Remember the old ditty about 99 (or was it 100) bottles of beer on the wall? Well, Rustico has outdone it by several times, with 270 different bottled beers and 30 beers on tap, not exactly on the wall but lined behind the bar, the bottles in large refrigerators.
Rustico also has a welcoming bar to enjoy that beer, or wine or cocktails if you prefer, with seats at the bar, tables, booths, couches and a fireplace in an ample and very lively space.
It also has an equally large dining room, also in the same brick and black tones as the bar, along with a menu with some imaginative, and tempting, twists on the traditional and a modest selection of brick-oven baked pizzas to go with it.
Duck confit turns up on one of those pizzas ($12 lunch, $15 dinner), mated with bacon, grilled onions, brie and arugula, while bacon and Granny Smith apples are added to rotisserie chicken and white cheddar cheese ($10 and $13) on another. The pizzas are thin-crusted, and the pepperoni with roasted peppers and smoked mozzarella and the roasted mushrooms, Swiss chard and goat cheese (both $10 and $13) are among the combinations.
As for other twists, try the mac and cheese carbonara ($12) if you’re after comfort food, the grilled seafood bouillabaisse ($23) with shrimp, scallops, monkfish and smoked mussels for a version that strays winningly from the original.
Rustico
Address: 827 Slaters Lane, Alexandria, Va.
Phone: 703-224-5051
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closed Sundays
Credit cards: Major cards accepted
