Comfort food with a touch of sophistication. That's how Elizabeth Shea describes the food at Bittersweet Cafe. "I must come in here at least a couple of times a week. It's easy to get in and out of here," she said.
Shea has been a regular customer to the King Street eatery since she moved to Old Town as a public relations consultant eight years ago. She comes in frequently for lunch, but she also comes on Saturday mornings for an egg sandwich after the Farmers' Market.
"They have the best egg sandwiches," she said.
Duncan Blair enjoys the chicken salad. "Twenty years of great chicken salad," said Blair, who's been coming since Bittersweet first opened. Last March, Bittersweet celebrated their 20th anniversary.
"It has changed considerably, for the better," said Robin Kershner, owner of Fox & Hounds Ltd. "They have the most amazing bakery cabinet now.”
The size and scope of the Bittersweet that people know and love today is far different from the one that opened 20 years ago, yet the concept is still the same.
When June Geoffray opened the store in March 1983, she envisioned a neighborhood place where locals and tourists could stop and get something to eat. The business had a counter where customers could come and order sandwiches and such to go; there were no tables then.
"WHEN JUNE and her partners opened the store, there was nothing around here. They were instrumental in getting this part of Old Town developed," said Bittersweet’s current owner Jody Manor. Manor, who started working with June in 1985, purchased the business in 1990.
At the time, they were still working in the space on South Alfred Street that now serves as kitchen. In time, Manor purchased the two adjacent spaces on the corner of South Alfred and King streets.
In 1998, Manor developed the corner space, while Joe Egerton leased the other side. In 2001, he incorporated the adjacent space to create the restaurant that customers are now familiar with.
"This is what it's all about," said Manor, as he watched an exchange of ‘hellos’ between two women who happened to run into each other. Kershner and Shea both said that they always see people they know when they come in for lunch.
If by chance they don't see somebody they know, they will know Alice — everybody knows Alice, "the mayor of Alexandria."
"The real draw is Alice. She can make everybody feel special in a genuine way," said Rob Dunn, an Alexandria attorney.
Jody said his mother, Alice Manor, came here 11 years ago to help out for a few weeks. "She never left," Manor said.
That is, except when he fired her. "I was so mad, I can't even remember why," said Manor. "I had to buy her a fur coat to get her back."
Dunn feels so strongly about it that he said, "It sounds crazy, but I'm so devoted to Alice, that I feel like I'm cheating if I don't go there for lunch."
Dunn has been going to Bittersweet since they were operating out of the back room; he stops by Bittersweet almost every day to get a half sandwich, soup and an Internet cookie. "They got the cookie recipe off the Internet so everybody just calls them the Internet cookies," said Dunn.
NOT ONLY ARE there long-time customers, but many of the workers have been with the restaurant for decades as well. Angel Brizuela came to the restaurant 17 years ago, when he could barely speak English, Manor said. He started washing dishes, then Manor sponsored him and helped him get his green card. Brizuela is now Bittersweet's pastry chef.
When Deanie de Matteo, who works in Bittersweet’s catering department, dreamed about a white chocolate mousse cake; she was able to explain it enough for Brizuela to turn it into a reality.
"He became a bigger and bigger part of the business," said Manor.
Danita Sharp and Bonnie Fernezian also like the sweets. A hair stylist at Sugar House Day Spa & Salon, Sharp said that she comes in almost everyday that she works.
"I especially like the strawberries dipped in chocolate, but I also like the oatmeal cookies. I like coming here. It's convenient, it's fast and it's good," she said.
Brizuela isn't the only worker Manor has helped. Claudia Cabrera, Luz Nunuz and Alex Garcia have been there for awhile, as well. Manor has helped some of them get their green cards. "I like to think that we provide opportunities for people to grow,” he said. “One of the real secrets to success is the people who work for us."
AS DEMAND GROWS for Bittersweet’s catering services, there's more opportunity for growth within the company as well. Catering is a natural evolution, Manor said. "People liked the food and called us for catering.”
They were just starting to dabble in catering before Manor took over. Geoffray's daughter, Delia Sullivan, helped develop the catering menu. Over the years, it has grown, helped tremendously by the number of associations and small firms in Old Town.
They cater private parties as well. Shea has been to several parties catered by Bittersweet, one a Super Bowl party, another a child's birthday party
"They always have wonderful finger food. At the birthday party, they had all ages, but they were able to concoct a menu that suited everybody. It had the panache that the hostess wanted, but the down-home quality as well," said Shea.
Jeffrey Allen took over the management of the catering business a few years ago. Manor and Allen have been best friends since they were seven, graduating from J.E.B. Stuart High School together and then on to University of Virginia. Over the years, they worked in the restaurant business in various capacities.
Although Manor graduated from UVA with a degree in Russian studies, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the restaurant business. He served as a catering waiter for Bittersweet on a few jobs, and then decided to go work in the kitchen. He did most every job, and before he knew it, he was running the kitchen.
Now, Manor focuses on the overall business. With Allen managing the catering business and Will McCormick managing the restaurant, he's able to look at the big picture. They will be closing the cafe they've been running in the Time Life building for the past few years. Manor said he's thinking about some other ventures, but isn't ready to divulge any plans yet.