Society Fair Wine Bar | Alexandria, Washington D.C.
Most of us will never cook like Cathal Armstrong.
But the chef's new market and wine bar, Society Fair, sells enough of his favorite items to let us would-be chefs come pretty close.
The shop is packed with produce, sundries and meat–including house-made terrines and Randall Lineback roasts ($14 a pound).
To solidify the fantasy, the market stocks desserts, bread and sauces based on favorite items from Armstrong's restaurants.
Fluffy cakes and pastries come from the menus of Restaurant Eve and the Majestic. Hot-pink slices of birthday cake ($6) are an unapologetic sugar rush. The Majestic's coconut cake ($7 per slice) is a towering mass of snowy frosting covered in coconut flakes. Chocolate cake ($5 per slice) is dark and rich, with fudgy frosting.
The bakery also makes breakfast croissants, bread and tarts, including a Southern-inspired buttermilk tart ($4.25; click here for the recipe) that is chiffon-like, and the perfect size to finish a big meal.
Plus, Society Fair's secret supplies aren't limited to food. Cocktail ace Todd Thrasher offers house-made garnishes, tonic water ($12), assorted mixers, ginger-beer syrup ($8) and simple syrup ($4) for aspiring home bartenders.
Society Fair, 277 S. Washington St., Alexandria; 703-683-3247 or societyfair.net