7
Type of Business: Restaurant
Cuisine:
American, French, Seafood
Price: $$
Rating Criteria
1. From Scratch: Serves mostly (i.e., more than half of the menu) fresh food, prepared from scratch. Does NOT rely primarily on kits or prepared/partially prepared foods from commercial food services.
Yes
2. Local/Organic: Offers at least some locally sourced and/or organically produced food and/or wild-caught seafood.
Yes
Comments: Lots of wonderful wild-caught seafood options
3. Pastured: Offers at least some pastured animal foods.
Yes
Comments: Their foie gras, pate, pork belly offer nutrient-dense French goodness!
4. Organs: Offers some dishes made with organ meats (liver/paté, sweetbreads, heart, kidney, brains, etc.).
Yes
5. Cooking Fats: Cooks (sautés) in natural fats such as butter, lard, tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, or olive oil; uses lard, duck fat, or tallow for frying.
Yes
Comments: Everything is cooked in wonderful animal fat. Dairy is all organic as well, including butter.
6. Bone Broth: Makes own bone broths/stocks for use in soups, stews, gravies, and sauces (does NOT use canned broth or powdered soup bases).
Yes
7. Seasonings: Makes most of its own seasoning mixes (does NOT use flavoring packets or MSG).
Yes
8. Salad oils: Makes most of its own salad dressings using olive oil or cold-pressed sesame oil.
Not Sure
9. Breads: Offers genuine sourdough bread.
No
Comments: Although white flour is rampant (it's French, after all!), the flour is organic and unbleached or buckwheat, on breads and crepes.
10. Beverages: Offers lacto-fermented beverages (such as kombucha or kvass).
No
11. Condiments: Offers lacto-fermented condiments.
No
12. Desserts: Offers desserts made with natural sweeteners (such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, date sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, sorghum syrup, or malt syrup).
No
Rating Created by:
Katy Talento
Notify rater of changes to business info or rating criteria
Location & Contact
Del Ray community
205 East Howell Avenue
Alexandria, VA
205 East Howell Avenue
Alexandria, VA
Charming and idyllic French restaurant in the heart of historic Del Ray community. Open for everyday brunch and dinner. Traditional French cooking with many organic and wild caught options, and local farm sourcing. They do wonders with eggs Benedict, as well as wizardry with duck and quail. Beef broth onion soup is wonderful. Service is fantastic. Make reservations for weekend brunch well in advance - they are packed!
Del Ray Cafe will become a favorite! You will not be sorry!