Both my friend Julia and I are active in general and nothing excites us more than to spend a day outside exploring a new (or old) city on a bike or on foot. This specific Saturday, based on the fact that it was a balmy 65 degree perfect Fall day and since we had not yet had a game plan set for the day, we decided to explore DC on bikes. We started at her house in Mt. Pleasant and covered the entire city, first exploring downtown. The 'Notes to Obama' display had not yet been taken down in Lincoln Memorial. It was emotional to realize that even though I am not considered a member of this country I still had the privilege to share in one of the most intimate moments of time it had to offer. I wish you could have read these notes.
We departed from downtown and headed to Alexandria, VA. Alexandria is a quaint town just over the border and approximately 12 miles from downtown D.C. This is a town with character. The streets are narrow and well kept, the buildings are old, red brick stone houses and the people, similar to the buildings are well dressed and exquisitely taken care of. I loved it.
We stopped for lunch on King Street at the quaintest little french cafe called "La Madeleine". The name mirrors that of a restaurant that we had in my home town in South Africa and which always rocked the charts with its exquisite service and quality. But alas, I am in America and merely tasting the little delights this cafe has to offer. I was impressed.
Our meals were simple. I had a tomato basil soup while Julia ordered the mushroom bisque and we shared the strawberry pecan salad. The meals may have been simple but this did not interfere with the quality nor the taste. In fact it may have been the simplicity that ensured that the cafe was jam packed all the time.
In general I do not like a heavy creamy soup. When I taste or eat food I want to taste the different subtle flavors the meal has to offer and I have often found that creamy dishes diminish the true flavor and potential of the ingredients. As such I tend to stay away from creamy goodness and opt for the lighter meals instead. The tomato basil soup did however have a creamy base and surprisingly enough this did not bother me. The chef was able to prevent the creaminess dominate the soup. In fact it was a superb combination of cream/milk, tomato and basil, with a touch of pepper and a little bit of sweetness to lighten the acidity of the tomatoes. It was excellent and I will go back just for this soup if I ever return to Alexandria. Julia's mushroom bisque was very flavorful as well and it was evident that only the freshest ingredients were used. The salad was good yet drenched in a little bit too much (but very tasty) balsamic vinaigrette. I recommend ordering the dressing on the side. Overall the atmosphere is friendly and vibrant and the food great quality and good value for money. It definitely deserves its rating of 8.5 out of 10.
After our departure from Alexandria we biked to Georgetown and explored this part of the city. We spent a bit of money on some clothing and then headed back to Julia's in Mt. Pleasant.
It was a trip worth remembering and if you ever find yourself in D.C. and have access to a bike, don't hesitate. D.C. is one of the best biking cities that I have found around the globe.
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