Mark & Remark

Food Matters

Food Matters is a restaurant in a quiet neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia, which bases its menu on seasonal offerings all grown or reared within one day's travel of the restaurant.

Rich and I had been trying to grab a bite there for a while but had various circumstances getting in the way.  Tonight, at loose ends, we tried again and the fourth time was the charm.

We both had a very good time.  The restaurant's atmosphere is light and open, with an informal feel that gives diners enough room to talk normally but keep the overall noise levels down.  The restaurant opened strong with me with its cocktail of the month, a whiskey ginger fizz which was surprised me, mixing whiskey, shaved ginger, citrus juice, simple syrup and soda into a refreshing drink which carried a light overtone of whiskey but blended it nicely with the ginger and citrus - flavors that I would have not thought would have gone well together, but really clicked.  I would have had a second when the waiter offered one, but as good as it tasted, the drink carried a bit of a kick and I was the driver.

Rich and I decided to splurge on a side order of hand cut fries since we had seen another table eating some as we went to our table and they looked great.  They were.  They were cut nicely thin and fried but without too much oil and served hot.  Terrific.

For his entree, Rich had a slow cooked duck confit with red cabbage and caraway, mashed potatoes and duck jus.  Now, I don't where they found a local source for duck confit, but I would not mind finding it too (except maybe I might need it like I needed a local source for chocolate chips).  Rich's dish was really well done, really nicely seasoned with everything carrying a nice flavor and maybe only the cabbage needing a little bit more of a cider flavor.

My entree was a pan roasted natural pork tenderloin with twice baked sweet potato, sauteed greens and garlic and apple cider pan sauce. Boy that was good!  The pork was done just right, not too much so it lost its texture and flavor.  The sweet potato was really different, a baked potato skin filled with a mixture of baked sweet potato, a little ginger and what tasted like some of the pan juices...really good.  The greens were a sort of kale that was so lightly sauteed with garlic that they were still a little bit crisp.

For dessert we each at a little bit of a delicious chocolate trifle with orange mascarpone cream - only a little bit because even though the dessert was not large, it was nonetheless really tasty and rich.

Although we didn't have any, Food Matters seemed to have a pretty good wine list and a wide collection of wine and food for sale as well.

It was a very good price too.  Our dinner for two, including one cocktail, one home made lemonade, one appetizer, two entrees and a dessert, all really well made, for $40 per person including tax and tip.  Overall, Food Matters is definitely a place worth checking out and we plan to be back...

Food Matters, 4906 Brenman Park Dr Alexandria, VA 22304 (703) 461-3663, Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

The Company Store & Iron Company Restaurant

Covington Virginia, where Rich grew up and where his parents still live, lacks any place to get even a half way decent meal that has not been kept under a heatlamp or served by a franchise.  The nicest restaurant in town is an Applebees, diners stop serving breakfast a ten in the morning, and the method to make a good cup of coffee has yet to have been discovered or passed on.  It is, in short, a nutritional and culinary desert.

But down the road, the little community of Low Moor, Virginia, has an oasis: The Company Store and Iron Company Restaurant. 

For about 50 years, from the late 19th to early 20th century, Low Moor was a company town, built around the Low Moor Iron Company.  The company stopped iron mining in the mid 1920's, when the practice of strip mining began to supplant deep tunnel mining, but the store and restaurant continued, being run by a widow who finally retired from the operation last year at over 100 years of age.

The new owners kept much of the original structure, remodeling it only to uncover the original architectural elements and adding a menu which is long on fresh ingredients and wholesome American fare that is well prepared and seasoned.  And for those used to major metropolitan restaurant prices, the notion of well prepared, delicious and affordable food can almost come as a shock.

The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch as a checkered tablecloth sort of place but transforms itself for a white tablecloth and wine service.  We can't speak to the length or depth of the wine list, but the store for sale kept a selection that ran from European labels to California bottles and some local vineyards.

On the whole if for some reason you are passing through the Covington, Virginia, area, the The Company Store and Iron Company Restaurant is worth checking out.  Open Monday - Saturday from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM and Thursday -Saturday from 6:00  PM to 9:30 PM for dinner. They also offer a brunch on Sunday from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. 540-862-0098.