Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia

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.

Bob and Edith’s Diner Two eggs over easy, toasted rye, 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.

Pastrami Reuben June Coffee

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.

Pork belly and spicy prawns

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.

Hanger steak Bourbon barbecue sauce Macaroni and 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.

Tequila and Taco Ceviche Pork belly nachos

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

Bob and Edith’s Diner since 1969
Thick walled coffee mug
Bob and Edith’s Diner country fried steak, brown gravy, hash brown potatoes, and eggs

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.