The Middle of Somewhere – Of Wine, Virginia, and Red Fox

First off, no, this is not about Redd Foxx.

Second - I grew up in California where I still frequent Musso & Frank Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, having first opened in 1919. So when I'm on the east coast I try and look for restaurants that also have longevity. There’s something unique and very cool about eating at the same place that people have eaten at for hundreds of years; a connection to our collective past by way of a gathering place of food and drink. I have dined at places like Gadsby’s Tavern in Alexandria (started in 1770) and Sobrino de Botin, the oldest restaurant in Madrid, Spain (1725), and the amazingly cool Berggasthaus Ascher in Switzerland (1840s), tucked into a rock in the Alps. So when I was recently in Virginia I knew there would be compelling choices.

The Interior at the Red Fox

The Red Fox Tavern was built in 1728. The Tavern, originally known as Chinn’s Ordinary, it has gone through many iterations through the years. It was called the Beveridge House in the early 1800s, renamed the Middleburg Inn in the late 1800s, and finally renamed again as the Red Fox Inn in 1937, and it has provided food and lodging more or less non-stop for almost 300 years. The current owners have operated the Red Fox since 1976. It is situated in Middleburg, Virginia. Not familiar with Middleburg? Neither was I. An odd name at best - however it was a practical solution as it is the halfway, or middle, point between Alexandria and Winchester on John Mosby Highway, hence its monotonous moniker.

The Country Benedict

But the tedium ends there. The narrow doorways and low ceiling of the Red Fox remind you this was built many moons ago when people were smaller of stature. The local stone on the interior is painted a thick white, there are fireplaces in both rooms that illuminate and warm the convivial space. Colonial style wood chairs and wide plank flooring complete the visual with lots of paintings of horses and hunting dogs.
I stopped in for brunch and all brunches start with a plate of warm pastries made at a bakery nearby but they are light crisp and delicate. Also warm bread is provided and whipped sweet butter, which sets the stage for a two or three course prefix menu for brunch. But it is the peanut soup for which they are known. Served warm, add a bit of cracked pepper for an extra dimension of flavor. Peanut soup is pretty much peanut soup in that it tastes like, you know, peanut, and this iteration is mild and creamy and something most of us never try (the recipe is listed below from the restaurant), with a long history in the region. I do suggest The Country Benedict also, which offers a delicate, lemony Hollandaise.

Surrounding Middleburg, are numerous wineries adding to the already 230 wineries in Virginia. Best visits include GreenhillWinery nearby who make a delightful all Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc sparkler as well as several red blends. The tasting fee is $14 for 7 wines. The tasting room opens up to a covered porch and freestanding tables and chairs on the lawn. You'll also find local cheese, honey from the bees on their property and packaged frozen Charolais beef to take with you from their own cows. They also offer carriage rides through the vineyard.

Down the road is Chrysalis, a sleek and modern facility perched on a hill overlooking a small valley. Tastings are done both inside and outside which means dogs and kids are welcome. Jennifer McLeod was one of the first to plant Viognier in Virginia, and Viognier is now the state’s signature white wine. I originally wrote about this winery a decade ago for a magazine and now ten years later the Viognier still holds up well with lively nice acidity, notes of honey, apricot and lime.  Also you need to make a stop at 50 West who is turning out some stunningly good reds from grapes grown in Virginia including a very cool 100% Chambourcin Port called Dusk. And every Sunday they have hot mulled wine for $5 a glass. So if you're passing through this middle ground take time on either end of you trip to check out the charming Middleburg area.

The carriage rides at Greenhill Winery

Red Fox Tavern: Peanut Soup, 15 Servings
2 quarts chicken broth, 3 tablespoons flour
Small diced onion
1/3 teaspoon celery salt
Quarter pound butter
1 teaspoon salt
Two stalks celery diced
1 pint peanut butter
Half cup cream
Ground peanuts for topping
Melt butter add onion celery sauté for five minutes but don't brown.
Add flour and mix well.
Add heated chicken broth cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from stove, strain, add peanut butter and celery salt. Thicken with cream, top with ground peanuts, garnish with parsley.

Washington in Winter: Cool Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, George Washington's impressive Virginia estate, was never on a short list of things to see. But working near the area it seemed like a reasonable way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I went with few expectations - I’m sure it’s “interesting” and filled with dry historical information, right? - but I came away with a deeper, more profound appreciation for the turbulent times our country faced when it was founded; not to mention a huge amount of respect for what our fore-bearers had to contend with, and how they overcame obstacles and created success – and by today’s accounting of humanity, well, I doubt many people now would have succeeded then.

There is a surprising amount of things to do at Mount Vernon, quite frankly a terrific value for the standard $17 admission fee including the grounds, the museum, the rotating exhibits, and the house itself. There’s also a restaurant on site which, though not spectacular, does provide good food at decent prices. If you’re the kind of person who likes to spend money, the extensive gift shop has everything Washington: from kitschy refrigerator magnets to high end tableware and books: lots and lots of books about the man.

I visited in the cool of February when the spectacular gardens were not leafed out, an elegant desolateness to the place, perched on a hill above the Potomac River as if God himself had decreed it should be so. The estate has large wide paths for walking and strolling with plenty of room for strollers and wheelchairs. It's peaceful out here; a softness in the brisk winter breeze when the summer crowds are not yet in full force.

The Slave Cabin

The Potomac opens up before you a vast shimmering soft patch of blue and it’s clear why Washington would have made this patch of heaven his patch of heaven. You can head down to the wharf and stand on the banks of the Potomac, imagining how this river might have been over 200 years ago. Nearby is a slave cabin (Washington had many slaves who were only set free after his death) a small dirt floored cabin holding on average a family of 6. Though this is a replica, it will give you a good feel of the tight, uncomfortable quarters slaves had to live in, all while serving our first president.

Originally at about 8,000 acres, the estate was a land grant from the King of England to the Washington family in 1674 - must be nice to have those kinds of connections, which ironically failed the King ‘round about 1776. The property Washington inherited from his father was a small house which George added to considerably creating the house you visit today, close to what it was like in the 1790s. The parlor, kitchen, Washington’s office, and bedrooms are all on display. Outside there is the smoke house, greenhouse, coach house, farms, livestock, orchards and plantings…well, it goes on and on. In essence Mount Vernon in its day was run like a small corporation: lots of people, lots of buildings, and lots of management of a multitude of businesses including his distillery and farming and fishing operations. Much like today’s presidents, he had money, and lived quite well.

That aside, the best of travel is that unexpected moment when you're blindsided by a stunning sight, the taste of a certain food, a spiritual encounter, or an emotional moment.
At one point while in the last room on the tour - Washington’s office, just after my tour group had filed out - a docent described the transition from Washington’s presidency into actual democracy. Rather than a succession of kings and kingdoms and tedious run-on rule he desired a new form of government. As she mentioned that Washington did not seek absolute power but was concerned about the transition of that power, I became so moved by the simplicity of this altruism, which is the basis for our democracy that I became teary eyed. I told the docent she was making me cry. The docent too gets teary-eyed, as does my wife; three people impacted by the potential of humanity some 200+ years after it occurred. It is one of those moments you cannot script and you cannot expect. Such is the power of visiting a place: the ability of a moment to transcend a mere tourist attraction and embed in you a lasting memory. Washington died in 1799, too young as it turns out, a mere 67, yet leaving a legacy which we hold invaluable if not perhaps a little idolized.

The Liquor Box - empty!

Photos of the interiors are forbidden (yeah, well except for the shot I took of the liquor cabinet - I’m a travel writer, damn it!) but you can shoot anything outside. This is not a high-energy visit, you won’t be slammed with overload and stimulation – this is low key. Your kids can run around on George Washington’s lawn while you sit in a rocking chair pondering the Potomac. The house tours move quickly: 20 minutes when busy, a relaxed 30 minutes when it’s not busy.

But taken in its totality, Mount Vernon is a remarkable experience, one which, if you’re like me, took decades to attend to, but one which I’m glad I finally did.

VISIT MOUNT VERNON HERE