon in a light thyme sauce.

You can easily recreate the experience at home: The Café’s nightly carryout special ($17), available from 4 to 9 p.m., will send you home with a three-pound chicken, roasted potatoes and a warm baguette.

Read another review of Del Ray Cafe from The Food Nomad.
Del Ray Cafe on Urbanspoon

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