Photo courtesy of Alexandria Restaurant Partners
Rendering of interior, Ada's on the River, design by HapstakDemetriou+
In a hopeful sign for the future of Alexandria's business climate, plans are underway for the opening in January 2021 of Ada's on the River, a new waterfront restaurant, according to Alexandria Restaurant Partners.
The upscale-casual concept restaurant on the waterfront, at the new residential development Robinson Landing, is centered on the concept of the wood-burning fire as gathering place for friends and family, according to ARP.
The kitchen will be helmed by Chef Randall J. Matthews, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Ada's menu will offer grilled seafood and steaks and a full bar. Matthews said January will be a soft opening so the restaurant can gear up and prepare for larger crowds in the spring.
"I think that this restaurant is really going to change the game for not only Old Town but also just the metropolitan area," he said in a recent interview with Alexandria Living. "There's nothing really like it right now. You can literally take your boat up and stop in for some shellfish or a steak, and then get back in your boat."
Matthews' background includes stints at The Greenbrier, St. Anselm, Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel D.C., and as corporate chef for the Mina Group.
Named for Ada Lovelace, the famous mathematician and innovator, Ada’s On the River will feature custom-painted portraits of Ada, as well as the poet Lord Byron (Ada’s father), and Ada’s contemporaries — Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, and Emily and Charlotte Bronte.
Matthews said the name of the restaurant reminds him of the strong women in his own life, namely his mother and his grandmother.
"My mom was the oldest of her siblings, she had five younger brothers," said Matthews, one of four boys growing up in District Heights, Md. He went on to play NCAA Division III football at Wesley College in Delaware before deciding to turn in his helmet for a chef's toque.
The restaurant will feature seating for 105 outside and 162 seats inside, including a 32-seat private dining room. The interior, designed by interior design firm Hapstak Demetrios, will feature a "warm, clean and modern look" in keeping with the overall feel of the building. Fifteen-foot floor-to-ceiling windows will provide a view to the Potomac River unlike any other.
A companion restaurant, Barca Wine Bar + Pier, will open in late spring 2021.
Matthews said January will be a soft opening so the restaurant can gear up and prepare for larger crowds in the spring.
The menu at the main restaurant is expected to be somewhat similar to ARP's Majestic restaurant, at 901 King St. The eatery will offer an extensive appetizer list and wine selections. The restaurant will feature background music and there may occasionally be un-amplified live music.
