100 Very Best 2017Restaurant vets Neal and Star Wavra resurrected a Federal-era space in Fauquier County with both elegance and comfort in mind. Start in the warmly lit parlor, where you can sip from Neal’s masterfully curated local wine list. The best seat in the multi-room house is by the kitchen, where chef Anthony Nelson mans a Colonial-style hearth. We’ve never tasted a juicier pork chop: sous-vided until tender, charred beneath oak logs, and drizzled with foie gras sauce. Ember beds slow-roast a simple onion until it nearly melts—Brie and beefy jus turn it into a killer riff on French onion soup. Expensive.
Also great: Buffalo-style pig ears; scallops with squash and caviar; roasted whole fish; horchata float.
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.
