Dear Reader,

I’ve been travelling this week for work. During my stay, I enjoyed some meals; however, I did not shoot many photographs or collect stories to tell.

I hope you had an enjoyable week. I’m not interested in travel these days; it’s the work I enjoy. That said, being in an aeroplane for many hours makes focusing easier. I spent my time reading and listening to podcasts and books.

When not working, I enjoyed seeing some excellent American automobiles as I walked along and across the streets. I came across a Dodge SRT that was big black, and beautiful. I had American muscle car envy.

Large pickup trucks were ubiquitous. It was great seeing Ford Bronco and Dodge Ram trucks. Seeing so many V8-powered cars is unlike Canberra, apart from January and Summernats.

The one similarity is the prevalence of Subaru Outlander SUVs in Canberra and Alexandria.

I didn’t see many electric vehicles, which contrasts with Canberra. The occasional Tesla existed, but fossil fuel-powered cars dominated the scene. Canberra is replete with EVs and other compact cars.

I ventured out to restaurants and a local diner while not eating in the hotel’s restaurant. There is a plentiful supply of eating establishments in and around Old Town, Alexandria.

I decided not to track my food in the CSIRO TWD app and enjoy the time away because I had stabilised my weight before leaving Australia.

To that end, breakfasts were a mixture of eggs and pancakes, bacon, steak, and hash brown potatoes.

I grew fond of toasted rye bread and strong black coffee. The coffee mugs were so thick they constituted a dangerous weapon. I’m going to look for one to use at home.

Working lunches consisted of salads, apart from Friday, which happened to be doughnut day where I was, and they were free.

The hotel restaurant served Indo-Chinese cuisine, so I enjoyed pork belly pieces and spicy prawns one night.

I went to Laporta’s the following evening with a few colleagues. I ate a hanger steak with barbecue bourbon sauce and macaroni cheese. I chose it because when in America, eat like an American. The hanger steak cut represents the crura of the diaphragm from a bovid. It is tender and retains a beefy flavour. You will not find hanger steak commonly sold in Australia.

The steak was tender, and the sauce imparted a delicious flavour. It went well with the rich and creamy macaroni cheese.

The following night, the contingent of people I worked with dined at Whiskey and Oysters.

I ate Oysters Rockefeller, and battered cod and chips. I’d never eaten Oysters Rockefeller before. The meal was delicious.

On the final evening, I stuck with the other Australians I travelled with, and we went to a Mexican joint named Tequila and Taco.

I ate a bowl of ceviche and a platter of pork belly nachos. Given how large the main meals looked, I thought two appetisers would be better than a main meal. It was a mistake. The ceviche and nachos meals were huge. They were huge and delicious.

I only wrote one Google Maps review. It was for Bob and Edith’s Diner on King Street, Alexandria, VA.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fgwRq3fiaMcvgNc99

Final thoughts

• Have you spent time in Alexandria, Virginia?
• I flew to Dulles via San Francisco. The flight I took was recently reviewed by Lorraine on her blog.
• Have you enjoyed a meal from an American diner? What’s your favourite diner food?
• I mentioned last week that the first of this year’s Origin games was being played in Adelaide. I missed seeing it because I was otherwise occupied, but Queensland defeated NSW, so I had a smile all day.
• I hope you have a magnificent week.