More details are coming in about The Mill, the new waterfront restaurant coming to 10 Duke St. at the Robinson Landing site.
A James Beard Award-winning chef, John Currence, will take the helm when the restaurant opens in October 2021, according to owner Murray Bonitt, an Alexandria-based developer and custom boutique builder.
Currence is an acclaimed Southern chef, restaurateur and cookbook author.
The warehouse building will be renovated to operate a market and casual dining restaurant in which Currence will be the chef de cuisine.
Currence, one of the country’s most celebrated Southern chefs, is a New Orleans native best known for his thoughtful and inventive cuisine at City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi. Opened in 1992, the restaurant brought fine dining to the Deep South town and earned Currence the 2009 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South.
Currence’s influence on Southern culture has expanded as he’s continued to open new restaurants, including: Snackbar, Bouré, and Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford. The from-scratch breakfast concept has recently become a major focus for Currence, expanding into new locations in Birmingham, Florence (Alabama), Homewood (Alabama), Charleston, Nashville and Inlet Beach (Florida).
Always eager to share his experience with others, Currence has also been nominated for James Beard awards for both of his cookbooks: Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey (2013) and Big Bad Breakfast (2016) and was awarded the Guardian of the Tradition award by the Southern Foodways Alliance.
When Bonitt was putting together the concept for the site, he knew he wanted to emulate some of the great food scenes that had developed in Charleston, S.C., and reached out to his longtime friend Rick Jerue, who is chief of staff to the mayor of Charleston, and founder of the annual
Charleston Food and Wine Festival.
“I really wanted to bring some of that Charleston food vibe to Alexandria, and Rick is widely credited with helping “up” the food game in Charleston,” Bonitt said in a news release. “So, I contacted him and told him what I was up to and he said, I’ve got the perfect guy for you, but he’s not from Charleston, he’s from Oxford, Mississippi and his name is John Currence.”
Jerue made the connection. It so happened that Bonitt’s son Daniel is a student at Ole Miss University, and Bonitt had eaten at virtually all of John’s venues and says he was blown away by the food. “When I visit my son in Oxford, the only place he wants me to take him is one of John’s places, so I was familiar with his food," Bonitt said.
"When I heard from Murray and he explained the vision of The Mill at 10 Duke and the role I would play in bringing the culinary experience and culture to Alexandria, I was immediately on board,” said Currence. “Coming to Alexandria and helping Murray and the team bring this exciting opportunity to life is something I’m proud to be a part of in this historic, waterfront community.”
The two-story, 6,400 square-foot warehouse once served as a coopers shop, which made wooden barrels for the Alexandria Flour Company, at the adjacent Pioneer Mills. Around 1864, the building was used as a mess house and commissary by the Union Army and was also used once as a place of comfort and food for weary troops.
“People are not only going to love the food John brings to Alexandria, but I think the city will adopt him quickly as one of their own,’” said Bonitt. “He’s talented, funny and approachable. He’s wired right and will make a great addition to the team and the community.”
Bonitt, an award-winning builder who specializes in historic preservation through adaptive re-use, is purchasing the property from 2 Duke Street LLC, an EYA LLC development entity. Bonitt and his firm are behind several notable preservation projects in Old Town such as restaurants Virtue Feed & Grain and The Majestic Café and are skilled in successfully re-purposing historic buildings as gathering places.
The Mill at 10 Duke will also include a market and will offer coffee, pastries, prepared foods, beer and wine for community residents.
Bonitt noted that he plans to survey the residents of the southeast quadrant of Old Town to see what they would like the market to carry, and he plans a vigorous carry-out program for the restaurant which will be handled through the market for busy neighbors to pick up.
The balance of the first floor will have a casual tavern feel to it with repurposed materials creating a warm rustic urban feel. Upstairs will feature an indoor fire-pit with sofa lounge, an open kitchen with seating, communal tables, a bar that opens to the balcony and outdoor seating. The upstairs will be designed for private events perfect for intimate receptions and parties.
Bonitt looks forward to introducing Currence to the community as they collaborate on the concept. The project is scheduled to open in October 2021.
