Thank you Tanya of Veggie Love for bringing the 16th Annual Chocolate Lovers Festival to my attention. I wanted to post this because part of the proceeds benefits a great cause, Our Daily Bread.
What could be a better pick-me-up in the middle of the “winter blahs” than chocolate? This event held in Old Town Fairfax offers not only chocolate, but fun for the whole family.
Who’s up for some chocolate chip pancakes?
Last night, Jackson 20- the restaurant in the Hotel Monaco- was open for dinner. I think that because the hotel had literally been under wraps for a very long time and Chef Jeff Armstrong is a hotel restaurant maven made it impossible for people like me to stay away even on opening night.
The large front windows reveal a welcoming scene from the sidewalks. Inside, the beamed ceiling warms the room which is grounded by beautiful slate floors. Wood tables are spaced graciously and throw pillows are strewn about to make you comfortable if you are seated on the bench end of a table.
A bar is located at the far end of the restaurant and bar seats can afford you a clear glimpse into the open kitchen (where Chef Jeff Armstrong was one cool customer-calmly overseeing each plate as it exited the kitchen). Bathrooms, located just outside of the restaurant up the hotel’s hall are laden with white and black marble, and sport rich red wallpaper.
Frank and I arrive around 7pm and were greeted warmly. Since the restaurant was full, we waited at the bar for a table. Cocktails were reasonably priced-I got a “Honeysuckle” for $9. It was delicious with vodka, grapefruit, honey and muddled ginger. We had to stand for a few minutes, but grabbed a couple seats as patrons left. As I said above, bar seats are great to peek into the kitchen which unlike Hell’s Kitchen, hummed along efficiently.
After about 10 minutes, we were seated at a table (note:ask for a seat in the back or away from the street entrance, as the front door whisks in a chilly breeze on a cold night). The wine list includes 20 bottles of wine for $20. We got a bottle of Ravenswood Zinfindel with the thought that it would probably pair nicely with each of our dishes.
As I reported earlier, the menu reflects local and “Southern” dishes with an emphasis on comfort food. For our appetizers, I ordered the jumbo lump crab cake with slaw and Frank ordered a bib lettuce salad with blue cheese and pickled red onions. My crab cake was about a 5-6 oz. portion and was all lump crab. The slaw was refreshing, if a bit overdressed. A mustard/vinegar sauce was artfully plated on the side. Overall-delicious. Frank’s salad made him tell me that “you should get bib lettuce more-why don’t we eat this at home?-this is really good!”. I sampled the salad and indeed, the blue cheese was good yet not overwhelming and the pickled onions were a perfect counterpoint to the funk (I mean that in a good way) of the blue cheese.
Our entrees were fried chicken and veal meatloaf. My veal meatloaf was 2 generous slices, grilled and paired with a decidedly ketchup based sauce (I applaud the unabashed use of one of my favorite condiments!). The pair of meatloaf came with perfectly cooked fresh string beans and potato wedges. The meatloaf was seasoned nicely, had no fatty or grisly bits and was truly a homey dish which I enjoyed.
Frank’s chicken had a crispy battered coating which he thought could have benefited from fresh cracked pepper. Otherwise it was cooked nicely and was juicy. Frank, being a dark meat lover, still wanted a bit more from the dish and thought that an offering of light and dark meat would have brought the dish home for him. The chicken came with a large portion of braised kale and lump crab (huge lumps).
We also shared a side of creamed corn which was over-the-top-delicious. I’m not sure where the corn came from, but it was white corn, fresh, sweet and crisp (it even had corn silk here and there). The cream sauce was buttery, a little salty and set off the sweet corn perfectly. I would highly recommend this side.
Oh….bread and water service! They came a little late (understandable since the place was packed on opening night) but we received ice water without any “Still, sparkling or tap?”-thank you. A bread basket with fresh tiny bread buns and corn bread muffins came with room temperature butter-thank you again. On a special note-each table had a salt and fresh pepper grinders!
Service was friendly with a fully staffed restaurant making sure that everyone’s needs were met. A little glitchy?-sure, but honestly-I was impressed, happily sated and glad to be there opening night to welcome Jackson 20 to the neighborhood.
Todd Kliman is reporting this morning that celebrated foul-mouthed and immensly entertaining (in a car wreck-I can’t help but look-kind of way) chef Gordon Ramsey is all but certain to take over the kitchen at Maestro in Tyson’s Corner. Ramsey is reported to be working out money issues at this time and plans to put a female protege at Maestro’s helm to execute his menu (a Hell’s Kitchen winner, perhaps?).
Maestro has been dark since last fall when lauded Chef Fabio Trabochi pulled up steaks (and most of his staff) and headed to Gotham City to become the Executive Chef at Fiamma.
I think it’s a good sign that internationally known chefs are choosing to add the Beltway region to their balliwick of restaurants. It has certainly worked out well with Chef Eric Ripert who opened Westend Bistro and Wolfgang Puck who opened The Source.
Just don’t rename Maestro “Hell’s Kitchen”. Please.
What do you think of big name chefs dipping their toes into our dining pool? Good, bad, no difference? Does it make it more difficult for local grass roots restaurants to survive or even come to frution? Does it change the dining culture in DC?
Let me hear your thoughts in the comments section and take the poll at the top left of the page. The poll will be open through Feb. 5th.
Fontaine Caffe and Creperie (Update: Grand Opening Tuesday, Feb. 5th 2008)
Fontaine brings Old World European crepes to Old Town Alexandria. Separated into a front Blue Room and a rear Gold Room (for desserts and private parties), Fontaine will offer sweet and savory crepes. Other dishes currently on the menu include pate, mussels, a cheese plate, soup du jour and tartlettes.
Among the savory crepes are the Alexandrian, filled with ham, mushroom, thyme and Swiss cheese ($10.95), the Moroccan, filled with spinach and feta cheese, topped with a mint-yogurt sauce ($11.95) and the Parisian with roasted chicken, ratatoullie and brie cheese ($13.95). Beguiling sweet crepes invite with Wild Berry filled with strawberry and lemon creme ($7.95), and The Viennese Waltz with glazed apricots and rich chocolate ice cream, topped with apricot brandy ($7.50).
Starters embrace dishes such as mussels in a white wine sauce ($7.95), chicken liver pate with cornichons, mustard and toast ($8.95), savory Alsacian style mini tartlettes with ham caramelized onion and goat cheese ($7.95) and a soup du jour ($3.95 for a cup and $6.95 for a bowl).
Alluring desserts called finishers include a Grand Marnier creme brulee and warm apple tart with rum ice cream and red wine caramel sauce.
Epicurean Delights with Coffee, Wine and More
Grape + Bean
Wine + Coffee + More
Grape + Bean on South Royal St. appears to be completing construction and is scheduled to open late January 2008. From their webiste:
“Grape + Bean, opening January 2008, is an independent, locally owned business created by long-time Alexandria residents David Gwathmey and Sheera Rosenfeld. Grape + Bean, a specialty beverage and food retail boutique, is located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, steps from Market Square, City Hall, and the newly renovated Hotel Monaco. Grape + Bean will focus on high quality wines, single-origin eco-friendly whole bean coffees, and custom brewed coffee, serving Old Town residents and visitors alike. Grape + Bean will also offer freshly extracted juices, artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and other gourmet items as well as high quality glassware, wine supplies, and coffee brewing equipment to meet your consumption needs.Grape + Bean’s mission is to encourage and expand the appreciation of these products through education, experimentation, and excellent service all in a comfortable, friendly environment. Grape + Bean will have a sophisticated yet comfortable feel to it with its original heart pine floors, exposed brick walls (building is circa 1850) and a welcoming tasting bar where patrons will be encouraged to taste something new (wine, coffee, chocolate, etc.) on each visit.”
A Philadelphia Tradition Comes to Old Town Alexandria
Bookbinders
The Old Original Bookbinders has been a Philadelphia institution since the 1860’s. In 2000, Bookbinder’s opened a second location in Richmond, VA followed by locations in Midloathian and Christianburg, and now Bookbinders is expanding to include a location in Alexandria, VA. Stephen Parry, owner of the existing VA Bookbinder locations, is teaming up with the owners of Union Street Public House and King St. Blues, to open the St. Asaph St. restaurant in the former Portner’s space. Bookbinders Old Town plans to bring a cosmopolitan taste to the traditional steak, seafood and wine menu, while preserving the dark wood and stained glass windows look of the place. Bookbinders opens for dinner only on January 30, 2008.
Fontaine Caffe and Creperie
119 South Royal St. Alexandria, VA 22314(703) 535-8151
Hours of operation:
Tues-Sat: 11am-10pm
Sunday Brunch Service: 9am-3pm
Grape + Bean
118 South Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Bookbinders
109 S. Asaph St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Hours of operation;
Mon-Thurs: 5pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-11pm
Sun: 4pm-9pm
Lounge: Open daily at 4:30pm
The sunshine kept the blankets off of the vegetables at Next Step Produce* today. Although their setup is only a quarter of it’s size during peak season, the vegetables are probably the most popular at the market. Today I picked up 2 heads of tat soi, a bunch of kohlrabi and a daikon radish.
The daikon radish is currently in a pot of chicken soup-along with some of it’s greens. I figure the radish is similar to a parsnip, so what the heck. As for the kohlrabi, I asked someone from the farm how to prepare it and she responded “Eat it raw or in a salad-it’s good on it’s own”. A gentleman next to me rolled his eyes in a “they are soooo good” kind of way and let me know that the greens are delicious too (I always love to hear that). The tat soi is so lusciously deep green I had to buy some after eyeing the cruciferous balls for some time.
Now if anyone is familiar with and has recipies/ways to use the kohlrabi or tat soi-I’d love to hear about your experience and advice!
Waterview Foods-from the Eastern Shore- had fresh brown eggs for $4 a dozen. This is my first purchase of these eggs and I’m wondering if there is a difference from these and the brown eggs I get from Safeway. I know they’re fresher, so I won’t attempt to hard boil any of them for at least 2 weeks-but will they be better? We’ll see.
A visit to Firefly Farm’s cheese stand gave me a taste of one of their newer cheeses- New French, which is a St. Andres style cheese. St. Andres is a soft ripened triple cream cow’s milk cheese in a washed mold rind. It’s style is similar to brie and camembert, but taller and to my palate, more funky/stinky. I bought a wedge-approximately 1/2 to 2/3 lb. for $9. I’ll let it soften and spread it over pieces of rosemary-Italian bread from Atwater’s Bakery.
On a healthier note, I picked up Pink Lady and Cameo apples from Spring Valley Farm. Both varieties are a nice balance of sweet and tart. I think I’ll pair one with the cheese. Of course that’s like Paula Deen topping off a 3 butter stick cobbler with fresh whipped cream and a sprig of mint because, you know-greens make the dish healthy.
Denial. It’s not just a river in Egypt.
Until my next market report, eat local when you can.
*Next Step Produce is at the Dupont Market every other Sunday. I’m not sure if that’s just for the winter or year round, just fyi.
