Only in Washington would you combine creative cocktails and the US Patent and Trademark Office. For those seeking good times and inventor-themed environs, Trademark is officially open in Alexandria.
Attached to the Westin Hotel in the area’s Carlyle District, the airy bar and restaurant feels more like a downtown drinking spot than lobby lounge. Helming the bar is Christopher Bassett, an alum of the notable cocktail lounge PX and Virtue Feed & Grain. Cocktails run classic—there’s a Jack Rose on the list, along with a Corpse Reviver and a Vesper—though Bassett riffs on a number of the boozy concoctions. In place of a pisco sour, you’ll find the Peruvian liquor mixed with lemon juice and house-made pineapple syrup and then served up in a martini glass; the Old Fashioned here is themed for the Old Dominion with Jefferson’s Reserve Whiskey and pomegranate juice. (Drink-time fun fact: Thomas Jefferson grew pomegranates on the Monticello estate). You’ll also find Virginia brews like Port City on draft.
Foodwise, there are plenty of pub-style eats from British-born chef Matthew Miller. You might pair that bourbon with an order of fried pickles or “bacon candy”: sweet-smoky glazed pork on a stick. Or try one of the heartier options, such as Bass-ale-battered fish and chips with thick-cut fries, or the pork and beans: a grilled chop over baked legumes with crispy onions. There’s also a whole section devoted to over-the-top mac and cheeses. We’re fans of the Cuban, a pasta version of the popular sandwich, studded with ham and bacon and topped with a mustard crumb and those fried pickles.
Trademark. 2080 Jamieson Ave., Alexandria; 703-253-8640. Open Monday through Friday 6:30 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 11 AM to midnight.
See Also:
Early Look at Leek American Bistro
Early Look at Haute Dogs & Fries
Early Look at Satellite Room
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
