Dining Guide

AMERICAN

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970

BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300

BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090

CAFE 44 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957

CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080

CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051

EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894

FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991

FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342

GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969

HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JAVA GRILL 611 King Street 571-431-7631

JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025

LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402

LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511

MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com

MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com

MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011

MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032 OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550 SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192 SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BBQ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909

UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com

ASIAN

ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794 KISSO ASIAN BISTRO 300 King Street 703-888-1513 MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600 NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848 SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458 STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810 THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212 THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232

CONTINENTAL

BRABO by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665

OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361

TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com

VILLAGE BRAUHAUS 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com

FRENCH

BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

BISTRO SANCERRE FRENCH 1755 Duke Street

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

ITALIAN

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 HANK & MIMI'S PIZZA AND PASTA 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 MICHAEL’S LITTLE ITALY 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873

MEDITERRANEAN

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747

SEAFOOD

HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK

FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com

ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834

INDIAN

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338 NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615

MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN

CASA TEQUILA (next to Crate & Barrel) 1701 Duke 703-518-5312

CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438 DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144 LOS CUATES RESTAURANT 1116 King Street 703-548-2918 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203 URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148

Virginia Food & Wine Pairings You Should Try

Food and wine – two of our favorite subjects. The concept is the two react with one another, so finding the right pairings makes the overall experience more enjoyable. While you can enjoy either on its own, like any great team a good pairing is greater than the sum of its parts.

The most important rule of pairing is this; drink the wine you like with the food you like. If you enjoyed the two of them, you did it right.

That said, here are some tips for those who want to apply a more nuanced approach to food and wine pairings.

Rules of Wine Pairing

There are two approaches to food and wine pairing; congruent and contrasting. Congruent pairings create balance by amplifying shared flavor compounds (often found with red wine). Contrasting pairings create balance by contrasting tastes and flavors (usually white, rosé, or sparkling).

Regardless of which approach you take, remember these basic rules: • Acid needs acid. As a general rule acidic wines are food-friendly, as they intensify the meal’s flavor and cause a drying sensation which stimulates your appetite. This is why light seafood dishes go well with delicate white wines, such as Pinot Grigio or cool weather Chardonnay. Likewise, acidrich Italian reds like Sangiovese pair well with acidic tomato dishes. Always

ensure the wine is more acidic than the food it’s paired with. • Fat needs tannin (or acid). Fat will soften the tannins in wine for a smoother mouth feel. The fattier the food (like duck or steak) the more tannin you need. Acidic wines also pair well with fatty food; otherwise the wine may seem flabby. Sparkling wine is another great way to cut the fat. Actually, sparkling pairs with everything! • Sweet needs sweeter (not dry): You want the wine to be sweeter than the dessert it’s paired with, else the wine will taste dull by comparison. Another route is to try a contrasting pairing of a sweet wine with a savory dish, such as foie gras or blue cheese. • Pair with dominant flavor (not necessarily the meat): White wine pairs with less intense dishes, like fish or chicken, while red pairs with bold dishes, such as flavored meats.

But sometimes it’s not the main ingredient that provides the dominant flavor, as is the case of a spicy curry dish or a

creamy pasta sauce. And remember - food has a greater impact on wine than wine has on food, so plan accordingly. • Spicy needs sweet (not alcohol): Your perception of sweetness is altered with the introduction of spicy flavors. A sweeter, lower alcohol wine will balance a spicy dish, while higher alcohol wine intensifies spiciness. Serving a chilled wine is another way to alleviate the heat of highly spiced dish. • Salty needs sweet (or acid). Salty foods are enhanced and balanced by a hint of sweetness. If sweet wines aren’t your thing, then pair a salty dish with a low tannin, higher acid dry wine. It is easier to find these characteristics in white wines, but there are plenty of Virginia wineries that produce fruitforward reds.

2013 Vintner’s Reserve from Chateau O’Brien with prime rib. Chateau O’Brien in Delaplane is Virginia’s leader in Tannat wine. Unlike most Virginia wineries, their reds are aged at least 6 years before going on the tasting menu, allowing plenty of time for these high tannin wines to mellow out. I loved how this 50/50 Tannat & Petit Verdot blend cut through the fat, while the food simultaneously softened the wine’s tannins.

Royalty or Rosa Negra port-style wines from Fabbioli Cellars with chocolate. Fabbioli is famous as one of the few Virginia wineries that offer food and wine pairings, which range from pear wine with an apricot marmalade mix served on a cracker, to Tannat with a sopressata salami and spicy plumb chutney, to Chambourcin with prosciutto wrapped in asparagus.

While the pairings change monthly, one combo you can always depend upon is a port-style wine with chocolate from the Perfect Truffle. Milk chocolate is often a complementary pairing, while a more bitter dark chocolate provides an intense contrasting flavor.

2017 Bell Mount Reserve Chardonnay from Mount Ida Vineyards with oysters. Chardonnay and oysters is a classic combo, and cool climate style Chardonnays like Mount Ida’s work best. Mount Ida also has its own full service farm-to-table kitchen, making it a great place to sample any number of Virginia food and wine pairings.

2017 Petit Verdot from Rogers Ford Farm Winery with lamb. Rogers Ford is the definition of a ‘hidden gem’ in the Virginia wine scene. Winemaker Johnny Puckett isn’t afraid to experiment, but my go-to wine is his Petit Verdot, which I found exceptionally fruit-forward for such a high-tannin grape. It was a great complimentary tasting to this spicy dish, although it would go equally well with salty Virginia ham. 2017 Viognier from Nicewonder Farm with duck pastrami. While congruent food and wine pairings are easier to make, Chef Travis Milton of Nicewonder Farm does an amazing job at creating contrasting flavors. Their Viognier has a hint of minerality which rounds out the fat of his duck pastrami. Not only did this full bodied Viognier tone down the pepper, the dish brought out tropical notes that made the wine lighter on the palate.

2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from Shenandoah Vineyards with a meat lover’s pizza. I love this combo as Cabernet cancels out the fattiness of the meat toppings. Winemaker Michael Shaps is one of the best in the state, and Shenandoah has a great track record for its Cabernet.

2019 Vidal Blanc from Rock Roadhouse Winery with brie and blue cheese. Vidal doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, which is a shame since its hardy grape that’s dependable regardless of the growing season. While often found as a semi-sweet wine, dry Vidal pairs well with savory cheese plates. Rock Roadhouse also stands out for its production of ‘natural wines’; made with minimal chemical intervention including little to no sulfites.

2017 Walsh Family Wine Bethany Ridge with sushi. There are lots of great Virginia wine pairings for sushi, but this Sauvignon Blanc might be my favorite because it bright acidity goes well with fish-heavy dishes. If you want a more floral wine, try their 2019 Twin Notch Sauvignon Blanc and pair it with Thanksgiving turkey.