Usually this time of year I’m longing to visit the beach, find a restaurant with outdoor dining and enjoy some seafood. However, with all the rain and cold weather this spring I haven’t found the enthusiasm to do that. So last week my mother and I headed in the opposite direction of the beach into the Piedmont area of Virginia to the Thornton River Grille in Sperryville. It’s about an hour and a half from Alexandria and once you get past all the highway construction along the beltway and Route 66, the drive is very pleasant through farms and horse country.
Although we arrived for a late lunch there were still several groups lingering over their meals. Our server described the specials of the day and took our drink order. One of the specials was She-Crab Soup that my mother ordered. Usually that is pink in color, creamy with small flakes of crab, but this was a much bolder version with larger lumps of crab meat and spicier than expected, but delicious and it paired very well with a glass of Simonet, Brut Blanc de Blancs. I ordered asparagus soup and a Guinness. Crispy bread with whipped honey butter was also served. Tom Nash, the chef, stopped by our table to welcome us and answer any questions we had about the menu. While explaining that he is an advocate of the “Buy Local, Eat Seasonally” movement he mentioned that the asparagus for the soup were grown by students at Rappahannock High School, which is a short distance from the Grille, as part of their course requirements. He went on to say that he tries to purchase all vegetables from local farmers rather than a distributor.
In addition to the vegetables, Tom buys lamb and pork from a local farm, and although the beef is not bought locally it’s butchered and ground daily in house. For entrees we chose a Reuben sandwich and a Cheeseburger. The corned beef is braised in house and pulled rather than sliced and served on marbled rye bread with Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut and Russian Dressing and an order of french fries. It went great with my second Guinness. My mother enjoyed the cheeseburger served on a fresh roll with mixed greens, tomato and a side of cole slaw and switched from the champagne to a glass of Angeline Pinot Noir from Sonoma.
After watching the couple at the table next to us eating bread pudding we decided that we needed to try it. It’s made with chocolate chips and coconut and served with crème anglaise and served warm. Great finish to the meal. Our tab for two beers, champagne, a glass of wine, two bowls of soup, the Reuben, Cheeseburger and bread pudding was $60 before tip.
Other luncheon items on the menu are a Grilled Ribeye Salad, Flamin’ Rooster Salad, Flamin’ Rooster Sandwich, Crab Cake Sandwich, Grilled Portobello Sandwich and a House Salad and Caesar Salad.
The wine list is short but has a good variety. Whites feature Riff, Pinot Grigio from Italy for $6 a glass or $19 for a bottle to Naked Mountain Chardonnay from Virginia for $8 a glass or $30 a bottle. Reds range from Laurent Miquel, Syrah Grenache at $16 a bottle to Shafer, One Point Five, Cabernet Sauvignon for $109. Beer lovers will enjoy the beer choices; Bass Ale, Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Blue Mountain Full Nelson Pale Ale, Brooklyn Lager, Dominion Spring Buck Blonde Ale, Guinness Draught, North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, Pilsner Urquel, Shiner Bock and the usual Bud, Coors, and Corona.
As we were leaving we met Ken, one of the owners, who obviously proud of the business, offered to show us the General Store which is next door. Originally, a true general store built in the 1850’s, Ken still has ledgers that list customers along with their purchases and costs. He has maintained the wood floors and the wood counter top but has filled it with gourmet items such as freshly butchered meat, seafood, and wine and beer selections. He’s very pleased that not only are tourists from Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Baltimore finding them but the local residents have embraced them as well.
One of the outcomes of building onto the back of the general store was the creation of a roof top deck, which is now open for more informal dining. It will be a great location during the summer to enjoy those long warm evenings.
For folks living in the Alexandria area there are a couple of alternatives for enjoying Thornton River Grille; driving out for lunch, hiking/biking or sightseeing in the morning and enjoying the open deck in the afternoon, or finding an overnight location and having dinner. My experience at lunch with the well prepared food, friendly and capable service, casual atmosphere, and beauty of its location has me planning a return trip for dinner.
Thornton River Grille
3710 Sperryville Pike
Sperryville, Virginia
540-987-8790
www.thorntonrivergrille.com
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