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Showing results for tags 'Alexandria'.
Found 214 results
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This restaurant is in soft-opening mode still with little web presence and a limited menu (not all the items on the printed menu are available yet)...that being said I think it is a game changer for the miserable state of dumplings in Alexandria. We went on a Sunday morning and had the following: Pork Soup Dumplings(XLB) --- I thought these were better than the XLB at all the Rockville joints. Great flavor to the soup--perfect mix of fat and meat. Thin delicate wrapper, yet sturdy enough not to tear when removing it from steamer basket. Steamed shrimp (har gow)--crisp shrimp, well made tapioca wrapper, held up without becoming mushy Scallion Pancake--were fine--Ive had better--less flaky and more flat Pan Fried Buns with egg and Chive--these were deep fried and tasty with fresh chives Pan Fried Buns with shrimp and Chives-- These were in a har gow style wrapper but pan fried with crispy bottoms--excellent Vegetable Stir Fried Noodles--these were a bust--we wanted something with the hand pulled noodles and these were the only veg option--noodles were good but sauce tasted like it had tomato sauce or ketchup in it--very weird This place is a franchise from NYC and is well reviewed there. I am excited for the full menu and will definitely be back. I think this place is going to be mobbed once fully opened and reviewed in the press. No website yet-- so I am grudgingly putting the yelp link here.- 15 replies
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Market to Market in Del Ray offers made to order subs and sandwiches with fresh breads and quality ingredients. They also have prepared foods such as lasagna and meatballs that come from the kitchen(s) of Cafe Pizzaiolo. They carry a small selection gourmet groceries (pasta, sauce etc), wines, a large beer selection and probably one of the best baguettes in the DC area. There are a couple tables inside and out, as well as a blackboard with daily specials. Look for Specialicious coupons and you'll really get a deal. Try the "Randolph" and enjoy very thin pastrami on rye and just go with the shredded lettuce and tomato. It works! -
I don't see a thread for Lena's Wood-Fired Pizzas & Tap at 401 E Braddock Rd, near Braddock Metro Station. Friends and family opening was this weekend, and soft opening reported for today. This is said to be a partnership between management of The Majestic/Virtue and the Yates family. The space looks great. Large bar. Extensive outdoor patio with fire pit and gas heaters.- 10 replies
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- Alexandria
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I could not find a topic for Monterey's Pizza in Alexandria. They just opened a new location about a block away from their old location. They are going to have a patio, they have some inside seating (not huge about 7 tables of various sizes). Beer and wine license coming. We have tried DRP, Lost Dog (our previous favorite), Lena's and Monterey's so far has been our favorite delivery/eat in pizza that we have found so far in the Alexandria/Del Ray area. the crust has nice char, I think the toppings are really good. The staff is really nice, delivery is fast. We have eaten in their new location and while not amazing ambiance wasn't bad, we watched baseball and ate some pizza. I think the sauce is better than Lena's, crust is better than Lost Dog, and I am not sure why exactly, but as a whole I find it better than DRP. Anyway, just my two cents.- 3 replies
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This restaurant just opened up on a relatively dead strip of King Street. The chef is from Kaz. They offer primarily a Japanese set menu, similar to Kaiseke but less delicate. We had dinner there earlier this week and were pretty pleased with the food, particularly since it was opening week. My wife is a pescatarian and they were accommodating with advance notice. Courses consisted of 1: Sashimi platter--scallop, salmon, tuna(lean),grouper,sweet shrimp--the fish was excellent in quality on par with Ogawa in the city and Takumi ( variety was more pedestrian than both), fresh wasabi 2: Probably the most interesting: Lotus and Eggplant Age-Dashi --- Two slices of lotus root sandwiched around a shrimp mousse and two slices of eggplant with crab in the middle--both fried and in a dashi. The lotus root in particular was really good. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and meltingly tender but the crab stuffing was not as good as the shrimp mousse. The dashi needed a bit more salt but was quite good 3: Kurobota pork tenderloin fried in a panko crust with a coated and fried mushroom: The pork was cooked perfectly--just a little rare but overally this was a boring but good dish 4: grilled black cod: this was given to my wife in lieu of the pork--this was the only dish that failed--- fish was overcooked and oversalted 5: In place of the Oxtail Ramen on the menu they gave us Tuna tempura with soba noodle soup. The tuna was fried to a perfect rare and did not overcook in the broth. Broth was tasty. 6: Desert was a Japanese sweet potato custard---this was fine, nothing special. Set menu was $47 a person---very reasonable for the amount of food. We will definitely be back in a month or so after they have been in business a while longer. For Old Town this is a major score given the dearth of non-tourist trap restaurants. The chef is definitely serious about his food and I will happy to see him succeed in this market.
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There's also Killer ESP in Old Town. I've never been, but I've heard the service is friendly, but very slow; their WiFi is reportedly even slower. In other words, it's arch-hipster. They use Stumptown Roasters from Portland, and are a legitimate Independent Coffee House.- 7 replies
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https://www.chopshoptaco.com/ Hubby and I tried to go to Chop Shop Taco Friday night, but it was so busy that they were only doing carry-out at that point. It was a little on the later side, so we didn't think our chances at bar seating were good either. Happily on Sunday there was plenty of space to be had. They make their own tortillas here, I know as I watched them press them on Sunday. I thought the tortillas quite tasty, they were sturdy enough to hold up and not fall apart even when there was a good bit of sauce, but I thought they had good flavor and weren't bland or too tough. To be honest, I would like to see how they make them, as I was a little jealous, mine are nowhere near this good. They serve the tacos to us in this little cardboard box with three taco slots. I had chicken, brisket and chorizo. The brisket was by far and away the favorite. I thought the flavor was smoky, with nice pickled onion balance, good sauce, the meat was tender, but not too soft. I also liked the chorizo- quite oily- but good flavor with lime crema. The chicken was interesting- my least favorite of the three- it had a mango salsa that was kind of mustardy. It wasn't bad at all, but just not nearly as addictive as the brisket. I would like to try more of the menu. The staff was really nice. I haven't been to Urbano yet, but will probably soon, and will do a comparison, the meat and fillings are way better than Tios and Poblano. This place was really fun, the drinks look nice. It is a small space so it fills up fairly easily.
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Hello DonRockwellians, Taking the invitation Don gave me in another forum to start a thread on my law firm and some of the good work we do. We have a fairly diverse practice area, I mainly do family law, but my firm practices in a lot of areas, including general civil litigation, real estate, land use, wills, trusts, estates, guardianship, adoption, criminal, etc. Well here is one thing we are currently doing to help out small businesses in the Northern Virginia area. If you need this for your business, reach out. Katelin Moomau
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Zento opened a few weeks ago in the space previously occupied by Burrito Grill (North Washington near the corner of Wythe St). In addition to the sushi and sashimi menu, they have a variety of teriyaki dishes, ramen, bento boxes, and small plates. We stopped in last night to check it out and were happy with what we tried. They have a happy hour from 5-7pm daily, with a selection of discounted beverages, small plates, and roll combo (2 from a list of 6 varieties for $9.95). The spicy tuna roll and tuna avocado were both very good, with fresh ingredients. Edamame and seaweed salad are pretty standard fare - no surprises there. We shared a sushi/sashimi combo . Other than a few pieces of sashimi that were a touch on the cold side (better than too warm), we had no complaints. Pieces were generous, clean, and well-cut/prepared. Veggie tempura was fresh and hot, with vegetables still fresh and crispy. My only quibble was that it was a touch greasy. We're looking forward to heading back and trying some other things. The dishes we saw at other tables all looked very nice. Service is friendly and efficient. Free parking in the two retail lots with entrances on Pendleton and Wythe Streets (if you pull in somewhere you have to take a ticket, that's the wrong entrance). This has become a decent block to stop for lunch or dinner, with Teaism on one side and Zento on the other. -
Stopped by Smoking Kow for a late lunch today. They opened earlier this week. The place is pretty small, with about four picnic tables to eat at inside. They didn't have wings, tacos or ribs today, which was too bad. I ordered the two-meat platter with pulled pork and brisket, along with barbecue beans and mac and cheese. I also tried all of their sauces. I believe they were: original, vinegar, mumbo, chipotle, and gold. I thought the pulled pork and the brisket were both good, though they didn't provide a lot of it for a platter. I also thought it strange that the brisket only comes chopped. It made me suspicious that they're trying to cover up something, because that's why I do when my brisket turns out dry. Of the sauces, I enjoyed the chipotle the most, especially with the brisket. I really enjoyed their barbecue beans. They're red and white beans with a vinegary sauce that has a lot of interesting flavor to it. Can't wait to try that again. The mac and cheese was creamy, fine, nothing to really write home about. Overall, I'll definitely give this place another chance. I think the transition from food truck to restaurant will probably give them some growing pains. The menus (and meat portions) seem more geared toward sandwiches, which makes sense for a food truck. Hopefully they'll have brisket slices and ribs in the near future.- 11 replies
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There is a little place right by the Penzoil and Mr. Wash in Arlandria/Del Ray called Silpancho's House. They have a small Bolivian menu- the menu on facebook has their daily specials, but then they also have some other dishes, including saltenas, pupusas, wings and cheesesteaks, chicken cheese steaks, and about 5 other entrees- that I just can't remember the names of, but there are pictures and etc here: https://www.facebook.com/silpanchoshouse/ We got a beef and a chicken Saltena. It was good, although the pastry seemed just a tad over baked. I would rate Pan American Bakery above Silpancho's House, but when jonesing for a saltena in Alexandria, this is a good local spot. Matt got a dish with chicken cutlets, rice, potatoes, salad and fried eggs. I had some of this and it was a nice dish, we added some green sauce for some spice. They also have a few desserts, drinks including some beer. The woman working- who I think may have an ownership interest was truly nice. I will go back to try some other items.
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Thought people might be interested to hear about Chef Guo, a new restaurant featuring Chef Guo Wenjun's take on Chinese banquets. This is probably the closest the DC area has had to Chinese fine dining, and I'm interested to see how it fares. The chef serves a selection of two tasting menus, the Banquet of Eternal Bliss Hot Pot ($68 lunch, $98 dinner), and the Banquet of Peace and Prosperity ($158 dinner only), both of which feature 10+ courses in the style of imperial cuisine. Scroll through the website to see the full menus, pictures of the dishes, and a press release detailing the overall concept. So far there hasn't been much buzz about this place outside of the Chinese community, but some friends who have gone reported it to be luxurious, visually and conceptually unique, and a lot of (too much?) food, mostly very good to excellent. There seems to be a mix of traditional cuisine and modern/Western techniques. If I understand correctly, the dinner they attended was a special event combining dishes from both menus, with all of the guests at a shared table and Chef Guo himself coming out between each course to explain the concept behind the dish (in Chinese); it's not clear to me how different the experience will be once the restaurant gets settled in, but from their website it seems like they are definitely interested in catering to non-Chinese clientele as well.- 20 replies
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The singularly most uninteresting and unimpressive meal I have consumed in my years in Alexandria was at O'Connell's, so I cringe at the thought of what sounds like an outpost in Shirlington....... --- [The following posts have been split into separate threads: Caphe Banh Mi (weezy) Bilbo Baggins (BayingHoundAleworks and Leonard Nimoy) Mango Mike's (weezy) Nick's (weezy)] Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato - (goldenticket)]
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Looking forward to trying this place out.
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jandres (I *hate* it when I can't address our members by their first names, but I can't!), Am I reading the article correctly in that Thompson Hospitality owns Austin Grill, is closing it, and reopening Hen Quarter in the same location in July? [Well, I guess either way, Hen Quarter gets its own thread (oddly, had this been the last Austin Grill - and I assume that day will come - the existing thread would simply be renamed), so one day in the future, whichever restaurant replaces the final Austin Grill - assuming it, too, is owned by Thompson Hospitality - is going to have a *lot* of posts and views in its thread on day one. I use *such* a simple algorithm for using existing threads, or creating new ones, but regardless of its simplicity, its permutations are seemingly endless.]
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Old Town Alexandria Patch states that Hank's Pasta Bar is opening on Feb. 4, 2016. The address is 600 Montgomery St, Alexandria, VA. Here is the Washington Post article from last May about this upcoming restaurant from Jamie Leeds. -
I'm not really a fan of the show, nor have I eaten at FoxFire Grill, but step right up for a volunteer opportunity to rebuild a restaurant. https://thezebra.org/2019/09/09/restaurant-impossible-is-coming-to-alexandria-va/
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From: The List, Are You On It. Christophe Poteaux, currently Executive Chef / Food & Beverage Director for Aquarelle at The Watergate, will open this new restaurant in Old Town Alexandria by September, featuring a moderately priced, modern French/Mediterranean cuisine with a blend of world ingredients. So does anyone know where and when this is going to open? -
WARNING: Shameless plug for Evening Star Cafe & The Wild Grape (JParrot)... This Monday, April 24th, the Evening Star Cafe is hosting Richard Weiss of The Wild Grape at our monthly wine dinner. If you like small production wines from South Africa, this is most definitely a not-to-be-missed dinner. Chef Matt Cordes and his staff are pairing their creations with seven wines from The Wild Grape. Menu Vischysoisse with Parsley Froth paired with a 2005 Louisvale Unwooded Chardonnay (Western Cape) Seared Scallops with Farmer Greens, Fennel & Articoke and a Lavender Vinaigrette paired with a 2005 Monteroso de Franchi Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc Pan-Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Savory Sour Cherry Bread Pudding, Minted Duck Jus and Micro Greens paired with a 2003 Avondale "Amira" Syrah (Coastal Region) and a 2003 Hartenberg "Ecurie" Cab, Shiraz, Pinotage, Merlot Blend (Stellenbosch) Caraway & Herb Crusted Lamb Round with Red Onion, Parsley & Black Pepper Creme paired with a 2003 Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Blend and a 2001 Vergenoegd Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch) Raisin Tart with Port & Muscat Drizzle paired with a 2005 Vriesenhof Melelo Muscat d'Alexandrie, Tinta Touriga (Stellenbosch) Price is $85 per person (includes tax & gratuity). RSVP by calling Planet Wine at 703.549.3444. -
We happened upon the now open Monaco Old Town when we couldn't find enough seats to eat at the bar at Eve. The restaurant and bar areas were both packed and it was pretty late so we just picked our way through the bar menu. The shrimp corn dog was lightly breaded and much better than it sounds. The crab cake, fries, fried apple pie/turnover, and vanilla ice cream were not. The space is modern and maybe a little overly hip. They do have 20 bottles of wine at $20 a piece and a couple VA wines (Barboursville) available by the glass. I'm not sure I'll rush back, but it looks like they've already developed a pretty good following. Some more details here. -
Has anyone stopped in at this new Neighborhood Restaurant Group restaurant yet (where Bookbinders used to be)? I saw an article that said they opened the main floor this week. I was looking through the lunch and dinner menus on their website, and the reuben eggroll caught my eye.
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"Curry Mantra 4" is called London Curry House and is now open at 191 Somerville St, Alexandria, VA in Cameron Station (see attached screenshot of Curry Mantra's website identifying it as the Curry Mantra 4th location). According to this Windsor at Arbors Apartments blog post, London Curry House opened during the week of August 17.
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I didn't see a thread for Vola's so I thought I would start one. Website Vola's is located in the old Waterfront Market space. They have both the restaurant and outside seating on the boardwalk at the waterfront currently open. I went for lunch yesterday. The inside has that seaside casual seafood joint vibe to it, and I thought it was nice for this location. The outside seating really hasn't changed at all from Waterfront Market. I would suspect that it will do really well. The space is laid out similarly to Waterfront Market with the bar where the service counters were located. I thought the menu had a nice selection of items and will go back and try other things, especially as my office is next door. I don't think they are near as good as Drift, but after one meal, it is not a bad option in Old Town. My server was Donovan, I would go back alone for the service. He was just genuinely nice and warm, but was very professional at the same time. I really enjoyed having him as my server. The food came out in a reasonable time for my lunch break, which is more than can be said for Blackwall Hitch. I had the grouper sandwich. It tasted to me like the grouper was done via sous vide then seared off, but I am not sure, and I don't care if it was as it kept the fish very moist, but also appropriately flavored, but the texture of the fish didn't fall apart, like the salmon I must have sous vide for too long the other night. I really like the sandwich, I thought it had a good bread, sauce, lettuce ratio and nice seasoning. The fries with old bay were delicious and I ate way more than I needed to- although I am quite partial to Old Bay on about anything. The coleslaw was also pretty darn good. It was on the sweet side, but not real sugary like they serve some places down south, I thought it had a nice balance to it and I like the thinness of the sauce. I thought the prices were in line with this part of town for what you got. I am hoping they have a fish taco special every now and then. But I definitely will go try more of the menu. Same photo from the Where did I Dine thread of the sandwich.
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Although it's been there for more than two years, I have yet to try the offerings at Nicecream Factory's Clarendon location (former home of Red Mango). They must be doing something right, as they are opening a second location in Old Town, at 726 King Street, right next door to Eammon's: A Dublin Chipper. Yogi Castle closed a year ago, so that section of King Street hasn't had a frozen dessert option for a while. With Five Guys opening across the street in the near future, there should be plenty of casual diners looking for something sweet to follow their burger. They use liquid nitrogen to flash freeze ice cream to order, supposedly making a denser and creamier finished product, with custom, fresh ingredients. Anybody tried it?
