Blue & White Is Back: Beloved Carry-Out Returns with Its Soul Intact – and Now Takes Plastic

Alexandria, VA – In a city rich with history, few places in Alexandria stir local memory like Blue & White Carry-Out. For over 85 years, the humble eatery on North Henry Street has served up no-frills breakfasts and soul-soothing fried chicken, often before the sun even rises. But after a brief renovation and the passing of its longtime owner Alexander Truitt, the restaurant’s reopening this summer carries something deeper than fresh paint or new menu boards – it carries a love story.

A Quiet Fixture Gets a New Steward

Alexander Truitt, known to friends and regulars simply as “Alex,” ran Blue & White for the last 40 years with quiet pride and consistency. He was as much a fixture as the griddle. When he died earlier this year, many wondered if the doors would close for good.

Instead, Alex had left the restaurant – and its legacy – to his partner of more than 20 years, Candida Cureton.

“She’s honoring him by keeping it alive,” said one longtime customer, watching the familiar flow of breakfast orders and carry-out bags. “You can feel his presence in every detail.”

Candida, stepping out from behind the scenes, oversaw the restaurant’s renovation and made subtle changes that reflect both respect for tradition and a vision for continuity.

“Alex built something steady and meaningful here,” Candida told The Zebra Press. “I wanted to bring it back not just for him, but for all the people who walked in every morning knowing exactly what they were going to get.”

What’s Changed – and What Hasn’t

After a month-long renovation, Blue & White reopened with a spruced-up interior, the same classic menu from Chef Travis Ward at the stove (eggs, bacon, cornbread, smothered pork chops), plus a few items that customers are going crazy about: shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and pancakes.

And don’t worry, fried chicken livers are still a thing on Tuesdays.

And one more small but significant change: They now accept credit and debit cards.

For decades, the restaurant was cash-only. That change, small on paper, signals a gentle move toward modern convenience while keeping the spirit of the old Blue & White alive.

“I was nervous about changing anything,” Candida said. “But I knew people needed that option, and Alex would have wanted the place to keep serving the neighborhood.”

A Community Returns

Since reopening, the early-morning line has returned, with familiar faces ordering by rhythm more than menu. Construction crews, retirees, longtime residents, and newcomers alike pass through the small counter window, often exchanging memories of Alex along with their change.

Behind the counter, Candida and her sister Estela Hernandez greet many by name.

“He would have loved this,” Candida said, watching the steady stream of customers. “This place was always his second heartbeat. Now it’s mine too.”

Nostalgia, Fried Chicken, and Forward Motion

In a city that’s seen waves of change, Blue & White stands as a kind of emotional architecture. It’s not just about the food – it’s about the routine, the recognition, the $6.00 pork chop sandwich that tastes the same as it did in 1989.

Social media reviews praise it as the “best-kept secret in Alexandria,” and glow with thanks that the carry-out reopened. The kitchen still opens before 6 a.m., the coffee still pours hot, and the prices remain miraculously low.

Candida’s stewardship marks not an overhaul, but a handoff – a continuation of what Alex started, with her love woven into every plate.