Archive for the 'On The Avenue' Category
New Butcher Shop in Alexandria’s Del Ray Neighborhood Sells Out on Opening Day
April 14th, 2008 Categories: Del Ray, On The Avenue
ON THE AVENUE
PEOPLE and PLACES on DEL RAY’S MT. VERNON AVENUE
Let’s Meat on the Avenue, at 2403 Mt. Vernon Avenue, opened its doors on Saturday morning, April 12, at 8:00am. The first customer walked through the door at 8:02am and the butcher case was empty by 12:02pm! Steve Gatward, Del Ray resident, shop owner, and butcher extraordinaire was both apologetic and ecstatic.
Apologetic that his inventory was not up to full capacity but ecstatic with the reaction from the community. I dropped by the shop about 10:30am and as I asked questions and snapped pictures, I kept hearing the same comment over and over - “We’re so glad you are here.” Deterred neither by the line or by the dwindling items in the meat case, local residents are singing the praises of this latest addition to the walkability quotient in Del Ray.
Steve comes to us by way of England and Australia. Born in Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England, Steve was apprenticed to a local butcher at an early age. Colchester also claims to have Britain’s oldest recorded market and the striped apron seen on the Let’s Meat on the Avenue sign and in these pictures is the traditional apron of Colchester butchers.
Drawn to Del Ray’s penchant for “European-style” specialty shops, Steve will feature local, pasture fed lamb, pork, and beef. Poultry is hormone free and the sausages are from local Amish farms. There is a small selection of dry goods - salts, rubs, mustards, relishes etc. - and a premier steak sauce from the world famous Peter Luger’s Steak House in New York.
A specialty of the house for dog loving Alexandrians - smoked marrow bones with a smoke developed exclusively for our four footed friends.
Favorite moment? Someone asked about free range turkeys for Thanksgiving. Steve said sure and then asked “When is Thanksgiving?
For the moment Steve is working to tap into the appetites and rhythms of the neighborhood. He will be closed on Monday’s but then open on Tuesday’s from 11 - 6; Wednesday - Friday, 11 - 7, Saturday from 8-7 and on Sunday from 11-3. If you have a special request, want to find out what’s on hand or check the hours, the store number is 703.836.6328.
I left with a package of the Amish country sausage and we tucked into them last night for dinner - absolutely delicious! Personally, I look forward to getting my produce on Saturday morning at the Farmer’s Market and then walking across the street to pick out something to put on the grill. This opens up all sorts of possibilities . . . .
Thanks for stopping by,
Michael
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The Surest Sign of Spring - Tables and Customers on the Sidewalks of Alexandria
April 4th, 2008 Categories: Alexandria, Del Ray, Dining Favorites, On The Avenue, Things to Do
ON THE AVENUE
People and Places on Del Ray’s Mt. Vernon Avenue
Driving home tonight I saw what I had been looking for these past few weeks. With Mother Nature at her finicky best, our few temptingly warm days have been followed by freeze warnings (well almost). Not to be deterred, the bravest souls in shorts and flip flops have raised defiant fists to the weather gods but the one sure sign still eluded me. But then tonight, there it was - Del Ray stalwarts were flocking to the open patio at Fireflies.
Maybe another place beat them to the punch on another night but since I didn’t see it, Fireflies goes down on my calendar as the first restaurant in Del Ray to open its patio for the 2008 season.
Granted, the umbrellas were down and most of the patrons had on jackets - no matter, folks were eating outside! For some of you that might not seem like a great accomplishment but here in Alexandria, we take the ability - and opportunity - to dine ‘al fresco’ very seriously. The smallest section of sidewalk is all it takes - that and a restaurant’s willingness to supply tables, chairs, an umbrella or two and wait staff. And those dogs we love so much, well, they can come too!
About Fireflies - Marylisa Damiani and Dan Lichens, graduates of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) opened this ‘fast, fresh, fun’ eatery in late 2002 in a former auto parts store owned by Tony Damiani, Marylisa’s father.
Eighty tons of rubble were removed to make way for a custom walk-in fridge, industrial mixer, 800 degree pizza oven (nicknamed Nadine), a deli case and the curved “great wall of wine.”
Affordable wines and thin, thin, hand-thrown pizza crust are highlights here as is the Tuesday - Friday, 4:30-6:30pm happy hour and the bluegrass Sunday brunch.
I think I know which patio I’ll be on this weekend . . .
Virginia
Our guest author today is my spouse, manager, and all round good friend.
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