del ray

New Openings (and re-openings) in Alexandria

Coming soon to Old Town

Society Fair the bakery/cheese shop/restaurant/wine store/bar owned by the people behind Old Town establishments Restaurant Eve, PX and Eamonn’s is opening very soon. The “real press” over at Huffington Post got an inside scoop a few weeks ago, which you can check out here. I am of course excited for any addition to my neighborhood restaurant scene, but the article makes the whole endeavor sounds very mining company store-ish. They plan to sell the products (i.e. bread, sauces, marinades) they make in the restaurants and even serve diners of their “test kitchen” dishes made with products from the market.

I can’t decide if it’s going to become my new quirky Old Town hangout or come off as an elaborate, fully-staffed advertisement for the company’s flagship Restaurant Eve. Well, we are going to find out soon! Their Facebook page announced Society Fair is hiring and appears to be opening in the next week or so.

Evening Star Re-opens

Speaking of quirky hangouts, my Evening Star Cafe is open again on Thursday. “The Star” as it’s affectionately called around the neighborhood, closed for renovation a few weeks ago, and the staff have been steadily blogging the progress. Now, it’s re-opening on Thursday evening with a new chef, who promises southern accents in every dish.

The restaurant section of The Star is may be back, but I’m a bit concerned about the bar. I’m hoping it wasn’t demolished to make room for a bigger dining room. However, this shot of the new beer taps looks promising.

Is Pork Barrel BBQ finally opening?

The elusive Pork Barrel pig

As someone who obsessively watches my neighborhood restaurant scene, the maddeningly slow construction of 2342 Mt. Vernon Avenue frustrates me to no end. The building crews broke ground soon after I moved to my old apartment in Del Ray. Rumors had it that Pork Barrel BBQ was opening at the end of summer, then by Christmas, then by Memorial Day, then by late fall, then by spring…. until I’ve been waiting two years now. I’ve managed to get married and buy a house in nearby Huntington in the time that crew has installed flooring and light fixtures.

But for Alexandria BBQ fans there is a new, promising development! The restaurant finally appears complete, and a call went out on the Del Ray community association board for staff. They are hiring, say the restaurant owners.

As it turns out that Pork Barrel won’t be the restaurant I was imagining, though. It will be “fast casual” (think Chipotle, Noodles and Co.) with counter service and self seating. Reads the email:

Pork Barrel BBQ is a new, upcoming, concept located in the Del Ray Neighborhood of Alexandria. This ” Fast Casual” counter service BBQ Joint also boasts a long neighborhood style bar. We are currently looking for help…

But as everyone who has ever looked for a job knows, the hiring (and training) process can be maddeningly slow. While I want to imagine myself eating a pulled pork sandwich with a jazzy version of “Deck the Halls” playing the background, I also don’t want to get my hopes up. So here’s to, um, “early spring”!