By the Gastronomes Stepping outside of the “traditional” Dining Out format, we thought we would give you all a teaser about some of the newest eateries in our midst. In fact, all three of these establishments opened within days of each other in the last week of March. In full disclosure, we didn’t dine at any of them so we aren’t going to comment on the food from that perspective. We were on a mission to see what each of these new places were all about and did have a cocktail and talked with patrons, bartenders, servers and managers at each place. Elaine’s 208 Queen Street Old Town Alexandria 571-970-0517 Elaines-restaurant.com I was immediately drawn to Elaine’s since that is my legal first name. Right out of the gate, I know it will be a great addition to Old Town’s dining scene. Many of you may recognize the address since it was home to Bilbo Baggins for many years. Let me tell you, the build out transformed the former dark (and not exactly clean) motif into a beautiful contemporary space. Elaine’s is named after the owner’s grandmother. Her husband told us that when she was twelve years old in Cairo, Egypt, she promised her grandmother that one day she would own a restaurant and name it after her. She is looking forward to sharing her family recipes with everyone. The menu boasts modern Mediterranean cuisine based on food found in Alexandria, Egypt. We were told that their unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. The food we saw served while on our visit looked amazing and neither of us knows that much about middle eastern cuisine in general, let alone Egyptian. We are so looking forward to having a meal there soon. My drink…
By Sally McKenney A nursery rhyme, of course! And the first song we usually learn on the recorder. But what are the hot cross buns we eat? Hot cross buns are rich with history dating back to the 12th century. They’re yeasted sweet buns filled with spices and various fruits such as currants, raisins, and/or candied citrus. They’re decorated with a white cross representing the crucifix, either marked right into the dough or etched on top with icing. Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter food, typically eaten on Good Friday. Learn how to make our rendition of hot cross buns using this deliciously spiced yeast dough. Brown sugar, raisins or currants, butter, and vanilla add exceptional flavor and each dense bun is marked with a traditional cross. Orange icing is a tasty finishing touch to this Easter recipe! We’ve been making these for years and I would love to share our family’s version here today. Ingredients 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast (1 standard packet) 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar 5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 5 pieces 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon salt 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (see note) 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 3 and 1/2 cups (438g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spoon & leveled) 1 cup (140g) raisins or currants Flour Cross 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour or bread flour 6–8 Tablespoons (90-120ml) water Orange Icing 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar 3 Tablespoons (45ml) fresh or bottled orange juice (or use milk and a splash of vanilla extract for plain icing) Instructions Prepare the dough: Whisk the milk, yeast, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow mixture to sit for about 5 minutes or until foamy on top. *If you do not own a mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next…
By Doug Fabbioli As the weather gets warmer the flowers start to pop, our springtime gatherings come up on the calendar, and our flavor preferences change to lighter foods and drinks. I’ve made my mark as a hearty red wine maker, but those are not really thought of as springtime wines. So let’s take a look at what locally grown wines might work for this time of year. In the spring I feel an off-dry style of wine best fits the season and the cuisine. One of our better growing white grapes in Virginia and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic is Vidal Blanc. The fruit characters always remind me of Juicy Fruit gum—in a good way. This can be used as a base in a blend like our Something White, or as a varietal wine. A dry, steel-fermented Chardonnay is another wine that could fit the bill. The barrel-fermented, buttery style has been the bane of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) crowd for years, but the lighter, crisper Chablis style of Chardonnay expresses the fruit and acid much better. A newer grape variety to our region is Albariño. Crisp, steel-fermented, with bright fruit notes, this wine is made from a Spanish grape that grows quite well here. There is a legendary origin story that tells of bud wood, the material needed to propagate new plants, being transported from Spain in a carry-on bag under the description of “wood for smoking meats.” I can’t attest to this story or to which infamous Loudoun winery was involved but I know it wasn’t mine. Another variety that popped up here around the same time is Petit Manseng. This variety is a little more viscous and intense than Albariño, but could easily be a springtime wine. Intense in fruit character with an underlying sweetness…
By Matthew Fitzsimmons This February, Governor Glen Youngkin awarded Delfosse Vineyards and Winery the Virginia Governor’s Cup for its 2021 Screaming Hawk Meritage. This petit verdot-heavy red blend took top honors in the Governor’s Case, which showcase the event’s best scoring wines. What made this event unusual is that many of the industry’s most famous winemakers didn’t make it into the Case. It’s not because King Family, Michael Shaps, or Veritas aren’t making the stellar wine they’ve long been known for. Instead, wineries that are further off the beaten path such as Delfosse and Mountain Run Vineyards gave the most famous names in Virginia wine a run for their money. If there’s a lesson in all this, it’s that you don’t need a famous name or central location to make it into the big leagues. You just have to make great wine. There’s a term I like to use for wineries like these: “hidden gems”. The extra time it takes to find such locations make them particularly rewarding. While large venues can wow you with amazing views and chateau-like tasting rooms (and don’t get me wrong, many hidden gems have those too), wineries at the furthest ends of the wine trail keep visitors coming back by focusing on the basics: great wine and service. And isn’t that what visiting a winery should be about? Virginia is full of ‘hidden gems’; these are just a few. Get out there and find the rest for yourself. Jump Mountain Vineyard When it comes to ‘hidden gems’, the Shenandoah Valley sits on a wealth of riches. With low levels of rainfall and high elevation, the valley has a strong argument as the best wine-growing region in the state. The Shenandoah Valley is already a road trip for most Virginia residents, but Jump Mountain takes…
By Timothy Long The growler is an important tool in any craft beer drinker’s arsenal. When we visit our favorite breweries or brewpubs, it’s how we bring home tap beer that is not normally available for carry out. They always have beers that are on limited release and not available in a can or bottle. Well, at least the good brewers do. And these beers are usually among the finest ones available. A growler is just a jug. However, the original growlers were not jugs. They were 2-quart pales that people brought to the breweries to transport their beer home. The name “growler” came from the noise the beer supposedly made as it sloshed around the pale and caused carbon dioxide to escape. I love my growler. It’s wonderful. My wife got it for me for Christmas a few years back. She really knows the way to my heart. Most growlers are made of glass and purchased at the brewery. But not mine. It was made by Stanley. So, it’s basically a thermos. Not the red and black plaid one like I carried with my lunch in elementary school. No, this is a 64-ounce, army green beast that will keep its contents cold for 24 hours, even longer if you put it in the fridge. The top has a fantastic seal. Therefore, the beer remains fresh and carbonated, for several days if necessary. But I never let it sit that long. When I was a kid, I would have been a hero if I had walked into elementary school with this monster. Especially if it had been full of beer. Everyone has a favorite place or two to take their growler. Oddly, mine is not a brewery or a brewpub. It’s a gourmet wine and beer store in Alexandria in…
By Doug Fabbioli As every farmer does, I have had to learn to dance with Mother Nature. A farmer can take some risks when planting, but it sure is nice when we have some consistency in patterns and expectations for the weather. Over the past couple of decades our weather has been erratic from year to year, and with the relatively warm winter we have just experienced farmers have a lot of things to consider, both good and challenging. On the positive side, we have been able to prune our vines and keep our crews working in the vineyards without snow days and major cold weather considerations. We will have a lull in pruning projects as we finish our rough pruning because we will wait until after bud break for the final pruning. This break will allow us to catch up on other projects that we have not been able to get to yet. Trellis repairs, hardscape projects on the farm, and building maintenance all come to mind when I think of this opportunity of time. A downside to this could be cash flow: many farms have tight budgets and plan on cost-balancing by using those snow days for indoor work. There are times where a farmer will loan out some team members to other farms that don’t have the staff. This helps keep the team working, the budget balanced, and helps to cement solid relationships with the neighbors. Another positive aspect of this mild weather is the ability to work the ground. Timing for farmers is critical year-round, hence the phrase “make hay while the sun is shining.” Another farming hint on when to start working the ground is “when you watch your neighbor work his ground and not get stuck!” Frozen ground does not till well with any…
by Charles Oppman With St. Patrick’s Day almost upon us, there is no better way to celebrate this special day than to make that quintessential Irish dish―Irish Stew. There isn’t just one recipe for Irish stew (Irish: stobhach or stobhach Gaelach). Recipes can vary from home to home or region to region, but all are agreed that the meat must be lamb―mutton can be used, but this is meat from an older sheep and is less tender, fattier and has a stronger flavor. Another point of agreement is that the dish must include onions and potatoes. Many are adamant that carrots are a must and some even like peas, turnips, parsnips and/or celery. The purist will insist it must also contain pearl barley, but this would not be common nowadays at least. The meat used is not the best cuts of lamb, but the cheaper ones such as shoulder, leg or shank. This famous meat stew is different than most in that the meat is not browned. In French culinary parlance, it is cooked blanquette style. This recipe serves 4. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces ½ tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 2 bay leaves 1 large onion, sliced 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch sections 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks (optional) 4 cups beef broth, canned is acceptable 3 large red potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup chopped fresh parsley Directions Heat oil over high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add lamb pieces and cook over medium heat, stirring gently, but do not allow to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add onions, bay leaves and beef broth. Cover and simmer over low heat…
By Timothy Long “If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!” – Irish Proverb Are you Irish? If you answered no, you’re wrong. Fine, you’re not wrong. But there is a fact you need to face. You’re going to be Irish. A day is coming, a grand day. A day that will cause you to be Irish, whether you like it or not. Because on that day, everyone is Irish! It’s the most magical day of the year. On March 17th you’ll rise from bed and you’ll be Irish! Well, at least for one day anyway. It’s a beautiful thing. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving Irish beer and whiskey. It’s been known to happen. You may even eat potatoes, or corned beef and cabbage. This miracle of a day needs to be celebrated properly. First, you’ll need to pick a good Irish pub. There are plenty of them. Almost every town has one. The shamrock is everyone’s friend. Next, you’ll need to decide which Irish beer and Irish whiskey you’ll be drinking. Guinness is always a good start. I usually start with it. Then follow it with Smithwick’s. In the Irish language, Irish whiskey is referred to as uisce beatha, which means the “water of life.” I guarantee you just pronounced it wrong. Everyone does, even most of the Irish. Here is the phonetic spelling: ish-ca baa-ha. Many of you probably mispronounced Smithwick’s as well. And Irish whiskey is always spelled with an “e”. This was done to differentiate their whiskey from the Scots who spell it whisky. The Canadians and Japanese drop the “e” as well. Here in the states, we spell it whiskey, like the Irish do. The roots of Irish whiskey are quite fascinating. Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled…
By Matthew Fitzsimmons When people think of the Northern Neck, seafood, history, and weekend getaways usually come to mind. Few people realize it’s also one of the birthplaces of American wine, as well as one of the few American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Virginia. The Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA (or Northern Neck for short) is one of 267 locations the federal government recognizes as uniquely suitable for winemaking. Created in 1987, this tongue-twister of a name captures the AVA’s two essential features; the oceanic influence which defines its terroir, and the area’s colonial history. Flanked by the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, the Northern Neck peninsula (“Neck” in local parlance) juts into the Chesapeake Bay roughly halfway between Norfolk and D.C. According to Ingleside Vineyards owner Doug Flemer, life in the Neck is slow and local wineries tend to be smaller than their counterparts elsewhere in the state. Doug’s family founded Ingleside in 1980, making it the 4th oldest winery in the state. As the area’s longest-serving vintner, Doug explained his take on growing wine in the Northern Neck. “The region is challenging. We’ve made some great wine over the years, although we don’t get a lot of credit like some of the larger wineries in Virginia. But we’ve been growing grapes since the 1970s and with that experience we know how to tweak things to get the most out of our area. Ingleside is only at 180 feet elevation, which is actually the highest point on the peninsula. It takes time to heat the waters around us so our springs are slow but steady and the heat stays longer into the fall. That provides a longer growing season than elsewhere in the state, and we almost never get frost. Unfortunately the Northern Neck also tends to have high…
By the Gastronomes Established in 1976, this month’s restaurant is one of the original eateries that helped put Old Town Alexandria on the map and, is for me, a trip down memory lane. When I came to Old Town in 1977 the Fish Market became my go-to bar and restaurant. We would gather at the then, Brass Bar, for beers in the afternoon. It was, and still is, a gathering place for many locals including…businesspersons, shopkeepers and artists from the Torpedo Factory. It is also a go to place for the thousands of tourists that visit our fair city each year. The original restaurant reached all the way from its current location at 105 King to the corner at Union Street. There were four bars on the main floor with a few more upstairs. Times have changed and the place has changed but the atmosphere and food quality is just as good as back then and the menu has been upgraded to include very diverse offerings. Then, as now, the Fish Market is still putting Old Town on the map. Franco Landini and his son Noe bought the restaurant from the estate of Mr. Ray (Giovannoni) – who founded the restaurant – in 2006. The Landini’s immediately gutted the place, took out a bar, and rebuilt the entire place including a new and modern kitchen. Today, the restaurant offers a raw bar, soups and chowders, starters and salads, sandwiches, burgers & tacos, grilled platters, fried platters, specialties, nautical pastas, sides and a kid’s menu. The menu is very extensive but many favorites have remained over the years. First and foremost, the Fish Market has always been noted for its 32-ounce schooner of beer. This practice still exists and has many faithful followers. The schooners are ice cold as is the…
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