100 Very Best 2017It’s possible to take a tour through Virginia wine country without leaving Ashby’s 19th-century rooms—or better yet, the garden veranda. Sommelier Stuart Brennen seeks out up-and-coming wineries such as North Gate Vineyard in neighboring Purcellville as well as established vintners. New chef Tom Whitaker continues a local-when-possible cooking tradition at the Fauquier County restaurant, though with a more classical bent than his predecessors: plump shrimp and grits with smoky bacon, a woodsy rabbit pot pie. Service is leisurely at best—order an enticing cheese-and-charcuterie board and be prepared to linger. Expensive.
Also great: Butternut-squash-and-apple soup; lightly smoked scallop ceviche; braised pork shoulder with truffles and spaetzle.
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.
