100 Very Best 2017This 19th-century inn surrounded by vineyards could attract crowds for ambience alone—from the cozy, tamarind-hued dining room to the lovely patio—but chef Tarver King makes it a destination for the food. The $45 three-course menu changes according to the ingredients from neighboring farms and fields, but recent standouts have included velvety mussel bisque atop a bed of smoking hay, fried chicken lacquered with bacon caramel, and sliced sirloin and a poached egg in mustardy hollandaise. Settle in with a classic French 75 made with Virginia sparkling wine and gin from nearby Catoctin Creek Distilling Company. Sunday, noon to 2.
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.
