We arrived at an unprecedented early time for dinner – 5:45pm – to find every table in the place full. Undeterred, we grabbed a seat in the bar area – a little wood board sticking out of the wall with two little stools pulled up to it – & ordered a wine flight & a cheese board. My wine flight, titled “Roll out the Red Carpet,” consisted of a taste of three red wines – two Cabernet Sauvignon’s & a Shiraz. The wines came with a little information card detailing each wine. My favorite, a 2007 Cass Cabernet Sauvignon, was described as “big, racy & juicy like a Hollywood scandal.” Our cheeseboard consisted of three types of cheese: Fiscalini (a cow cheese from California), Balsamic Bellavintano (a sheep cheese from Italy) & Hook Blue (a cow cheese from Wisconsin). The blue cheese was perfectly salty, the Fiscalini tasted how you wish parmesan cheese would taste & the Balsamic Bellavintano was creamy.
Just as we were digging into our cheese plate, our table was ready. Despite the fact that the restaurant is rather loud, our table, tucked into a corner, was perfectly situated to still enjoy the vibe & have meaningful conversation. The menu was full of basic comfort food, simply prepared. Both my husband & I had the dinner special – a medium sized piece of grouper simply prepared & served with a side of potatoes & green beans. It wasn’t fancy & it wasn’t over the top – it was how fish should be prepared.
For dessert we split the baked-to-order apple strudel, which melted in your mouth. As a splurge, we purchased a bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon I loved so much. The restaurant offers their wine by the bottle at a discount if you purchase one to take with you; however, it may not have been as much of a discount as we had hoped for. At least we have a new bottle of “special occasion” wine now.
The details of the restaurant were what made it special: the napkins were dish towels. The water was served in a carafe. The pendant lights hanging from the ceiling were chic & simple, with the exception of the large crystal chandelier hanging over one table. The decor was minimal, with large red poppy’s painted on one wall, a chalkboard of featured cheeses on another & a sideboard holding farmhouse plates & bottles of wine behind the bar.
We walked away amazed at this great little place, tucked into downtown Leesburg surrounded by empty restaurants. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is one of my top five dining experiences in the D.C. area. If this place wasn’t an hour away from where I live, we would be eating there a heck of a lot more often. So if you find yourself in Leesburg (or at Dulles Airport with some time to kill), venture over to The Wine Kitchen, fight for one of the tables & enjoy a great meal.
(P.S. all photos courtesy of The Wine Kitchen. The photos I took on my camera phone just didn’t do this awesome place justice!)
(P.P.S. I’m not paid or perk’d to write this kind of stuff. The Wine Kitchen has no idea who I am. I just thought this was a great place that every foodie & wine lover in D.C. & beyond must know about.)
(P.P.P.S. I hate the word foodie.)
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