Daily dispatches on the Washington, DC area's food, restaurant and dining scene.
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Totally Cheesy and Delicious
By
Todd Kliman
,
Ann Limpert
,
Rina Rapuano
,
Kate Nerenberg
Old Town's La Fromagerie champions artisanal American cheese. Photograph by Chris Leaman
Like many chefs, Sebastien Tavel dreamed of owning his own restaurant. Finding the money proved difficult, so the former sous chef at DC’s Poste downsized his aspirations, opening a gourmet-food store with his wife, Mary. “I wanted to work for myself,” he says. “It’s another way to promote good food.” At La Fromagerie in Old Town Alexandria, the couple emphasizes American farmstead products, many of which Tavel learned about from his work in Poste’s kitchen. The light-filled shop stocks nearly 60 cheeses, including local brands such as Meadow Creek Dairy. Nearly everything is devoted to cheese—spreaders, books about the stuff, accompaniments such as nuts and chutneys, and more. We love the Harvest Song apricot-and-white-cherry preserves and, to go with the spreadable chèvre, the Fine Cheese Company walnut crackers. There are also about 25 domestic and imported wines.
The Tavels carry a small but varied selection of meats, including smoky Edwards country ham from Virginia and a number of salamis and pâtés. Sebastien plans to start making his own charcuterie—a chance to get back in the kitchen. La Fromagerie, 1222 King St., Alexandria; 703-879-2467. Open Monday and Wednesday through Saturday 11 to 7, Sunday 11:30 to 7. This article appears in the February, 2010 issue of The Washingtonian. Subscribe to Washingtonian
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Comments
I love the slow but steady growth of cheese shops in the DC metro area. This is a sign of further good things to come.
Posted by: Elizabeth @ Capital Spice , Feb 23, 2010 12:45:46 PM
Get over yourself, Galax Va is local when compared to maybe; Cali, Spain, France, Italy. Your not gonna see great cheese coming out of Springfield, Va. NW, DC. Tacoma Park?
Posted by: Greg, Feb 20, 2010 02:55:22 PM
Meadow Creek Dairy is in Galax, Virginia; that’s something like 350 miles away from DC. Can we please stop calling food "local" just because it’s from somewhere in Virginia?
Posted by: Knox, Feb 19, 2010 02:08:46 PM
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