The Dining Traveler Blog: Travel and Food Inspiration

From all the moving I've done during the last fifteen years, I've realized that bringing too many souvenirs on the road can be a burden. I've also realized that the t-shirt or the cheesy souvenirs some bring back do not have any value added nor represent the time you spent at a certain destination. The more I travel, the more I gravitate towards small businesses where I can bring something unique back to my friends and loved ones.

Last Friday, I discovered Red Barn Mercantile as I was part of the Old Town Alexandria Blogger Crawl organized by Carlis of Spicy Candy DC. The shop began as an antique shop but now it has a diverse selection of items that are hand selected by Amy, the owner of the shop. Just as its location of Old Town Alexandria, the shop really reflects Americana: beautiful hand-stitched pillows of all fifty states, small batch cocktail mixes, and small representations of the region such as a nautical themed Alexandria pillow.

"East Coaster" Hand-carved Wood Coasters

One of the things I love from shopping at a locally owned store is the personal touch. Amy and her team have made shopping here into a more personal experience by teaming up with local interior designers. If a customer purchases design services through Red Barn, they get discounts on the selected items for decor.

Shopping for Pillows
Photo Courtesy of Julien Garman

If you are a traveler like me, there are a few pieces that are easy to take back home. My favorite items at the shop are reflective of the area. The first was a pillow with a map of the USA with an anchor in Washington, DC. Found this so symbolic as I repatriated from Europe two years ago and my husband moved from the Netherlands and now we have made our anchor in DC. This we will be gifting to my in-laws for Christmas. The pillow case is light and really easy to carry. Other pieces I loved were the wooden coasters (pictured above). I am of course partial to the East Coast Coasters, perfect gift for someone who's an expat or stationed overseas (they have all regions). Last but not least a favorite were the Sydney Hale candles, made in Virginia. It's always great to bring something home handmade from the place you're visiting.

More Pretty Gift Ideas from Red Barn Mercantile
Photo Courtesy of Julien Garman

As I've already shared on my Old Town Alexandria staycation story, I love the small town vibe of Alexandria and how it's a world away across the Potomac. I truly enjoy the welcoming vibe of Old Town Alexandria and the originality of each of the boutiques. If you like shopping for unique pieces to take home, Old Town Alexandria Boutique District is the place to be.

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On our quest to have a vacation like experience without hopping into a plane, we decided to have a "staycation" at Old Town Alexandria. One of the things that surprises me about Old Town is how you can be in a completely different world from DC just a twenty minute car ride away. You enter to a land with colonial homes with colorful shutters, many with an American flag hanging from the front porch, and cobble stoned streets. King Street, the main street of Old Town maintains a old fashioned façade with many specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants. Here's a snapshot of what we did, ate, and saw during our short escapade from the city.

Lobby of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Alexandria
Photo Courtesy of Kimpton

Stay: we stayed at the iconic Kimpton Hotel Monaco on King Street. I arrived at the hotel at the peak of the wine happy hour, with plenty of guests taking advantage of the complimentary wine. The lobby is decorated with rich colors of red, blues, and greens which automatically make you feel welcome. We loved our room, the stayed at the Loft Suite, a beautifully appointed two floor room with a great view of King Street. The hotel is centrally located in the heart of King Street, which makes it a great starting point to discover the city. We also enjoyed some post dinner cocktails at Jackson's 20 which had a vibrant and elegant scene on a Friday night.

The Loaner Bicycle at Kimpton

Do: We woke up early and borrowed a bicycle from Kimpton and went on a bike ride along the Mount Vernon trail. We enjoyed a lovely bike ride along the Potomac up to Reagan Airport. We returned to Old Town and went to the Saturday Farmer's Market at the town square where cooled down with freshly squeezed orange juice and bought ripe peaches to grill later. No trip to Old Town is not complete without a little shopping. We paid a visit to the lovely Katya from She's Unique and added some beautiful pieces to my wishlist.

Diver Scallops at Columbia Firehouse

Food Tour: We went on the Old Town Alexandria Food Tour. Katie, our tour guide gave us a very informative and delicious tour around Old Town Alexandria. We learned about the history of Old Town, the architecture, and special details about the city (it is believed Old Town has the oldest farmer's market in the country). We started at Landini's a warm Italian restaurant on King Street. There, we had a simple yet delicious dish of chicken and veggies. Next, we sampled Virtue Feed and Grain where we had mac n cheese and soup. The food choice was underwhelming but the true winner was the Port City Belgian style wit beer which came with our meal. Wish we could have had the signature fish tacos we have had there in the past. However, the best was saved for last at the Columbia Firehouse where we started with a yummy pimento cheese dip, followed by Virginia ham sliders on a biscuit, but the highlight was the diver scallops with the cauliflower couscous. The scallops were seared to perfection and they paired very well with the cauliflower.

Suckling Pig at Brabo

Dine: We had dinner at Brabo, an intimate space at the Lorien Hotel on King St. One of the highlights of Old Town is that you can take a trolley that runs from the King St Metro Stop to the end of King Street. We took the trolley from Hotel Monaco to the restaurant, which gave me an excuse to wear heels. There, I ate an amazing pork roll with suckling pig paired with Sass Pinot Noir from Oregon. We concluded our dinner with a lovely chocolate mousse with berries. The restaurant is perfect for a date night: intimate space, refined menu, and great service.

The Homes of Old Town

We had a great experience at Old Town and love the fact we can see a whole different environment just from crossing the Potomac. We enjoy taking these little escapes and getting to know all these amazing worlds which surround our Nation's Capital. post signature

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24 hours at Old Town, Alexandria