Middleburg: A Gourmet Getaway in the Heart of Horse Country

EDIBLE 8
MIDDLEBURG:
A GOURMET GETAWAY IN THE HEART OF HORSE COUNTRY
Words and photographs by
Christina Ricchiuti
T
here’s nothing like a food-focused
day trip to help you forget the winter blues.
For this installment of Edible 8, consider
the nation’s “Horse and Hunt Capital”:
Middleburg, Virginia. Located about an
hour west of D.C., the quaint town’s easily walkable historic district is filled with
independent boutiques, charming cafés
and historic inns.
Top to bottom: MIddleburg’s Common Grounds coffee shop. Crabcake Benedict from the Red
Fox Inn and Tavern.
Couple that with dozens of nearby wineries, some superstar chefs redefining the
local food scene and the mid-Atlantic’s
newest luxury destination resort, you’ll
find that a trip to Middleburg is worth
braving a polar vortex … for eight hours,
at least!
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9AM—FUEL UP FOR THE DAY
Hit the ground running with a quick caffeine fix and
breakfast sandwich at Common Grounds in downtown
Middleburg. Inviting touches like leather armchairs, a roaring fireplace and paintings of traditional horse hunts give this
coffee shop a cozy, lodge-like feel, making it the best place
around to enjoy a cup of joe. Our Pick: An Egg and Gruyere
Ciabatta ($3.95) with a large 2% latte ($4).
For a more formal breakfast, try the Red Fox Inn and
Tavern. The nearly 300-year-old building is the oldest in town
and retains much of its historical charm. It’s a local standout,
with contemporary American specialties that are as good as
the ambiance. Our Pick: The two-course prix-fixe brunch with
the Virginia Peanut Soup and Crabcake Benedict ($27).
10AM—WARM UP WITH WINDOW
SHOPPING
Middleburg’s downtown historic district is about a halfmile long, with dozens of boutiques and specialty stores lining the main streets. Avoid the cold by hopping shop to shop
to explore some new and old Middleburg favorites, including
the equestrian-themed Middleburg Tack Exchange and Lou
Lou, the local chain’s flagship boutique.
And don’t miss Middleburg’s brand new Mt. Defiance
Cidery & Distillery. Opening in August 2014, Mt. Defiance
features six types of hard cider, made with locally sourced
Virginia apples. By early 2015, the adjoining distillery should
be up and running, with tastings of handcrafted spirits like
rum, brandy, apple liquor and absinthe.
NOON—A LAID-BACK LUNCH
With cobblestone floors and a brightly painted “sky,”
you’ll feel like you’ve escaped to a European village inside
the Market Salamander. This gourmet eatery is a popular
spot to grab a casual bite in Middleburg and is known for
its area-themed sandwiches (like the Virginia Gent’s bourbon pecan chicken salad), daily hot specials and a number
of picnic-worthy wines, cheeses and charcuterie. Our Pick:
The Boxed Lunch with a sandwich, side, fruit salad, chips and
a sweet treat to finish the meal ($12.50).
Top to bottom: The Home Farm Store. The Home Farm Store’s mapleglazed doughnuts topped with local Ayrshire Farm bacon. The Gold Cup’s
Milanese risotto fritters pair perfectly with a glass of Virginia wine.
36 | EDIBLE DC | WINTER 2015
If you secretly enjoy starting out a meal with dessert, then
the Upper Crust bakery has you covered. Order a bagful of
their signature cookies like the chocolate chip and walnut
Hillbillies or the shortbread and chocolate Mutton Buttons.
The names may be quirky, but the taste is out of this world.
Then grab a sandwich, savory croissant or bowl of soup and
get eating. Our Pick: The wafer-thin, crispy, caramel-y, chewy
butterscotch and pecan Cow Puddles... we dare you to have just
one. (85 cents each)
1:30PM—ANTIQUING IN ALDIE
After lunch, jump in your car and drive 10 minutes east to
the village of Aldie, a small mill town that dates back to the
early 1800s. Comprised of a handful of shops and the stillthere Aldie Mill, it’s worth a visit to stop in at Bella Villa, an
antique home furnishings store filled with whimsical and elegant items that delight Francophiles and hipsters alike. Then,
head next door to the Aldie Peddler, the personality-filled
wine shop owned by Wally Lunceford, Aldie’s friendly former
mayor.
On your way back to Middleburg, stop at one of Northern
Virginia’s newest and most picturesque wineries, Greenhill
Winery. For $12, enjoy a sampling of four wines, including
the award-winning sparkling Blanc de Blancs, before heading
back to Middleburg.
3PM—TIME FOR A TREAT
The Cow Puddles from the Upper Crust Bakery are a must-have treat.
You’ll arrive back in Middleburg just in time for an afternoon snack. It’s in a bit of a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it location
but the 18-month-old Popcorn Monkey, owned by local
entrepreneur Deltone Moore, has quickly become a fixture
in the local community. Stop in for a bag of freshly popped
popcorn, with savory and sweet specialty flavors like Hot
Monkey Love, Texas Tornado and Cornfetti. Our Pick: A
small bag of Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt popcorn ($6.99).
Perhaps the best example of farm-to-fork in Middleburg
is the Home Farm Store. Owned by Ayrshire Farm’s Sandy
Lerner, this gourmet butcher shop and specialty food grocery store is reminiscent of a traditional English market. For
a sweet treat, don’t miss the maple-bacon donuts (available
on Saturdays) or the retro-styled soda fountain upstairs. Our
Pick: The zingy root beer float, made with Trickling Springs ice
cream ($4.95).
3:30PM—HORSE HISTORY
Middleburg has been on the map since the 1700s, and
quickly grew to be a mecca for foxhunting and equestrian
activities. For those interested in learning more, the National
Sporting Library and Museum celebrates the tradition of
equestrian, angling and field sports with an art museum and
expansive rare book library, spanning 500 years of sporting
history. (Library admission is free. Adult admission to the
museum is $10, free the last Sunday of each month.)
5PM—FINE DINING FIT FOR A FOODIE
Warm up with a glass of Virginia wine by the fire in the
library at Salamander Resort, named one of the South’s
10 best resorts by Condé Nast Traveler, before moving over
to dinner at one of two restaurants by acclaimed Chef de
Cuisine Chris Edwards: Harrimans Virginia Piedmont
Grill or Gold Cup Wine Bar. Harrimans is clearly the resort’s
brightens even a winter day.
flagship restaurant, with high-end ingredients like foie gras,
lobster and sea urchin making appearances on the decadent
steakhouse menu. But the Gold Cup is where Chef Edwards
gets to be really creative, resulting in perhaps the tastiest, most
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EDIBLE 8’S MIDDLEBURG PICKS
BREAKFAST
Common Grounds—114 W. Washington St. ($)
Red Fox Inn & Tavern—2 E. Washington St. ($$)
LUNCH
Market Salamander—200 W. Washington St. ($$)
The Upper Crust—4 N. Pendleton St. ($, cash only)
SNACK TIME
Popcorn Monkey—2½ E. Federal St. ($)
Home Farm Store—1 E. Washington St. ($$)
DINNER
Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill—Salamander Resort,
500 N. Pendleton St. ($$$)
Gold Cup Wine Bar—Salamander Resort, 500 N. Pendleton
St. ($$)
French Hound—101 S. Madison St. ($$)
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Top to bottom: Steak frites with cabernet compound butter from the
French Hound. End your meal on a sweet note with the French Hound’s
Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery—207 W. Washington St.
Greenhill Winery—23595 Winery Ln.
inventive menu in town. Our Pick: The Gold Cup’s Milanese
Risotto Fritters with saffron aioli ($10.)
Chef John-Gustin Birkitt, a Loudoun County native,
has brought a little bit of France to Middleburg at the
French Hound. Goldenrod-hued walls, wicker chairs and
Mediterranean-themed art provide a cheery atmosphere to
enjoy his take on traditional French bistro classics like escargots in a bubbly garlic-basil herb butter, French-inspired
pizzas and Profiteroles with Moorenko’s vanilla ice cream.
Our Pick: Steak frites with a Cabernet compound butter ($26).
National Sporting Library and Museum—102 The Plains Rd.
LOCAL SHOPS
Middleburg Tack Exchange—103 W. Federal St.
Lou Lou—9 E. Washington St.
Bella Villa—39478 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie
Aldie Peddler—39494 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie
GETTING HERE
Hop on I-66 West, exit at 57B onto US-50 East for just over
20 miles until you arrive in the heart of the historic district.
Christina Ricchiuti is a TV producer by day and a mid-Atlantic travel blogger by night. Follow along with her many D.C.–area adventures on her blog, PackedSuitcase.com, and on Twitter & Instagram
@packDsuitcase.
38 | EDIBLE DC | WINTER 2015
PUMPKIN BEIGNETS
from Chef de Cuisine Chris Edwards of Salamander
Resort and Spa, Middleburg, VA
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
½ cup cooked pumpkin, chunky
1 quart canola oil for frying
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl,
mix the wet ingredients. Using a whisk, begin to whisk the wet
ingredients into the dry ingredients until well incorporated. In a
large saucepan, heat 1 quart of canola oil over medium heat. When
the oil reaches 325°, start to spoon in beignet batter, 1 spoonful at
a time. Keep moving the beignets throughout the frying process.
After 5–8 minutes, and when the beignets are nice and golden
brown, remove them from the fry oil and place them on a paper
towel to drain any excess grease. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
and serve—enjoy!
Yields about 2 dozen small beignets.
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