Table Talk - A Diner on Duke St.

Today was my first weekday visit to my nearest diner, Table Talk on 1623 Duke St. Across from the relatively new Old Town Whole Foods, Table Talk has long withstood the omnipresent building up of the Eisenhower Valley region. It stands short and proud amongst the brick stores, condos, hotels and business offices.

Inside, two dining areas and a (fully stocked) small bar reside within the weathered interior, adorned with live ivy and old ceiling frescoes. The atmosphere is lightened by the large windows and gentle prices.

A simple breakfast menu offers continental fare, omelets, french toast, hash browns, fruits, an interesting creamed beef (note , I didn't say "chipped" beef) and all the meat sides you could want. Today, I ordered one egg, ham, hash browns and bread of choice for $5.45.

For under $6, this platter offered practically a whole ham steak, a perfectly poached egg, hash browned potatoes with onion and plenty of paprika, and two buttered pieces of rye toast.

This, is a diner breakfast!

Go for the cheap food. The atmosphere is ultimately friendly, albeit a bit loud, and the place has a real neighborhood vibe from business persons starting their day, to church-goers gathering after worship.

Table Talk Restaurant

1623 Duke St.

Alexandria, VA 22303

(703) 548-3989

Map It!

Powder your nose: decent

Credit Cards: Yes

Market Salamander - Middleburg, VA

My shoulders relaxed and my breathing became a bit deeper as we traversed the limits of the beltway and headed west on I-66 towards Loudon County. As strip malls gave way to suburban sprawl, we crossed Rt. 15 and the country opening itself up to us. Pastoral roads punctuated by horse farms and antique shops funneled us directly into Middleburg, VA. A town where land originally sold for $2.50 an acre has become known as the "Horse and Hunt Capital" and is home to long time locals as well as well heeled Washingtonians and celebrities such as Robert Duvall and well, Wendy Pepper.

A day trip to Middleburg is an approximate one hour, 45 mile drive west of the Washington D.C. Parking is plentiful in lots and street meters. Among the shops, inns and restaurants is a unique market and eatery called Market Salamander. Resembling a rustic barn on one side, and with a gourmet market and open kitchen on the other side, Market Salamander offers a wide variety of items to fill your pantry and your stomach. Among them are cheeses, wines, olive oils,vinegars, butters and caviar. Amiable chefs work the open kitchen where a chalk board displays the sandwich and entree selection and the sides are displayed in a display case. Opposite is a refrigerated case with tasty looking confections and trifles.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and Frank ordered the crispy chicken BLT. The pulled pork came served on a warmed kaiser roll and was topped with coleslaw. The pork was tender and juicy with a thin bbq sauce that was tomato based with slight tang which lent a North Carolina bbq sauce note to it. The slaw was crisp and creamy, while not being overdressed and was flecked with slivered roasted red bell pepper. I chose the red potato salad side which was redolent of fresh tarragon blended into the creamy dressing. The potato chunks were large and perfectly cooked.
Frank's crispy chicken BLT came dressed with red pepper mayonnaise in a cheddar wrap. He had a side of the coleslaw and while he enjoyed that, he gave a bigger thumbs up to the potato salad.
We shared a side of macaroni and cheese, because let's face it, we were hungry and our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. A large portion of creamy fussili pasta was rather boring and bland. It needed to be kicked into adult mac and cheese status with the addition of more pungent cheeses. But for $2, we didn't mind.
With soft drinks, our meal came to just under $22. And we were too full for dessert.
There is indoor and outdoor seating. We sat outdoors on the side porch and enjoyed people watching. In back a delightful pergola covered terrace offerd more al fresco eating and we noted that dogs were welcome, and pampered actually!
So, perhaps next time we take a trip to lovely Middleburg we'll take one of our pups along to stroll the streets and enjoy a sandwich. I know I'm going back for the pulled pork.....you had me at "hello".

Market Salamander
200 West Washington St.
P.O. Box 2082
Middleburg, VA 20118
Map it!
Phone (540) 687-8011
www.market-salamander.com
Powder your nose: Sorry, skipped the ladies room here.
Credit Cards: yes
Additional notes: Market Salamander also offers cooking classes, afternoon tea and catering.

Chill Out!- The Dairy Godmother

The August heat had me longing for The Dairy Godmother's frozen custard. This Wisconsin treat is authentically brought to Del Ray by Liz Davis, owner, CIA graduate, former pastry chef and frozen concoction maker extraordinaire. With a Wisconsin pedigree, Liz creates wonderful flavors in addition to the omnipresent vanilla and chocolate flavors. Updates can even be sent to your email to draw you into her convivial, main street America establishment. Yes, authentic frozen custard not in a fly over state.

After our meal at Los Tios Grill, we wandered up Mount Vernon Ave. a few blocks for dessert. Large embossed windows make the inside awash with light. Muralled walls and picnic tables lend to an informal, leave your cares at home atmosphere. The Dairy Godmother is where people gather after they've shed their suit and professional countenence. It's light, social and welcoming. T-shirts, sodas and dog treats are also sold. I picked up a bag of squirrel biscuits for my 3 pups.

The chalkboard menu presents the frozen custard flavor of the day as well as several sorbet options. Frank opted for a chocolate vanilla swirl cup and I got the lime mint sorbet. The mint flecked lime sorbet was a great way to top off a Mexican meal. It sure made the walk back a lot cooler!

The Dairy Godmother is closed on Tuesdays. Hours of operation vary seasonally.

Check out the Custard Cam and Liz's great explanation about what frozen custard is as opposed to ice cream and frozen yogurt (and yes, it's the 10% milkfat that makes it so darn good)

The Dairy Godmother

2310 Mount Vernon Ave

Alexandria, Va 2230

(703) 683-7767

Los Tios Grill - Del Ray, Alexandria VA

My usual stop for Mexican food in Del Ray is Taqueria Poblano. Overall, I hear mixed reviews about the location in Arlington, and more positive reviews of the Del Ray location. Our last meal (in Del Ray) was very good and I was tempted to get drawn back to my old standby, but alas my DH and I walked a little further up the Avenue to try a new place.
Los Tios is a casual Mexican and El Salvadoran restaurant located on Mount Vernon Ave., which offers indoor and seasonal outdoor seating. As we were greeted, the indoor space expanded before me as we were led into the rich Southwestern toned cantina . In front, there is a bar with a large screen tv. Two dining rooms, one behind the other, are painted with Corals and accented with turquoise. Noise bounces easily off the walls which are punctuated with Tuscan urns and large paintings evocative of a more light-hearted de Goya.
We ate early, before 6 pm (and no, my hair is not blue..yet) and were seated right away. Our waiter greeted us shortly after and took our drink orders. A basket of warm tortillas accompanied by a thick and chunky salsa arrived in shortly after.The salsa vegetables seemed fresh in the thick picante type sauce.

The wide ranging menu offers favorites such as quesadillas, chimichangas, burittos and fajitas. Combination platters with rice, beans and salads can satisfy the urge to sample a bit. Meats and seafood platters are offered with a range of finishes from tequilla (Camerones el Cantinero) to their home style bbq sauce (Castillas Barbacoa).
I ordered the Pollo Mexicano. The thinly pounded chicken breast and shrimp were topped with a fresh salsa consisting of red onions, diced fresh tomatoes, cilantro and parsley The salsa was dressed with a bit of lime and perhaps olive oil. Accompanying the chicken and shrimp were white rice and steamed broccoli which retained a verdant color and crunch. On the side, I was served black bean soup. The soup had a nice broth with a hint of cumin. It was enjoyable, if a bit on the salty side.

Frank, my DH, had the Carne Asada Salvadorena . The skirt steak had a nice char, but not too much as to overpower the flavor of the steak. While not melt in you mouth tender (well, no skirt steak is), it was easy to chew. His yellow rice was combined with lima beans and corn, and sat beside refried beans. The thousand island dressed salad was basic but saved by seasonal ripe tomatoes and fresh avocado. On the side were 2 steaming tortilla which toughened as they sat absorbing moisture underneath the linen napkin they were presented with.
Both main dishes were light and clearly made with fresh ingredients where vegetables and herbs are concerned. The fresh and healthier ingredients left us feeling good that we did not weigh our meal down with cheese and sour cream. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We do “south of the border” runs from time to time. Don’t judge us……..
Overall the service was very friendly. A salsa and chip refill came before we finished our first complimentary serving. My lemonade was also refilled quickly.
As we departed, we were sent on our way by the staff who thanked us warmly and held the door open as we left. It was a family friendly feeling. Speaking of family, there were many children of all ages, and highchairs were available.
Noise can be a factor if you want intimate conversation.
We opted to walk off a bit of dinner to get to dessert at The Dairy Godmother. More on that later!

Overall Frank and I thought Los Tios was an inviting cantina serving a variety of Hispanic dishes (abeit "Americanized" for the most part) with good service at a moderate price point. Dinner for two including 2 entrees, one margarita and one lemonade came to about $37 before tip.

We'll be back!

Website- http://www.lostiosgrill.com/

Location- 2625 Mount Vernon Ave

Alexandria, Va. 22310

Map it!
Powder your nose - The ladies room was a large, clean single bathroom with a diaper changing table.
Credit cards - yes

King Street: The New Restaurant Row?

King Street is the main thoroughfare running through Alexandria Virginia's Old Town neighborhood. From the Potomac River to the Masonic Temple sitting up high on Shooter Hill, King Street is lined with restaurants and boutique shops and services. Most every type of cuisine can be found including Italian, Classic American, Southern, Indian, French, Lebanese, Chinese, Greek, Thai and Seafood. The restaurants also range in quality. But, things are really starting to look up with the more recent addition of destination restaurants known for exemplary cooking, and quality, locally sourced ingredients.

Raising the culinary bar are Chef Cathal Armstrong and his wife Meshelle who own Restaurant Eve, Eamonn's A Dublin Chipper and The Majestic. Their trinity of restaurants ranges from a fish and chips pub, to classic southern American, to world class dining in Restaurant Eve's Tasting Room. The ripple effect from these choice restaurants is that other fine restaurants and chefs are looking to Old Town to join in King Street's abundant and ever increasing business and tourist appeal.

In the near future, this is what we can expect to see opening on and around King Street:

Hank's Oyster Bar, located in Washington D.C.'s Dupont Circle neighborhood will be opening another location at 1026 King Street. With the closing of the short-lived Bohio's Cuban Bistro, Chef Jamie Leeds saw an opportunity she couldn't pass up. A fall 2007 opening is expected.

Bookbinder's Restaurant, a Philadelphia landmark, is expected to open another location at 109 S. Asaph Street by the summer of 2007.

Sauciety, a modern American grill, will be a street level anchor restaurant for the new 4 star , 4 diamond Westin Hotel, now being built in the booming Eisenhower Valley. Opening is expected for October of 2007. Could this be Alexandria's Maestro of the Ritz Carlton Tyson's Corner, VA? Or perhaps CityZen of Washington D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental Hotel?

I hope so!

Cantler's Riverside Inn - Annapolis, Md.

It's a rite of passage, a tradition and a tourist's delight. Although crabs are mainly associated with Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, the entire D.C. and Northern Virginia region revel in summertime's blue crabs.
This is the time of year when most good crab houses serve local blue crabs. A good crab is heavy for it's size and contains sweet white meat. At Cantler's Riverside Inn they come with a liberal dusting of Old Bay seasoning, a knife, a mallet and brown paper for the table. Now, I'm not originally from this area, and any Marylander could pick me under the table with their skills, but I did manage to give myself a primer on crab picking before I went. Mainly I think, the give away that one is new to the blue crab is the use of the mallet to crack the shells. From what I gather, the mallet is used to smack the knife, which is over the area of the shell you want to crack.
Using my novice picking skills, I managed to pull out a nice amount of meat from my crabs. It
wasn't pretty, but I managed to get a few nice chunks dunked into the clarified butter provided and placed into my longing mouth.
We also ordered the crab dip and steamed shrimp. The crab dip had a lot of chunky meat, and was made with mayonnaise and a dash of paprika. It came with a Pillsbury-like roll which should be dashed for some nice crackers. With the generous portion given, you don't need the cheap bread for bulk.
The Old Bay seasoned shrimp were large and served right out of the steamer. This alone could make a nice lunch along with perhaps, a cup of soup. Yesterday's soup of the day was cream of artichoke with crab. Sounded good, but there was the blue crabs calling my name.
I couldn't resist.

Cantler's Riverside Inn
458 Forest Beach Road
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone: 410-757-1311

Note: Cantler's has indoor and outdoor dining areas. Outside the community picnic tables overlook the river and docks. They are very popular and get busy on the weekends especially. There is one small access road to get into Cantler's parking lot, and it gets backed up. I'd advise that someone get out of the car and put your name on the list ahead of time, so by the time you park, your wait won't be too long.