We’re More Than Just Biscuits

Lifestyle
Written By Nicole Jones

Many people often call us the “biscuit joint.” I adore this moniker but as we are wrapping up 2019 and looking into 2020, I realize more than ever that we are so much more than that. I have been thinking and looking for a while about what changes we can make to our menus and programs to ensure that we continue to fulfill our mission as a neighborhood restaurant where friends gather, and food is relished. In the coming weeks, you will see some major changes to our daytime menu, and it felt like a perfect opportunity to tell you about all of the other things Stomping Ground offers beyond the biscuits. 1) DinnerThursday through Saturday nights, we ditch the counter to make way for full-service dinner. Food for our PM program means a simple, quality menu focused on local and seasonal ingredients. We opened what we felt Alexandria needed - a neighborhood spot with a quaint, supper club experience. A place where you can get a nice piece of fish or steak and a lot of vegetable options. If you haven’t stopped by for our Happy Hour Cuban, I will tell you it might be the best thing to ever come from our kitchen (I’m obsessed). 

Photo Credit: Rey Lopez, Carrots from our dinner menu

  2) BoozeWith the opening of dinner, we also introduced a full liquor license! Our General Manager Raquel has developed an incredible cocktail program and I never grow tired of our wine list. We have a number of interesting varietals and I would argue some of the best value you can find. We also have a retail area where you can purchase beer and wine to take home. Lots of folks order mimosas to take home or mix and match six packs from the beer fridge. Ask about our Cocktail Passport the next time you are in (you can win free prizes)! 

 Photo Credit: Rey Lopez, A Paper Plane Cocktail

 3) Stomp at HomeEvery Sunday we offer a rotating menu for Sunday night dinner for two, to go. Typically three courses, simply place your order online and pick up your dinner Sunday 4pm - 6pm. We pack it up in reheatable containers but each dish can be enjoyed at room temperature, reheated in your oven, or stored in the fridge for another night! 4) Catering and EventsOur space is equipped to host your special event. We have opened our doors for cocktail parties, weddings, birthdays, rehearsal dinners, holiday parties, and more. We offer a flexible format of cocktail, buffet, or full service. If you are in need of something to enjoy at home or the office, we also offer catering to go (both for breakfast and dinner)! Check our events menu here. 5) BINGO Nights and “Takeovers”Have you been to our monthly BINGO night? My great friend Emily hosts (adults only), we pick a theme, enjoy a simple menu, drink, and play a good ol’ fashioned game of fun! The swag isn’t bad either. Check our website for upcoming dates. We’ve also been testing “takeovers.” We did a taco night recently and plan to do more in 2020. Let us know if there is something you’d like to see us do! Fish fry? Crawfish boil? Pancake Night? So fun!  

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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