Elaine's Restaurant Brings Alexandria, Egypt To Alexandria, Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Food from the other Alexandria — from Egypt — is coming to Alexandria, Virginia as Elaine's Restaurant opens Monday.

Elaine’s Restaurant will open at 208 Queen Street, an 1880 building that was the former location of Bilbo Baggins. The restaurant, which was named after Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit," had been open for 40 years before closing in 2020, as reported by Alexandria Living Magazine.

Elaine's specializes in modern Mediterranean food with a focus on Alexandria, Egypt. As a child growing up in Cairo, Egypt, the owner promised her grandmother she would open a restaurant and name it after the grandmother.

That promise is being fulfilled as Elaine's opens with a menu inspired by family recipes. The menu starts off with sharable mezza such as hummus, Egyptian-picked vegetables and baba ganoush. Cairo's vegetable soup, salads and appetizers like Egyptian stuffed cabbage round out the starter options.

Main courses from the grill include beef and lamb kofta skewers; chicken shish tawook tzatziki, A Lebanese grilled chicken with spices, tzatziki sauce and pita; and Alexandrian grilled branzino, stuffed with vegetables and served with chermoula sauce and zesty potato salad. Some of the key entrées include Alexandrian head on shrimp with bell peppers and garlic tomato sauce with Egyptian fisherman rice; cornish hen with white wine lemon butter sauce and grilled vegetables; and koshari with layered lentils, rice, toasted vermicelli, chickpeas, garlic tomato sauce and fried onions. Sandwich options like chicken shawarma, steak shisk kebob, and falafel can also be ordered.

For dessert, crème caramel, baklava and chocolate cake are on the menu. The drink menu includes draft and bottled beers, wines, cocktails and spirits. A brunch menu is also available.

Along with operating as a restaurant, Elaine's will offer space for literary events and writers' book launches. The restaurant will also host monthly author interviews and a Prose on the Potomac series with guest writers reading short stories.

For more information, visit www.elaines-restaurant.com.