A Virginia Valentine's Day Weekend

Happy (late) Valentine's Day, everyone. I hope you had a good weekend. I sure did! Jason surprised me by booking two nights at a traditional country bed & breakfast in Barboursville, Virginia (about 20 minutes outside of Charlottesville). Nestled in the foothills of the Shenandoah mountains, Prospect Hill Plantation Inn consists of a 1732 manor house, with various outbuildings that have been renovated and decorated in an authentic historic style.

We left after work on Friday, and after getting stuck in some nasty NoVa traffic, we finally arrived at the inn around 8:30. As we pulled into the long, tree-lined driveway, I felt as though we'd entered another world. With its winding cobblestone walkways, fountains, and series of quaint yellow clapboard buildings, Prospect Hill Plantation Inn resembles a small village. We were greeted by the proprietor, Bill Sheehan, and immediately whisked into the dining room, where our traffic-frayed nerves were soon soothed by a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon an incredible four-course meal: creamy carrot soup, a mixed greens salad, tender pork tenderloin in a rosemary sauce with asparagus and mashed potatoes, and an amazingly moist tres leches cake. Sated and far more relaxed, we were led to our cottage, the Carriage House (pictured above). It was dark when we arrived, but upon waking Saturday morning, I was delighted to find a perfect view of the surrounding rolling hills, illuminated by a soft orange-pink sunrise.

After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, bacon, orange juice, and tea (which Bill delivered to our cottage), we set off to explore Charlottesville. We started with the downtown pedestrian mall, which reminded me a little bit of the Ped Mall, in Iowa City, filled with restaurants, shops, and people strolling and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. I fell in love with a shop called Caspari (pictured at left), which carries a well-edited collection of exquisitely designed paper products, home furnishings, and other sophisticated knick knacks. We also enjoyed getting lost in Circa, a labyrinthine 10,000 square-foot antique store overflowing with a colorful array of treasures, with a great selection of retro 50's and 60's era wares.

My favorite place in Charlottesville was Main Street Market, a collection of nine locally-owned culinary delights all tucked under one roof, including: Feast! (a specialty cheese and grocery store), The Butcher of C-ville (a wide variety of all-organic meats), http://www.sfdatwestmain.com/, Albemarle Baking Company (fresh-baked artisanal bread and pastries), Hedge Fine Blooms (florist), The Seasonal Cook (cookware and kitchen items), Geerharts Chocolates, Orzo (restaurant and wine bar), and Calvino Cafe (coffee shop). It was a true food-lovers' mecca, though I refrained from buying anything, preferring instead to just absorb the loveliness of it all (and absorb some cheese samples at Feast!).

After a quick lunch at Christian's Pizza (a slice of spicy chicken with peppers and a slice of spinach artichoke - both delicious), we decided to check out Barboursville Winery (pictured below) a vineyard set in the gently sloping hills surrounding former governor James Barbour's estate, which still contains the ruins of Barbour's house, designed by his friend, Thomas Jefferson, and gutted by a fire in 1884. Bought by vintners Silvana and Gianni Zonin in 1976, the vineyard now produces Virginia's most award-winning wines, and offers spectacular scenery, tours of the wine-making facilities, and a tasting of 16 wines for a mere $4 per person. The staff at Barboursville's was super knowledgeable, but also very approachable (none of that "Oh, you can't taste the notes of blackberry? You poor plebian...you probably can't even detect the hint of tar either.") I picked out a bottle of the Vintage Rosé, a light berry-flavored blend, and a bottle of the Pinot Grigio, an award-winning varietal with a light, fruity taste. A staff member explained that the Pinot Grigio grape is incredibly tolerant to Virginia's seasonal fluctuations, and so has thrived and produced wonderful wine. Jason also picked up four bottles of red - I believe the Cabernet Franc Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, the Octagon Blend, and the Nebbiolo (Jason, correct me if I'm wrong).

For dinner that night, we drove back into Charlottesville and ate at the Blue Light Grill (pictured below), a lively little raw bar and seafood restaurant on the pedestrian mall. We, of course, could not resist the oysters, and started with a sampler plate. Dinner for me was Shrimp Fettucine with ribbons of zucchini in a lemon buerre blanc sauce. Jason ordered the Monkfish and Shrimp Sautee, served with potato sticks, chorizo, spinach and a garlicky-basil sauce. The food was wonderful, and the portions were pleasantly modest, which was good because we decided to stop at Splendora's (pictured below) for gelato afterwards. I had a scoop of Bacio (chocolate and hazelnut) and a scoop of Salted Caramel. Jason ordered Chocolate, Mexican Coffee, and Espresso. It was a delicious way to end a truly delicious day.

Sunday, we ate breakfast at the inn (goat cheese omelettes, sausage, fruit, orange juice, and tea), and bummed around Charlottesville a bit more. Most of the stores were closed though, so after walking around a bit, we decided to just head back to DC.

It was an absolutely lovely weekend, and I must say, I am a very lucky girl.

A tale of two cheese shops

So enamored am I with the decidedly delightful addition to the Penn Quarter neighborhood, Cowgirl Creamery, that I've had to actually restrain myself from blogging about it. The reason for my self-imposed delay? I decided that the only responsible thing to do would be to scope out Alexandria's Cheesetique in the Del Ray neighborhood for a bit of comparative due diligence. Well, as I suspected, both of the artisan cheese shops are veritable gourmet playgrounds, and I am now pretty equally enamored with both. Below are some vital stats.

Cowgirl Creamery
Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Easily accessible via Metro Center or Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stops
Selection: Cowgirl Creamery boasts the more extensive selection of the two shops. You can find everything from Nubian goat Alleghany Chevre, to the creamy sheep's milk Cave Aged Marisa, to cow's milk Marin French Triple Creme (as decadent as it sounds). Also, if you're looking for a particular cheese, their website offers a search function, allowing you to input milk type, treatment, etc. Cowgirl beats out Cheesetique if you're looking for a rare or very specific type of cheese.
Staff: Cowgirl Creamery was the better staffed of the two shops, with a whole host of friendly cheese enthusiasts ready to assist us with any questions or requests for samples. The staff at Cowgirl appeared truly passionate about the cheeses. When we asked one staff member about good fondue cheeses, she helpfully pointed us toward their pre-assembled fondue kits, and she made suggestions about what kind of wine would work well in the fondue.

Cheesetique
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Cheesetique is not quite as accessible as Cowgirl Creamery, but it's easily reachable by car.
Selection: Cheesetique has a perfectly respectable selection of artisan cheeses, including the ever-wondrous Humboldt Fog (pictured above). It's not quite as extensive as Cowgirl's selection, however. On the other hand, Cheesetique offers a broader array of complimentary non-cheese items, most notably a nice wine selection, as well as imported beer, gourmet salts, artisan honey, jams, crackers, cookies, and even serving dishes.
Staff: The salesperson who was working at Cheesetique was perfectly nice and helpful, although I noticed with amusement that she seemed a bit taken aback at the amount of cheese and cured meat we ordered. "Are you having a party?" I believe were her exact words. Um, no, we weren't having a party. We were, however, gathering ingredients to make this inarguably festive sandwich.

Depending on what kind of cheese shop experience you're looking for, both Cowgirl Creamery and Cheesetique offer much to recommend. Thankfully, there seems to be ample room in this town - and on my plate - for the both of 'em.

Photo of Humboldt Fog cheese by Flickr user Cheezemaster.

Hot food for a cold day

Oenophile that I am, I've been super excited to check out DC's newest addition to the wine bar craze, Cork, and had made plans to go after work yesterday. Few things can compete with my mildly obsessive interest in chronicling the best this city has to offer in the way of wine flights, cheese selections, and charcuterie. (See previous post on Dupont's Veritas). As if I needed further incentive, Cork's menu boasts a pretty decent selection of entrees (or what they call "hot plates"), and dishes like Red-Wine Braised Lamb with pomegranate, radicchio, and spinach beckon.

But yesterday, it was cold. And windy. And to be completely honest, I just didn't feel like trekking across town for my dinner, delicious as it might've been. So, although few things can compete with wine and cheese, fabulous Indian food is most definitely one of those things, specifically the elegant fare turned out by Heritage India in Dupont Circle.

So we turned our wind-burned cheeks to the north and braved the nasty weather for the couple blocks between my office and the restaurant, the promise of warm naan and spicy curries sustaining us through the chill.

Once inside Heritage's uniquely decorated dining room (think soothing peach tones, low lighting, and a giant bronze Buddha statue), we settled into a table for two and ordered drinks (a SoCo Sour for Jason, and a Maharani cocktail for me - made of peach schnapps, orange juice, Grey Goose, and white sparkling wine.) With the drinks warming our cheeks, we turned to the menu, which is a rather intriguing mix of contemporary Indian tapas-style dishes (like grilled Tandoori mozzarella, tomato, and basil), and more traditional offerings like kabobs and curries.

We started with an order of pleasantly salty Garlic Naan, and from there, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, and Jason went with the Lamb Vindaloo. The chicken was unbelievably tender, accented by the tang of the creamy and spicy masala sauce. And lo and behold, Jason's Vindaloo was sufficiently fiery, which is a victory in and of itself. I can also vouch for the Tandoori Chicken, marinated in a savory tomato-yoghurt sauce, which I enjoyed during a previous visit to the restaurant.

Our server (who was attentive without being overbearing, by the way) brought us dessert menus, but there simply wasn't room. It was that good.

Good to know: Heritage India is located at 1337 Connecticut Ave, almost directly across from the South entrance of the Dupont Circle Metro on the Red Line.

Photo of Heritage India's Saag Paneer by Flickr user Il Primo Uomo.

Part II in a series of posts on Adams Morgans' burgeoning intimate French/Belgian bistros-with-sane-noise-levels scene

Besides the previously-blogged-about Napoleon, low-key places to grab a drink and engage in actual conversation are rare in my neighborhood. If you want to, I dunno, actually talk to your drinking companions, the overwhelming majority of joints along the 18th Street strip are just too damn noisy. That's why I was so pleased when my friend Dan introduced me to Cafe L'Enfant the other night.

With its well-conceived wine list and casually cozy atmosphere, Cafe L'Enfant has now joined Napoleon on my neighborhood shortlist of places to go for drinks and conversation. I finally got to try this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, whose youthful berry tones are a bit too fleeting on the tongue for my taste. Nonetheless, I'd been wanting to at least try it to know what the hype was about. For my second glass, I went with a glass of Cotes du Rhone, a heftier wine whose gravity I appreciated all the more in contrast with the Beaujolais. This particular Cotes du Rhone (an appellation sometimes derided for its vague provenance) was selected by Kermit Lynch, a prolific wine importer whose name I recognized from Jay McInerney's A Hedonist in the Cellar (which, by the way, is a great primer for the budding oenophile, and is the first in the series of books I plan to read to educate myself about wine. Well that, and, um, drinking lots of it.)

In addition to wine, Cafe L'Enfant boasts a well-rounded Bieres Menu, though so enamored was I with the wine list, I cannot for the life of me recall which two beers Dan ordered. Like Napoloeon, L'Enfant also serves bistro fare as well as sweet and savory crepes, which make for perfect post-drink snacking. Grab a seat at one of the tables by the window and look forward to an evening of not having to yell "WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

I'll drink to that.

Good to know:
Cafe L'Enfant is located at 2000 18th Street, NW. The closest Metro stop is Dupont Circle on the Red Line. Exit on the north side, then walk north on Connecticut to Florida Ave. Take a right on Florida, till you hit 18th. Cafe L'Enfant will be on the corner to the left. The atmosphere is decidedly casual.

Photo of Cafe L'Enfant by Flickr user robert takes pictures.

A Veritable Wine Bar

Really, is there anything better than wine and cheese? Well, actually there may be. Try three wines paired with sumptuous cheeses and some well-chosen charcuterie, served in a cozy, dimly-lit bar with the casual strains of Jimmy Buffett and Van Morrison playing in the background. Thus is the winning formula at Dupont's new wine bar, Veritas, where Jason and I found ourselves warming up after our Saturday expedition.

Having found Veritas intimate (read: tiny) space completely packed the previous evening by 8 p.m., we decided to try again on Saturday at 5 p.m. Sure enough, we snagged a seat with ease on Saturday but by the time we left at 6:30, it was already filling up, so eager vinos should be prepared to come early or wait for a table. Indeed, Veritas' exposed brick setting measures only 800 square feet, but, rest assured, some very good things come in this small package.

Veritas serves wines by the glass or bottle, but perhaps the best way to sample a few varietals is to order one of the flights - three half-glasses grouped together by theme or region. With playful monikers like "Allied Powers," (a trio of red blends, two from France, and one Californian), Veritas doesn't take itself too seriously, in spite of its sophisticated premise.

I started with the "Three Blancs" flight, a smart trio of whites, including a Chenin Blanc from Washington state, a Pinot Blanc of Alsatian provenance, and a Californian Sauvignon Blanc, each one smoother than the last. Jason, meanwhile, ordered the "Underrated" flight, composed of three earthy reds, all Californian, including one Merlot, and two Cabernet Sauvignon varietals.

The wines were wonderful. But what's wine without some cheese? we asked ourselves. Thankfully, Veritas offers non-wine samplings as well. Our cheese flight consisted of a smooth-as-butter Brillat-Savarin, a creamy Humboldt Fog goat cheese, and a semi-hard Manchego-like Spanish Idiazabel. I think I died and went to heaven, and that was before the charcuterie, which consisted of a chicken pate, spiked with champagne and a spicy Italian salumi. The cheese and charcuterie come with crusty sourdough bread, as well as marinated olives, pickled gherkins, and rasberry jam. Now that's what I call a snack.

Good to know:
Veritas is located at 2031 Florida Avenue, a short walk from the Dupont North Metro stop. After exiting the Metro on the North side, walk up Connecticut Ave. Veritas is located on the left side of Connecticut Ave. at Florida Ave.

Wine flights will run you betwen $14-$23 for three half glasses. You can order three cheeses or two charcuterie selections of your choice for $11.

Atmosphere is casual chic.

Image taken from Veritas' website.