Mancini’s Cafe And Bakery Del Ray Alexandria
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed by Mancini’s Cafe in Del Ray. It appeared to be a very popular neighborhood place to grab a casual bite to eat, based on the crowds. So when Frank and I were in the mood to have breakfast out before we went to the Arlington Farmers Market (which wasn’t running yesterday, what’s up with that? Holiday hiatus?) and Cheesetique, we decided to give Mancini’s a try.
Walking in the door, Mancini’s is every bit a bistro. Black and white tiled floors meet muraled yellow walls bringing a cheery and open feel to the place.
There is a large display case filled with savory and sweet prepared foods where you walk up to order your breakfast. I decided on one of my perennial favorites-eggs Benedict and Frank got eggs and corned beef hash. Both dishes came with Lyonnaise potatoes and a small cup of melon. Frank’s included toast as well. For around $9, it’s a lot of food.
We had a bit of an extended wait at our table-about 20 minutes or so before a runner called Frank’s name and delivered our breakfasts-not exactly hot, more like luke warm unfortunately. The traditional eggs Benedict comes with a thick slab of tomato under the egg, which in theory is a nice combination with the Canadian ham and Hollandaise sauce. However, this time of year the tomato should be 86′d as it tastes of nothingness. I’m a firm believer in serving tomatoes only in season or if you happen to get a winter tomato that has flavor (Campari tomatoes comes to mind-I buy these throughout the winter from Costco). The melons on the other hand tasted sweet and refreshing. The Hollandaise sauce tasted homemade; it was creamy and lemony and the egg were done perfectly. Another beef of mine is serving eggs that saw poached about 5 minutes before they’re actually taken out of the water- you’ve got to have a runny yolk to blend with the Hollandaise sauce, it’s that simple.
Frank enjoyed his dish and his over-easy eggs were done perfectly as well, so I’d say we’ll be back for breakfast and beyond. Perhaps we hit Mancini’s when they were crunched, hence the long wait and luke warm food. I’m an optimist.
Mancini’s Cafe and Bakery
1508 Mount Vernon Ave
Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 838-3663
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Open Mon 7am-3pm; Tue-Sat 7am-9pm; Sun 8am-3pm
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