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Very Best Restaurants: La Bergerie

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La Bergerie ***
Alexandria , $$

One brother runs the kitchen, the other the dining room. Family pride is a large ingredient in the success of La Bergerie, begun 22 years ago by Jean and Bernard Campagne, who came to the United States from the Basque country of France. The dining room, with its exposed brick walls, crystal chandeliers, starched tablecloths, and comfortable booths, seems a perfect combination of France and Old Town.

The house specialty is the robust cooking of the brothers' native regionduck confit, served with sauteed potatoes and mushrooms; filet of pork en confit , served with lentils; a Basque piperade of vegetables. But there's more than regional dishes to savor. Some of Jean Campagne's most imaginative cooking shows up on the long list of nightly specials. Recent appetizers of sea scallops and spinach wrapped in phyllo pastry and crisp baby green beans topped with crabmeat were superb, as were main courses of swordfish and garlicky loin of lamb, each accompanied by a celery flan.

Resolve from the beginning to have dessertboth the apple tart and the dessert souffles should be ordered in advance.

La Bergerie , 218 N. Lee St., Alexandria ; 703-683-1007. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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