100 Very Best 2017Our newest country obsession is this Federal-era restaurant in Fauquier County, beautifully restored by Ashby Inn vets Neal and Star Wavra. Guests have the run of the house—we’d start in the parlor with wine from one of many nearby vineyards and move to a table near chef Anthony Nelson’s open kitchen. A ten-foot-wide open hearth is used to roast local meats such as a showstopping Martin’s Farm rib eye with foie gras sauce, while oysters and whole rockfish are baked in the embers. Culinary fireworks aren’t limited to the flames: We’d happily travel for a host of small plates such as crunchy Buffalo-style pig ears. Make a day of it and plan for lunch at sister shop Riccordino’s, which dishes up Italian beef and other hot sandwiches that pay homage to Neal’s native Chicago. Moderate to expensive.
Also great: smoked-rockfish dip; roasted pork belly with hickory-soy; whole quail with red rice and andouille; roasted-garlic potatoes; sweet-potato cheesecake with marshmallow ice cream.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Kristen Hinman has been editing Washingtonian’s features since 2014. She joined the magazine after editing politics & policy coverage for Bloomberg Businessweek and working as a staff writer for Voice Media Group/Riverfront Times.
