By The Gastronomes

This month we revisited one of the oldest restaurants in Alexandria and one of the ones that put Old Town on the restaurant map back in 1969. This iconic restaurant has not only earned its fame from the delicious food but also of the caricatures of local Alexandrians that adorn the walls. The restaurant is located in the 200 block of King Street in the “Pedestrian Mall” that has become a major attraction for Old Town Alexandria, which also includes the 100 block, and has allowed for in the street dining that has become very popular. Unfortunately, it is a bit cold this time of year, although they do have heaters for the “not so cold days”.

In colonial times, Alexandria was a formidable seaport town along the Potomac River and most of the buildings along King Street were warehouses associated with the commerce of Alexandria and the east coast of America. The Warehouse Restaurant has maintained that legacy by retaining the name. The restaurant opened in 1969 when the many warehouses were converted to shops and eateries. Back then there was a bar upstairs called the Quarterdeck and was popular with the locals like myself. A local guy named John Nugent was our bartender back then, today John owns Nugent Design Build LLC located in Deale, Maryland. Another successful businessman who got his start tending bar in Old Town Alexandria.

Let’s talk a bit about the décor. The Warehouse is famous or maybe infamous for their “Rogues Gallery” of sketches of locals that adorn the major portion of wall space. These sketches are of local icons, celebrities, politicians from both sides of the aisle, and just cool, “normal?” Joe Blows. If you have lived in the area for any amount of time, we are sure you will recognize a few. We are on display and if you can pick us out, email us at office@oldtowncrier.com and we will meet you there for an adult beverage.

The upstairs bar is no longer there but they do have a bar downstairs as you enter. It is a well-stocked and comfortable bar perfect for an afternoon cocktail or a drink before dinner. Co-owner and Executive Chef Sert Ruamthong has worked at the Warehouse for well over 30 years. Sert expanded his French-Asian background to include American Creole and Cajun dishes which are the back bone of the Warehouse menu. He selects locally grown products that are available in the area and often features local Soft Shell Crabs, fresh Louisiana Crawfish, Chesapeake Bay Rockfish, Oysters and Shad Roe.

Although the menu at the Warehouse has a distinctive Louisiana feel, they are also well known for their steaks and seafood. On our recent visit for lunch, we were seated inside at the front window by owner and GM, Hossein Pishdad. Our table gave a great view of folks enjoying the pedestrian walk way, but on this chilly day, the few we saw were bundled up. As we settled in at our white tablecloth adorned table, we were promptly greeted with glasses of water and a request for a drink order.

As is our custom, we ordered drinks first. I had my usual Vodka Gimlet “up” while Lani ordered a Lemon Drop. Our drinks were soon at our table as the attentive waiter took the rest of our order. A quick note here. We have known most of the waitstaff at the Warehouse for over 25 years from their employment here as well as many other fine restaurants in Old Town. They are some of the best this town has to offer. We took the time to savor our drinks, enjoying the view of King Street on this cold day.

Cocktails were accompanied with some of the best bread we have tasted in quite a while – it ISN’T sourdough and is accompanied by whipped butter. It’s hard not to eat all of it before the appetizers arrive. Speaking of which, I ordered my standard – She Crab soup – and it lived up to its reputation. Lani is a huge fan of all things New Orleans, Cajun, Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday so she opted for the Gator Bites. The bites are a mighty tasty combo of buttermilk fried Louisiana Gator served with Cajun remoulade and cherry peppers. And, yesss, they taste a lot like chicken.

Next up were the entrees. In keeping with the theme, I ordered the Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee – crawfish and shrimp smothered Cajun style served with garlic parsley rice. This is a substantial order which left some for tasting later for lunch the next day. As I mentioned before, I have been going to this restaurant since 1969 so I am pretty familiar with this menu and the Etouffee is one of my favorites. The Cajun spices were very good and not too heavy for my tender palate.

My partner opted for the Spicy Pecan Crusted Chicken. The chicken is coated with seasoned chopped pecans, sauteed perfectly and served on top of a Creole mustard cream sauce accompanied with mashed potatoes. The dinner menu version of this dish is a bit more decadent in that it includes a topping of lump crab and a side of fresh vegetables for a few dollars more.

The Warehouse is noted for their great wine list. We were actually behaving ourselves and opted for a half bottle (another perk here at the Warehouse) of a nice sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. We didn’t take any pics and don’t remember, but think it was the Kim Crawford. It was crisp and citrusy and a very nice compliment to both of our meals.

Between the bread, the appetizers and our entrées we were pretty full but…how do you pass up Key Lime Cheesecake? You don’t. It was as tasty as the photo accompanying this write-up looks. We did, however, end up bringing some of it home as well.

The Warehouse offers many tasty items for lunch or dinner. Indeed, this is a restaurant with a heavy Cajun and Creole influence, which is what makes it great, but that isn’t all. The Warehouse also offers delicious steaks, chops as well as Cajun style Pork Chops, Veal Oscar, in addition to Filet Mignon, New York Steak and the Warehouse’s own Warehouse Filet Mignon. Rather than give a rundown here, please check it out at WarehouseOldTown.com for their complete menu.

Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at the Warehouse next time you are in Old Town. And…if you happen to be in the area on a Saturday or Sunday morning, the brunch here is superb.

In the spirit of the season…Laissez les bon temps rouler!

The Warehouse

214 King Street

Old Town Alexandria

703-683-6868

Warehouseoldtown.com