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Planet Wayside

Basilgirl

By Basilgirl
in D.C. & DelMarVa: Dining

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Basilgirl

Basilgirl

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Planet Wayside in Hamilton, VA has closed due to the untimely death of Suzanne O'Neil, who founded the restaurant with her husband, Tim. This happened about a month ago, I don't know how I missed hearing about it. Have any e-gulleters ever been there? It started the "Crummy But Good" articles in The Washington Post...what a great little place. Delicious food, good people running it, inventive menu - I never got to try the "Whiskers on Kittens" soup, but my sister said it was good. There was always something funny on the daily special chalkboard sitting on Route 7. "Welcome Idiot Marylanders" was a favorite (apologies to MD gulleters). The last time I was there the owner (Tim) had on a t-shirt that said, "YOU! Out of the gene pool!"

From the Post, July 24:

"Former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright entertained visiting dignitaries in the humble shack with low ceilings, and actor Robert Duvall also took meals there.

"On an outdoor chalkboard used to display the daily specials, the O'Neils would write a humorous message such as "Honk if you're brain dead."

Oh dear. Very sad. :sad::sad:

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

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  • 3 weeks later...
sextons

sextons

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Very sad indeed. I used to eat there fairly often but hadn't been there in a few years. I was wondering if it was still open. I've always raved about it - it was a dive of a place but had enough quirky charm (e.g., the chalkboard!), good food and a good beer selection to keep me going back. I had just been craving their fries recently . . . guess I missed my chance. :sad:

Some say the glass is half empty, some say the glass is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?

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sextons

sextons

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:sad: Ohhh - I'm happy it's reopened but it still seems sad. I'll have to get over there soon and show my support.

Some say the glass is half empty, some say the glass is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?

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Basilgirl

Basilgirl

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That is such good news. Thanks for the heads up; I barely read the paper yesterday as I was making ratatouille and gearing up for the Skins game. It's nice that he's learning her recipes. I'll have to get out that way sometime soon.

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

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sextons

sextons

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Stopped in for dinner Friday night and of course the parking lot and the little restaurant were full. Two women offered to let my friend and I share the four-top they were seated at. The food was just as I remembered it though I'm disappointed to say I didn't get my basket of french fries. My own fault for not asking for them again but by that point I really didn't need anything else to eat. Nice knowing he's still there.

Some say the glass is half empty, some say the glass is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?

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  • 7 months later...
sextons

sextons

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As far as I know it still is. Granted I haven't stopped in since last summer but I've heard nothing of it closing again.

Some say the glass is half empty, some say the glass is half full, I say, are you going to drink that?

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  • 3 months later...
The Doctor

The Doctor

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Anyone have any recommendations at this joint? At long last I'm about to make my first trip out there tomorrow.

I believe it's listed at the number one spot in the "Quest for the Holy Grill" crummy but good book:

http://members.aol.com/crummybut/

And here's another little write-up I found:

http://www.tackytreasures.com/tackyhtml/places-wayside.html

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Basilgirl

Basilgirl

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Well, it's been awhile but I seem to remember great barbeque and sweet potato fries. A nice beer selection too. My sister liked the Whiskers on Kittens soup :blink:

Anyone have any recommendations at this joint? At long last I'm about to make my first trip out there tomorrow.

I believe it's listed at the number one spot in the "Quest for the Holy Grill" crummy but good  book:

http://members.aol.com/crummybut/

And here's another little write-up I found:

http://www.tackytreasures.com/tackyhtml/places-wayside.html

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

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The Doctor

The Doctor

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OK. Time for the report.

This is a restauraunt that is 40 miles away. It's obviously not an every day destination, but is it worth it?? Dear God yes. I mean, Madline Albright and Robert Duvall can't be wrong, can they?

My entourage pulled up at about 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon to this cozy little establishment. See above links for pictures. The slogan for the day on the board outside read: "Rock is dead. Long live paper and scissors."

It was inbetween the lunch and dinner hour, so a chef is entitled to a break, right? We walked in to find the owner enjoying a nap on one of the indoor benches. By this point we knew we were in for a memorable experience. You can find pictures of the fellow and two of his creations on this page:

http://www.co-opliving.com/coopliving/issu...04/downhome.htm

Mr O'Neil has a lot of charisma. He and his wife built up an establishment worth of its reputation and I really felt sadnees knowing it's been less than a year since she passed away.

The menu comes in two parts: the normal, heavily bbq slanted menu, and the list of the day's specials (which varied from quiche to soup to fried shrimp on Saturday.) The regular menu is a jumble of strange names, witty remarks and food items. I chose the "Sol Rubenstein," a barbecue-ized version of the reuben sandwich. He starts with the bread pictured in the left sandwich in the above link. It's hard to describe except that it's light, buttery and golden crisp. Then it's filled with sliced brisket, cole slaw, and swiss cheese. Most of the sandwiches and entrees fall in the $6 to $8 range, but my friend (our only repeat visitor on this trip) went with the BBQ burrito at $12.95. It's your basic burrito served with a bbq meat (chicken in this case), baked beans, cole slaw, tomatoes and sour cream. Really amazing. Our other companion had the smoked chicken salad, also outstanding. The sandwiches were served with what the menu calls "those fries." You will know why when you eat them. Really unlike anything I've ever had before, these are wedges covered in some herby mixture and deep fried. Reminded me of the french fry version of a sour cream and onion potato chip. I didn't try any dessert because the food was so filling and we wanted to hit this little pie joint in town.

The decor inside is a little quirky, but the place is certainly clean, contrary to what you might think from looking at the outisde. The booths are wooden and cloth placemats and napkins sit on the tables.

Planet Wayside is in Hamilton, VA, which isn't too far from the Leesburg Outlets. So if you're headed out to do some shopping, it's easy to catch lunch here and maybe even stop at the Dulles Wegmans on the way back??

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