By Mallory Ferland
4 Star Restaurants in Old Town Alexandria, VA
Old Town is the eastern most neighborhood of Alexandria, VA, and is also the oldest section of the city first laid out in 1749. The historic architecture is what gives Old Town its charm. The town features art galleries, boutiques and countless restaurants for travelers. Old Town is home to restaurants ranging from corner coffee shops to five-star black tie affairs. Located toward the top are "four star" fine-dining establishments that actually maintain a casual ambiance. These venues range anywhere from Virginian cuisine to French and Asian, and offer moderate upscale dining for any special occasion.
Restaurant Eve
Rated as one of the top four-star restaurants in Old Town Alexandria by the Washington Post, Restaurant Eve serves a fusion between classic French cuisine and nouveau American culinary culture. Although Eve appears daunting with its high class fine French dining, it is a quaint laid-back environment where the focus is laid on the food, and not on class. Owner and head chef Cathal Armstrong, inducted by Food & Wine Magazine into the 50 Best New Chefs Category of the Restaurant Hall of Fame, focuses the menu on fresh seasonal ingredients prepared in the classic French influence of his training. The restaurant is split into two separate rooms: the Chef's tasting room (fixed price menu) and the Bistro (more casual menu options). The atmosphere inside of the bistro matches the menu in elegance. The dinner menu includes appetizers (priced between $16 to 17 as of early 2010) that include Blue Point oysters in Champagne, green bean salad in crème fraiche and smoked Spanish Mackerel chowder. The entrees (priced $35 to $40 as of 2010) include co-op rib eye with new potatoes, roasted Coho salmon with chanterelles and crab meat, pan roasted black cod with mussels and chorizo and roasted squab with a summer bean and plum cassoulet. Eve also offers an extensive wine menu.
Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt Street
Old Town Alexandria, VA
703-706-0450
restauranteve.com
Jackson 20
A step away from fine French dining, Jackson 20 (named for the President and his bill) is a traditional American pub whose name shouldn't fool you into thinking low-brow "pub" featuring greasy fish and chips. Jackson 20 revolutionizes the classic pub into upscale dining for a moderately reasonable price. The flavors rest on east coast Potomac region fare, relying heavily on seafood, squashes, potatoes and fried comfort foods. Appetizers range between $9 to $13 (as of 2010) and include Virginia crab cakes and oyster po' boys (fired Oysters nestled inside of toasted brioche and smothered with sauce). The entree menu ranges between $20 to $32 (as of 2010) and features roasted duck breast in dirty rice, grilled trout in oyster sauce, ribeye steak in a horseradish cream with potatoes gratin, and pan roasted rockfish in seasoned sour cream. Desserts include sweet potato crème brulee, chocolate pecan pie and butternut squash bread pudding.
Jackson 20
480 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-842-2790
jackson20.com
Bastille
Bastille is a quaint family-owned and run French country restaurant and bistro located at the heart of old town. Chefs Christophe Poteaux and Michelle Garbee-Poteaux describe Bastille as a modern French bistro relying on the techniques of traditional French cuisine. Bastille features a fixed price four course menu set at $49 (as of 2010) that includes first and second course choices of black truffle risotto, foi gras, chicken liver mousse and endive salad. The entrees include NY strip steak in truffle sauce, bass fillet in caper lemon sauce and duck magret. The dessert menu includes ginger spice cakes and sweet potato creme caramel. An a la carte menu is available for those who wish less courses.
Bastille
1201 N. Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-519-3776
bastillerestaurant.com
About the Author:
Mallory Ferland has been writing professionally since her start in 2009 as an editorial assistant for Idaho-based Premier Publishing. Her writing and photography have appeared in "Idaho Cuisine" magazine, "Spokane Sizzle" and various online publications. She graduated from Gonzaga University in 2009 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and French language and now writes, photographs and teaches English in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Photo Credits:
dining out image by Robert Kelly from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
