11 minute read
Dining Out
Born In Ireland, Raised In Old Town
Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant & Bar is one of Old Town’s most beautiful restaurants. Most of the buildings in Old Town are old renovated seaport warehouses and OC’s is much the same but they took it to another level. In 2006, on St. Patrick’s Day, O’Connell’s opened the doors to the eager throng outside. Adorned inside with pieces from Irish Castles, Monastaries, Churches, an apothocary and other valuable furnishings from the Emerald Isle, O’Connell’s stands today as a classic renovation. e kitchen was not fully functional that rst St. Patrick’s day so management brought in pre-made sub sandwiches for their guests. e next day the kitchen was running smoothly and O’Connell’s has been serving up authentic Irish fare along with many American favorites for 16 years.
In their own words, “Born in Ireland, raised in Old Town, shipped 4,527 miles and 400 years young and called a er Ireland’s great patriot Daniel O’Connell “ e Liberator”. Come sink into our comfortable surroundings in our truly unique atmosphere. View our mesmerizing array of Irish historical antiques. Stroll through four ancient Irish Bars with blazing res and enjoy warm friendly Irish sta and meet the lovely people of Old Town. On balconies, in snug corners, nooks and crannies, every corner has a story to tell. All this, while tasting the bold, exciting culinary delights that have emerged from modern Ireland.” We couldn’t agree more.
On the night that we dined we chose to sit in one of the “Snugs”, a piece of Irish history. e Snugs have signi cance in Ireland’s and Alexandria, Virginia history. Recently renovated, these cozy spaces make O’Connell’s a special and unique place altogether. I have been going to O’Connell’s since it opened and this is the rst time I sat in the elevated Snug and was I surprised. e sight line to the oor and bar area is over the heads of the oor customers. is is great seating for watching rugby matches as it gives a direct sight line to the house TV’s. I’m keeping this in mind for when Six Nations Rugby is back in February!! e starters at O’Connell’s include
DINING OUT > PAGE 29 Daniel O’Connell’s Restaurant & Bar 112 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-739-1124 Danieloconnells.com
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several Irish specialties the likes of Irish Egg Rolls, Dublin Nachos, Shepherd’ Pie as well as Scotch Eggs along with Steamed Mussels, Calamari Rings and an Appetizer Sampler. For those of you looking for something on the healthy side, the hummus plate at OC’s is very good as well. Soup and Salads consist of Potato Leek Soup, Chopped Salad, Classic Caesar Salad and Bu alo Chicken Salad. Sandwiches run from Beef Burger, Lamb Burger, BLT and Steak and Cheese to Reuben on Rye, Bu alo Tender Wrap and Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
However, it was the “Auld Favorites” for which I came. ese 12 o erings ran from Fish and Chips, the Whiskey Sizzler, Full Irish Breakfast and Irish Shepherd’s Pie to Bangers and Mash, Lamb Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage to Grilled Atlantic Salmon and a Seafood Linguine.
We started with the Appetizer Sampler. is is enough for two to share and could actually be enough for dinner alone. e dish included Irish Egg Rolls, Boneless Chicken Wings, Dublin Nachos, crispy Cod sh and Scotch Eggs. Since I don’t care for hard boiled eggs, I passed on the Scotch Eggs but my partner says they are excellent here. I am a big fan of their Irish Egg Rolls and the crispy sh but the boneless chicken wings were a little heavy on the breading for my taste. e nachos were also a pleasant surprise since neither of us have ever been able to wrap our heads around potato chips aka crisps as a base for this dish – we like corn chips. Have to admit this
DINING OUT > PAGE 30
Sean, Caleb and a bottle of Writer's Tears.
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From top left: OC's Chicken House Salad; the Whiskey Sizzler (which lives up to its name) and the Appetizer Sampler.
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version was really good.
My favorite thing at a Mexican restaurant is the Fajita...I love that sizzle. When I saw Whiskey “Sizzler” on the menu I was sold. I could hear the dish coming before I saw it. Sizzling hot and hidden in a cloud of steam was my very own Sizzler. Red peppers and onions served with a delicious whiskey peppercorn wine sauce and a side of Basmati rice. e choices for add-ons are Chicken $17.95, Shrimp $18.95 or Vegetables $15.95. I added the shrimp which were perfectly cooked and added a nice avor to the mix. is was an absolutely unique presentation and delicious meal...and a lot of it. I couldn’t eat it all and when packing the le overs for the next day, the tray was still hot to the touch.
Leaning more toward a heart healthy option, the O’Connell’s Chicken House Salad that was on the specials menu the night we dined, was my partners choice. e presentation was pretty impressive and the salad de nitely lived up to it - grilled chicken breast sliced thin, fresh red onion and cucumber slivered with sliced avocado and cherry tomatoes on a bed of fresh greens and sprinkled with feta. She opted for the house balsamic vinaigrette and every part of the concoction melded together perfectly. We have some inside info that this creation is the brainchild of the GM-Niamh O’Donovan. While we are happy to give her credit where credit is due, we think Chef Raul is on the right track with the rest of the menu…think Whiskey Sizzler. ere was absolutely no room for dessert but we know that they pride themselves on their Baileys Irish Brown Bread Ice Cream. Maybe next time. On this occasion I ended my meal with a dram or two of Writers Tears…. Get it??
We ordered a nice bottle of Echo Bay Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied both meals nicely. Space in this column doesn’t allow for telling about the extensive back bar and inventory of Irish libations, beers, seltzers and wines. We will save that for a future write up. Feel free to go in and check for yourself and, in the meantime, let me tell you that this bar serves up the most impressive wine pour in Old Town and aren’t skimpy with the adult beverage pours as well.
We would like to give a shout out to Caleb (who has been at OC’s for quite some time) who was behind the bar and our server Sean (who is new to OC’s) for the great service. It was a very enjoyable night.
Even though St. Patrick’s Day is six months away, you can get in the mood every Monday and Wednesday as Traditional Irish Sessions share the “Sound of Ireland” at 8 pm and check their calendar for individual performances by a mix of talented musicians on the weekends as well.
Stop by O’Connell’s when in Old Town. ey have a great Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm and an impressive brunch on both Saturday and Sunday from 103. Slainte!
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another part of the country, a government agency kidnaps children with special telepathic or telekinetic abilities, killing their parents and bringing them to an institute in the Maine woods where the top-secret program can harness their paranormal powers for national security purposes. It remains for one very academically brilliant and socially skilled child, Luke Ellis, to make friends with the other kids, gure out how to escape the Institute, and make his way far enough away to gain allies, such as the former police detective in Dupray, as the chase a er him ensues. I really enjoyed this book’s emphasis on kids: their resourcefulness and the way they form friendships. It is also a fast, fun read.
In taking this piecemeal tour of King’s writing, I notice his constant use of tangy, slangy phrases aimed at keeping his writing hyperbolic. at makes his books fun but o en over-the-top. e attitudes of his characters towards each other sometimes do not show subtlety or nuance. Occasionally he can be ham-handed, although luckily never high-handed, and create dialogue that’s exaggeratedly creepy among characters who might not exist in real life.
Many would say, “Well, that’s the point.” I would rather have very convincing dialogue that makes it easier for me to suspend my disbelief for paranormal or horri c characters or plot points. For example, in the aforementioned Bill Hodges trilogy, there is some frankly clumsy dialogue written for Jerome Robinson, minstrelstyle drivel meant to be done in fun but probably not something a young, intelligent, Black man would ever say to an older, white ex-cop whose lawn he mows.
King’s hyperdriven, cartoonish approach provides enjoyment, but it can make his writing erratic. Sometimes you can even see the welded seams of the machine, which creak when he emphasizes a minor plot point that you know will have to be crucial later. He also does not always keep in touch with the times. Kids in e Institute sometimes wisecrack like a Baby Boomer rather than a kid of today. Current-day characters have names that would have been more popular for people their ages in the Fi ies, Sixties, or Seventies than now. King’s editors tread lightly. He writes fast, moves on, and does not apologize.
King sometimes touches on the provocative theme of literary obsession, with characters such as Annie Wilkes from Misery or Morris Bellamy from Finders Keepers valuing the books they love, the ones against which they de ne themselves, much more than the authors themselves. In that way he is writing a love letter to the power of literature and the mysteriousness of the creative imagination, albeit in some rather psychologically perverted settings.
Regardless of critiques, he grabs you with his propulsive plots and Everyman approach. He is bighearted, unsentimental, and never snobbish. Also, he shows a genuine sense of humor. You would want to know him as a person and probably as a friend.
King’s book On Writing, a non ction account of his time as a writer, is a wonderful book about the writing life and how best to tell a story, focusing on Stephen King’s personal story in particular. I read when it came out and then once more recently. If I had to pick one book of his above any other, this would be it. It recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary and has become a classic.
On Writing is equally fascinating for writers and non-writers alike who are interested in what makes this highly successful, down-to-earth writer tick. It is also very well-written, as one would hope, and more literary than any other book of his that I have read. Here he shows how much he cares about language, and here he explains why and how he approaches his cra . It provides a wonderful introduction to any subsequent King books but is equally as good for long-time fans who want to see how the goresplattered sausage is made.
Young author, circa 1967.
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