Carrie Podle
(Credit: Robert Jacobs)
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A joint venture between Charles Gjerde (one half of Spike and Charlie's) and Carrie Podles, Alexander's is named for Podle's son. Young Alexander should be proud. This tavern—half restaurant/half bar—has the classic stability and affordability one expects in a good public house, combined with the contemporary feel and eclectic menu of a modern urban restaurant. We'll call it classic contemporary for brevity's sake.
Food: Alexander's diverse menu options range from paninis (the Cubano is delish!) and gourmet pizzas to hearty entrees like steak, crab cakes and ahi tuna. Some of the more interesting standouts include the Tavern's unique crawfish quesadilla and the enticing fresh mozzarella and tomato fondue. Even the pickiest of eaters will find something to like here.
We ordered the all-meat chili with sour cream, mixed cheeses and onions ($5.99). It was good, though not quite great. The only obstacle to our complete satisfaction was the chili's temperature. A big dollop of sour cream and cheese quickly cool a bowl of chili, so that sucker better be hot from the get go. Ours, sadly, was not.
Booze: Alexander's has a nice tap with Guinness, Blue Moon Belgian White, Widmer Brothers, Yuengling and Miller Lite. Specialties from the fully–stocked bar include martinis, mimosas, mojitos, bellinis, crushes and car bombs. We arrived on a Thursday night, and good fortune granted us $4 crushes and mojitos as well as $1 Miller Lite tall boys. Actually, the tavern offers food and drink specials seven nights a week, which should keep the punters coming back with a smile.
Digs: Alexander's is split down the middle with the bar on one side and dining room on the other. The aesthetic is clean and modern with a soft warm glow for lighting. Flat screen TVs afford a view of the game, but don't bludgeon the atmosphere with dumb sports bar grunts. For the competitor in you, there's a pool table in the back and another bar upstairs with foosball and shuffleboard tables.
Vibe: The groove here is mature fun in a laid back but classy atmosphere—a T and A meat-market this is not. The crowd is as eclectic as the menu, the common denominator being a desire for good booze and better company. Perhaps that's why it took less than two weeks for Alexander's to start building a crowd of regulars—a crowd we're eager to join.
