Alexandria coffee and tea lovers have much to look forward to this year. Here's a look at three places opening soon:
Foxtrot Comes to Alexandria
Chicago-based grocery delivery chain Foxtrot is opening a location in Old Town Alexandria. Construction is finishing up at 701 King St. on the high-end combination corner store, café and e-commerce delivery service.
Foxtrot stores offer a carefully curated selection of locally sourced food items, meals, beer, fine wine and gifts all of which can be ordered online and delivered within a certain radius in under an hour.
"In addition to offering the everyday essentials, grab-and-go items and locally sourced favorites it’s become known for, Foxtrot King & Washington will feature an expanded grocery selection and elevated culinary offerings including a charcuterie bar, house made craft sandwiches, and a full coffee bar using beans by local Vigilante Coffee. Situated prominently in the heart of Old Town, this will mark Foxtrot’s first two-story footprint complete with mezzanine seating and ample space inside for guests to sit, relax and enjoy morning or night,” company officials explained.
A Turkish Coffee Experience
Gizem Salcigil White, who is known as the Turkish Coffee Lady, is opening a shop at 1001 King Street, a building formerly occupied by Blüprint Chocolatiers.
In 2017, White set out to start the first chain of Turkish coffeehouses in the United States. She opened her first location inside Tysons Corner mall, while raising her young daughter and battling breast cancer. The coffeehouse was doing well, and White had plans to open a second location at the Dulles Airport in 2020 — and then COVID-19 arrived.
White pivoted and began to host cultural events virtually and started her own coffee label, with each blend named after one of Turkey’s rich heritage sites.
Turkish coffee is made in a small, long handled pot called a cezve. The coffee is very finely ground and often spices like cardamom or mastic are added. The grounds settle at the bottom of the pot and a foam forms on top.
The unfiltered coffee is then poured into small cups and served with a glass of water and a dessert. It is meant to be savored slowly.
In addition to serving and selling Turkish coffee and coffee accessories, the shop will also feature gift items and host events.
Tea Room to Open Along Waterfront
Do you prefer tea over coffee? You’ll have a new option in Alexandria this spring when Lady Camellia Pastry and Tea Room relocates from Georgetown.
Deborah and Han Kim initially opened the tea room in Georgetown in February 2014, but they closed their doors in July 2020, citing lease issues.
The owners announced the relocation in November in an email sent to customers. The exact location of the tea room was not revealed in the email, but it did say that it will be somewhere along the waterfront in Old Town. (If their Facebook post provides a visual clue, it looks an awful lot like the Robinson Landing area.)
