Jordan Wright for the Alexandria Times April 9, 2018
Photo credit: by Jackson Landers and Brian Wimer
Last Sunday at the Beatley Library in Alexandria the Board of the Alexandria Film Festival invited filmmaker Jackson Landers to appear at a screening of his powerful new documentary Charlottesville: Our Streets.
Jackson Landers takes questions at the Alexandria screening of his film. Photo credit Jordan Wright
Using never-before-seen footage from citizen journalists, Landers and co-producer and film editor Brian Wimer constructed the movie in timeline fashion beginning with the tiki torch-wielding Neo-Nazi march on August 11, 2017 at the University of Virginia through the following days’ activities in Charlottesville where thousands of white nationalists converged from around the country to protest the expected removal of a statue to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Dubbed Charlottesville “Summer of Hatred”, the violent “Unite the Right” rally brought alt-right, neo-Nazi, neo-Fascist and Ku Klux Klan groups together in a show of force unprecedented in a rural university town. They were armed to the teeth with knives, guns, pepper spray, chains, bats, shields and tear gas, shouting “Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil”. The police stood down.
Charlottesville native, Landers, who writes for Slate, Smithsonian Magazine, The Daily Beast, Rewire.News and the Washington Post, and who conducts a Monday evening round table radio show on WPVC-FM, describes himself as an author and hunter who travels around the country hunting and eating invasive species. He’s even written a book about his adventures entitled “Eating Aliens” and appeared on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. This is his first film – finished in two months to beat the entry deadline for this year’s Virginia Film Festival. He made it as a way of setting down a record of the events. “This isn’t an activist film,” he explained. “I just wanted to show what happened.”
Photo credit: by Jackson Landers and Brian Wimer
The homegrown 90-minute film gives a chronological account of the events leading up to and during the rally and marches in Charlottesville. With no filmmaking experience of his own, Landers admitted his most difficult challenge was finding someone to put all the pieces together (he found Wimer) and conduct video interviews with counter protestors and local residents who had experienced a terrifying outpouring of anti-Semitic and racial hatred in their rural university town. Having been pepper sprayed five times while in the thick of it, he witnessed the two-day events, including the fatal crash on Fourth Street and that of the fatal downing of a police helicopter. While he and Wimer are still tweaking the film based on audience reaction, the filmmakers claim to have verified every statement given by witnesses. Remarks that could not be proven, were edited out, though many video clips of interviews as well as remarks by Cornell West in the lead up to the rally are included. Thirty cameras spread out across the area, give the documentary both extensive coverage and an intense immediacy.
Landers also spoke about the aftermath of the bloody events in Charlottesville. He has continued to seek FOIA documents through the courts in regards to the police activity, as well as their strategy, but finds himself up against an army of lawyers.
Photo credit: by Jackson Landers and Brian Wimer
Attendees were afforded a Q & A with Landers after Sunday’s screening. Several who had been at the rally wanted to know why it wasn’t shown that counter protesters were assaulted on side streets on their way to the rally. Landers said, “The genesis of the film was to show the perspective of the people of Charlottesville,” and suggested there would be other films that would approach it from different perspectives. One attendee, who cited a CIA report calling 9/11 “ a failure of imagination” by security forces, saw the hands off approach by the University and the Virginia State Police as the same problem. It’s been reported that a police captain told his force to prepare for an event similar to the annual UVA “block party”.
Although this seminal event that resulted in the deaths of counter protester Heather Heyer and two police helicopter pilots, as well as dozens of injuries, did result in the subsequent removal of countless Civil War statues and confederate flags around the South, the bottom line is, could this happen in our town? And the answer is yes.
One of the more familiar faces of the white supremacists movement, Richard Spencer, lives in the heart of Old Town. As they did on that fateful day, he and cohort David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, organize these rallies and give fiery speeches to their followers. Last Sunday, sitting quietly in the audience was Spencer associate and National Policy Institute’s Director of Operations, Greg Conte, aka Greg Ritter. He has been quoted as saying he plans to start his own white nationalist movement. Stay woke, Alexandria.
Victor Vazquez and Kaitlin McIntyre have assembled a cast so perfect that the actors wear their roles like a second skin. Spend two hours in Memphis Lee’s diner with Wolf, a hustler and numbers runner (Reginald André Jackson); Risa, an emotionally bereft waitress (Nicole Lewis); Holloway, a philosophical realist (David Emerson Toney in a scene stealing performance); West, an opportunistic undertaker (William Hall, Jr.); Hambone, a man denied his fair compensation (another exceptional performance from local actor Frank Riley III); and Sterling, an optimistic, lovesick ex-con (the very impressive Carlton Byrd), and you will come to know them well.
(L to R) David Emerson Toney (Holloway), William Hall, Jr. (West) and Eugene Lee (Memphis Lee) in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by Nate Watters for Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright August Wilson’s Two Trains Running affords a fly-on-the-wall view of a period and place in African American history, when the trains were moving but not everyone could board.
It was a time of frustration and economic disparity when arguments might be settled at the muzzle end of a gun. But lest you imagine the story is moralistic or depressing, it’s far from it. It’s actually hilarious with most of the setups provided by Holloway who also has one of the play’s most prophetic lines, “You got love and you got death. Death will find you. It’s up to you to find love.” So is there room for love here? There is. Sterling works his charm on Risa and the group shows concern and affection for Hambone.
(L to R) Nicole Lewis (Risa), Carlton Byrd (Sterling) and Eugene Lee (Memphis Lee) in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by Nate Watters for Seattle Repertory Theatre.
For this superb production, Arena’s Artistic Director Molly Smith has partnered with Seattle Repertory Theatre and its Artistic Director Braden Abraham, bringing in Director Juliette Carrillo who marshals the ensemble into giving some of the finest and most synchronistic performances we’ve seen in a long time.
(L to R) Frank Riley III (Hambone) and Carlton Byrd (Sterling) in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by C. Stanley Photography.
Eugene Lee, a veteran actor most recently at Arena in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, breathes fire and ice into the role of Memphis, a man toggling between hope and despair. Lee gives an outstanding multi-dimensional and nuanced portrait of the brash dreamer seeking redemption. In fact, the theme that most resonates throughout, is redemption – even if the path steers believers to the home of a 322-year-old psychic Aunt Esther (unseen) or a local charlatan who goes by the name of the Prophet Samuel (also unseen).
Eugene Lee (Memphis Lee) in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Photo by Nate Watters for Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Here religion and the occult are given their due in equal measure. It takes a limitless leap of faith to see through the fog of disappointment and despair, but they are clearly up to the challenge.
Set Designer, Misha Kachman, has scored August Wilson’s personal 1955 Rock-Ola jukebox to complete the chrome-and-naugahyde luncheonette look to go with Costume Designer Ivania Stack’s outfitting of the cast in 50’s clothing, most notably Holloway’s array of street-slick polyester shirts.
With Lighting Design by Sherrice Mojgani and Music/Sound by David R. Molina.
Superb and highly recommended.
Through April 29th 2018 in the Fichandler at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St., SE, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information call 202 488-3300 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
Are you ready to plunge headlong down a rabbit hole with a cross-cultural mash-up led by five Filipino “lady boys” aka drag queens called the Paper Dolls? No, it’s not part of the far-out Fringe Festival, but it is edgy, hilarious, mind-bending and heartwarming. It’s a caution and a small miracle alive and kicking with hope, kindness and transformation.
Lise Bruneau, Chris Bloch, and Ariel Felix ~ Photo credit Stan Barouh
First, suspend reality. Start by allowing yourself to forgo the day-to-day grind of American politics and pop culture, then travel, vicariously that is, to Israel – the land of Yiddish, the Shabbat dinner, daily bombings and tradition with a capital ‘T’. There’s not much milk and honey for the temporary Filipino workers whose jobs are caring for elderly Jews. It’s their off-hours that provide the story with its humor.
Set in 2004 after the second intifada, and faced with the problem of caring for its aging population, Israel brought in 30,000 foreign workers from the Philippines. Some of these were home health aides. Hired through recruitment agencies to care for elderly Orthodox and Chasidic men, the workers were forced to work until they could pay off their unreasonably high agency fees.
L to R: Evan D’Angeles, Kevin Shen, Rafael Sebastian ~ Photo credit Stan Barouh
Many of these were gay men looking to send money back home to their own aging parents. Some formed strong, familial bonds with kindly employers. Others were badly treated and fled, or were arrested and deported. Think this isn’t happening today? Think again. In some Asian and Middle Eastern countries foreign workers are kidnapped or trafficked and forced to work in life-threatening conditions with no chance of escape.
Playwright Philip Himberg, who adapted the play from the 2006 documentary film by Israeli-born Tomer Heymann, weaves these wildly disparate elements into an engaging comic drama driven by the relationship between Chaim (Christopher Bloch in a standout performance as a rheumy, wheelchair-bound Jew) and Sally, short for Salvador, a Paper Doll charged with his care.
Ariel Felix (Sally) and Chris Bloch (Chaim) ~ Photo credit Stan Barouh
Ariel Felix’s Sally gives an exceptionally tender portrayal of a someone who learns the culture and cuisine of his/her adopted country in order to show respect and kindness to her employer who adores and accepts Sally for what she is.
Beneath the surface of the glitz and glamour of the quintet’s drag act, are the everyday challenges they face living in Israel – homophobia, racism and exploitation – in a culture as foreign to them as to a fish on land. Paper Dolls is about pride, fantasy as survival, activism, unexpected human connections and personal sacrifice. It’s a hilarious stick-in-the-eye against social and religious conventions – not exactly what you might expect from a play-with-music, though the music portion ranges from what you’d expect to hear from a Tel Aviv DJ at a Miss Philippines-Israel Beauty Pageant (Yes, this happens!) to traditional Israeli songs and pop music.
Bold, entertaining and timely.
Additional cast members – Evan D’Angeles, Jon Norman Schneider, Rafael Sebastian, Kevin Shen, John Bambery, Lise Bruneau, Chris Daileader, Brice Guerriere, Dallas Milholland, and Elan Zafir.
Directed by Mark Brokaw, choreography by J. M. Rebudal, musical direction by William Knowles, vocal arrangements by Howard Breitbart, set design by James Kronzer, lighting by Brittany Shemuga, costumes by Frank Labovitz, sound by David LamontWilson and projections by Sarah Tundermann.
Through April 29th in the Theresa and Jane Lang Theatre at the Atlas Center for the Performing Arts, 1333 H Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. For tickets, info on post show discussions, special rates and discounts visit MosaicTheater Online or call the box office at 202.399.7993 ext. 2. Valet parking at 1360 H Street, NE.
On Floor: John Bambery ~ L to R: Jon Norman Schneider, Evan D’Angeles, Ariel Felix, Rafael Sebastian, Kevin Shen ~ Photo credit Stan Barouh
If you blinked you missed it. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights blew into the Kennedy Center for a few days and just as quickly fled. Shades of things to come as the arrival this June of his blockbuster musical Hamilton hits a feverish pitch. This was just the teaser.
In The Heights Cast ~ Photo by Teresa Wood
The Kennedy Center’s production starred a wealth of Broadway’s In The Heights original cast members like Blanca Camacho as Camilla; Eden Espinosa as Daniela; Eliseo Roman as Piragua Guy (Drama Desk Award); and tons of other notable Broadway stars including Ana Villafañe who plays Nina the Puerto Rican girl who goes off to Stamford to prove there’s a way out of the barrio if you’re willing to sacrifice love. Villafañe originated the role of Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet which played the Kennedy Center in January.
Arianna Rosario, Ana Villafane, Eden Espinosa, and Vanessa Hudgens ~ Photo by Teresa Wood
Other cast members from Broadway’s Hamilton are J. Quinton Johnson who plays Benny Nina’s African-American love interest. He currently stars in Hamilton as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison; and Grammy Award-winning musician and actor Anthony Ramos as the lead character Usnavi. Ramos originated the roles of John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton in Hamilton. Miranda likes to re-cast his actors. A lot!
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Vanessa Hudgens_Photo by Yassine El Mansouri
The audience went wild for the adorable Vanessa Hudgens of Broadway’s Gigi and also of the High School Musical movies. Here she plays Vanessa, the hairdresser who dreams of a better future. Squeals could be heard throughout the chandeliered theatre for Anthony Ramos who has his own adorable factor as well as a killer voice. Yet, most captivating to this reviewer was newcomer Mateo Ferro as Sonny. If there’s a scene stealer here, it’s this 16-year old who had been cast as Usnavi in In The Heights in Strathmore theatre’s Young Artists of America summer theatre and who played Sonny at Clarksburg High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. We need to see more of him.
J Quinton Johnson, Anthony Ramos, and Mateo Ferro ~ Photo by Teresa Wood
There was a huge refresh in terms of dance and musical delivery. There’s more rapping by Usnavi and even pop-locking by a bevy of dancers who salsa their tail feathers off.
Miranda himself showed up on the final night of the show to thunderous applause. If we have a National Hero in the theatre it’s this.
If you haven’t seen In The Heights yet, try to catch a production somewhere in the area. It augurs Miranda’s rap/ballad style which has revolutionized musical theater and will prepare you for the Kennedy Center’s production of Hamilton – should you have been fortunate enough to be one of the lucky ones who snagged a ticket.
Jordan Wright March 2018
All photos and videos by Jordan Wright
Sakura Yume Cherry Blossoms at Artechouse ~ Jackson 20 Gets New Chef ~ Sips & Suppers Breaks Its Fundraising Record ~ Blue Star Reception Celebrates Military Chefs ~ Punjabi By Nature Hidden In Plain Sight ~ Sushi Ko Offers A Great Lunch Deal ~ Le Grenier on H Street ~ Hank’s Pasta Bar Now Open For Lunch
Sakura Yume Cherry Blossoms at ARTECHOUSE
Interactive Japanese lanterns light up along the path
Bespoke cocktails with laser printed blooms and a trippy technicolor wonderland welcome guests to ARTECHOUSE this season and just in time to clear away our wintry blues. The interactive displays use depth cameras to cover walls with floating cherry blossoms and elusive fish that dart in and out of the picture as you sweep your hand though the air to create your own patterns.
Lorne Covington, whose company Noirflux created the enormous central exhibit, tells us he left Silicon Valley to create more relatable and engaging technology. His first grant came from the famed Burning Man.
Artists Nathan Solomon and Karan Parikh designed an interactive koi pond nestled amid “mountains” where visitors can “feed” the fish and watch them swarm.
Another cleverly designed room, “Bloom” by John-Mark Collins of Storylab, invites guests to sit on tatami mats and play with room-sized light boxes to create their own psychedelic patterns while dining from bento boxes.
Cocktails have digitally printed designs
The augmented reality exhibit is on view through May 6th at ARTECHOUSE, 1238 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC 20024 For tickets and information visit online.
Cherry Blossom Dream at Artechouse
Jackson 20 Gets New Chef
Since the Marriott’s high end Autograph Collection took over the former Hotel Monaco in Alexandria, now called The Alexandrian, changes have been afoot. The rooms and décor are the same but the chef is new and the wines are excellent and affordable. In fact so much is affordable, a Saturday and Sunday Brunch that goes from 8am till 3pm!, daily breakfast specials for $5, Happy Hour rail cocktails and select wines for $5 per glass, and some delicious dishes from Executive Chef James Hudson. The style of cuisine remains the same – upscale Southern regional served in satisfying portions – but Hudson has been given free rein to imprint the restaurant with his own twist on the classics.
Roast Salmon with succotash
A recent visit had us swooning over the shrimp and Anson Mills grits enhanced by caramelized onions and white wine and a vegetarian corn and pepper chowder that was the soup of the day. Entrée specials change and ours was a salmon with succotash and duck with cherry sauce, a dish that recently won the restaurant a “Best of Alexandria” award.
(L-R) Banana Cream Pie with blackberries and caramelized bananas ~ Appalachian Pudding
And for a sweet finish, you can’t go wrong with the Appalachian pudding, a comfort food that shares menu space with Banana Cream Pie. Sunday Nights are three-course Fried Chicken Suppers for $22.
Jackson 20, 480 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 The Alexandrian.
Sips & Suppers Breaks Its Fundraising Record
(l-r) Friends, foodies and chefs enjoy the brunch before the Sips & Suppers dinners around town ~ K. N. Vinod, chef/owner of Indique
When top chefs and gracious hosts get together, it’s culinary magic. Once again, Alice Waters and Joan Nathan have corralled the best of the best to prove that foodies love to get together in a relaxed setting and dish…about food and wine…what else?
(L-R) Tenth anniversary dinner for Sips & Suppers ~ The table set for Sips & Suppers at the home of Nicole and Casey Aandahl
Founded in 2009, the annual event benefits DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table. This year’s event broke previous records. In a statement on this year’s success the group declared, “We raised over $650,000K (conservative estimate) this year and nearly $4 million over ten years.”
Joan Nathan with fellow chef at her brunch
Earlier in the day Nathan hosted many of the chefs and food writers for a lavish brunch at her home. The popular event featured dozens of dishes including shakshouka, the Israeli (by way of North Africa) egg dish that everyone is raving about.
The Gordy’s Pickles ladies make bloody marys at the home of Joan Nathan
DC-based Gordy’s Pickles and Green Hat Gin paired up for the bloody marys, mother/daughter-owned California winery Pescadero Creek Vineyard provided the wines, and there were several dishes prepared according to recipes from Nathan’s latest cookbook, “King Solomon’s Table”.
Anthony Lombardo and Sal Ferro prepare desserts
This year we were the fortunate guests at the home of Nicole and Casey Aandahl who had scored the talents of chefs, Anthony Lombardo, formerly of 1789 and now cheffing in Detroit, and Sal Ferro of Old Ebbitt Grill. The duo started us off with sparkling prosecco and frittata sarde and oysters on the half shell as hors d’oeuvres.
(l-r) Preparing the shakshouka ~ Cheese and bread display at Joan Nathan’s brunch party
This was followed by a sumptuous five-course dinner for our very large group. The Italian-inspired meal began with creamy salt cod, bitter greens and crispy potatoes. As pasta is always the second course in an Italian dinner, this was orecchiette and rapini ragù with pecorino and carrots.
Swordfish with cara cara oranges, fennel and pistachios
Then fish, which was pesce spade – swordfish with cara cara oranges, fennel, pistachio and gigante beans. The meat – brasato, a red wine braised, Piedmontese pot roast was served with root vegetables.
(l-t) Brunch calls for beet and kale salad ~ A refreshing brunch dish of fresh tropical fruits
Each course was paired with a different wine including a fabulous dessert of anisette custard with Amaretto cookies paired with Malvasia. Needless to say we waddled home, and slept like babes dreaming of the Italian Riviera.
Blue Star Reception Celebrates Military Chefs
Top military chefs from all six branches combined their talents with DC chefs and Mixologist Todd Thrasher (Potomac Distilling Company and Tiki TNT) to provide an evening of tempting treats and fancy cocktails to celebrate Blue Star Families and Blue Star Neighbors. The event which entertained military families as well as the nation’s top brass, was hosted by General George W. Casey, Jr., USA (ret) and Sheila Casey at the US Chamber of Commerce. Also featured were inspiring videos and prestigious awards for a heartwarming evening of fun, food and camaraderie.
(L-R) Jennifer Medeiros and Robert Wiedmaier ~ Smoked Salmon Napoleon
At the Air Force Table, Chef and Restaurateur Robert Wiedmaier of Marcel’s partnered with MSgt Jennifer Medeiros on mini Napoleons of Scottish Smoked Salmon.
(l-f) Chris Clime and Michelle Brown ~ Open Blue Cobia “Pastrami”
Chef Chris Clime of PassionFish worked with SSG Michelle Brown of the Army to create Open Blue Cobia “Pastrami” with mesquite smoked piquillo pepper and n’duja tapenade. Kyle Bailey of The Salt Line and CSCS Derek Johnson of the Coast Guard conjured up Hiramasa Crudo with blood orange ponzu geleé, salsify-sesame pureé, popped amaranth and nasturtium leaf.
(L_R) Tyler Gaswint and David Guas ~ Shrimp Burger
Chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery and TSgt Tyler Gaswint of the National Guard came up with a Gulf Shrimp Burger dressed with pickled jalapeño okra tartar sauce.
Chef Todd Grey of Equinox and SSgt Hirram Carrion of the Marine Corps dreamed up Tahini Grits with minted lamb meatballs and z’ataar chips, and Ris Lacoste of Ris and CS1 Frida Karani of the Navy offered up New England Clam Chowder. Dog Tag Bakery’s Chris Licciardi and Kyle Wronsky plied us with mini parfaits of cherry mousse, chocolate and whipped goat cheese.
Guests sipping Thrasher’s craft made cocktails were asked to vote by handing out beads to their favorite chefs. I couldn’t stay to see got the prize for the most popular, but all the dishes were winners.
Punjabi By Nature Hidden In Plain Sight
Hard by Fairfax’s Mosaic District in Vienna, VA is a small but popular Indian restaurant. Hidden in a modern residential area a few blocks away is Punjabi By Nature, where we sampled Northern Indian dishes from New Delhi.
Owner Rajiv Chopra
Rajiv Chopra is the managing director and overseer of the menu. His other two eateries are currently located in Leesburg and Chantilly. He hopes to open a fourth in Reston later this year. More manager than daily chef, the New Delhi native worked in restaurants there for 20 years. “I took no culinary courses,” he said. “I just worked in the kitchen.” He also attributes his culinary skills to his mother. “I learned from my Mom in New Delhi,” he said. “Now she tells me which of my recipes to use. And I do that.”
Chopra also relies on a partnership with his wife, Shivani Chopra. “She believes in me and inspires me to do all this,” he said. “And on the other hand, she helps me a lot, too. Without her help, this would not be possible for me.” Both his parents love that he is involved in the restaurant business, living out his life’s passion. Moreover, Chopra says that making people happy with his food is all part of his passion.
(L-R) A pair of sweet treats at Punjabi By Nature ~ Choley bhature at Punjabi By Nature
I visited the Vienna location, where I found an extensive menu with Chopra happily acting as guide. We began with his recommendation of a unique New Delhi treat – choley bhature, a puffed-up wheat bread that looks like a golden balloon and comes with a ramekin filled with a traditional chickpea spread, which is dark and richly flavored – unlike anything served in area Indian restaurants. A second bread appetizer with the same chickpea spread calls for kulcha, a flat bread. I was asked if I wanted it spicy, I did!, and wasn’t disappointed with the level of heat.
(L-R) Lamb biriyani at Punjabi By Nature ~ Curry dish from Punjabi By Nature
The balance of the menu showcases New Delhi cuisine. Some you’ll be familiar with and some you’ll have to be brave enough to try – butter chicken, lamb seekh kabab, tandoori chicken, grilled lamb chops and lamb curry, and four different styles of the famous Indian rice specialty, biryani. There are eleven types of breads, from onion kulcha and garlic naan to a house special – the chef’s unique chocolate naan – which is both savory and sweet.
You are sure to recognize the traditional desserts – gulab jamun/rasmalai and faluda kulfi, the traditional Indian frozen dessert. A full bar includes frozen margaritas.
I can’t say enough about Sushiko’s Lunch Tasting Menu deal. Three amazing courses that are quite filling and beautifully prepared for $25 per person. For anyone who has ever dined at the popular restaurant, in the posh neighborhood of Chevy Chase, you know that dinners there can run into the hundreds of dollars – especially if you partake of the pricier sakés and the sushi chef’s omakase nigari or sashimi menu.
Owner Daisuke Utagawa schooled me in Japanese izakaya style cuisine and sakés at a three-hour dinner at his DC restaurant Daikaya back in 2013, then again in 2015 in sushi and temaki at Sushiko. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been there since. In all fairness, I haven’t been to Chevy Chase since then either, because… traffic. But at lunchtime getting there from DC or Northern Virginia is a breeze.
(L-R) Assorted sushi and sashimi ~ Bread pudding with green tea whipped cream and matcha ice cream
We opted for the three-course luncheon menu. No substitutions and only $25.00. If you’re feeling flush there’s also a four-course lunch menu for $55.00, but that’s quite a jump in price and we’re sticking to our budget, or so we promised each other.
(L-R) Seaweed salad ~ Seared Salmon with shiitake mushrooms, bok choy and sweet potato purée
Choose from – Miso Soup or Sushiko Seaweed Salad to start. Then a choice of Shrimp Tempura or Tsukuri, or a four-piece chef’s selection of the sashimi of the day. Lastly roasted salmon or four pieces of nigiri and six of maki. Each element is superbly and delicately prepared. The salmon was exquisite and came with steamed baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms, sweet potato pureé and rice. That course, in and of itself, was worth the $25. My partner guarded his sushi fairly well, but I snuck in a taste with my trusty chopsticks and again, perfectly prepared with the finest and freshest fish. Utagawa is a stickler for the best fish!
Confession: We blew the budget slightly. We split the Sansho Bread Pudding with green tea whipped cream and I will never regret it. Neither will you.
There’s been a lot of excitement about the revitalization of H Street. Restaurants have come and gone and now that the trolley is running smoothly, there will surely be more changes and even more residential development. It’s one of the hottest neighborhoods in town. I find myself there frequently as I cover Mosaic Theatre at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, and I’m always on the hunt for a good restaurant nearby, especially one that’s warm and welcoming with good, reliable food and an excellent bar program.
(l-r) The bar ~ French onion soup at Le Grenier
Most of the places in the area are trendy, noisy and/or dark. After-work spots for a burger and pizza, a beer (or four), and a bowl of chili or ramen. Okay, there’s a time and place for that too. But I recently discovered Le Grenier, and fell in love. An indelibly charming French restaurant with classic bistro food and cool French music, it’s just the sort of place you’d find in a Parisian neighborhood. Expect onion soup topped with gruyére, charcuterie and house made patés, a well-curated selection of French cheeses, escargots, boeuf Bourguignon, cassoulet, hangar steaks and fish – all prepared creatively and overseen by owner, Marie Ziar.
There are two ways to go. A fancy dinner with fine wines for a romantic tête-à-tête or casual bites with well-priced wines by the glass. We had small bites at the marble-topped bar and enjoyed talking with a very interesting group from the neighborhood. Either way this two-level space, warmed up by exposed brick walls and antiques, has a classy clientele and a lively bar scene. Perfect for before or after the theatre.
A staple in the north end of Alexandria’s Old Town, Hank’s Pasta Bar is reinstituting lunch hour dining. The industrial look, cozy restaurant is a favorite in a neighborhood better known as residential. Is it destination dining? Probably not.
(l-r) The back dining room ~ A cozy seating area at Hank’s Pasta Bar
Most Old Town visitors prefer to stay closer to the King Street scene. And the reality is there are not many offices in the area. But there is usually parking, which in and of itself is a plus, and it’s an easy 15-minute walk to the Braddock Metro Station. All that said, it remains to be seen if they can make a go of it during the day.
(L-r) Charred octopus with fennel arugula salad ~ A starter of meatballs and sauce
A few weeks ago I was invited to try a few of their lunch offerings and they were pleasantly surprised at the menu. We selected a few appetizers and two entrees. For starters charred, tender octopus with arugula fennel salad, and meatballs of beef, veal, pork and lamb in a homemade tomato sauce – likely the same pomodoro, or “gravy” as my Italian friends insist I call it, used in their pasta dishes.
(L-R) Chicken Marsala ~ Hibiscus Panna Cotta
A lovely eggy fettucine, made in house as is all their pasta, was next up. Served with a Bolognese sauce of braised beef and root vegetables, it is exactly the sort of tummy-warming dish for a chilly day. Ditto for the lemony Chicken Marsala with its sauce of mushrooms and tomatoes and plenty of fresh herbs.
Fettuccine with Bolognese at Hank’s Pasta Bar
After all these filling dishes, would we have room for dessert? The question lay before us until we saw the alluring choices. Yes! We, most assuredly, will have the Hibiscus Panna Cotta with blueberry, lemon and lavender gelatin. A perfect ending to our lunchtime adventure.
Catherine Flye as British Comedian Joyce Grenfell ~ Photo credit Christopher Banks
If you were unfamiliar with famed British comedienne, Joyce Grenfell, you won’t be any longer with Catherine Flye’s tribute performance to Grenfell’s long and notable career. In the second show of MetroStage’s Spring Solo Series, British-born Flye brings to life the singer, actress and monologist, and one of England’s most beloved entertainers.
Catherine Flye as British Comedian Joyce Grenfell ~ Photo credit Christopher Banks
The show is a series of pastiches illustrating Grenfell’s best loved characters interwoven with songs and spoofs and remembered moments of humor and pathos. You’ll even spot echoes of Gilbert & Sullivan. Veteran performer Flye is accompanied delightfully by musical arranger and pianist Joseph Walsh playing music written by Richard Addinsell as well as standards like “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Don’t You Know” and “The Girl From Ipanema”. Narrator Michael Tolaydo provides backdrop to the period.
Catherine Flye as British Comedian Joyce Grenfell ~ Photo credit Christopher Banks
Flye, who devised the production, dons Grenfell like a second skin weaving the best of Grenfell’s British music hall follies as effortlessly and cheerily as Mary Poppins would. This was the style of the day and audiences familiar with this era will have fond memories of the music and this particular form of humor. She reminded me of Patricia Routledge’s character, Hyacinth Bouquet, in PBS’s long-running series Keeping Up Appearances.
Catherine Flye as British Comedian Joyce Grenfell ~ Photo credit Christopher Banks
The show has been performed throughout the U. S., including the British Embassy in DC, East Africa and across the United Kingdom.
A treat for Anglophiles.
The second in a trio of one-woman shows at MetroStage through March 25th . 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, 22314. For tickets and information visit online.
