Alexandria Living Magazine
Chef Randall J. Matthews
Ada’s on the River will open its doors Thursday, Jan. 14 at 3 Pioneer Mill Way at Robinson Landing on the Alexandria waterfront.
"This is the biggest and most grandiose project we've done to date," said Dave Nicholas, a partner with Alexandria Restaurant Partners.
"When we started, this was a piece of dirt," he said. "It was a dilapidated warehouse. We backed out a couple of times. We thought originally this might be too far south; it's not King and Union, but it's awesome. The pedestrian traffic is amazing."
"There's no better view in Old Town than this," he noted. "When you stand down at the pier there, it's an awesome view."
"We've elevated the food to something Alexandria and possibly DC hasn't seen before."
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Ada’s on the River’s kitchen is led by Maryland-native Chef Randall J. Matthews and its menus will feature a selection of wood-fired prime steaks, fresh seafood and vegetarian dishes. Ada’s will open with dinner-only for the first week and then extend into offering lunch and weekend brunch toward the end of January. Matthews said he stokes the fire with mesquite charcoal and applewood.
Matthews was inspired by his mom's cooking, which included a mushroom lasagna she cooked on Sundays that was created to last for several days. It's on the menu.
The name of the restaurant (for mathematician Ada Lovelace) came together in 2019, ARP partner Scott Shaw said. "For this one, two big trends were going on as we were pondering names... Alexandria had a growing reputation as a tech center, a big part of the Amazon HQ2 center, and the 'me too' movement was front and center. And we thought 'Why don't we celebrate women and technology?'"
The restaurant is creating scholarships for girls interested in science and technology at T.C. Williams and for Alexandria elementary-age students.
ARP owns and operates Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Vola’s Dockside Grill & Hi-Tide, Theismann’s Restaurant, Palette 22, The Majestic, Riverside Taco Company and BARCA Wine Bar (opening spring of 2021 at Robinson Landing), as well as Mia’s Italian Kitchen and Café Tu Tu Tango in Orlando, Fla.
This latest restaurant concept is built around the custom wood-burning oven while drawing inspiration from the ingenuity of Lovelace, one of the greatest mathematicians of the 19th century.
On the opening menu, guests will find starters like Lamb Carpaccio, Grilled Octopus or Coal-Roasted Chicken Thighs and Salads such as Charred Gem Lettuce, Shaved Brussels & Apple and “The Wedge” with the option to add proteins like Coal-fired Tri-Tip or Arctic Char. Entrées include Moules Frites, Roasted Scallops and the House-Ground Prime Dry-Aged Burger. Vegetarian options include Fried Cauliflower, Coal-fired Mushroom “Lasagna” and Stuffed Delicata Squash.
Alexandria Living Magazine
Ada's on the River
A Custom-Aged Prime Beef section on the menu will be served a la carte with garlic maître butter ranging from a 10 oz 45-day Tri-Tip to a 24-oz, 90-day Double-Aged Porterhouse. Bordelaise, Fermented Garlic, Chimichurri, Béarnaise, Foyot and Brandy-Peppercorn Sauces come on the side.
A menu dedicated to dishes from the wood-burning oven include coal-fired meats and seafood such as a 13-ounce grain-fed Veal Tomahawk, Live Maine Lobster, Swordfish Steak, as well as coal-fired vegetables such as Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Ember-Cooked Broccolini Slow-Cooked Cabbage, Whole Oyster and Mushrooms. See the entire menu here.
The restaurant's soaring windows offer panoramic views of the Potomac River.
Ada's on the River will initially be open for dinner only with hours from 4 - 10 p.m.
