Even if you're still lamenting the demise of the Redskin's season, Super Bowl Sunday is a sure bet for fun, entertaining and festivities. Several bars and hot spots in Old Town Alexandria are a magnet for sports fans.
Few in the Washington, DC area can talk about professional football and not mention Joe Theismann, former quarterback for the Redskins, who led the team to a Super Bowl victory in 1983. Even before he was the first-string quarterback, he had an interest in the hospitality business and opened his signature restaurant Joe Theismann's in Alexandria, Virginia. His restaurant has simply good food - Louisiana chicken, Maryland crab cakes, killer carrot cake -- in a hospitable, bright cheery corner restaurant across the street from King Street METRO. There are plenty of TV screens, high-fives and history lessons on Super Bowl Sunday. And usually Joe stops by to join the fun.
Not too far up King Street, a new comer in the area is sporting a Super Bowl special that can hardly be beat. Jackson 20, an American Tavern named after Andrew Jackson and his visage on the $20 bill, is located steps within the Hotel Monaco. Starting at 5:00 p.m., fans can choose a six-pack of beer from Chef Dennis Marron's popular craft canned beer list, OR a grass-fed burger with smokehouse bacon, Mountaineer cheese, grilled green onions, barbecue aioli, apple cider cole slaw, and fries, a 16 oz. draft beer and a house-made brownie OR "All-You-Can-Eat BBQ Pork Ribs" for $20.11. Can't beat it. Yum.
And if bar hopping is your thing, or the game simply gets boring, hop over to the "new" Old Town and pop in Rustico, the utterly packed social hot spot that has reminded locals of the easy cut through between Jeff Davis Highway and George Washington Parkway. With over 300 beers and counting, Rustico's wood-burning fire turns out specialty pizzas with fig, country ham, smoked bacon and other bits you seldom see on pizza and a carrot hummus topped with lamb ragu that is addictive. The signature red velvet cheesecake is a great way to enjoy the 4th quarter.
For those who plan to entertain at home, The Butcher's Block is currently taking orders for game day food prepared by Chef de Cuisine Chris Watson. Options include chicken wings (spicy, BBQ or Asian), St. Louis ribs, chili, mac and cheese and assorted dips and vegetable spreads. At least at home, you'll have a better chance of catching the nuances of the commercials, which, as we know, is usually what everyone's talking about Monday morning.
