What's for Dinner at Junction Bakery + Bistro in Del Ray?

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- One of the most anticipated restaurants to open in Alexandria recently, Junction Bakery & Bistro in Del Ray, has now added dinner service to its daily offerings. The restaurant, located at 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave., is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays and Mondays.

Patch got some pointers on the evening menu from Nathan Hatfield, the head baker/chef: "Here's a deeper dive into a few dishes on the menu that are my favorites, or crowd favorites so far, since I love everything we offer," he said.

Roasted Beets small plate

"The Roasted Beets small plate is wonderful and fresh - we use local beets from Northern Neck Farms, shaved fennel, red onion, parsley, nicoise olive tapenade, and provolone picante from Wisconsin," he noted. "It's a simple little salad, all of the flavors compliment each other. The cheese is salty with a bit of sharpness and really pairs well with the rest of the dish."

Ricotta Pork Dumplings

"Another small plate favorite would be the Ricotta Pork Dumplings - we make the ricotta in-house every day using heavy cream and milk from Trickling Springs Creamery," Hatfield said. "It only takes about two and a half hours, and it comes out perfectly. From there we add lemon zest, more provolone picante from Wisconsin, and parsley to compliment the pork, which comes from Papa Weaver's Pork in Orange, just outside of Charlottesville."

Junction Salad

"Our Junction Salad is different every day based on whatever the farmers are bringing us," he said. "Lately, we've been getting great snap peas, green beans and asparagus, so I have incorporated them into the salad. I am sad that asparagus season is almost over, but I'm really looking forward to the fall vegetables that are around the bend so I can use root vegetables, pears and apples in the salad."

Pan Roasted Rockfish

"As for entrees, the Pan Roasted Rockfish with corn and bacon chowder is a standout," Hatfield said. "The rockfish is fresh from the Chesapeake Bay, we get the corn from Leedstown Farms in Colonial Beach, and we use Nueske's bacon from Wisconsin, which has been in business since 1933. After taking the corn off the cob, we make corn stock which comes out sweet and full of flavor. We had someone ask us if we added sugar to the chowder - nope, the corn is just that sweet!"

Crispy Squash Cakes

"People love our Crispy Squash Cakes served with arugula, tomato, red onion and a mushroom glace," he noted. "It is inspired by a squash casserole made by my wife Margaret's grandmother -- we reinvented it as squash cakes and added sharp cheddar for a bit of extra flavor."

Scallops

"I would say that one of the 'hidden gems' on the menu would be our Scallops served with mushroom, broccoli and a citrus herb dashi," he said. "Dashi is a Japanese cooking stock that I make with water, dried kelp and bonito fish flakes -- adding in citrus and herb makes it a beautiful base for the seafood dish. I love the shiitakes we get from Irwin Mushrooms in Pennsylvania, and the broccoli comes from Northern Neck Farms in Heathsville."

Chocolate Cake

"The Chocolate Cake has been the most popular dessert," Hatfield said. "It's a super moist cake, and I have been using this recipe, inspired by the very first pastry chef I worked with, for almost 18 years. The hazelnut buttercream ganache on the outside is hard to beat."

See the entire menu on the restaurant's Web site.

PHOTOS: Chocolate Cake dessert, Scallops at Junction Bakery & Bistro courtesy of restaurant