On the corner of King and S.Washington St. in Alexandria, stands Eamonn's, the small fish and chips "joint" that brings bold flavor to a normally bland dish. If you're expecting something grandiose or luxurious because it's associated with the Armstrongs, just forget about it. As I was sitting there waiting for my food to come out, a guy walked in the door, looked around, and said "This is it?!" What were you expecting dude?

Eamonn's is anything but your fine dining establishment, but that doesn't mean that the food will leave you disappointed. I recently went there with Mike Bober, another one of the writers here at DCFoodies.com, and we basically ordered the entire menu (relax, it's not very big). Here's what our experience was like.

If you didn't get the point already, the dining room is very small (four tables in total and a bar with 3 seats) and the seating is first come, first sit. Don't sit at a table when you first come in, but go up to the cash register and order. The menu is on the chalkboard about the cash register, and to your left, you'll see the sole tap of Guinness ($5.25 for 16oz in a plastic cup). 

The menu is simple with Chips, Fish, Sauces, "Other Stuff", Fried Sweets, and Booze, and everything is a la carte although you get one container of sauce per fish or "other stuff" you order. Chips come in small  ($2.50) or large ($3.50) and aren't crispy and light like Belgian frites, or even your local fast food place. Quite the opposite, they're thick cut and greasy. I don't know if the point is to try to be authentic chips, I wouldn't know because I've never been to Britain, but I didn't care much for them.

The day that Mike and I were there, they had a grouper special so we ordered that instead of the regular cod. The grouper had a nice texture and flavor, not too fishy and was meaty enough to hold together when we dipped it in the sauces. We also has some of the Ray (or Stingray), which comes with the bones in it. The bones are more cartilage than hard bones, but you'd best pick them out before attempting to eat the fish. We found that the ray was rather difficult to eat. The breading on the fish could've been crispier in the end.

We also tried the fried battered "burgher", which is exactly what it sounds like. There are no cheese or bun options, but the burger is deep fried in batter and very well done. But that doesn't matter much because it's absolutely amazing and decadent, and I thought it was the best thing we ate there. The sauces are really what make the meal at Eamonn's. Our favorite was the spicy curry sauce, which wasn't too heavy or creamy at all. I was half expecting a curry mayonnaise, but this really not that thick. All of the sauces were pretty good, but our favorites were the Marie Rose (think McDonald's special sauce) and the Fronch (French).

To finish off our meal, I couldn't help but get the deep-fried Snickers. This was my first deep-fried Snickers and until I had one, I really didn't know what I was missing. They batter and deep-fry the Snickers, and then dust it with cinnamon sugar. It comes out hot and oozing, is nothing pretty to look at, and is messy to eat, but it's worth the trouble.

At about 7 PM, I noticed the person who was running the front reach up and up some of the prices about $0.25 and $0.50. It seems that if you get there before 7 PM, they give you a discount. Perhaps it's a happy hour special.

After the meal, we exiting Eamonn's and attempted to get into PX, which lies upstairs from The Chipper, but alas, we were rejected like the common scum that we are. Actually, they were fully booked so next time I'll think ahead and make a reservation. Instead, we walked down to the Restaurant Eve Bar and had a couple drinks there, which were probably just as good in the end.

As for Eamonn's, if I were a local to Alexandria, I'd probably be there quite often, especially given the other option of the Popeye's a few doors down. However, I don't think it warrants a special trip to Alexandria just for the fish and chips.

Eamonn's - A Dublin Chipper
728 King St
Alexandria, VA 22314
Map
207.299.8384
www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com

Details:
Dress Code: Casual, very casual
Parking: Street or Pay lot around the corner.
Smoking: Not Allowed.
Closest Metro: King Street
Reservations: Not taken
Baby-Child friendly rating: 2 diapers - no child seats or kids menu, but it's a casual environment so it's definitely a place you can bring small children.
Amy's Bathroom Rating - the provide all of the basic functions...

This past Sunday, being an unseasonably lovely day (what global warming?), my girlfriend Eliza and I decided to take a walk about Old Town Alexandria. I don't make it down to this area nearly as often as I'd like, so it was interesting to see what has changed and what has stayed the same.

An interesting new addition to the Alexandria gourmet scene is Grape + Bean, a little shop right on South Royal Street just off of King. Ramona actually tipped me off to this place about a week ago, so when I spotted it out of the corner of my eye I thought I'd check it out.

Housed in a comfortable little space with a very 'Old Town' feel (wide-planked hardwood floors, exposed brick, etc), the Grape + Bean specializes in artisanal coffees and eclectic wines. Though the shop was full of browsers when I wandered in, I was immediately greeted by the barista (whom I assume is also the owner, given the nature of the business), who offered me a sample of several wines they were tasting at the time. Sipping on my Thorn Clarke Sparkler (which incidentally is a very nice, dry-finishing Australian bubbly, well worth the $15 price tag), I took a moment to peruse the shelves. The wine selection, while small, was actually very interesting: in a shop with maybe 50 facings, I was surprised to find such oenological oddballs as Lagrein rose, Rias Baixas Albarino, and various obscure wines from Iberia, all pretty reasonably priced. 

Amongst the wines were sprinkled a selection of high-end wine and food related knick-knacks— by and large the usual William Sonoma sort of affairs, though there was a fascinating looking salt well featuring a rainbow of colored rocks that reminded me how little I know about the mineral. The cold chest was a bit bare, but there were a some nice beers being offered such as Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA and Dale's Pale Ale out of Colorado, and amongst the several cheeses was Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog, one of my favorites.

The coffee menu featured about 5 or 6 coffees from Counter Culture, a well known roaster out of Durham, NC, dedicated to sustainability, fair trade, and really good java. The descriptions were ample and detailed. After a good amount of consideration, I ended up selecting an Ethiopian, single-village coffee called Harfusa. Coffees are made on a cup-by-cup basis using the shop's single Clover unit. While the system is much touted for making coffee in the freshest, most correct manner possible, one thing the Clover machine is not is fast. From ordering to service, my coffee took 10 minutes to arrive— I didn't mind, what with more wine to sample. At about $4.00 a 14 oz. cup, the price was a little steep, but the coffee was quite tasty. This being my first experience with this type of coffee maker, I wasn't sure what to expect— the flavors were indeed fresh, but the texture was unusual, a more evident suspension than your average cup of joe; you could actually feel the particles in the liquid, as in espresso, but with less intensity.  It was very unusual, but a must try for any coffee nerd out there.

After a refreshing cup of hot black coffee, I developed a hankering for seafood (obviously). Strolling a bit further towards the water, we stopped at one of those establishments that never seems to change: The Fish Market.

Ensconced in a 19th Century shipping warehouse constructed of old ballast stones, the Fish Market gives off a much "homier" vibe than many of the upscale eateries that have popped up on King over time. The dining room features the full complement of Neptune's bounty, in large portions, and you can "have it your way," broiled or fried. Homey, sad to say, does have its pitfalls. Those looking for a plethora of beer and wine choices to accompany innovative seafood dishes will be quite let down— the fare at The Fish Market is decidedly simple from both behind the bar and from the kitchen.

Fortunately, our tastes were leaning toward the simple side that day, craving nothing more than beer and oysters; in this department, the Market was unlikely to disappoint. What I wasn't prepared for was the bounties of happy hour (4 PM to 7 PM, Sunday thru Thursday). While nothing superb, the Market offers a small selection of 32 oz. beers for less than $8.00, and the wines are blah blah BLAH ... the oysters were 69 cents apiece!!! Normally $8.25 a half dozen, during happy hour that price is halved, making this the best shellfish deal I've come across, Ebbitt's and Hank's (blessed though they might be) be damned! And these Blue Points were huge, too, and perfectly sweet and briny even so late in the season (though to be fair, we did come across one gritty one in the dozen). The raw clams were similarly priced and also fresh, although the flavor did not make me a convert. Overall, I was truly impressed with the quality to price ratio. If you can find the time, make a point to swing by the Market before this best of all seasons runs dry. Trust me, Sam Adams tastes like ambrosia when paired with a dozen shucked oysters the size of your cellphone.

Grape & Bean
118 South Royal Street
Alexandria, VA
david@grapeandbean.com
http://www.grapeandbean.com

The Fish Market
105 & 107 King Street
Alexandria, VA
703.836.5676
fishmarket@starpower.net
http://www.fishmarketoldtown.com

Ever had Afro- Franco-American fusion food before? Me neither, until I went to Farrah Olivia which refers to their cuisine as "Creative American". The best I've heard it described is "Southern American soul food with an African twist".

When I first dined at Farrah Olivia, it was Restaurant Week. (Actually, it was the week after Restaurant Week, and the restaurant had expanded their Restaurant Week offering for an additional week.) I was surprised at the casual atmosphere, given the pictures of the food that I saw on the Farrah Olivia web site. For some reason I was expecting a Sport-Coats-Required atmosphere, but it was anything but that. The first thing that sticks out when you see the pictures on the web site is the preparation, which is as close to art in food as I've seen.

Artful presentation is easily found in the seared scallop appetizer. A scant trail of bacon powder on one side, some bacon bits on the other, then a small pool of the melon seed milk surrounded by a drizzle of the berbere oil. In the center of all that, a single scallop perfectly rare but also perfectly seared with a crispy, caramelized layer on the top and bottom of the scallop.  Mixing all of the ingredients together gave a great contrasts in flavor and texture: Creamy and crispy, salty and sweet. This was literally the best scallop I've ever tasted, but the only problem is the price. For $15, you'd think there'd at least be two on the plate?!

By far, my favorite dish is so far is the lamb chop I had on my second visit. Like the scallop, there's only a single lamb chop on the dish, and there's probably only about 5 or 6 ounces of meat on the plate, but the texture of the lamb was tender and juicy -- it's been awhile since I let out a moan like that after tasting a dish. A dish that needs no special presentation is the Parmesan soup. The menu says it's silky and it's not kidding -- if you could call something liquid silk, this would be it.

Some dishes are creatively presented, but the flavor doesn't quite live up to it. The "shocked" tuna is one example of this. What does "shocked" mean? It means the tuna is dropped in boiling water for a minute then shocked in ice water. The tuna is then sliced in exactly equal potions and ends up looking similar to a seared tuna, but with a much nicer texture, leaving it very similar to sushi. The flavor ended up not being much better than regular old raw tuna though.

Another example of this was the Pantagonian Toothfish which was ok, but the white bean puree that was served on the side had an unpleasant chalky taste and texture. I didn't even know what Pantagonian Toothfish was at the time I ordered this dish, but a quick Google search fixed that when I got home. Per Wikipedia, a Pantagonian Toothfish is a large fish found in the cold, temperate waters (from 50 to 3850m) of the Southern Atlantic, Southern Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands.

If you're looking for the perfect combination of the key lime pie at Ray's the Steaks (or Classics for that matter) and the cheesecake at Cafe St. Ex,  look no further than the lemon cheesecake. And if you've never had either of those desserts, let me give you a little better description. Take a cheesecake with perfect texture, not too dense, but not too creamy, and add the flavor of lemon with just the right amount of sweetness so it's not too tart. This is all on top of a thick graham-cracker crust and topped with a crispy, sweet layer of bruléed sugar. The other desserts are all very good as well, but this one stands out.

Farrah Olivia is not a restaurant for the value-centric diner. My average bill for two people with four courses of food and a bottle of wine was about $200. (I never once left feeling hungry, but the portions are small enough that you need to get four courses.) But for those of you that are looking to be challenged by the food you eat and look forward to trying new combinations of flavors, then Farrah Olivia is probably the restaurant for you.

On another note, I overheard the manager talking about how she'd just ordered the patio furniture for the summer, which makes me look forward to what new things will be on the menu this summer at Farrah Olivia.

Farrah Olivia
600 Franklin St
Alexandria, VA 22314
Map
(703) 778-2233
Web Site

Details:
Hours: See web site
Dress Code: Business Casual
Parking: Street and free covered lot.
Closest Metro:  King Street
Reservations: Taken and recommended on the weekends although you might be able to walk in and find a seat at the bar if you're lucky.
Baby-Child friendly rating: 1 Diaper. I wouldn't be caught dead with my little guy here.

It's not every day that you walk into a bar for the first time, and get treated like a regular, but at Restaurant Eve, it seems to be the usual experience. Two weeks ago, Amy and I went to Restaurant Eve for the second time and sat at the bar instead of eating at the Bistro or Tasting Room. (Our first visit being for the chef's tasting room, where I had the nine-course tasting menu and nearly passed out from the amount of food I consumed.) 

We sat at the far end of the bar for a bite to eat and I observed the people at the bar, who all seemed like a regulars, carefully. This seemed odd to me. The bartenders were conversing with everyone at the bar like they had been there many, many times. I wondered what the likelihood was that all 12 or so people sitting at the bar were regulars.

It's probably not too significant, but it made an impression when one of the bartenders (her name was Tammy) came over to greet us, we didn't get the standard, "What can I get you?", but were greeted with "How's your evening going so far?" 

The bartenders even treated the insufferable woman sitting next to us with a level of patience that I've only seen once before at a restaurant. I won't go into too much detail about this person except to say that when you're sitting at a bar, and you talk to someone sitting next to you, please take a hint when they don't reply to you with anything other than, "Thanks, that's nice." Also, if you feel that it's your purpose in life to tell those sitting next to you what wine to order, and when they decide NOT to listen to you, please don't get all pissy and laugh under your breath about what they actually did order.

Ok, so do you get the point? The bartenders are cool.

As the first night progressed, we went through our usual exploratory dining, sampling different dishes from the menu, and taking the bartender's advice on what food to get. A succulent softshell crab appetizer deep-fried in a light tempura batter and roast duck breast, duck sausage and with duck foie gras and were the highlights from this evening. However, the beef short rib entree that I had was fatty and skimpy on the meat. This was despite the fact that my friend told me the night before to order the beef short ribs because they "were the best short ribs he'd ever eaten." Perhaps I got a bad batch.

The other thing I remember vividly from that first night at the bar was that towards the end of our meal, Tammy (who by the second course managed to tell us where she lived, what her neighborhood was like and the name of her dog) was making secret trips back to the wine cellar to "find the good stuff."  This made for an interesting night to say the least, and led to me having to spend another hour at the Starbucks sobering up before Amy or I could drive home.

My second trip to the bar at Restaurant Eve was probably one of the most decadent meals I've ever eaten. More hyperbole: the night began with some of the best fried calamari I've ever eaten. Rest assured, if you find something as common as fried calamari at Restaurant Eve, you'd better order it. I don't think I've ever tasted such tender squid.

Ok, so fried calamari isn't so decadent. I'll continue.

For entrees, we had pan-roasted veal sweetbreads and confit of braised house-cured pork belly. My portion of sweetbreads was gigantic --if your normal portion of sweetbreads was a 9oz. filet mignon, this would be a 28 oz. porterhouse. I appreciated the preparation of the sweetbreads, pan-roasted instead of fried, you could actually taste the flavor of the sweetbreads. The pork belly, which Tammy told us was a "chef's specialty", was a very unique dish. While I thought that our serving could have been more tender, the complex, smoky flavor of the pork with the cannelini beans more than made up for that.

We returned a third time to Restaurant Eve, but I won't go into too much detail, except to say that you should definitely order the monkfish if it's on the menu.. I'd say that of all the entrees I ate there, this was my favorite. Perhaps it was the uncharacteristically tenderness of the monkfish, or the complexity that the spicy chorizo sausage added to the ragu it was served in. I'm not sure exactly, but it was well worth the $28.50 that it cost.

Our desserts each evening were very good and changed every evening we were there, but my favorites were the chocolate mouse cake, which...ok, you just can't go wrong with a good rich chocolate mouse, and the strawberry panna cotta which had a very delicate flavor and pleasant texture.

The cost of each of our meals at Restaurant Eve were pretty expensive -- ranging from $200 to $225 before gratuity. Keep in mind though, that each time we were there, we probably had at least three or four glasses of wine each, and with prices ranging from $8 to $15 or so per glass, this can have a serious impact for on your bill. Don't be a stupid lush like me. Ask the Sommelier to recommend a good bottle to go with your apps and entrees. So a normal person  -- who only drinks a glass of wine with dinner -- will probably be able to keep the cost of the meal down a bit, especially considering that most entrees are below $30 and the appetizers are between $10 and $15.

So I know that this is news to no one, but Restaurant Eve should be on everyones list of must-visit restaurants in this area. The food is original and unlike anything you'll get at other restaurants and you certainly won't be disappointed by your meals there.

Restaurant Eve
110 S. Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA
(703) 706-0450
Map

Hours:
Bistro
Lunch Mon - Fri: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner Mon-Sat: 5:30 PM - 10 PM
Tasting Room:
Dinner Mon - Sat: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Bar and Lounge
Mon - Thu: 11:30 Am - 11:30 PM
Fri: 11:30 AM - 12:30 AM
Sat: 5:30 PM - 12:30 AM
Closed Saturday Lunch, Sundays and all major holidays

Dress Code: Business Casual
Parking: Street parking in Alexandria isn't too hard to come by, except on weekends. There are also parking lots all over the place. No valet.
Smoking: Not Allowed.
Closest Metro: King Street and it's a hike.
Reservations: Taken in the Bistro and Tasting Room and are recommended.
Amy's Bathroom rating: Very clean and well taken care of.
Baby friendly rating: 1 diaper. Yeah, babies don't belong here during dinner. The only time I think it may be appropriate to bring a baby is during lunch in the lounge.

While I was walking around downtown last Friday, I saw the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. The Perfect Pita now has a location at 1015 20th Street -- I'm so happy to see that they're expanding from their two Alexandria locations. When I worked in Alexandria, I was located across the street from one of these heavenly eateries and frequented them almost every other day. Their pita sandwiches are reasonably priced and make me drool just thinking about them. The pita bread is baked fresh on location and the sandwiches can have ground beef, lamb or chicken in them if I remember correctly. You can top them with various Mediterranean style toppings like hummus, cucumber, and yogurt sauce. I would usually just order the beef pita as is, which came with ground beef, cucumber, onion and yogurt sauce. Ah the good old days! Someone has to go and let me know if they're still as good as I remember.

The Perfect Pita
1015 20th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
Map

1640 King St
Alexandria, VA 22314
Map

951 N Fairfax St
Alexandria, VA 22314
Map

Five Guys is now in Largo!!! I've been waiting for this day for a while now. I used to work in Old-Town Alexandra and we would go to the Five Guys there all the time. Luckily, Magic Johnson is investing in PG County and we have the Largo Town Center. When I saw that Five Guys was moving in, I was sooooo excited. The people I work with even pulled an early April fools joke last week, telling me that Five Guys was open before it had actually opened. I had already eaten lunch, and I still almost grabbed my Jacket and ran out to get one of their burgers.

So what is so good about Five Guys burgers you ask? THE BEEF. I know this is not a good picture, but it is like the butcher is in the back room. FRESH, FRESH, FRESH.

Continue reading "Five Guys"