Kiln’s Open-Hearth Cooking Sparks a New Kind of Aroma for the Old Town

When you walk into the beautiful guest room of the Hotel Heron, all the senses can be drawn to the Kiln. Out in a warm amber glow, the sounds of conversation and clinking glasses lead the way to one of the most impressive dining spots seen in Old Town in years.699 Prince Street, Alexandria, Virginia).

“At our core, we’re a neighborhood restaurant,” executive chef Matthew Maienshein tells Eater. “We are proud to be a part of the community and we want visitors to feel a sense of belonging when they enter this space.”

In the hotel’s 134-room Kiln restaurant, Maienshein deepens flavor and richness with open flame, smoke and char. “The kiln was inspired by Alexandria’s first recorded kiln, Henry Piercy, whose kiln once stood near the hotel,” says Maienshein.

Maienshein’s culinary creations include stints under Michelin-starred French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at three of his New York restaurants in the last six years: Topping Rose House, ABC, and most recently, JoJo by Jean-Georges as chef de cuisine.

He joins Hotel Heron’s director of food and beverage Betty Woodward, whose career began as head bartender at José Andrés’ classic Oyamel in Penn Quarter. He returns to DC after most recently overseeing Thompson’s restaurants, bars, and events in Savannah, Georgia.

“We worked together to bring the concept of wood, which really allows the mid-Atlantic ingredients found throughout the menu to shine,” says Maienshein.

Currently, that includes snapper for its crudo, local turnips and clams.

“The best thing I didn’t expect was our Maryland fish,” he adds. our bottom line: to use fresh ingredients wherever possible.”

Served with spring onions, crispy potatoes and smoked butter, the catfish is delivered fresh daily from the original profish.

“Coming from the Chesapeake Bay, I want to know everything about our products, from the boat the fish came from to the captain’s name,” says Maienshein.

Other menu items include aged salted oysters, grilled asparagus, and 18-hour marinated cabbage, prepared with roasted vegetable puree and toasted mustard seeds. For larger plates to share, guests can choose between Mosner Farms rack of lamb ($84) or Shook Farms 28-ounce strip loin ($92).

Seasonal cocktails are spicy and smoky, as seen in the Acrobat, made with green chile vodka, pineapple, génépy, green apple, hellfire and lime; and Harry’s Style, made with tequila, mezcal, watermelon, poblano, yuzu, and lime soda. Wines and beer are also available by the glass.

The Kiln is open for coffee and pastries from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5-10 p.m. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.

“I really look at Kiln and the property in general as a third place,” says Maienshein. We have created a comfortable room with delicious food and cool drinks behind it.

The shopping mall that opened in June is home to Good Fortune, an unusual Old Town rooftop bar located on the 7th floor. There will be more drinks soon at the hotel; Francis Hall, a luxurious lounge hidden within the lobby, is set to open in September with 30 cocktails ranging from the classic to the experimental. Francis Hall is named after a rake who worked in Old Town for over 40 years.

—Tierney Plumb contributed to this report