By The Gastronomes This month we ventured to one of the oldest restaurants in Old Town 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. Although the restaurant is located in the 200 block of King Street and not in the 100 block which has been turned into a pedestrian mall and has allowed for in the street dining, owner and General Manager Hossein Pishdad took it upon himself to rent the curbside from the city and has built a dining platform along the curb on his own dime. It is the only restaurant in the 200 block that has curbside dining. 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. Through the years of changes, 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…
By The Gastronomes Anyone who has walked the streets of Old Town knows how Alexandrian’s love their canine kids and that they like to take them everywhere – including dining out. Much has been written about the many establishments in the area that welcome our furry pals in other local publications – all you have to do is Google “dog friendly” restaurants in Alexandria, VA. After experiencing a couple of “incidents” ourselves while dining out, we thought we would take this opportunity to put out a bit of a refresher course on what a dog owner should take into consideration before heading out to eat with your pooch in tow. We consulted Sharon Gadol, who penned a piece for AARP, and she provided us with the information below. The bulk of it is pure common sense but you know how that eludes some people. Make sure your dog is well-behaved. Experts say the number one priority is to make sure your dog is well-trained and well-behaved. That means no barking, growling or jumping on neighboring diners. Gadol followed the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen program to train her dogs, including passing a 10-skills test for politeness in public. You can train your dog yourself, but Tiffany Tupler, a veterinarian at pet site Chewy, recommends dog trainers certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. “Learn to connect with your dog when you’re going out,” says Tupler, who has three dogs at home. “Practice, practice, practice. Slowly add in other distractors and keep training when your dog is at home. Go to a patio seating on a Tuesday when there aren’t a lot of people.” Know your dog. Experts say it’s important to understand your dog’s body language and know the triggers that make them skittish or…
By the Gastronomes With July 4th celebrations happening this month and baseball in full swing, we thought it a good time to revisit our childhood friend…the Hot Dog. A hot dog is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the “sausage” itself. The most popular sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter, also called frank. The names of these sausages commonly refer to their assembled dish. These types of sausages were culturally imported from Germany and became popular in the United States. It became a working-class street food in the U.S. that was sold at stands and carts. The hot dog became closely associated with baseball and American culture. Some consider a hot dog to technically be a sandwich. Indeed, you can find the hot dog on the sandwich section of a restaurant menu. Hot dog preparation and condiments vary worldwide. Typical condiments include mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, and cheese sauce. Other toppings include sauerkraut, diced onions, jalapenos, chili, grated cheese, coleslaw, bacon and others. It is not exactly known who started the practice of serving the sausage in the bun. One of the strongest claims comes from Harry M. Stevens who was a food concessionaire. The claim is that, while working at the New York Polo Grounds in 1901, he came upon the idea of using small French rolls to hold the sausages when the waxed paper they were using ran out. A German immigrant named Feuchtwanger, from Frankfort, in Hesse, allegedly pioneered the practice in the American Midwest, there are several versions of the story with varying details. According to one account, Feuchtwanger’s wife proposed the use of a bun in 1880. Feuchtwanger sold hot dogs on…
By the Gastronomes When we went to the summer drink menu unveiling at the Capital Wheel in National Harbor last month we ran into the former General Manager of Bond 45, Biagio Cepollaro. Over the years we had developed a nice relationship with Biagio and it was nice to catch up and talk about his own restaurant in Camp Springs, Maryland…Via Roma. After a brief conversation we decided that Via Roma was a good candidate for Dining Out. We were not disappointed. Via Roma opened on February 15th during a winter storm and the beginnings of worldwide Covid-19 epidemic in 2021. Biagio may laugh about it now, but what a beginning. The restaurant is part of a building complex and sits at the front as you drive into the complex. The restaurant is very open by way of one whole wall being glass with the middle section behind the bar opens up to the patio. If it were not for the depiction of the Italian buildings on the wall, I would have thought I was in a California style restaurant by all of the blonde wood including tables and chairs, however, with the Italian buildings on one wall, the open kitchen at the back of the dining area and the glass wall behind the bar, did indeed give the vibe of sitting in the piazza in Rome. We have many “pizza” restaurants in the area, but few Pinsa Romana, in fact Via Roma is the first and only certified Pinseria in the region. Biagio and his business partner Antonio Rusciano aka Topolino follow the original Pinsa Romana recipe respecting the traditional Pinsa making method making them #192 of the Orginale Pinsa Romaan Association in the world. The definition of Pinsa comes from the Latin word “Pinsere” which in Italian language…
By the Gastronomes Last month one of Old Town’s oldest and most Iconic restaurants celebrated its Golden anniversary. In this day and age when restaurants seem to come and go, it is amazing when you hear of one that has remained true to itself for 50 years. Il Porto is a restaurant that shows off the unique architecture of this town. Unlike newer and remodeled restaurants, Il Porto shows glimpses of the past history of the building. The building has been a brothel, butcher shop, artist’s studio, speak easy and even a “repair” shop as a cover for a Nazi radio network. If the walls could only talk. In 1973, Mr. “Ray” Giovannoni opened IL Porto. Shortly after, he opened the Fish Market at the other end of the 100 block and began his journey on becoming an icon in the local restaurant community. Today, current owners Akbar and Wali Zadran have kept Il Porto in the spotlight and the restaurant has maintained its charm and reputation for good food. As we were dining on this unusually warm April evening, Akbar walked over to talk with us. I had first met Akbar and Wali when they took the restaurant over many years ago. As it is in Old Town, it is always good to see old friends. We reminisced about the old days and spoke of former Ragtime piano player Johnny Maddox and all of the entertainment that abounded in the 100 block of King back then. Over the years IL Porto Restaurant has developed a reputation of fresh food daily. The pasta is made from scratch every day. Their menu is too extensive to talk about here so I would recommend that you check out it out online and choose accordingly. With the aforementioned “fresh pasta”, I can assure…
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 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…
By the Gastronomes When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore’! With Valentine’s Day fast approaching we were in search of a place that is a bit off of the beaten path to write about. We found a perfect cozy spot just off of Fort Hunt Road in the southern end of Alexandria. Via Veneto Italian is one of the oldest family owned and operated restaurants in the city topping out at 38 years – they celebrate 39 in September. The restaurant is named after one of the most famous, elegant, and expensive areas in Rome – Via Veneto. Fans of Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita should recognize the name. Sisters Marisa Fleck and Guiliana Austin, and their daughters, Kathy and Lilli honcho the entire operation. Marisa and Guilianna are from the village of Marotta (located in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino in Marche) and it is very evident that they carry on the spirit of a place where family gatherings and mealtimes go hand in hand here at Via Veneto. The restaurant is located in the Hollin Hall Shopping Center just around the corner from the iconic Village Hardware Store and another favorite eatery of ours, River Bend Bistro. Some folks seem to think that a restaurant’s reputation is lessened when located in a shopping center, when in fact, there are advantages. The major perk is there is tons of free parking. The only decision to be made is how close you want to park to the front entrance. As with pretty much ALL eateries located in strip malls, there isn’t an opportunity to make the entrance stand out so the exterior of Via Veneto is pretty pedestrian. They have a banner up and lights in the window but that is more for…
By the Gastronomes We are pretty sure the majority of our local readers are familiar with the ins and outs of a “Restaurant Week” since we have several of them during the year in the DMV and it appears that Alexandria is starting off with the first one of the New Year starting on the 20th and running through the 29th! In actuality, it is 10 days (including 2 weekends) of over 70 eateries in Alexandria offering great eats at good prices. The number of participating restaurants has grown exponentially over the years and they are as varied as the cuisine they serve. There is something for every palate. Restaurant Week showcases the inventiveness of local chefs throughout the city. In addition to the popular Old Town section, eateries located throughout neighborhoods in Del Ray, Carlyle, Eisenhower and the West End will offer a $25, $35 or $45 prix fixe dinner for one. Special menus will be available for in-person dining at participating restaurants with many having heated outdoor dining options. We have highlighted offerings from some of our favorite participating restaurants in this writing and encourage you all to try them out. We are looking forward to experiencing some “new to us” establishments during this promotion as well. We tend to get stuck in a continual loop of our favorites but it is always good to step outside of the box. Guests can browse a list of participating restaurants on AlexandriaRestaurantWeek.com. Stay tuned for a digital flip-book of menus at participating restaurants that will be available on the Restaurant Week site early this month. Bastille Brasserie & Bar $45 Dinner for One Person Bastille is an award winning brasserie and wine bar, offering guests a contemporary spin on French cuisine, in a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere. Chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux’s creations are sparked by the…
By the Gastronomes Location, Location, Location! As King Street in Old Town continues to evolve, our friend Michael Strutton and his wife Kelsey recently relocated his Italian restaurant, Michael’s Little Italy from the 300 block of South Washington Street to 703 King Street (formerly Magnolia’s on King) and rebranded it Michael’s on King. Having a spot on King Street on a block with 8 other eateries is a great place to be. You can’t put a monetary value on having significant foot traffic when you are in the restaurant or retail business. I first met Michael in 2017 when he opened his first restaurant on South Washington Street. He already had a successful business in Nashville but came to Old Town to be near his Mom. He also always wanted his own restaurant and now had the opportunity to take the plunge. Sometimes it is nice to understand the thinking of someone when planning how to turn their dreams into reality. The following paragraph is Michael’s thoughts taken from his website: Passion for our Culture – My grandparents came to New York City from Sicily at a time when Fiorello La Guardia held mayoral office, Lucky Luciano was beginning a prison term, and the world was just starting to hear the music of Frank Sinatra. While many Italians were reaching great heights, the average Southern Italian immigrants lived modestly, kept to their own neighborhoods, and raised families built upon whichever traditions from the old country could be maintained in the U.S. Most family settings revolved around food…and while not all of the same ingredients were available to them, my family and so many others proudly built a new culture: The Italian-American Culture. Somewhere in-between European and American personalities, we found this new definition of who we are…a charm that erupts…
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