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Old Town Alexandria is alive with Revolutionary War history.

photo from City of Alexandria

Old Town Alexandria -- which is celebrating its 250th anniversary -- offers a gracious yet contemporary mix of politics, history, art and food. The town has a European feel. Walk into any antique store and at least one person on staff speaks with a foreign accent.

One of the more colorful characters is Countess Patricia D'Arascu, who holds court at European Interiors on King Street, the main drag. The countess once owned a boutique in Georgetown and "had the pleasure to dress Jacqueline Kennedy." She then moved on to antiques and Alexandria, where her salon groans with heavy 18th and 19th century antiques and Italian-made reproductions. "Louis XV -- we love that period," purrs the countess, prowling between leopard-covered stools and ornate chandeliers.

The other requisite store fixture is a pampered pooch. Spaniels appear to be the dog du jour, but any pup with personality seems to pass muster. And it's a good sales ploy: Customers tend to remember individual stores by their dogs, and the friendly pooches are great for distracting children while parents browse. Boxwood Antiques and Fine Art has two adorable Jack Russell terriers, not to mention a fine collection of 18th and 19th century English and American furniture, silver and porcelain.

Architectural antiques and accessory stores also abound in Old Town. Cielo is slightly off the beaten track, but it's a favorite of locals. Atlas, the owners' British bulldog, may greet you, jowls a-slobbering. Don't be skittish or you'll give yourself away as a tourist. These shops and several others are within reasonable walking distance, and detailed maps are available from the Ramsay House Visitors Center on King Street.

Beyond the omnipresent antiques and home-accessory stores, there are a number of memorable boutiques and specialty shops. Fetch is a bakery for dogs that sells more than 100 different gourmet treats plus leashes, bedding, bowls and canine clothing. The friendly staff seems to give away more doggie bones than they sell. Firehook Bakery and Coffee House is the United Nations of bakeries. It sells Pane Italiano, Swiss Farmer, Russian Black Bread, Pan Cubano, Irish Oatmeal and Brioche, to name a few. Loaves are baked daily, except Mondays, by head baker and co-owner Gene Gathright, who avoids oils, butter, eggs, milk and commercial yeast in most of his breads.

Loaves in hand, head one block east to the waterfront to feed the seagulls and watch the world go by. The Potomac River is a constant draw for locals and tourists alike. Many come to visit the nearby Torpedo Factory Art Center, a vast building constructed during World War I that once manufactured torpedo shell cases. It now houses about 200 artists, their studios and galleries.

If you're athletically inclined, there's more walking or jogging to do. Set off from the Torpedo Factory on a path that follows the Potomac north toward D.C. or south toward the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The north route passes the Cherry Blossom paddle steamer, which is available for charter, and the sculptures at TransPotomac Plaza before opening onto an expanse of grassy verge. This stretch, which is about two miles from the starting point, takes in a view of the capital and links up with the scenic George Washington Parkway.

If that's too far for you to walk, take a leisurely architectural tour. Alexandria has one of the strictest architectural review boards in the nation, which has ensured the preservation of fabulous 18th, 19th and 20th century structures. Highlights include Christ Church, where George Washington and Robert E. Lee worshipped; a 1795 Federal townhouse that was Lee's boyhood home; The Lyceum, an 1839 Greek Revival building that houses Alexandria's history museum; and the historic Carlyle House, which was built in 1752 by Scottish merchant John Carlyle. This summer the city is unveiling a 22-mile historical walking/biking tour that will take in these and many more architectural gems.

If all this exploring seems enervating, never fear: Alexandria has an abundance of places to boost your energy reserves. My favorite pit-stop for coffee, croissant and cakes is Misha's cafe. This few-frills cafe does a roaring trade with locals looking for a quiet place to read The New York Times or trawl the Internet on their laptops.

A world of choice exists for lunch or dinner: Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, French, American, Creole, seafood, burgers or any fusion of the above. For dinner, we chose a restaurant called Geranio.

The new co-owner and chef, Troy C. Clayton, came highly recommended and has an excellent culinary pedigree. Clayton trained and worked in Europe, spending a couple of years in London working with British celebrity chef Anthony Worrell Thompson. Back in the United States, Clayton was at Jean Louis Palladin's Resto Des Amis in Atlanta before becoming executive chef at the Market Street Bar and Grill in the Hyatt Regency Reston. In 1996, he joined Steak Around, a carryout and delivery service in the metropolitan D.C. area. But Clayton missed the kitchen: "It was time to go back to serious food," he explains. So he bought Geranio on Sept 1.

When we visited, his new menu was not yet complete, but Clayton prepared a five-course meal that reflected his style. The feast started with an appetizer of bacon-wrapped scallops. While delicious, they were a tad salty and left a bizarre aftertaste of liver. Perhaps it was the wine, a White Horse Pinot Blanc 1997. Next was a disappointing seafood and shrimp bisque that was all but forgotten when the next course arrived: a parmesan risotto with white truffle. It was delicately flavored, delightfully earthy and very rich. The main course of grilled sea bass with wilted spinach, saffron rice and pepper sauce was like a trophy wife -- perfectly accessorized but a bit boring. Nevertheless, it was memorable because the sea bass was exceptionally fresh, robust and sweet, and perfectly accompanied by caramelized onions.

Our girths now groaning, we were presented with creme brulee for dessert. Served in an oval dish, the crunchy, baked surface looked like a frozen Lake Chernobyl. Once cracked, the very vanilla brulee was a real winner with sweet tooths at the table. Which meant, of course, that to work off the evening's repast we'd need to do a few more walking tours.

© April 1999, Media General Business Publications Inc.,
publisher of Virginia Business Magazine