Middleburg, VA

[MLZeats]

My wife and I will be staying at the Goodstone Inn for a few days and would appreciate recommendations for area dining. We will be dining out for both light lunches and dinners.

We are very flexible on cost, ambience and cuisine; we are inflexible on the quality of the food: it must be good or better.

We are willing to travel up to an hour from the Inn, but not into DC or its immediate suburbs. Our preference is for restaurants in the surrounding small towns.

Has anyone had recent experience with dining at the Inn itself?

Thanks in advance to all who make suggestions.

[BrodeurR]

If you can get reservations, it looks like The Inn at Little Washington (http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/) is only a little more than an hour from you. I've not had the chance to eat there, but it's definitely on my list when I get back that way (home) again. Also, one of my wife's clients always told us we should visit Four and Twenty Blackbirds. (http://www.fourandtwenty.com/) It's also just a little more than an hour. If you eat at either please let me know how they are.

[Yasmine Sandhu]

Hunters Head Tavern (a great country pub) can be found in Upperville (the next town over.) The pub is affiliated with the equally excellent butcher shop, Home Farm, on the main street in town. Also, for casual lunches and great wines and cheeses, check out Market Salamander (also on the main road in town.)

Hunter's Head Tavern

Market Salamander

[pax]

There are several vinyards within driving distance. Piedmont, Swedenburg, Chrysalis are the closest.

They are usually open for tastings on the weekends.

Half an hour north is Magnolia's at The Mill, in Purcellville. It's not even in the same league as the other fantastic restaurants mentioned in this thread but it'll do nicely for lunch.

And if you just want to people watch, there is a funky little restaurant that's a time warp sort of place half way along the south side of main street in Middleburg. It looks like something out of a Dick Van Dyke show. It' is absolutely worth it to go in and pay for a bottomless cup of coffee just to people watch, it's the horsey crowd's version of a greasy spoon.

Edited June 7, 2007 by pax (log)

[Busboy]

And if you just want to people watch, there is a funky little restaurant that's a time warp sort of place half way along the south side of main street in Middleburg. It looks like something out of a Dick Van Dyke show. It' is absolutely worth it to go in and pay for a bottomless cup of coffee just to people watch, it's the horsey crowd's version of a greasy spoon.

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You got a name?

[pax]

And if you just want to people watch, there is a funky little restaurant that's a time warp sort of place half way along the south side of main street in Middleburg. It looks like something out of a Dick Van Dyke show. It' is absolutely worth it to go in and pay for a bottomless cup of coffee just to people watch, it's the horsey crowd's version of a greasy spoon.

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You got a name?

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No, but I am dropping some tack off in Middleburg today to get fixed so I'll check. I just run down the stairs without reading the sign. Middleburg's main streeet is only about three blocks long.

ETA My sister tells me it's "The Coach Stop, dummy."

Edited June 7, 2007 by pax (log)

[MLZeats]

If you can get reservations, it looks like The Inn at Little Washington (http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/) is only a little more than an hour from you. I've not had the chance to eat there, but it's definitely on my list when I get back that way (home) again. Also, one of my wife's clients always told us we should visit Four and Twenty Blackbirds. (http://www.fourandtwenty.com/) It's also just a little more than an hour. If you eat at either please let me know how they are.

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BrodeurR, thanks for the reply. We ate (and stayed) at the Inn at Little Washington about 2 years ago (our last visit to the area) and we were very impressed. So impressed that we have a request for a reservation pending for the upcoming trip but it does not book more than 30 days in advance. So, we are waiting to confirm. Definitely eat there if you are in the area.

As for 4&20, I have wanted to try it for a while but unfortunately its hours of operation do not coincide with our schedule.

[MLZeats]

Hunters Head Tavern (a great country pub) can be found in Upperville (the next town over.)  The pub is affiliated with the equally excellent butcher shop, Home Farm, on the main street in town.  Also, for casual lunches and great wines and cheeses, check out Market Salamander (also on the main road in town.) 

Hunter's Head Tavern

Market Salamander

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Thanks Yasmine. Hunters Head was on my list and I will now underscore it. I am adding Market which, from its website, does look like a great lunch place.

[Meanderer]

With one exception several years ago when there were service issues, we've always enjoyed our lunches at the Eiffel Tower in Leesburg which, as the name suggests, serves classic French food. Part of the pleasure has been our waiter on several occasions, a Breton, who is professional, confiding, mercurial, and hilarious, all by himself. I'll always remember the time when, after he hung up the phone one day, he laughed out loud, came over to our table, and asked if Northern Virginia ever had typhoons. He explained that a reservation for a table of six had been cancelled because of the expected typhoon.

You can have a very nice light lunch there and it has a decent wine list and outdoor seating if the weather is good. I've never had dinner there.

[Chantilly Bob]

My wife and I will be staying at the Goodstone Inn for a few days and would appreciate recommendations for area dining. We will be dining out for both light lunches and dinners.

We are very flexible on cost, ambience and cuisine; we are inflexible on the quality of the food: it must be good or better.

We are willing to travel up to an hour from the Inn, but not into DC or its immediate suburbs. Our preference is for restaurants in the surrounding small towns.

Has anyone had recent experience with dining at the Inn itself?

Thanks in advance to all who make suggestions.

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Definitely have a meal at the French Hound in Middleburg. It's a cozy bistro with very good food.

Also get some homemade marshmallows and other yummy treats at Mello Out.

Market Salamander is great. Not cheap but the food is delicious. The barbecue sandwich is a winner. If it's not too hot eat your lunch on the patio.

The 1763 Inn in Upperville is supposed to be very nice but we haven't made it there yet. They specialize in German food.

A few miles further west on 50 is the Ashby Inn in the little town of Paris VA. Definitely worth looking into as well.

One more spot that is over near the IALW is the Thornton River Grille in Sperryville. We enjoyed a very nice lunch there last summer and plan to return this summer -- with young twins we don't get out too often

Enjoy your stay in our beautiful area!

[sdelgato]

If you can get reservations, it looks like The Inn at Little Washington (http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/) is only a little more than an hour from you. I've not had the chance to eat there, but it's definitely on my list when I get back that way (home) again. Also, one of my wife's clients always told us we should visit Four and Twenty Blackbirds. (http://www.fourandtwenty.com/) It's also just a little more than an hour. If you eat at either please let me know how they are.

←

BrodeurR, thanks for the reply. We ate (and stayed) at the Inn at Little Washington about 2 years ago (our last visit to the area) and we were very impressed. So impressed that we have a request for a reservation pending for the upcoming trip but it does not book more than 30 days in advance. So, we are waiting to confirm. Definitely eat there if you are in the area.

As for 4&20, I have wanted to try it for a while but unfortunately its hours of operation do not coincide with our schedule.

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You will have to hurry. Four and Twenty Blackbirds is closing after 17 years of operation at the end of July. Its a bummer, really. Fabulous restaurant. I like the Public House too. 4&20 will be missed!!

[monavano]

My wife and I will be staying at the Goodstone Inn for a few days and would appreciate recommendations for area dining. We will be dining out for both light lunches and dinners.

We are very flexible on cost, ambience and cuisine; we are inflexible on the quality of the food: it must be good or better.

We are willing to travel up to an hour from the Inn, but not into DC or its immediate suburbs. Our preference is for restaurants in the surrounding small towns.

Has anyone had recent experience with dining at the Inn itself?

Thanks in advance to all who make suggestions.

←

Definitely have a meal at the French Hound in Middleburg. It's a cozy bistro with very good food.

Also get some homemade marshmallows and other yummy treats at Mello Out.

Market Salamander is great. Not cheap but the food is delicious. The barbecue sandwich is a winner. If it's not too hot eat your lunch on the patio.

The 1763 Inn in Upperville is supposed to be very nice but we haven't made it there yet. They specialize in German food.

A few miles further west on 50 is the Ashby Inn in the little town of Paris VA. Definitely worth looking into as well.

One more spot that is over near the IALW is the Thornton River Grille in Sperryville. We enjoyed a very nice lunch there last summer and plan to return this summer -- with young twins we don't get out too often

Enjoy your stay in our beautiful area!

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I couldn't agree more about the bbq sandwich at Market Salamander. We went recently and I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was a keeper. I think the eat in food is quite reasonable, at least on par or slightly less than a lunch in DC. The gourmet goods are pricey, such as the oils and vinegars (spotted an asparagus vinegar which piqued my interest, but I passed when I saw the $38 price tag ). The chefs and staff were very friendly and the space inside and out is beautiful!

Full report here.

Edited September 6, 2007 by monavano (log)