February , 2008

Good to Go - Rustico in Alexandria

by Joe Yonan

In his 13 months at the helm here, executive chef Frank Morales says he is in his "third-and-a-half generation of dough."

July , 2007

Raising the Bar on Beer

by Greg Engert

The question I think I get more than any other as the beer director of Rustico is, "How did you end up doing this?" More often than not, this question is followed by an enjoinder to orchestrate some kind of job swap...

July , 2007

Beyond the Hopsicles

by Frank Morales

Now that "hopsicle" -- a brew pop that essentially is a frozen beer popsicle -- has your attention, I'm here to talk about food and beer. It's not a new concept in and of itself, but, as you now know, I'm trying some new variations on a classic idea over at Rustico, and I'm happy to have a forum to share my recent creations...

June 15 , 2007

Kitchen Favorites

by Sara Levine

Rustico chef Frank Morales and beer director Greg Engert.Chef Frank Morales and beer director Greg Engert are the guys behind the food and drink at Alexandria’s Rustico. Morales took over the kitchen of the pizza-and-beer spot three months ago. First order of business: revamping the menu with his own pizzas (sunchokes and sheep's milk ricotta dress up one pie)...

February 23, 2007

At Rustico, They Have a Head for Beer

Nightwatch by Fritz Hahn

Rustico, a brick-oven pizzeria and bar in Alexandria, boasts a major-league selection of ales and lagers, with 30 taps and more than 250 in bottles, plus a hard-to-find hand pump pouring cask-conditioned ale, like you'd find in an English pub. But it's also a pleasant place to hang out for the evening...

February 7, 2007

"Beer, Beer and More Beer" by Fritz Hahn

...few places outside the district have a selection that can compare to their choices. One that can, though, is Alexandria's Rustico, which often has some interesting selections among its 30-tap draft lineup. Coniston Blue Bird Bitter and the unbelievable St. Bernardus Abt 12 -- a rare Belgian quadruple ale -- would be enough to lure me in on occasion, but the frequent appearance of cask-conditioned ale is a reason to be a regular.

January 24, 2007

"That Was Fast"

The Weekly Dish by Tom Sietsema

Rustico (827 Slaters Lane, Alexandria; 703-224-5051) is about to get a menu makeover from chef Frank Morales, who only weeks ago left the popular Zola in the District's Penn Quarter... "We're ecstatic he's joining the group," says Michael Babin, co-owner of the Alexandria-based restaurant company.

December 2006

Beer Selection That's Not the Brickskeller's (Best Nightlife)

...if you're looking for an atmosphere more civilized than the smoky, dungeon-like Brick, cross the bridge to Rustico...The spiffy pizza bistro offers 250 brews, including Abita and Allagash on tap, plus tasting flights and a raft of surprisingly good beer cocktails.  You can get bottles and six-packs to go, but the overstuffed chairs by the fireplace might lull you into sticking around.

July 2006

"250 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" Best Bites

The scarred wood floors shine like mirrors at Alexandria's months-old Rustico...the place is not without personality, thanks to design quirks like glowing red lamps fashioned from Campari ottles and cooks-gone-wild mosaic of smashed coffee cups, wine bottles and bent silverware...

June 30-July 6, 2006

"Red Sauce, Red State Roundup" by Tim Carman

Step foot inside the spacious and warmly lit Rustico, with its friendly motif of folk-art mosaics, and you feel a million miles away from the standard-issue brick suburbia that is Alexandria...

April 20-27, 2006

"Spring in the Bier Garten" by Amanda Lenk

Standing in the throngs of beer drinkers at Rustico Restaurant and Grill, I can't help but think that the folks at Neighborhood Restaurant Group have an intuitive genius for what people want from life...

March 20, 2006

"Ready to Rustico" by Erin Hartigan

Rustico has barged into the Alexandria restaurant scene, serving up wood-fired pizzas, comfort food and a whole lot of beer in a brand new commercial complex on Slaters Lane.

March 20, 2006 edition

"When the Moon Hits Your Eye"

Pizza and beer are sort of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of food combos.  It just doesn't get any classier...