Hannah H.
Yelp
My husband and I came here or a birthday getaway - this B&B has been on my list for the past 3 years, so I was super duper excited that I was finally able to get a weekend to come down! The B&B can be hard to miss when you're driving on the Lord Fairfax Hwy as there is a small sign; however, I liked the fact that you can get a view of the Shenandoah mountains and there were some cows on the farm next door - so cute! Jessica, the assistant innkeeper, was quite efficient and extremely nice - there was a cute cat taking a nap in the office (adorable!). The main house also had hot mulled cider (so delicious!) as well as some cookies and cake log - oo la la - this was available or the guests from 3 to 6pm. We booked Suite #9, the 'La Chambre des Amis' (which means 'The Bedroom of My Friends' in French) which was quaint - I thought it would be a bit larger from the pictures I saw online, but even still, it was cute - I especially loved the tiles in the bathroom - very bright and very Country French! The only 'issue' would probably be the curtain by the main door, as always drawing them open/close when you enter/exit your suite can get a little annoying; but, I'm thinking it's because some people want to see throughout the door since there's a garden right in front of us - I'm sure it's lovely during the Spring time. I loved the Lemon Verbana soap and the herbal bath salts that were available. There were two comfy armchairs to relax and do some reading or some work, as well as a small TV with DirectTV. A fireplace with a Duralog was also there, and the mantle was decorated with holiday Nutcrackers, pine cones, and fruit. There seems to be suites located above the main house, but ours was tucked off to the side with a couple of others - there was still peace and privacy, which was nice! We had a dinner reservation at 7:30PM - we were seated by the window, and I loved the decor (huge Christmas ornaments, holiday figurines, etc.). Our server was Christian, and he was just plain AWESOME! We chose the 4-course menu. I had the: Chicken Liver (Pate, Walnut, Toasted Tuille; this was beautiful as it was nice and salty, fragrant, and delicious), Foie Gras (Citurs, Granola, Cranberry Gastrique; literally, the BEST foie gras I've had, EVER!!! I loved the combination of the citrus slices and the perfectly cooked foie gras that melted in my mouth - it was very delicate and delicious!!!), Escolar (Forrest Mushrooms, Bordelaise Sauce; this is a fatty tuna that was delicate and the nice Bordelaise sauce that made it somewhat a light dish; loved the mushrooms!), and PB & C (Liquid Nitrogen Poached, Caramel, Popcorn; I found the popcorn an interesting combination with the dessert!) for dessert. My husband had the: Scallop (Cauliflower, Raison, Cumin Emulsion; the flavors of the sauce was yummy as the scallops were also cooked beautifully), Lobster (Thermidor, Parsnip; this was quite lovely with it being wrapped with a crispy phyllo dough!), Lamb (Chestnut, Parsnip, Onions, Pomegranate; shredded lamb that was like pulled pork - not game-y at all and it was wonderfully-seasoned - yum!), and the Pistachio Souffle with Pistachio Gelato for dessert (nice and airy). There were plenty of amuse-bouches (lemon-mousse-like bars with candied ginger on sticks, this beautiful egg in a cup with sherry with olive madeleines, nice crusty bread with olive oil, a nice thyme-infused methol carbonated drink that was absolutely refreshing and awesome, potato butter (that came in a mini jam jar that was so decadent, creamy, and delicious!), and a slice of lemon cheesecake), which was quite surprising! From the other reviews, I notice that there were many complaints on how 'small' the servings/courses were - I have absolutely no idea what these people are talking about, as both my husband and I left full (and we can eat!)! :P Chef Joseph Watters actually came out himself and greeted us with the culminating dessert - it was a basket with holly berries and pine leaves, with 2 of each: meringue lollipops filled with an apple slice, French lemon macarons, and this blackberry-like jelly. He was SO NICE and we thanked him for an unbelievable meal! This was literally one of the best meals I've had, and it definitely falls in my top dining experiences! For the breakfast, there was a table with house made granola, croissants, fresh fruit salad, yogurt cups, and individual beverages. The set menu was Poached Egg on Creamy Soft Polenta and Grits, Oven Roasted Rosemary Chicken Breast with Demi Glace and a slice of Applewood Smoked Bacon, and a bowl of Apple Crisp with Maple Cream. It was nicely presented, simple, and a good light breakfast to give you fuel for the day. I highly recommend in checking out Chef Watters' creations - I am definitely going to come back here and bring my friends and family for a beautiful dinner experience and to fill ourselves with wonderful wonderful wonderful food!
+lovely French menu :D
+Chef Joseph Watters