By the Gastronomes

French pronunciation: [lɛse le bɔ̃ tɑ̃ ʁule]) is a Louisiana French phrase. The phrase is a calque of the English phrase “Let the good times roll!”

We know that Fat Tuesday doesn’t roll around this year until March 4^th but we know a place where you can celebrate it six days a week! We ventured outside of historic Old Town and into Arlandria and visited a long-time favorite, RT’s Restaurant. Located on Mount Vernon Avenue, RT’s has been a favorite destination for Alexandria diners as well as folks from D.C. They have been serving some of the best Creole and Cajun food outside of Louisiana for well over 30 years. Located across from the famous Birchmere Concert Hall, RT’s is the perfect stop for a light dinner before that night’s performance.

As you approach the 3800 block of Mount Vernon Avenue where RT’s is located, you will notice the iconic vertical neon marquee sign indicating that you have arrived. The inside is lively and well laid out, especially this time of year with Mardi Gras decorations everywhere. As you enter, there is a room length Bar with very comfortable stools and booths for seating on the opposite side. This area is set off from the dining room by a large windowed partition. While you can see what is going on “on the other side”, the chatter from the bar side can’t be heard in the dining room. There are two dining rooms, the aforementioned one next to the bar and another room next to it that is a bit more formal with the tables sporting white linen table cloths. This room is a great place to reserve for gatherings. All of the rooms are decorated to the nines for the seasons. Maria and her staff are amazing at creating a special atmosphere.

We normally sit at the bar but we opted for a booth on the bar side so we could keep up with the hype to the then “impending” Commander v Eagles matchup on the new flat screens. Well…we know how that went down. Moving on, the popular RT’s bread basket and butter was delivered to our table and we ordered vodka gimlets to start and followed up with a bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for dinner. We are saving the Hurricanes and Sazeracs for March 4^th! RT’s has a well-stocked bar and a fairly extensive wine list. There are beers for everyone’s tastes as well.

The menu is quite extensive offering 13 appetizers, 4 salads, 3 soups and Gumbo, and 12 Specialties from their menu. The appetizers are based on their Oysters, Crawfish, Shrimp and Lump Crab meat. We started out with the “Jack Daniel’s” Shrimp with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat. This is their specialty for over 36 years. Four Jumbo Gulf Shrimp sauteed with Cajun spices served in Jack Daniel’s and Cream Sauce, then topped with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat. It was outstanding and you will need extra bread to finish off the delicious sauce. We also split a cup of the She Crab Soup which is rich and creamy with a hint of Cajun Spices and you can add extra Crab Meat. This is a house favorite and is consistently very good.

In addition to the RT’s Specialties, they also offer 11 Seafood items, including Fried Gulf Shrimp, Spicy Pecan Crusted Haddock, Trout Orleans, Crab and Crawfish Stuffed Flounder. On the Meats and Poultry side they offer New Orleans Steak Frites, Cajun Chicken Oscar as well as Filet Mignon and Lamb Chops. As you can see, this is an extensive menu. Other offerings include “Death” By Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee, Spicy Red Beans and Rice, Smothered Catfish, Shrimp & Grits, Crab and Crawfish Imperial and RT’s Special Crab. They also offer 8 Regular Sides and 5 Premium Sides. Check out their menu on line for a complete run down of choices.

For my main course I ordered the Shrimp & Crab Etouffee. Sauteed Shrimp & Jumbo Lump Crab Meat in a Dark Brown Etouffee and served with Rice. I definitely got my fill of their delicious crab meat. The seasoning on this dish was very good and not overpowering in the spice department. The shrimp were succulent and the crab meat is the absolute best. The portions are generous so I had to bring some of it home. It reheated just fine the next day. My other half decided to step outside of her very favorite Spicy Red Beans and Rice box and ordered the Spicy Pecan Crusted Haddock. She now has another “go to” on the menu. The fish is crusted in a concoction of Cajun spices and buttery chopped pecans and baked to perfection. It is topped with a generous amount of jumbo lump crab meat and Creole mustard sauce and served with your choice of a side. She opted for the seasoned rice. Needless to say, she was very happy with her choice. It is also a generous portion so some of it came home with us.

We usually don’t have room for dessert but since we opted to take some of our entrée’s home, we split a piece of Key Lime Pie and I ordered the Cajun Nightgown dessert cocktail. The Key Lime Pie was very good but the combination of Tia Maria, Crème de Cacao and hot coffee topped with whipped cream and drizzled with Drambuie was realllllyyy good.

Prices at RT’s are pretty reasonable considering the size of the dishes and the quality of the seafood. Soups and Gumbo go for $7.50 for a cup or $8.95 for a bowl. The entrees range from $23.95 to $27.95 and market price for the RT’s Special Crab.

Owners George and Maria Papaloizou are usually on-sight every night. Maria has worked in the hospitality business for several years of which she spent many at her parents Taverna Cretekou in Old Town – another favorite dining spot. George and Maria are two of the nicest people that you will find in any industry. They are very gracious hosts. If you have a chance to meet them, introduce yourself and tell them you read about RT’s in the Old Town Crier.

RT’s has been written about in many magazines over the years and is named one of the top 50 Southern Restaurants in the Country by Forbes Online. They are open Tuesday through Sunday.

RT’s Restaurant

3804 Mt. Vernon Avenue

703-684-6010

Rtsrestaurant.net