Sometimes being limited to walking as your primary mode of transportation can help you discover what’s close to home, as I did during the February snowstorms.  After several days of being cooped up in my condo,  I walked over to AMC Theatres on Eisenhower Avenue to catch a movie.  I found I had time before the movie and rather than visit one of the two chain restaurants in the building, I went to Delia’s Mediterranean Grill and Brick Oven Pizza directly across the street.  My time was short but I enjoyed a glass of wine and the two complimentary tastings of an olive tapenade and a butter based dip with sun-dried tomatoes and garlic served with warm pita bread.

So when one of my friends wanted to celebrate her birthday and we all agreed we didn’t want to drive I recommended Delia’s.  It’s located in the Hoffman Town Center and, if you’re driving, there is ample parking.  It’s also across the street from the Eisenhower Metro stop making it accessible to most people.

The dining room is divided into two sections; one with booths and the other banquettes along a wall with a large tree painting commanding the center of attention.  The bar area behind the booths literally glows with lighted honey-colored onyx from Korea.

We were seated and as I had experienced on my previous visit offered the complimentary dips and pita bread.  Upon learning we were celebrating a birthday our server suggested some specialty drinks - Passiontini, which is citrus vodka, passion fruit nectar, white cranberry juice and Cointreau; Blueberry Smash, ingredients are muddled blueberries, absolute vodka, triple sec and white cranberry juice and regular Manhattan.  For appetizers we enjoyed Zucchini Fritters, made with julienne zucchini, imported Feta cheese and fresh dill served over Tzatziki sauce.  They were battered and fried but had a light crisp taste.  We also ordered a Mediterranean Trio - any three dips served with warm pita bread.  We selected Hummus, Tzaztziki with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and dill and Eggplant Dip, with roasted peppers, garlic and herbs.

In trying to select entrees we had several questions for our server.  She was patient and even enthusiastic about enlightening us. We learned that she had been a server at the Springfield Delia’s for over twenty years and so we relied on her recommendations for dinner.  We ordered Braised Beef Kokkinisto, tender braised beef in tomato sauce with fresh herbs and cinnamon, served with Greek roasted potatoes, sauteed vegetables and brick oven flatbread, Grilled Lamb Chops, marinated in olive oil, lemon, crushed garlic, rosemary and oregano, and served with sauteed broccolini and mashed potatoes and Whole Roasted Mediterranean Fish, a whole sea bass served with Cioppino sauce, confit lemon  and a fennel and arugula salad.  They were all just as she described and served on unique white dishes that highlighted their presentation.  We wanted to share a bottle of wine and probably stretched the wine/food pairing with a bottle of Willakenzie Pinot Noir, Williamette Valley, Oregon.  But we were celebrating and it was acceptable.

When asked about desert, we should have declined but we didn’t.  We selected Tiramisu (layers of espresso drenched sponge cake, divided by mascarpone cream and drizzled with espresso sauce), Coppa Spagnola (vanilla & Amarena cherry gelato swirled together, topped with real Amarena cherries) and Chocolate Truffle (Zabaione cream enter, surrounded by chocolate gelato & caramelized hazelnuts, topped with cocoa powder).

Our tab before tip for three cocktails, two appetizers, three entrees, a bottle of wine, three deserts and three coffees topped out at $245.

About the Menu: The Dinner Menu is divided into Starters, Salads, Mediterranean Entrees, Pasta and Brick Oven Pizza and features a good selection of Greek/Italian dishes. Some that I have noted and plan to order on return visits are Halloumi Crostini, which is grilled Cypriot Halloumi cheese served over crostini with warm apricot preserves and fresh mint,  Moussaka Smyrna, layers of sliced potato and eggplant, covered in spiced ground beef and topped with Béchamel sauce and Vitello e Ganchio, fresh veal medallions, topped with jumbo lump crab meat and melted mozzarella in a cream sauce over capelini.  Their pizzas are cooked in an authentic brick oven and were proclaimed as one of the best pizzerias in the country by Mario Batalio in the book “Everybody Loves Pizza”.

For Wine Drinkers: There is a good selection of both by the glass and the bottle.  Whites range from $25 for a bottle of Fragou Chardonnay from Greece to $65 for Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and reds from $28 for Tapena Garnach from Spain to $75 for Ornellaia “Le Volte” from Italy.  Beer drinkers can choose from Keo, Peroni, Corona, Heineken, Sierra Nevada, Budweiser, Fordham Copperhead Ale, Mythos, Stella Artios, Guinness and Smithwicks.

About the Owners: Christian Falatko, one of the owners, stopped to chat with us and it’s obvious he’s passionate about the restaurant business.  He grew up with George Theodorou, son of the original owners of Delia’s in Springfield, and his partner at the Eisenhower Avenue location.  They were school and soccer buddies.  George went to college from high school while working with his parents. Christian has worked at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael’s, Maryland, Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, and Design Cuisine, Washington, DC.  He’s catered at the White House and several public buildings, but says the most unusual event he worked featured live caged lions as part of the décor.  

Christians’ goal for Delia’s is to continue serving the Mediterranean dishes that made the original Delia’s a thirty-year success in an informal and casual atmosphere.  He has plans to extend dining to an outdoor patio this summer and envisions evenings with patrons lingering over drinks or dessert under the stars.  The best part of his vision is that I can walk there.

Delia’s Mediterranean Grill and Brick Oven Pizza
209 Swamp Fox Road, Alexandria
703-329-0006
www.deliasbrickovenpizza.com