Every now and then you have one of those moments – when you realise that a lot has changed and you’ve missed some really cool developments. So it was when I left the D.C. area not too long ago and moved to San Francisco. Now that I’m back in the area, I’m continually amazed at the development that has occurred during my absence. In one particular case, I’m amazed at what they did with a particular spot in Alexandria. When I left, it was nothing more than a railroad yard and a field not too far from Del Ray. Now, there are all sorts of shops, several restaurants, and of course, condominiums. In particular, I wanted to clue people in to two restaurants, both under the aegis of the Neighbourhood Restaurant Group (the same people that run Vermilion and Tallula Restaurants), that are right across the street from each other on the corner of Slaters lane and Potomac Greens Drive.
The first restaurant is Rustico Restaurant. The vibe of this place is incredible. It’s pretty much what would happen if The Brickskeller were to mate with The French Laundry. It’s brewery style food, using gourmet ingredients, in extremely clever ways. For example, the first thing that caught my eye when I looked over the menu was a duck confit pizza. This was a pizza with duck confit (confit is a method of cooking that involves slow-cooking something in fat – in this case the duck legs are cooked overnight in duck fat), which makes anything good, duck cracklins (duck skin, diced and slow cooked to render the fat, which makes the skin cubes very crispy), arugula, and brie cheese. It was brilliant, and it was just the beginning. Equally amazing is their phenomenal beer menu. This restaurant has the best selection of Belgian and Belgian-style beers (my personal favourite) outside of the Brickskeller and RFD restaurants. They do incredible beer pairings, and they cook with the beer as well. They even have beer buckets for Belgian beers. Where else can you go where you have both St. Louis Framboise Lambic and Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap? That’s right, PBR on tap (at least it was the night I was in)! Most of the seating is first-come first-serve, but they do take reservations.
When you’re done eating and drinking at Rustico, head across the street to Buzz Bakery for some desserts and coffee. While this place is known for its cupcakes, they have all sorts of cool stuff there. From various truffles, barks, molded and filled chocolates, and pastries to more formal plated desserts (available after 6:00 PM), nothing I’ve had there has disappointed me. They even have a small smattering of savoury items (some quiches) if you’re interested in more of a brunch fare. I’ve gone down there many times on Sunday, and just hung out reading the paper, or playing some of the board games they have for general use behind the counter. Personally, I think that this bakery will eventually out-cupcake Warren Brown at that other famous place on U street. This is a great place to go for dessert and coffee, and the laid back atmosphere, coupled with the cool décor and the great food make for an awesome experience. A perfect way to cap off a good meal, or a perfect way to ramp up a lazy Sunday.
Rustico Restaurant
827 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 224-5051
Buzz Bakery
901 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 600-BUZZ (2899)