Updated Thursday, Aug. 4 with photos from the ribbon cutting on Wednesday, Aug. 3:
At first glance, the brick façade of 110 S. Pitt St. is deceptively narrow and unassuming. If you have never been inside, you wouldn’t believe the building has been home to three successful restaurants, including Restaurant Eve, which closed its doors in 2019 after 14 years in business.
Jahmond Quander, along with Chef Sonny Tena, are now opening 1799 Prime at the location. 1799 Prime will serve carefully-crafted cocktails, prime steak, fresh seafood and a little something for every palate and preference. The restaurant will welcome guests starting Wednesday, Aug. 3 at 11 a.m.
While this will be the first restaurant Quander owns, his experience in restaurants is extensive. He has managed restaurants like Ted’s Montana Grill in Crystal City and was asked to take charge of the NYC location in Times Square. Other restaurants in his repertoire include Stoney River Steakhouse, PF Chang’s in Tysons and Famous Dave’s. He held the position of Director of Food and Beverage at Mount Vernon and recently managed Blackwall Hitch.
“It’s just a lot of experience, a wealth of knowledge and I said, you know, 'What now? It’s time to really put it to work and do this for myself,'” Quander said, speaking about the decision to open his own place. When he walked through 110 S. Pitt St. it “just felt right” and he and his business partner were able to negotiate to purchase the building.
He plans to bring the lessons he has learned from each restaurant to 1799 Prime.
“We want to create an experience. For me I’m always dining out, and when I dine out it’s, 'What did we enjoy most? Was the food great, was the service great, was the ambience great, what was it that brought it all together for me?' When I’m running a restaurant I just want to make sure I’m hitting on all the components. We’ve got to create an indelible experience for our guests,” Quander explained.
And he truly has thought through every detail from soft paper towels and hand lotion in the restrooms to serving special large cubed ice that won’t melt too fast or water down drinks.
The restaurant is not only the culmination of Quander’s 30-year career in the food industry, it is also the continuation of the legacy of the Quander family, one of the oldest-documented African-American families with branches living in Maryland and Virginia. Quander’s grandparents owned land on what is now Quander Road a few miles south of Old Town. Opening a restaurant in Alexandria is a return to his roots.
The Quanders originated from Ghana and were brought to America as slaves in the late 17th century, with some family members eventually ending up as slaves for George Washington at Mount Vernon. Quander wanted his first restaurant to reflect experience and struggles of his ancestors and chose the name 1799 because of this. “George Washington died December 14, 1799 and his will said his slaves would be free upon Martha Washington’s death, but 1799 was what gave them inspiration and hope of freedom. For me it just made sense that we were here in the ports of Alexandria and slaves down at Mount Vernon so I thought 1799 is fitting for me to name my first restaurant, this is our flagship location so I just wanted to make sure we do it right,” explained Quander.
On the left side of the building is a narrow, iron gate and passage which leads to the restaurant’s main entrance. Each room in the restaurant has been carefully designed to be its own unique microclimate with names that reflect the family’s history.
The Peacock lounge will be the site of happy hour specials on Monday through Friday from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. There will also be the Potomac room, the George Washington room which will have a fireplace lit in the chilly months, the Charles dining room and Elizabeth’s quarters, a private dining room that can seat 16 people. Seating will range from cozy booths to tables of various sizes, with a plush sofa in front of the fireplace.
Perhaps the restaurant’s most unique feature will be a large outdoor patio featuring an outdoor bar, plenty of tables and string lights. It is the only restaurant patio in Old Town that is not at all visible from the street, giving it the perfect privacy for events like weddings. Dean Norton, the Director or Horticulture at Mount Vernon planted some fresh herbs in planters along the patio, adding a special touch.
A mural by artist Sabrina Rupprecht hangs on the wall overlooking the patio. It depicts the Quander history beginning with a ship traveling from Ghana to America, Mount Vernon, Alexandria as an early seaport and finally a depiction of Quander in front of his new restaurant.
Quander loves steak and seafood and knew he wanted his first restaurant to reflect this. He is excited to serve steaks ranging from a 35 oz tomahawk, to ribeye and New York strip. Seafood highlights include the restaurant’s crab cakes and a large seafood tower, which will definitely be one of those items that people will ask about when they see a server bringing it out to another table.
Plant-based eaters don’t have to go hungry at 1799 Prime and they won’t only be offered the usual salad or side items. “We also wanted to add some diversity to the menu so we can also take care of vegetarians, we offer a grilled cauliflower steak with fresh pesto or chimichurri sauce or a veggie primavera,” said Quander.
The restaurant will offer a Sunday brunch buffet from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with live jazz music, and they are considering Sunday suppers where comfort food like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens, mac and cheese, bread pudding and fried liver will be served. 1799 Prime has an exciting list of cocktails and an extensive wine menu with a few wines available in 1.5 L and 3 L bottles.
Jeremy Davis will be the general manager of the restaurant. He has worked with Quander at three different restaurants in the past. Most recently Davis was living in Seattle but when Quander told him he was finally opening his own place he didn’t hesitate and told him “I’m in,” and moved across the country. Davis’ wife, Nari, is in charge of the private dining and events. Special menus for a three course lunch, cocktail reception, and three, four or five course dinners are available.
After experiencing some supply chain issues and a long permitting process, Quander, Tena, Davis and the rest of the team are finally ready to welcome guests next week. The restaurant has had no issues with staffing, a problem that has plagued many other dining establishments.
“We’re excited about the restaurant, we are excited about the location, we are excited about our guests coming in, the community had been overwhelmingly welcoming,” Quander remarked enthusiastically.
Their goal is to make everyone who comes into the restaurant feel special. Take a look at 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood’s menus on their website at 1799prime.com.
