Jeff Dufour, The Examiner
2008-05-06 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Over the past five years, Kimpton Hotels have seemingly divided and multiplied throughout the metro region. And there’s a dining room to go along with every Hotel Monaco, Hotel Palomar or Hotel Rouge. These restaurants have been of an uneven quality, from the very good (Poste in the Hotel Monaco in Penn Quarter) to the aggressively mediocre (Domaso in the new Palomar in Rosslyn).

Now, Kimpton strikes yet again with a new Monaco in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. This time, they’ve embraced a more casual concept, with the Southern-influenced Jackson 20.

The name references President Andrew Jackson; the “20” a nod to the 20-dollar bill, where his visage appears.

» The scene:

Upon entering, you’re immediately greeted by a giant bronze pig. The motif repeats again at the table in the form of pig-shaped napkin

rings. We’re informed they’re an homage to Virginia ham. When you finally gaze up from your porcine pals, you’ll see a small room that has all the modern touches (hardwood furniture, runners instead of tablecloths, etc.) but with a few “Colonial” flourishes, such as reclaimed brick and stone, leather and antiqued metal.

» The pour:

It’s about the cocktails here, particularly the bourbon-based selections (never mind that Jackson was a Tennessean). A mint julep (with crushed ice, thank you) gets a dash of port wine, while a whiskey sour is dressed up with blackberries. The modest list of wines by the glass (all $6 to $10) is a bit disappointing, but not so the “20 for 20” concept, which lists 20 bottles of wine — some very sip-worthy ones, too — for 20 bucks each.

» The taste:

Chef Jeff Armstrong’s cuisine takes its cues from local farms and waters. You’ll find capable versions of crab cakes and cornmeal-crusted oysters, delicious collard greens with bacon and mustard-glazed short ribs, to name a few regional specialties. I found something to like on every plate, although too few dishes come together completely. Brook trout was perfectly cooked, skin on, but its accompanying etouffee was oily; the Hoppin’ John on the side, perfectly bland. Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin was tender, juicy and loaded with flavor, but its pearl onion ragout went largely untouched. Barbecue chicken fritters were unpleasantly dry but nearly redeemed by their spicy chipotle sauce.

» The touch:

Bright, energetic and efficient service: What a pleasant surprise! This is the kind of place where even the hostess might take an extra moment to explain the concept to you, and the kitchen will divide a split appetizer into two plates without being asked.

» Don’t miss:

The servers always push the wild rockfish with creamed corn, tomato jam and basil butter, and deservedly

so. It’s a reason to go, and a reason to come back.

» Why you won’t go:

This is a tiny restaurant, so it fills up quickly with a mix of hotel guests, tourists on foot and curious locals. Many of the tables are also quite close together, so if you’re looking for peace and privacy, look elsewhere.

» Why you will go:

For a late-night dessert. Down-home selections such as buttermilk pie, Granny Smith applejacks with vanilla ice cream and a peanut butter bar with chocolate and jelly can satisfy any sweet tooth.

Jackson 20

Hotel Monaco, 480 King St.,

Alexandria

703-549-6080, jackson20.com

Hours: 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price: Appetizers: $7 to $14; entrees: $15 to $28

Bottom line: A Southern-influenced dining room that does its best to make you forget it’s in a hotel.