While traveling might be on pause for the time being, that doesn’t mean your appetite isn’t up for a transcontinental culinary adventure. Find flavors from Beirut to Berlin and from Athens to Addis Ababa at these Alexandria, Virginia restaurants offering carryout and delivery. Whether you’re remembering a trip gone by, spicing things up with a themed dinner or just imagining yourself dining in a dream destination, read on for some mouthwatering menu options.
Ethiopia
Sample a smorgasbord of East African flavors when you order from Makeda Ethiopian Restaurantin Alexandria’s West End. Use the injera bread to scoop up the Taste of Makeda platter, praised by The Washington Post for its “concert of flavors,” including doro wot (a spiced chicken stew), awaze tibs (sauce-soaked leg of lamb) and more. Or, call Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant in Old Town for chicken infillay, beef alicha stew or a vibrant vegan sampler.
Vietnam
For a taste of Vietnam, try T-Zo Vietnamese Cuisine, which specializes in Northern Vietnamese cuisine and is located in Alexandria’s West End. Offerings include various vermicelli noodle dishes, stuffed spring and summer rolls and more. In Old Town, Sunday in Saigon serves up dishes such as bánh khot (savory mini crepes), bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls with sweet potato fritters) and phở. Check out their sister shop Yagút St. for everything from fresh-baked pastries to bubble tea-based cocktails to-go.
France
Old Town classic Fontaine’s mouthwatering menu transports diners to a continental café, with more than 20 crêpes options filled with flavors from Tuscany to Oslo to Paris. Plus, their new bulk to-go menu features a quiche and soup du jour, as well as entrees like coq au vain and beef bourguignon. Old Town North’s French fixture Bastille now serves up family-style dinners featuring a chef-selected entrée and dessert or cheese for two, along with a la carte options such as steak frites, French onion soup and beignets, plus an extensive list of wine bottles to-go. Or, imagine yourself spirited away to the French countryside as you savor a roasted pear salad, escargot with garlic butter and Bouillabaisse from Del Ray Café’s carryout dinner menu.
India
Try the under-$10 lunch special from Del Ray’s Spice Kraft Indian Bistro, available for carryout or delivery, featuring a customizable curry bowl with your preference of protein, sauce and spice level. For a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine, drop by curbside at Cameron Station’s Indochen for an order of biryani, a luscious, spiced rice dish packed with your meat of choice and topped off with a hunk of naan, plus malai cake for dessert.
Japan
Visit the pickup window at Momo Sushi & Café to get your sushi supply and satiate your sashimi craving. Still in a maki mood? Zento Japanese Restaurant in Old Town North has you covered with more roll combos plus udon noodles, umami-rich ramen, teriyaki and bento boxes.
Bolivia
Let your taste buds tour South America via Arlandria’s Silpancho’s House on Mount Vernon Ave. Order a bag of Bolivian specialties raved about by The Washington Post, including its name-sake dish, silpancho, a feast featuring steak Milanese atop rice and potatoes, decked out with diced peppers, tomatoes and red onions and topped off with fried eggs. Grab a few jam-packed salteñas, a sweet-and-savory pastry encasing a stew of meat, olives, raisins and potatoes, and don’t forget to add the green llajua salsa for a dash of color and heat. Sweeten the deal with Latin American flavors from nearby Veronica’s Bakery & Café for tres leches, Maria Luisa (a layer cake) and more bakes with Salvadorian, Mexican and Honduran infusions.
China
Dr. Zongmin Li brings the “soul food” of her childhood in China’s Yunnan Province all the way to Old Town North, and now, to your home. To develop Yunnan by Potomac’s menu, the owner/general manager and her team traveled to southwest China to sample mixian rice noodles and glean secrets from local chefs. The silky, gluten-free mixian noodles form the perfect base for braised beef, shiitake mushrooms and more comforting combos to warm you up as you hunker down.
Germany
Say “prost!” and place an order for German comfort food at Old House Cosmopolitan Grill. Choose between goulash, spätzle or cevapcici sausage and savor a slice of Black Forest cake. Capture the spirit of Oktoberfest at home with a trip to Village Brauhaus with Bavarian brews to go plus their “Grill at Home” Deals, which include a combination of pretzels, mustards, Kasekrainerwurst and more.
Nepal
Longing for a Himalayan escape? Arlandria’s very own Himalayan-Nepalese hideaway, Royal Nepal, has everything you need, having earned rave reviews since its 2017 opening, including a coveted spot on the Washington Post’s Best Casual Restaurants round-up. Order from the main menu for golden-brown momos, steamed dumplings stuffed with yak or goat and accented with tomato sauce (plus cocktails to go). Royal Nepal’s lunch meals to go, also available for delivery, come with rice, mixed vegetables, roasted chicken, daal, pickle and Royal Nepal’s ever-popular sel roti (sweet rice bread).
Italy
For ready-made Italian comfort food to pick up and bake at home, visit The Italian Place’s pickup window. Choose from take-and-bake meat lasagna, minestrone and Italian wedding soups, fresh pasta and sauces, hearty subs plus sweet treats like bombolini and a game-changing Nutella pizza. Aldo’s Italian Kitchen in Eisenhower serves up satisfying meatballs, loaded linguine, antipasti and pizza fresh out of the oven. Craving calzones? Based on Duke Street, Quattro Formaggi’s Italian eats include stuffed calzones, warm paninis, plus deals including 10% off any orders over $25, and buy one pizza, get the second at half off.
Lebanon
For a taste of Lebanon in your living room, build your own mezze platter from The Pita House, loaded with house-made hummus, baba ganoush, labneh yogurt dip and more, plus the namesake bread for scooping. Then, try the chicken souvlaki sandwich with fries on the side. Or, opt for Zikrayet’s falafel wrap, beef shawarma entrée or a lamb kabob sandwich to leave you satisfied.
Greece
Feeding your family? Order a crowd-pleasing, Greek-inspired four-person meal from Delia’s Mediterranean Grill, with combos ranging from gyros to chicken souvlaki to pizza and wings and more to tide you over as you dream of dining seaside in Mykonos.
Find more inspiration for food, drinks and Alexandria activities to enjoy at home at ALXatHome.com.
Header Image Credits, from left to right: Korean Husband Hong Kong Wife; London Curry House (now Indochen); Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria
