Before it was a Starbucks, before it was the Seaport Inn, the restaurant at the corner of King and S. Union Street was a bawdy little tavern with a petrified pig.
As early as 1893, records refer to the location as Brill’s Restaurant, and local newspaper reports from a year later detail a curious incident with a slab of ham. These details, and others about local Alexandria restaurants, are featured in a new book by local journalist Hope Nelson called Classic Restaurants of Alexandria.
The tables are set and the staff at El Saltado Restaurant and Carryout (3616 King Street) say it’s just about ready to open in the Bradlee Shopping Center.
The restaurant is replacing the Hong Kong Bistro on the east side of the shopping center. The restaurant will serve Peruvian food, though the website listed in flyers outside the restaurant still contains mostly placeholder descriptions and generic photos of food.
A restaurant in Del Ray has announced that its 100-seat outdoor beer garden will stay open year-round.
The Garden (1503 Mt. Vernon Avenue) has winterized their beer garden, adding blankets, festive lights, heaters, fire pits, and yes, private igloos.
City Phone Service Restored — The City of Alexandria’s non-emergency phone lines are working again after service was restored Tuesday night. A cut to a fiber optic line caused the outage, a city spokeswoman said. [Twitter/@AlexandriaVAGov]
House With George Washington Connection on Airbnb — “George Washington may have slept here, and now so could you… in the heart of Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, where a house that once belonged to the first U.S. president is available to rent. The George of Old Town is a 6000-square-foot townhouse on Cameron Street, and it is available on Airbnb.” [WTOP]
A new restaurant is in the works for the former Eamonn’s and PX spot at 728 King Street.
Tentatively labeled as “The Handover,” the restaurant has filed permit applications this week, seeking to serve beer and wine in a space with a seating capacity of up to 100.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and local restaurant operator Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP) is taking care of kitchen duty with a “Turkey To Go” program.
All orders can be placed online before Thursday, November 21, with pickup scheduled on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) at Mia’s Italian Kitchen (100 King Street).
Most City Facilities Open on Monday — “City of Alexandria government offices, libraries and recreation centers will be open on Monday, November 11.” [City of Alexandria]
Veterans Day Ceremony Planned — “The City of Alexandria and Friends of Rocky Versace will host the 18th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, November 11, 1-2 p.m. at Mount Vernon Recreation Center (2701 Commonwealth Ave.).” [City of Alexandria]
APD Officer Saves Man’s Life — “Last month, Alexandria Police Department Lieutenant Mike Kochis responded to a call in the Carlyle area and found an unconscious middle-aged man lying on the sidewalk… The man’s symptoms lined up with an opioid overdose, so Kochis turned the man on his side and sprayed a dose of Narcan into his nose.” [City of Alexandria]
Local Bride Meets Girl Whose Life She Saved — “Sarah Aiken from Alexandria was practicing walking down the pretend aisle in the back of the restaurant in Annapolis before her wedding rehearsal dinner. ‘I looked to the left and saw this family, her blond hair and I knew exactly who they were.’ Fourteen-year-old Kinley Strohl had flown in with her family from Ohio to attend the wedding of the woman who had given her a bone marrow donation seven years ago and saved her life.” [Gazette Packet]
Mumbai Darbar, the Indian restaurant at the end of a long line of international restaurants in the Van Dorn Station Shopping Center (512 S. Van Dorn Street), is looking to add beer, wine and some new dishes to its menu.
Staff at the restaurant said the restaurant has recently filed an ABC permit and, if approved, the restaurant will hopefully be able to serve beer from India.
Alexandria’s Rock the Block event allowing participants to sample choice dishes and drinks is returning this year and is expecting more restaurants, and bigger crowds.
The “choose-your-own culinary adventure” event will return to Old Town on Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 6-9 p.m., per its website. Restaurants will welcome roaming attendees throughout the night with 5-6 small plate dishes and 3-4 speciality cocktails.
Bald Eagle Rescue Near Cameron Run — “A bald eagle that appeared to be injured was spotted Wednesday morning on the ground at the Cameron Run Regional Park, near the Metro tracks in Alexandria, Virginia. It seemed like something was wrong with one of its wings.” [WTOP]
Old Town Eatery to Offer Original Menu — “Longtime Old Town Alexandria Italian restaurant Landini Brothers, at 115 King St., is marking its 40th anniversary Oct. 28 by taking diners back to the past. The family-owned restaurant, founded in 1979, is bringing back for one night only the original menu that waiters brought to diners’ tables. And that means 1979 prices.” [WTOP]
