We ventured out last night to check out the new Kora Restaurant.  We had been big fans of Farrah Olivia in Old Town, Alexandria and were excited to see a less expensive venue Morou created with brother/partner Chef Amadou Quarttara.  If you go to Kora expecting a similar experience to Farrah Olivia, you will be disappointed.  Not only is the chef different, the service won’t be the same. With all the hype, people were lead to believe Chef Morou would be at the culinary helm here, but that is obviously not the case.

Pizza oven at Kora

This is a great place for quick bites out with their low cost pizzas or for special occasion date nights with the Foodie Feast 12 course tasting menu.  This tasting menu comes in a series of 3 with 4 dishes in each series.  At first glance I didn’t think it was enough food but like Farrah Olivia, it is most filling.  For the most part, the plates were excellent but it was certainly hit or miss.  Going with 4 tappas sized options per plate, you are sure to like at least 2 of the four.    After the first two series came and went we were suprised at the length of wait for our 3rd series giving us the impression we were forgotten.

The wait staff could use some polish and we found it a bit peculiar that the individuals who brought out our food from the kitchen explained each item versus our server.  With Chef Morou’s Farrah Olivia the staff made sure to be attentive to your every need without you having to ask.  The staff at Kora are not at that level but then again, neither are the prices.  

Kora will see me with some frequency, but I’ll probably sit at the bar and order pizza.

Seared Hake @ The Majestic

The Majestic has always been a staple for Old Town Alexandria foodies.  Their open kitchen provides a window into the sometimes chaotic world of culinary art.  The bar has always been filled with upper echelon whiskeys, bourbons, and rum.  And the bar is where you can get one of the best lunch-time deals.  For $13.00 you can select any item from their menu plus a non-alcoholic drink of your choice.  Always in the mood for a good deal, this happens to be one of my normal lunch hot spots. 

I typically go for the Royal Burger which comes with a Russian dressing and a side of fries.  For the price you can’t beat it, not even at BGR, and this burger is better.  However with the new year, I am opting more for salads and fish and this last visit was no exception. 

On this visit, I had the Seared Hake, which comes on a bed of cauliflower, celery confit, Meyer lemon, and an olive tapenade.  It appeared to be the most popular dish as my party of three plus the other three diners at the bar all ordered the same. 

The fish was cooked perfectly causing it to flake as I cut into it with my fork and yet it was still moist .  However the olive tapenade could have been a garlic tapenade as I didn’t see or taste olive but did have several whole garlic pieces.   It appears the Majestic has taken to heart the many complaints of “salty” food as this dish was under-salted.  I didn’t want to ask for salt as I didn’t see any handy but the individuals a few seats over had no such reservations and asked for salt after tasting their Hake.  It is nice to see them cut back on the salt as we can always add more easily.  The Majestic also makes their own flavored sodas, give the Lemon Lime one a try.

Seared Tune at Bonefish Grill

Going with that healthy eating fish theme again, we spent an wonderful evening @ Bonefish Grill.  For those looking to for a good happy hour place that is not a Pub or Sports Bar, give Bone Fish Grill a try.  Get there early, they open at 4:00 PM and specials run till 6:30 PM but they have a $5.00 drink menu that lasts all night.  You can’t go wrong with the house special wine selections either.  I do prefer the Cabernet over the Merlot, but that is my preference for all wines for the most part.  The appetizer menu is perfect for happy hour with a good selection for sharing with friends.  The seared tuna is a favorite of mine and can be an appetizer (half order) or a main dish (full order).  Make sure to rub the tuna through the chili sauce to get that little kick.  I’ve only had 2 issues with Bonefish Grill, it can get crowded at the bar and the appetizer menu could stand to have more non-fried items.

I had visited Alexandria’s Grape + Bean during their opening week and thought hmmmm, this may be OK.  Small place off the main Old Town path where you could get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.  It looked promising at the time.  That was some time ago and I’ve ventured in a few times here and there to grab a bottle of wine.  Yesterday I visited and wanted to give the “bean” portion of their name a try.  Unfortunately I was was disappointed by the lack of properly trained staff and the coffee itself.  I paid just under $5.00 for a 14oz cup of coffee that lacked any substance or unique flavor.  Throw an “organic” or “fair trade” label on something and double the price regardless of taste appears to be the motto here.  I make better single cup coffee at the PNC bank across the street using their Keurig machine.  For more than half the price, Starbucks provides a better more consistent cup of joe.  For an establishment that puts coffee at the top of their sales pitch, I would have hoped for better results. 

Tell me about your experiences at coffee shops around the world.