With so many family farms, access to fresh seasonal ingredients, grass-fed meats and even wild foraged produce such as chanterelles and ramps, it’s no surprise Loudoun has become a popular foodie destination. Today, almost every corner of the county has a restaurant utilizing local and seasonal meats and produce.
Here we select five not-to-miss farm-to-table restaurants in Loudoun.
Market Table Bistro
Good things come to those who wait and you’ll have to wait until a Friday or a Saturday to dine at this locavore classic in Lovettsville. Chef-owner Jason Lage (who also has the more downhome Market Burger in Purcellville), partners with local growers, vintners and culinary artisans to offer what he calls “origin-specific cuisine.” How local can you get? Well, the goat cheese in the summer salad comes from nearby Georges Mill Farm; local mushroom purveyor Misty Meadows supplies the oyster mushrooms in the potato gnocchi entrée and family-owned School Hill Garden farm in Round Hill provides everything from greens and tomatoes to watercress, carrots and beans. The menu is seasonal and ever-changing: visit when the famous pork belly dish – the pork from rare Mangalitsa pigs raised on a farm in Lovettsville – is back on the menu. The local ethos extends to the wine: order a bottle of The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek's 21 Cabernet Franc or Domaine Fortier Vineyards Chardonnay.
Magnolias at the Mill
The care that’s gone into the design and décor at this immaculately restored 120-year-old former grain mill in downtown Purcellville is replicated in the menu, with local farms and purveyors providing everything from the tomatoes and greens in the salads to the root vegetable sides and even the basil in the signature Basil Martini (perfectly poured by bartender Katherine). What to order? While it’s tempting to fill up on the insanely delicious house-made ciabatta, save space for specialties such as fried green heirloom tomatoes, bacon-wrapped scallops and the succulent Springhouse Black & Blue Burger – the blue cheese from Middleburg’s Locksley Farmstead Cheese Co and the beef from Spring House Farm in Hamilton. There are several Loudoun wines on the menu and management will even waive the corkage fee if you bring a bottle of Loudoun wine with you.
Local Provisions
This exquisite Sterling restaurant of power-chef couple Ally and Michael Stebner has taken Loudoun foodies by storm, as evident by the packed tables, crowded centerpiece bar and eager diners lined up outside. The Stebner’s use fresh, seasonal ingredients, make their own pastas and use a classic wood-burning oven to grill meats and bake breads. What to order? We love the autumn kale salad with butternut squash and walnuts to open, the Sausage Orrechiette pasta and the Roseda Ranch Flat Iron Steak, always cooked to perfection. Beverage-wise the restaurant offers beers from Loudoun breweries Solace, Lost Rhino and Crooked Run.
The Wine Kitchen
The cozy King Street spot in downtown Leesburg operated by chef-owners Tim Rowley and Jason Miller is famous for pairing local, national and world wines with sublime small plates created from regional produce, the farms and suppliers often listed on the menu. A sample dish: Longstone Farm Bone-in Pork Chop served with fresh polenta, Catalan style bell peppers, roasted peaches and mustard jus. The restaurant also does superb cheese plates utilizing the likes of Loudoun-based Georges Mill Farm and Locksley Farmstead Cheese and features several Loudoun wines on the menu, notably a Walsh Family Wine rosé. Glorious!
Farm & Fork Kitchen
Chef Jorge Chicas, an alum of José Andrés, creates seasonal farm-to-table dishes inspired by Spanish tapas in the cozy wood-floor Farm & Fork Kitchen in Ashburn. The made-from-scratch dishes usually include the names of the farms or regions where ingredients are sourced, so we have “Amish” chicken croquetas and “La Belle Farm” foie gras. Don’t miss the Farm & Fork Seafood Stew featuring lobster tail, grilled octopus, shrimp and mussels, and there is a chef-curated market selling everything from Spanish rice to Blue Ridge Pickling Co. pickles.
