Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week isn’t the only special deal coming up for NoVA diners. From Friday, Jan. 22 to Sunday, Feb. 7, Alexandria Restaurant Week To-Go is helping both restaurants and at-home diners with $49 takeout dinners for two from more than 60 restaurants. This time, Visit Alexandria is also offering one-person dinners for $25. So what to order? Our critic helps you make the tough decisions with her six favorite menus.
Cedar Knoll
Usually this fine dining establishment is known for its views of the Potomac, but the menu here is just as good with a view out your own window. Sausage fritters and sweet potato croquettes with apple butter will warm you up for truffled mushroom tart or duck rillettes and foie gras over a black-eyed pea cassoulet. Finish with Virginia peanut pie or chocolate pâté.
City Kitchen
Bring the gastropub to you with fun dishes like fried marinated artichoke hearts and Vermont goat cheese with blueberry reduction. A brined pork chop with Bourbon-cherry sauce will fill you up, but leave room for the Devil’s Latte Cream Cake, dark chocolate cake soaked in Irish cream. (Dinner for two only)
Del Ray Cafe
I would order from this menu for the Baked Alaska alone, but there’s plenty more farm-to-table fare to recommend it. The escargot or pâté de campagne, for example. Then there’s also duck breast over kale polenta with orange zest sauce or paella. There’s a whole other appealing menu next week, too.
Pork Barrel BBQ
You don’t need to make any choices here. The Classic BBQ Sampler provides you with everything you need, from four smoked meats and three sides to bread pudding with Bourbon Anglaise and two PBR tall boy cans. (Dinner for two only)
T.J. Stone’s Grill House & Tap Room
Here’s another option for Southern food, this time with a menu for one person as well as two. Start with pimento cheese before moving on to apple bacon Brussels sprout salad or fried artichoke hearts. But I’m most excited for smoked chicken pot pie in creamy herb sauce. There’s an optional wine pairing for those who choose to partake.
Village Brauhaus
Is there a time of year that calls more strongly for German food? Snuggle up at home and indulge in meatballs with mushroom gravy over spaetzle or potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream. Yes, that’s just the appetizers, so save room for schweinbraten or chicken schnitzel, then warm apple crumb cake.
For more stories like this, subscribe to our Food newsletter.
