New Steak Restaurant Coming to Old Town Alexandria

Michael Nayeri got his start in the kitchen in the ‘80s, with award-winning uber-Chef Roberto Donna when they worked together at a restaurant called Romeo and Juliet in DC, and later at the famed Galileo restaurant.

Eleven years ago on Christmas Eve, Nayeri opened A La Lucia, at 315 Madison St. in Alexandria, named for his wife and serving up mainly Italian food.

Now, Nayeri has big plans to open a steak house in Old Town, at 1106 King St. The name of the eatery is under wraps at the moment. He’s shooting for an opening in early 2015.

Nayeri is in the process of changing the restaurant’s interior, to make it more warm and inviting, he said. A cocktail lounge will be located upstairs with a small dining area, with the main dining room located at street level and courtyard dining during the warmer months on the inviting patio.

He plans to use Angus beef from Roseda Farm in Maryland and Creekstone Farms in Kansas. Steaks will be seasoned with rosemary and garlic and flame cooked over a 600-degree charcoal grill. Nayeri says his personal favorite cut is bone-in New York strip.

In addition to steaks, seafood will also be featured on the menu including grilled calamari, oysters, crab cocktail and more.

Nayeri hopes to begin hiring soon; he’s waiting on the usual applications and licenses to go through.

The location was the former home of Notting Hill; prior to that it was home to Le Gaulois, which closed in 2009.