Alexandrians will have a new place to dine when the Morrison House hotel reopens this spring following a multimillion-dollar renovation. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced their newest concept: Ashlar Restaurant and Bar, a 32-seat dining room devoted to Mid-Atlantic cuisine.
Chef Bobby Surdam will lead the kitchen. The toque most recently served as an executive sous-chef at Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia, housed in Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco. Local stints include Marcel’s and Blue Duck Tavern. While the Grille boasted a formal feel, Ashlar is meant to be more rustic, with dishes such as crab fritters with Old Bay aioli, bass and shellfish in a smoked tomato broth, or pork cheeks braised with local Port City beer and pickled mushrooms.
An 18-seat bar will focus on spirits and fortified wines that were prevalent around Alexandria’s 18th century founding, including rum, sherry, and madeira. The restaurants name also has historical roots, nodding to the “perfect ashlar,” the finest cut stone in masonry.
Ashlar Restaurant and Bar. 116 S. Alfred St., Alexandria.
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.
