Photo by Steve Vilnit
Gabe and Katherine Thompson, owners of Thompson Italian in Falls Church, plan to open a second location, in Alexandria.
Husband and wife team Gabe and Katherine Thompson have set their sights on an early January opening for the second location of their Falls Church-based eponymous eatery Thompson Italian.
The celebrated family-friendly restaurant will occupy the former Hank’s Oyster Bar space at 1024 King St. in Old Town.
“We love living and working in Northern Virginia, and we’re thrilled to open a spot in one of our favorite neighborhoods,” Katherine said. “We finally found the perfect location after more than a year of searching, and we’re so in love with the quirky, charming space.”
The Thompsons are particularly drawn to the community feel in Old Town because they want a space that matches their casual vibe and family-friendly menu. Like their Falls Church location, they envision the Alexandria restaurant to be a place that feels right for date night, drinks with friends at the bar or a dinner out with the kids.
“It’s always been our goal to create a restaurant where people can stop in for a great meal and a glass of wine without fuss,” Katherine said. “You can feel the heart, soul and history in Old Town, so we feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to open in a place that’s so full of character.”
The Alexandria menu will showcase a few of the signature dishes from the original Falls Church restaurant — like Rigatoni, Spaghetti, Roasted Garlic Bread and Katherine’s famous Olive Oil Cake — but most of the menu will be unique and dishes will rotate with the seasons.
Photo by Steve Vilmit
An interior view of Thompson Italian, opening soon in Old Town Alexandria.
“There will be an even bigger focus on handmade pastas in Alexandria and we’ll also serve some great seafood, like crudo and whole roasted fish,” Gabe said.
Diners can also expect to try some Italian classics reimagined with Middle Eastern flavors thanks to the influence of Executive Chef Lucy Dakwar, who drew upon her Palestinian heritage to help shape the menu. Dakwar previously served as Chef de Cuisine at Thompson Italian in Falls Church and has worked with Gabe and Katherine since their days in New York City.
“I’m excited to be able to put a little of my culture on the menu in Alexandria. Think dishes with things like dukkah, tahini, braised lamb and spices, but with classic Italian preparations,” Dakwar said. “They’ve been some of our most popular specials in Falls Church so it will be fun to have more opportunities to explore new flavors in Alexandria.”
To manage the Alexandria expansion, the Thompsons will call upon their experience leading multiple successful restaurants in Manhattan. The two met while working together in New York and wrote the bestseller Downtown Italian.
Photo by Steve Vilnit
Thompson Italian will open in early January in the location formerly occupied by Hank's Oyster Bar on King Street in Alexandria.
After Katherine and Gabe honed their culinary skills at some of New York City’s top-rated restaurants like Michelin three-starred Le Bernardin and Per Se, they ventured out as chef-owners of popular Italian spots L’Artusi, Anfora, and L’Apicio, which is where Dakwar began her culinary career as a line cook under Gabe’s tutelage.
“This will be the first time we’ve opened a restaurant that isn’t a completely new concept,” Katherine said. “But Thompson Italian isn’t just a restaurant for us, it’s truly our second home. It just felt right to continue to build on what we’ve created in Falls Church, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have Lucy lead our team in Alexandria as we continue on this journey because she’s been a part of our restaurant family since the very beginning.”
Like the Falls Church location, Katherine led the restaurant’s redesign. The 4,000-square-foot space offers 77 seats in the dining room with an additional 20 seats in the bar. The dining area will feature natural wood tables and flooring, gold mirrors, and leather banquettes. Katherine kept the original brick wall intact to showcase floral artwork by her friend Dana McClure, an upstate New York artist who co-owns the flower and produce farm Ravenwood. The Alexandria location will also feature neon signage in the bar, similar to the now-famous purple Pasta Power sign that adorns the wall in Falls Church.
“Guests will recognize a few things from Falls Church, but we describe them as sisters, not twins,” Katherine said. “We were intentional about keeping some of the original elements from Hank’s, including the beautiful marble bar.”
The restaurant is now in its final phase of build out and permitting, and the team is currently hiring and training staff. It is expected to open in early January 2023.
Their Falls Church eatery has earned numerous accolades since opening in 2019, including spots on the Washington Post, Washingtonian and Northern Virginia Magazine Best Restaurant lists, and a James Beard nomination for Katherine for Outstanding Pastry Chef of the Year.
For more information, visit thompsonitalian.com.
