Kiln’s Open-Hearth Cooking Ignites a New Kind of Flavor for Old Town | Eater DC

"Walking through the hotel's pristine lobby, I was drawn to a warm-amber dining room where Kiln — the month-old flagship restaurant at 699 Prince Street in Alexandria — emphasizes open flame, smoke, and char, a concept inspired by Alexandria’s first documented potter, Henry Piercy. Under executive chef Matthew Maienshein (who previously worked at several Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurants) and director of food and beverage Betty Woodward, Kiln aims to be a neighborhood restaurant and a comfortable 'third space' with confident, wood-fired cooking that highlights mid-Atlantic ingredients. The menu features snapper crudo, local turnips and clams, olde salt oysters, charred asparagus, and an 18-hour cabbage with ember-roasted vegetable purée and pickled mustard seeds; the unexpected standout for me is the Maryland catfish (served with spring onion, crispy potato, and smoked butter) delivered fresh daily from local purveyor Profish. Larger sharable plates include a Mosner Farms whole lamb rack ($84) and a Shook Farms 28-ounce strip loin ($92), and seasonal cocktails skew spicy and smoky (for example the Acrobat and Harry’s Style). Kiln also serves coffee and pastries 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and dinner Tuesday–Saturday 5–10 p.m., with reservations available on OpenTable." - Mekita Rivas