Foodie Field Trip: VA Wine Country
Our new Foodie Field Trip series features destinations that are an easy weekend trip from DC.This week, we visit the Inn at Willow Grove in Orange, Va. (90-minute drive from DC, 30 minutes from Charlottesville). This expertly restored, 14-room boutique hotel treats guests to tasty extras that make their experience deliciously one-of-a-kind.
David and Charlene Scibal(above, with daughter-in-law Hope and son Matt, who manage the Inn) purchased this 18th century plantation house (a registered National &VA Historic Landmark) and the accompanying cottages on the 40-acre estate in 2008. They gutted the property, restored its antique beauty,and rebranded it as The Inn at Willow Grove in 2010. The family's sense of humor pops up throughout the property via Charlene's whimsical art collection. An ideal intersection of luxury and history, your stay is pushed over the top bydetails like heated marble bathroom floors and complimentary butler service. Each guest is assigned their own personal butler to cater to every need and desire.
The many complimentary gourmet touches really make the Inn a food-lover's dream.Fresh-fried house-made beignets are delivered to your door every morning--still warm, of course--accompanied by a pot of French-pressed coffee. Afternoon canaps are served in the piano lounge at 5pm; during our visit, they were jumbo-lump crabcakes over rosemary mustard. And with evening turn down service, Chef Jason Daniels whips up a "sweet treat" to accompany the tea tray delivered by your butler;berried angel food cakes over creme anglaise awaited us after dinner.
But resist the temptation to go nuts with the snacks; a visit to the Inn's farm-to-table Vintage Restaurant & Pub is a must. Part gastro pub, part fine dining, the multi-room Vintage offers menu and ambiance options for all tastes, including a Chef's Tasting Menu in a private dining room. Dinner is a treat, but brunch is where Chef Daniels truly shines. Start with the complimentary bread basket, featuring six different house-made breakfast pastries (yes, you can try them all). A piece of local honeycomb is nestled inside the accompanying pat of house-whipped butter. Our appetizer-sized amusewas a fluffy biscuit with a creamy herbed sausage gravy. Signature entrees like the French Toast Brick with blackberry and mascarpone keep the regulars coming back, and rotating creations like the golden Chicken and Egg sandwich will make the strictest dieter wish for a larger tummy.
It's no surprise that the Inn plays host to countless weddings-- the well-manicured grounds make an ideal setting. The newly constructed Barn serves as banquet hall, and theRuins (the restored foundation of the original barn) house the dance floor. Those spaces can easily be transformed to host corporateretreats and conferences of all sizes. The property is fully equipped, with everything from white boards to a state-of-the ar t audio-visual system.And of course, Chef Daniels offers plenty of group dining options, from gourmet boxed lunches to multi-course plated meals. With larger groups, overflow guests can stay at their neighboring partner property, the Holiday Inn on Round Hill.
Between the beautiful grounds and food comas, there's little need to leave the property. But if you're looking for something to do, the Inn is an easy drive from the Monticello Wine Trail. For the more active, Skyline Drive and its accompanying hiking trails are only 30 minutes away. The Inn is surrounded by Virginia's famous horse farms, and is in the heart of fox-hunting country (be sure not to mix up the two). For history buffs, Madison's Montpelier, Jefferson's Monticello, and a number of Civil War Battlefields are all within easy drives.
