Restaurant Review: Vola’s Dockside Grill

Location: 101 North Union Street (on the water behind the Torpedo Factory), Alexandria VA 22314

Phone: (703) 935-8890

Website: http://volasdockside.com/

Style of Food: Seafood/American Comfort

Owner & Chef:  Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP)

Reservations: Accepted via phone or online via OpenTable or company website

Private Dining: Available

Parking: Street parking or garage

Metro Accessible: King Street Metro is the closest, there is a free Old Town Trolley which will bring you down to the water front (and back to the metro), otherwise it is a healthy walk or a quick Uber/Lyft ride

Dress Code: Casual

Other Locations: Virtue Feed & Grain, Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap, Palette 22, and The Majestic are apart of the same restaurant group

Noteworthy Mentions: The restaurant is named for Vola Lawson, a community activist who was Alexandria’s chief administrative officer from 1985 to 2000 and helped stabilize the city’s finances while championing affordable housing, minority hiring and women’s rights. She passed away from cardiac arrest on December 10, 2013 at her home in Alexandria. She was 79.

Booze: It’s a small menu which does include a couple draft beers but mostly bottled and canned offerings. There are about 20 glasses of wine served by the glass. There are two cocktails “on draft” as well as two frozen options.

Review: 

My two friends arrived before me and they had already acquired a table in the bar area so I did not interact with the hosts. I did monitor them throughout the meal and they seemed engaged with guests and the manager. The layout of the restaurant is typical with a mixture of high top tables, a bar counter top, and lower tables which can be rearranged to fit larger parties. The tables are a little close to each other but this is quite a small restaurant/bar; I will comment that the bar stools are actually very comfortable (I’m short so bar stools can sometimes be an issue for me comfort-wise). We came for brunch around 12noon so the lighting was up, but the restaurant is also basically all windows so the natural light was appreciated. It is scenic as the restaurant is located along the Potomac River and boats are docked there year round. There is patio seating available as well and they do have gas heaters should a diner want to sit out there during a chillier time of year. Music was playing softly in the background and you only heard it if you really listened. Although the restaurant filled, and refilled (we were there for a few hours), the noise level was moderate to quiet and conversation was easy.

I did not get our servers name, but he was fantastic. Incredibly attentive, understood we were there to have a fun brunch with a friend who was visiting from out of state. Turned out I actually knew one of the servers (he was a previous employee of mine, his name is Jonathan, he’s a fantastic person to have take care of you) and he stopped over to say hello as did the manager numerous times. They all established a nice rapport with us. I could hear the manager having positive interactions with guests and the employees. Unfortunately, where we were sat was close to service bar so we overheard one disgruntled female server who literally complained the entire time that we were there. One of my friends is also in the industry so she was distracted/entertained by this.

Brunch beverages, Dockside Mary, Sail Away with Me, Vola goes to Mexico, Day at the Beach, and Alexandria Sunrise are $7.00 – $8.00 with $4.00 refills (which we absolutely took advantage of). One of my friends had the Sail Away with Me which is made with prosecco, cranberry juice, passionfruit, and triple sec commented that it was sweet but enjoyable. She did water it down a few times to reduce the sweetness. My other friend and I had the bloody mary. It’s a homemade bloody mix which has chunks of tomatoes in it so it definitely has some crushed canned tomatoes in it in addition to tomato juice, a lot of celery salt and black pepper. They use New Amsterdam Vodka which is painful to drink but the bloody mix actually covered up the burn. They garnish the tiki glass with an old bay rim and a skewer which has a piece of pickle, a piece of poached shrimp, and a full banana pepper on it. It was like an amuse bouche in every glass. The pickles are to die for (if you enjoy spicy, because they are hot). Our server was fantastic and brought us more pickles upon request and then upon every refill he added extra pickles. Sounds weird, but oh so good.

We ordered the Conch Fritters, $11, which came with Key Lime Mustard Sauce (yummy!) and a Chipotle Cocktail Sauce which tasted more like ketchup with smoked paprika, we didn’t really use that sauce. The fritters looked a little overdone but they were perfectly cooked on the inside and did a have a good amount of diced conch inside, it wasn’t all dough. The three of us ordered three different entrees so that we could share. Our out of town friend ordered the Shrimp & Grits for $17 which had grilled shrimp, anson mills grits, andouille sausage, roasted tomatoes, low country gravy. She devoured it as well as Snapped it. I felt that the grits were not ground fine enough and were a bit al dente for my preference. My other friend ordered the Crab Cake Benedict for $17 which consisted of poached eggs, buttermilk biscuits, old bay hollandaise, hash browns. The crab cake was mostly lump crab and not much filler. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly. I had the Chicken & Biscuits, $14, which was fried chicken breast, cream gravy, hash browns. The chicken was perfectly fried, not greasy, and still tender (a breast can easily be over cooked and dry). The gravy wasn’t salty and it was the right amount for the dish. The biscuits on my dish and the Benedict were flaky and buttery but I felt they were a little underdone. The hash browns we could have done without as well. I’m pretty sure they’re prepackaged frozen shredded potatoes which came out a bit cold on the plate and you can tell are an after thought compared to the main components on the plate.

Overall, the food and drinks were what was expected but the service was the wow factor. This is a place I could easily become a regular at.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Left Over Rice Fried Rice

SERVES: 4 – 6

Serve as a side or a main course.

Ingredients

• 1 quart left over White or Brown Rice
• 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce or Oyster Sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Unseasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece Ginger, minced
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Mixed Vegetables (my favorite mix is carrots, peas, onion, mushroom)
• 1 cup diced Protein (my favorite is shrimp and pork)
• Salt and Black Pepper, for seasoning

Suggested Vegetables, minced, diced, or kept whole depending on the size of the vegetable: carrots, peas, onions, leeks, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, baby corn, green beans, bean sprouts

Suggested Proteins, minced, diced, or kept whole depending on the size: shrimp, pork, chicken, tofu, thinly sliced beef

Instructions

1. To a hot pan, add sesame oil and vegetable oil
2. Add garlic and ginger
3. Depending on the cook time for chosen vegetables, add vegetables in different stages (i.e. carrots take longer to cook than peas)
4. Depending on the cook time for chosen proteins, add proteins in different stages
5. Add mirin
6. Season mixture with salt and pepper
7. Add rice, making sure to break up any clumps
8. Add vinegar and cover pan to allow for steam to develop to help rehydrate left over rice
   • If these isn’t enough steam from the mirin and vinegar, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth/stock
9. Allow the rice to steam for a least 5 minutes
10. Remove the lid
11. Add sugar, hoisin, and soy sauce
12. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
13. Push rice to create a well in the center of the pan
14. Add eggs
15. Stir to create scrambled eggs and mix in to the rice

Black Garlic Chicken Thighs

Notes:

• Prepare the chicken ahead of time, at least 6 hours or one day.
• You can find black garlic on Amazon or other sites; I prefer buying the full bulbs over a paste or pre-peeled cloves.

SERVES: 4 – 8

Ingredients:

• 8 Chicken Thighs (about 3 ½ lbs) or preferred chicken cut/whole chicken
• Salt and Black Pepper, for seasoning
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 bulb Black Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 1 tbsp Molasses
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp Korean Chili Flakes or Aleppo Pepper
• 2 Green Onions, chopped for garnish
• 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, toasted

Instructions:

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs
2. Season both sides of the thighs with salt and pepper
3. In a large zip lock bag or dish, combine all the ingredients to create the marinade
4. Add the chicken thighs and marinate overnight or at least for 6 hours; when ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator about 10 minutes prior to cooking
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F
6. Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, into a baking dish
7. Bake for 20 minutes
8. Turn the oven to a High Broil
9. Broil until the chicken is browned, but not burned, about 10 minutes
10. Set the oven back to bake at 325°F, while the chicken is still in the oven, and cook for up to 20 more minutes
11. Baste the chicken with pan juices at least once during the 20 minutes
12. Temp the chicken, it should be at least 165°F (if using another cut of chicken other than the thighs, cooking times will vary)
13. Remove the chicken to a platter
14. Carefully taste the pan drippings and adjust seasoning if necessary
15. Pour sauce over chicken
16. Garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Suggested Sides: rice pilaf, white or brown rice, rice noodles, stir fried vegetables, steamed edamame

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

SERVES: 10 – 15

Ingredients

• 6 large Russet Potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, cut into even pieces
• 1 stick butter, room temperature, cut into fourths
• 4 tbsp Kosher Salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 tbsp Black Pepper
• 1 head Garlic, roasted, minced
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• ¼ cup Half and Half or Sour Cream
• 1 bunch Scallions, chopped
• 6 pieces Bacon, cooked, diced
• 8 oz Sharp Cheddar, shredded

Instructions

1. Add cleaned and cut Russet potatoes to salted cold water in a large pot
2. Bring water to a boil
3. While waiting for the water to boil, prep the bacon, scallions, garlic, and cheese
4. Cook potatoes for 15 – 20 minutes checking periodically for the potatoes to be fork tender
5. Drain potatoes and return immediately to the hot pot to remove any excess water still on the potatoes
6. Start to mash the potatoes with a masher
7. Add butter
8. Taste potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste
9. Add in garlic, milk, half and half/sour cream
10. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
11. Reserve 1 tablespoon each of chopped scallions and bacon and mix together
12. Add remaining scallions and bacon to mash
13. Add 4 – 6 ounces of cheese to the mash, reserving the rest
14. Pour mashed potatoes into an oven safe casserole or baking dish
15. Top mash with reserved cheese
16. Set oven broiler to high
17. Brown the cheese by rotating the dish under the broiler being careful to not burn the cheese
18. Remove from the oven and top with reserved bacon and scallions for garnish
19. Serve immediately or reheat in a low oven

Notes: Do not use a blender, robot coup, or immersion blender to mash the potatoes. This will make them gummy or gluey. Hand mash with a masher or use a ricer.

Extras: Use the bacon fat instead of the butter or any cheese that melts well instead of cheddar.

Beyond a “Foodie”

Hi all and welcome to our first post on our first blog! My mom, Laurie, and I have been talking about writing a Review/Cook Book blog for years, so here we finally are. On this blog you’ll find critiques of restaurants, bars, or hotels that we visit across the United States (and potentially beyond!) and instructions and pictures to our family recipes.

A little about us. My brother, Jason, and I are first generation American for our family. Our traditions are rooted in our Eastern European genes and we embrace being first gen, and half Canadian (dad’s the Canuck)! Laurie is the Executive Director and CEO for the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions and in her previous life, owned and operated Physical Therapy practices for over 30 years. I have worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 16 years and have written and published one cookbook and currently I am working on two simultaneously. I hope to try out a lot of those recipes on you all!

We look forward to reading your feedback, answering any questions, and sharing our experiences with you.

Cheers!

L & A