Steve M. wrote: >My partner and I took a trip to Alexandria, VA this weekend to scout Old >Town for a possible location for a copy of our NYC restaurant. It's a >beautiful area with an active sidewalk scene of tourists and local diners. >There's lots of interesting history to draw them and there's (apparently) a >chamber of commerce that's doing a great job supporting the restaurants and >shop owners. I wish NYC was a tenth as attentive... > I looked for but failed to find a Washington-area Zagat Guide. Can any > Alexandria denizens give me their thoughts about Old Town dining? Are there > any great places there? My favorite place by far in Old Town is the Warehouse. Despite the name, it's an upscale (but not snotty) Cajun place. Excellent service too. By the way, there's no published Zagat's guide to Alexandria, but you can find Zagat's info on CompuServe; it covers Alexandria under DC environs. It also covers most major metro areas. Zagat's on-line is probably the best thing I've found on any BBS (I get no kickback for that endorsement).
Washington, DC
Good Food in Old Town Alexandria?
Someone wrote: : My partner and I took a trip to Alexandria, VA this weekend to scout Old : Town for a possible location for a copy of our NYC restaurant. It's a : beautiful area with an active sidewalk scene of tourists and local diners. : There's lots of interesting history to draw them and there's (apparently) a : chamber of commerce that's doing a great job supporting the restaurants and : shop owners. I wish NYC was a tenth as attentive. : My only criticism is that in the nine or ten times I've dined in Old Town : restaurants, the food was mediocre and over-priced at best (that, and the : fact that every menu seemed to have some obligatory blackened-whatever : offered, regardless of the restaurant's cuisine). I've not experienced : anything worth walking five blocks for. That works in our favor; we have : regulars who drive to Brooklyn Heights from Joizey. But it also concerns me : that maybe the good local restaurants are avoiding Old Town for a reason. : This is our first "franchise" attempt so we're being very cautious. My favorite restaurant in Old Town is Le Refuge on Washington St. While the menu doesn't change very often, they do a good job on seafood. I usually try to go there during the Noveau Bougelais time and take a long lunch. It seems to be a favorite among the residents of Old Town.
Steve M. wrote: >My partner and I took a trip to Alexandria, VA this weekend to scout Old >Town for a possible location for a copy of our NYC restaurant. It's a >beautiful area with an active sidewalk scene of tourists and local diners. >There's lots of interesting history to draw them and there's (apparently) a >chamber of commerce that's doing a great job supporting the restaurants and >shop owners. I wish NYC was a tenth as attentive. > >My only criticism is that in the nine or ten times I've dined in Old Town >restaurants, the food was mediocre and over-priced at best (that, and the >fact that every menu seemed to have some obligatory blackened-whatever >offered, regardless of the restaurant's cuisine). I've not experienced >anything worth walking five blocks for. That works in our favor; we have >regulars who drive to Brooklyn Heights from Joizey. But it also concerns me >that maybe the good local restaurants are avoiding Old Town for a reason. >This is our first "franchise" attempt so we're being very cautious. > >I looked for but failed to find a Washington-area Zagat Guide. Can any >Alexandria denizens give me their thoughts about Old Town dining? Are there >any great places there? Our cuisine is largely seafood (bouillabaisse, >seafood chowders) and coastal French. The ambience is bistro-ish and we're >looking at opening a 50-60 seater with a small bar. Good idea? Bad idea? >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > Steve Manes [email removed] > N'Yawk, N'Yawk =o&>o Tourists in the area seem to inexplicably trample towards two places: The Fish Market (fried *.*, yuk) and the Chart House (OK, but $$$$). Local and national franchises pretty much rule the area, though there are exceptions. There are a couple of French restaurants in the area (Le Gaulois, and 1 on Washington Str). Neither menu looked interesting to me. My favorites are a Southwest restaurant on one of the side streets (name and location escape me; someone help! :) east of Washington street. Bamiyan (Afghani food) is good, as well as Union Street Publick House. Landini Bros. serves some good portobello mushrooms, but the rest of their menu is limited. West of Washington on King Street, Hard Times Cafe' serves good chili and microbrews at reasonable prices. Most of the foot traffic is east of Washington Street on King Street. At westernmost Old Town there is a Metro stop on King Street. It's a long walk to the heavily trafficed area. Parking can be a pain near the touristy area if the town hall garage is full. Proposals for additional parking have been rejected by the town council (I believe). The parking police are highly visible in the residential areas nearby. Oh, don't forget to kiss the butts of the two big restaurant critics in the area, Phyllis Richman (The Washington Post) and Robert Shoffner (The Washingtonian magazine) :) :) :) Catch their reviews for additional information. Good Luck, Richard
Richard P. wrote: >There are a couple of French restaurants in the area (Le Gaulois, and 1 >on Washington Str). Neither menu looked interesting to me. The one on Washington St. is La Refuge. I think. 8-) I can't remember the correct article (le or la) and I am not sure they even use the right one. I have never been there, but some friends of mine like it a lot, and he tends to be picky about food. >My favorites >are a Southwest restaurant on one of the side streets (name and location >escape me; someone help! :) east of Washington street. Sante Fe East on Pitt St. maybe? It's between King and Prince on the east side of the street. >[...] Union Street Publick House. Union St. is Old Town's meat market. Well, the bar is. 8-) I tend to avoid it for that reason. >Landini Bros. serves >some good portobello mushrooms, but the rest of their menu is limited. West Landini Brothers is great if you go with folks who know the owners. 8-) Then they make you all kinds of stuff that never even hits the menu. *sigh* I haven't had the opportunity to do that for a *long* time. >of Washington on King Street, Hard Times Cafe' serves good chili and >microbrews at reasonable prices. Hard Times is nice about 3 times a year. I find their food to be a bit greasy to eat more frequently than that. What do you think of Austin Grill? I could go there every week and not get tired of it, but any type of Mexican/Southwestern/Tex-Mex food appeals to me. Well, Chi-chi's doesn't, but anything reasonable does. How about King Street Blues? I went there the first time the other weekend. It was kind of fun. The decor was a bit over-the-top in terms of cute an' fun, but the food was nice, the service was good (and on a Saturday evening!) and I'd go back. >Most of the foot traffic is east of Washington Street on King Street. At >westernmost Old Town there is a Metro stop on King Street. It's a long walk >to the heavily trafficed area. Parking can be a pain near the touristy area >if the town hall garage is full. Proposals for additional parking have been >rejected by the town council (I believe). The parking police are highly >visible in the residential areas nearby. Of course, being an Old Town resident, this is a plus for me. 8-)))) I would welcome anything new and comfy with good food in Old Town. There are only so many places one can go right now. Mary.
Lite 'N Fair on King Street. Don't be fooled by either the silly name or its appearance. IOur out-of-town party stumbled over it one Saturday night, and we were amazed... - Calton Bolick Martinez, CA
Two friends and I recently had a Saturday lunch at Le Gaulois, and enjoyed it tremendously. It was a warm day (though October) and we had country pates, salads, and such. I would recommend it highly based on this experience, if you like "down home", country-style French cooking (stuff like cassoulet). It's not super-elegant, but it's different and good. Chris Braun
Xdisclaimer: No attempt was made to authenticate the sender's name. The Bamiyan II on King Street is excellent, if you like Afghan cuisine. Also try Gadsby's Tavern -- be sure to make a reservation. The food is not only great, but this is a historical landmark, with wonderful ambiance, and Colonial-style entertainment. Karen Mercedes +-------------------------------------------+ | I share no man's opinions; I have my own. | | -- Ivan Turgenev | +-------------------------------------------+