End of the Year, I've Got No Good News

Lifestyle
Written By Nicole Jones

Let the gouging commence…

You may have noticed it at the supermarket, the last time you went out to dinner, or even at your last fast-food indulgence (mine was Taco Bell), food prices are going up. A lot.

Lack of labor, supply chain issues, costs of ingredients; everywhere we look, our prices are increasing. Our industry has razor-thin margins (seriously, tiny) and to say this hurts is an understatement. It's do or die.

This last week I've heard from our meat supplier, our coffee vendor, hell even Michelle's Granola, that they are increasing prices anywhere from 8 to 20 percent.

Unfortunately, I will be forced to do the same. We are increasing our prices by 10 percent on all menu items and beverages. This is on par with our industry - even major fast-food chains. Taco Bell has raised its prices by 10 percent and McDonald's by 8 percent, and I assure you our organic vegetables, free-range eggs, sustainable meats, and high-quality grains cost far more than their commodity items.

White knuckling through January…

After a week of skyrocketing Covid cases, our smallest dining room, Stomping Ground, will close for indoor dining. When we reopen on January 9, we will require proof of vaccination for any guest over the age of 12. We will ask guests aged 12 and older receive at least one dose of the Covid vaccine by January 10. A physical CDC vaccination card, digital copy/photo, or other verification apps (such as VaxYes or CLEAR) may all be accepted. There will be no test-out option at this time. All of our staff, both front and back of house, are fully vaccinated, and many are already boosted. We let them make this decision, and this is what they are most comfortable with.

We thank you in advance for respecting this choice. Please feel free to sit out in our Alley or take your food to go!

In not-so-bad news…

You all have been so supportive of our newest venture, Mae's Market and Cafe. If you haven't tried Tallulah's dinners to go, I cannot recommend them enough (especially now.) If you need a last-minute bottle of bubbly for tonight, we are featuring an ever-growing selection of beer and wine. Keep your eyes peeled for the wine bar, Virginia's Darling, to open in 2022. Exciting and happy news from the Old Town front.

Nicole Jones

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Head Janitor, Chef, and Proprietor | Modest Bread

Nicole’s cooking style is rooted in, but not limited to, her love of southern biscuits and her diverse culinary upbringing. A military brat, she spent her childhood in the Chicago suburbs enjoying her great-grandmother Mae’s Lithuanian cooking. As a tween, she moved to Paulding County, Ga. where she begrudgingly fell in love with the charmingly perplex small towns of the Deep South. She fondly remembers grubbing on Martin’s biscuits, late-night Waffle House debauchery and cooking with her family. 

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Nicole started a marketing career at an art nonprofit in Atlanta. At 25 years old, she became the youngest executive at the local Atlanta NPR affiliate. Chasing her dreams, she moved to Alexandria, VA where she took a short post in the Whole Foods marketing department. Realizing that cooking had been her true love all along, she began night courses at L’Academie de Cuisine. She completed her apprenticeship at Blue Duck Tavern where she was promoted to a line cook after graduation. From there, Nicole worked as a private chef for busy Washington D.C. executives and their families.

As grown-ups tend to do, Nicole realized something about her childhood -- the best parts were enjoying small town communities, cooking with her great-grandmother and sharing meals with family and friends. She opened Stomping Ground (now Rubia’s) to build a safe and welcoming community around yummy, handmade food from local sources. As her first foray running her own kitchen, she has shamelessly hired better, smarter cooks to fill her kitchen and your bellies. 

Modest Bread is a collection of idiosyncratic neighborhood restaurants devoted to hospitality in Northern Virginia and includes Rubia’s, Bagel Uprising, Mae’s Market & Cafe, and Virginia’s Darling.

www.modestbread.com

2309 Mt Vernon Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22301

703.664.0445

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