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"In Del Ray I found a new outdoor drinking venue that encourages day drinking with 26 draft lines dedicated to Virginia beers and cocktails and a menu of drinking snacks with Asian flourishes. Opened last week at 1503 Mt. Vernon Avenue, it’s the third bar and restaurant chef Justus Frank and GM Jeremy Barber have opened in the past three years. The Garden opens at 9 a.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. every other day, and pours classics like a German lager (Weihenstephaner), a Brugse Zot blonde, and a $5 pilsner from the Lion Brewery in Pennsylvania alongside local offerings such as a Solace session IPA, a Port City American Pale Ale, an Aslin American IPA (Aslin has a new Alexandria taproom), and a fruited sour from D.C.’s 3 Stars Brewing Company. Some taps are reserved for Prosecco, margaritas, grapefruit crushes, and Manhattans. Frank’s food menu mixes typical beer-garden fare — including a smoked bratwurst from Alexandria-based Logan Sausage — with Southeast Asian twists: rosemary, garlic, and Parmesan potato wedges served with banana ketchup, a pork belly banh mi, fish tacos with yuzu aioli, and a soft shell crab sandwich topped with papaya slaw. Given the neighborhood, they offer a kids menu and told Washingtonian they’re developing a selection of snacks for dogs." - Gabe Hiatt