Winter Chocolate Happy Hour at Todd Gray’s Equinox Restaurant

Fans of Equinox Restaurant (and Chef Todd Gray, who’s also at the helm of Middleburg’s Market Salamander) will be thrilled to learn of the Chocolate Happy Hour at D.C.’s award-winning restaurant. And chocoholics will certainly love getting their fix at this innovative event taking place every Friday from 5 - 7 p.m. until the first [...]

“Wrap Yourself in Our Winter Escape” at The Goodstone Inn, Middleburg

Why head south for the winter when you can embrace the cold with a heavenly escape to Middleburg’s Goodstone Inn and Estate? Surrounded by 265 acres of unspoiled pastures in Virginia’s hunt country, this luxurious country estate offers organic fine dining and delightful accommodations for the ultimate bed and breakfast weekend. You won’t want to [...]

4th Annual Christmas to Remember in Purcellville

Head to historic Purcellville this weekend for some yuletide cheer. “A Christmas to Remember” is certainly one of Loudoun County’s holiday highlights! This day-long celebration on Saturday, December 13th begins with breakfast with Santa, followed by a Christmas parade that includes dogs, horses, carriages, and floats. There will be plenty of children’s activities, to boot. [...]

Rappahannock County on the National Stage: The Press Goes Wild for Virginia Chutney Co.

It’s not just Red Truck Bakery that’s getting some serious media attention. Rappahannock’s own Virginia Chutney was lauded in the New York Times recently:
Clare Turner, an Englishwoman who grew up in East Africa, has merged her country’s chutney wisdom with Southern recipes. The results are full of fruits, instead of gooey syrups. For the Christmas [...]

Loudoun Development Tracker: PEC Maps Show Approved and Proposed Projects

Kudos to the Piedmont Environmental Council for its development tracking tool, created this past summer by integrating Google Maps API with local planning data and Convio advocacy software. Folks can type in an address, community name, or zip code in Loudoun County and pull up a map of the area with icons showing unbuilt approved [...]

Get Merry in Middleburg: Christmas Festivities Galore on Saturday

Head to the capital of horse country on Saturday, December 6th for some serious holiday celebrations: two parades, breakfast with Santa, live music, arts and crafts, and much more. At 11 a.m., the local hunt club parades down Washington Street (pictured): 100 horses and riders wearing red riding coats following their hounds. At 3 p.m., [...]

Weekend Celebrations: Middleburg’s Celebrate the Harvest Festival, Plus Bluemont Vineyard

Grab your scarves and gloves and get ready for some weekend fun. Bluemont Vineyard celebrates its first anniversary with festivities both Saturday and Sunday. Fields of Athenry supplies the Irish Stew,  and there’ll be plenty of live music, free tastings, and of course, birthday cake. Or drive on over to Middleburg this Friday and Saturday (or [...]

Countdown Over–Beaujolais Nouveau Has Arrived

Looking for the perfect excuse to drink in the harvest? That’d be at midnight tonight, November 20, marking the exact time that this year’s supply of Beaujolais Nouveau can be sampled. It is always the Thursday before Thanksgiving, and this tradition is often accompanied by special events. The Iron Bridge Wine Company is ready to celebrate [...]

The Pet Goat Saga: The Suburbanization of Loudoun Vs. Rural Farm Heritage

Three pet goats are at the center of a conflict between Loudoun’s suburbanization and its farm heritage, as The Washington Post’s Loudoun Extra reports in an excellent article. A family moved to Hamilton to enjoy the rural countryside, bought some goats, and soon learned they had violated a county zoning rule requiring at least a [...]

Our Own Little Economic Stimulus: Open Table’s Appetite Stimulus Plan

Open Table, the web-based restaurant reservation service, has a pre-Thanksgiving treat, November 17-21, for diners. Several Piedmont restaurants are participating in the “Appetite Stimulus Plan” including Lightfoot, The Rail Stop, Tuscarora Mill, and Vintage 50. The specially priced per person 3-course lunch and dinner menus are $24 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Check Open Table for [...]