Loudoun Restaurant and Beer Reviews

Made in Loudoun - Web Video Production for Vintage 50 Restaurant in Leesburg, VA

2010-09-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

A "Made in Loudoun" Video Production of Vintage 50 Restaurant in Leesburg, VA - optimized for the web, for internet marketing, for online web video marketing and other Loudoun, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC web video business marketing purposes.

The Best Loudoun Beer and Music Scene - Vintage 50 (Leesburg) and 51 (South Riding)

2009-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Vintage 51 Restaurant, Brew Lounge and Live Local Music

The past 12 years here in the Rt. 50 Corridor/Dulles South exurbia area of Northern Virginia's Loudoun County have been an exercise in waiting - waiting for a real local music scene, waiting for decent restaurants, waiting for more upscale martini bars and brewpubs, waiting for the traffic, schools and economy to improve....Basically, waiting for the Dulles South region (Eastern Loudoun, Western Fairfax and Western Prince William counties) to evolve its entertainment, retail and cultural offerings in the same manner as the Dulles North area already has (i.e. Ashburn).

The wait's over, finally - at least for those in the Chantilly/South Riding area who enjoy professional and local live music, handcrafted and locally-sourced classic American meals in an "urban lounge" setting, and a spectacular selection of custom martinis, Loudoun wines and regional craft beers not seen to date this side of Rt. 15 and the Dulles Toll Road.

Vintage 51 Restaurant and Brew Lounge fully opened recently in South Riding's Market Square, at the intersection of Rt. 50 and the Loudoun County parkway. Vintage 51 is an extension of the very popular Vintage 50 Brew Lounge in Leesburg, already voted one of "Loudoun's hottest new restaurants".

Loudoun's Best Beer
While Vintage 51 in South Riding is currently unable to serve handcrafted brews created over at its own Leesburg microbrewery, it does serve an inspired selection of wines, custom martinis and cocktails, and a huge selection of great beers (in the spirit of the Northern Virginia Brewfest series) from breweries including Clipper City, Flying Dog, and Dogfish Head. We purchased our own custom "Vintage Growler" with Bell's Two-Hearted Ale for some Thanksgiving cheer...

Loudoun's Finest Wines
For the Loudoun wine lovers, the Vintage 50/51 restaurant wine bars offer over 200 wines by the glass or bottle - ranging from international to very local Loudoun winery selections including Chrysalis and Fabbioli Cellars.

Loudoun's Best Live Music
The live music scene in Loudoun County and Dulles South is dramatically improved with the addition of Vintage 51 live performers and local music events weekdays and weekends. We'll provide a lot more information on this Dulles South/Loudoun music scene shortly - last night at Vintage 51, for example, we thoroughly enjoyed the smooth, reggae-infused, heavily-improvised acoustic rock classics by Purcellville's own Miguel Aubertin, a popular favorite and regular around the Loudoun vineyard and Vintage 50 music venues. Sample his music at http://www.myspace.com/miguelandros09.

Loudoun's Hottest New Restaurant
The Vintage 50 and Vintage 51 menus are a savory collection of locally-raised beef, lamb, pork and wild fowl dinners, fresh seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits and cheeses, creative seafood appetizers, and classically modern, innovative New American comfort food. The "Made in Loudoun" initiative is clearly in play here - from the delicious lunch sandwiches with local ingredients and handmade sauerkraut, to organic meat entrees made with local ingredients from Loudoun's own organic farm at the Fields of Athenry.

Check out the new Loudoun and Dulles South restaurant, brew lounge and live music scene now on a regular basis - in South Riding.

New Brewery in Southern Maryland - the Ruddy Duck!

2009-06-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

A brand-new brewery just opened in Southern Maryland, the Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill - we'll be sampling their fare very shortly...

Seeking Reviewers

2009-03-25T04:48:00.000-07:00

We're going to rapidly build up this blog to focus on existing and new Loudoun-area restaurants, and are seeking contributing bloggers/reviewers. By contributing here, we'll promote you and/or your business throughout the Loudoun and Metro DC region, using the full scope of the very best Northern Virginia Internet Marketing firm. Contact us today...

Dulles South Chicken Wing Wars

2008-05-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the jury's still out with respect to the best chicken wings in the Dulles South area of Loudoun County. The newest entrant, Wow Cafe and Wingery at South Riding's Market Plaza, opened a couple of weeks ago to our mixed reviews.

We ordered twice; same results both times (aside from the blue cheese - read below).

Positives:

1 - The chicken wings themselves were nice and big, lots of meat
2 - The selection of sauces was very good, per the menu, with coconut, cajun, tai and other great options
3 - The price was reasonable - a "sampler" of 5 different kinds for little more than $20.

Negatives:

4 - We ordered the "hottest" wings they had (Buffalo 3 - "off the chart") - these weren't hot by anybody's standards or off anybody's "chart", even by the most temperate, bland, Northern Virginia standards. We really like extra hot and spicy wings - we had to actually mix our own hot sauce at home (tabasco and butter) for dipping.

5 - Extras - our first order (confirmed by others), we got a paltry dipping cup with a dab of blue cheese (along with the celery); only enough for about 2 wings. We asked for more, and the Manager complied (for $1.50) with 2 dipping cups - but no celery. Must be growing pains.

6 - The wings were all very slightly under-cooked; not that they were pink or anything, but could've been a little hotter, a little crisper, a little more well-done for perfect chewing and dipping enjoyment.

On to the next!

South Riding's Ruby Tuesday's

2008-03-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

So we piled everyone in the car and headed off to Ruby Tuesday's, to see if the standard menu, salad bar and service was similar to every other Tuesday's (including a particular favorite in St. Mary's) - and were really surprised. The decor and furniture were very upscale, and very not typical Ruby Tuesday's - what a great look. We ordered the typical salad bar, which was actually missing a few items that others (for example on Wisconsin Ave., DC) have - like jalapenos - my personal favorite. The kids meals were predictably reasonable, and the mini-turkey burgers were predictably tasty (not quite like White Castle's ratburgers, but OK). The service was pleasant, though predictably erratic, as you usually find in newer restaurants. An excellent selection of beers, though (predictably), the best on-tap option (Dogfish Ale 60%) was out - so had to settle for a Pale Ale. This was on a mid-winter Saturday night at around 5PM, and we were seated quickly and easily with no waiting.

Altogether, a reasonably comfortable and tasty outing for a big family, easy to get in, and easy to find good things to eat.

Vintage 50 Leesburg - Beers and Kids for Dinner

2008-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Probably now our second favorite restaurant for both adults and family (!) in our area is now officially Leesburg's Vintage 50.

Having, in three days, experienced both the Adults side (a Modern Moms Magazine outing on Thursday night) and Family side (with the kids at 5PM on a Sunday), there's truly nothing to disappoint. Here's the rundown:

- Darn good beers, made onsite - simply walking through the restaurant's malt and hops-laced air was reward enough - after the sampler, our favorite's the "point of rocks pale ale", followed closely by a not-too-bitter "E.S.B. Extra Special Bitter" and an extra-alcoholic "Angels Share". Worth the trip, by themselves, solidly taking the top positions in the ongoing Loudoun's Best Beers survey.

- Appetizers - very tasty, well presented (though perhaps a bit conservative in volume, for a microbrewery) - Crispy Chili Pepper Shrimp, Sausage stuffed Calamari and a really good Tuna Tartar set the stage.

- We only had one entree (just the beers and appetizers were so good), the Asiago Stuffed Baby Tortellini - very well done, not too heavy with cream, and with lightly-cooked roasted peppers and squashes.

- Kid's menu, typical chicken tenders, waffle fries and honey mustard sauce, plus a kids cheese pizza (which was, though delicious to me, a bit exotic to our kid's sensitive palates, with the plump tomatoes and all)

- Kid's drinks and entertainment - this is where few adult-family crossover restaurants get it right - drinks with lids and straws (saving the close-call spills), and the highlight of the night...."super doodlers" (plastic drawing pads with instant erase, far less messy and more entertaining than typical crayons and paper). We actually got to sample 5 different beers while the kids entertained themselves

- Dessert - the "Winter Sundae" - warm, chocolate truffle brownies with select Giffords ice cream and fruit sauces - 4 chunks for 4 kids and lots of finger-licking goodness

- Very nice, attentive, polite and knowledgeable waitress plus Anthony, the owner, never out of eyesight with lots of extra help as needed.

- French-press coffee (after the last drop of beer was put away) - nice touch.

Altogether a very satisfying outing with lots of return visits to come.

"Good" beer prices to rise - due to hops shortage

2008-01-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to this posting at the Brambletonian, we've been alerted to the dire Hops shortage across the globe, especially in Europe. According to the source news story, the "The price of a six-pack of beer from a microbrewer or craft beer maker likely will go up at least a $1 to a $1.50".

That's not good - note that prices likely won't rise much for domestic beers..."most domestic beer prices should reflect a more modest increase because the majority of those beers are lagers that use less hops in their production" (read....disgusting, watery domestic beers aren't affected).

Stock up, find the good beers at the Dulles South and Loudoun Beer page!

Loudoun Moms Restaurant Reviews

2007-12-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Reviews from our friends over at Modern Mom Magazine.

Burapa Thai Classic 19326 Promenade Drive Lansdowne, VA 20176 571-333-9130	My Thai Place Restaurant 42385 Ryan Road, #104 Brambleton, VA 20148 703 327-5900
Anothai (I-Know-Thai) Restaurant 43170 Southern Walk Plaza, #108 Ashburn, VA 20148 571-223-0053	Bangrak Thai Cuisine 43540 Yukon Dr. Ashburn, VA 20147 703-726-5151
Naruto Japanese Restaurant 43490 Yukon Dr. Suite #101 Ashburn, VA 20165 703-723-5945	Dream Dinners 21430 Cedar Drive, #108 Sterling, VA 20164 571-323-5550
Dinner Zen 703.391.9361 11160 E. South Lakes Drive Reston, VA 20191	Entrée Vous 20937 Ashburn Road, Suite 140, Ashburn, VA 21047 703.723.4724
Let’s Dish, and why not? 44260 Ice Rink Plaza #122 (Next to Ashburn Ice House) Phone: (703) 858-7900	Not Your Average Joe’s Lansdowne, 19307 Promenade Drive Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-5637
Callaloo Cuisine 43170 Southern Walk Plaza Ashburn, VA 20148 (571) 223-2330	Spicy Pickle 44650 Waxpool Road, Suite 125, Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 723-9420
Sorrento Grill 44640 Waxpool Road, Suite 125, Ashburn, VA 20147 703) 729-6999	Foster’s Grille 43670 Greenway Corporate Dr. Suite 116 (703) 726-9199 Cuisine: American

Highs and Lows just east of Loudoun - Hard Times Chili and Coastal Flats

2007-12-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

High -

Believe we've found the single best and most creative new menu that's popped up nearby in a while....at "Coastal Flats" in the Fairfax Corner Town Center (darn it, why can't this kind of restaurant open in Loudoun?). Amazing food, wonderful decor, friendly and helpful staff - almost like actually being on vacation somewhere between Florida and Cuba. When it says "spicy", it's spicy. Very complex and generous sauces. No chintzing on the seafood - plenty in the bisque, the various shrimp dishes and appetizers. Even the kid's fish fingers were like actual fish, vs. pre-processed, frozen typical fare.

This place is an absolute gem, beats Clyde's hands-down in the seafood department, and is worth every minute on Rt. 50 East to get there.

Low -

Our favorite haunt as a large family for the past years has been Hard Times Chili restaurant, ever since living in Clarendon and subsequently moving to the Herndon location. Great beer, family-friendly, great appetizers and wings, and of course, great chili. Last night was different - perhaps new management? (this is now an opposite review from the last, on Oct. 2).

- Out of the two very best beers and singular reasons for going on a Friday night - Tupper's Hop Pocket and Victory Hop-Devil Ale. Had to "settle" for a slightly flat Nevada Pale Ale.
- Wings - still pretty decent, but not nearly as hot as they used to be - plus the blue cheese dressing was kindof watery.
- Chili - my standby, 3-way Texas dry, was OK - didn't seem as flavorful or naturally juicy as it used to be...

We'll probably be thinking twice about going back, now.

Clyde's falls short

2007-11-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

The new Clyde's in Brambleton is certainly a great looker, but not a great eater. Very attractive place and barn-like bar area, with lots of (and more now) regulars from AOL-land, but the food left lots to be desired - unlike the predictably good fare at Clyde's in Reston...

- too slow
- too cold
- not real tasty
- not enough

Basically doesn't deserve much more review...were your results similar? Probably just the help, since I can't imagine who they got to actually staff the place in this county - probably folks driving in from Winchester, or out from Seven Corners.

The best place for large families and a great meal...

2007-10-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

...in our opinion is Herndon's "Hard Times Cafe". (Ok, so it's not in Loudoun, but it's pretty close!). Here's the benefits:

- loud and informal, perfect for absorbing you own children's noises
- large, 6-8 person high-backed booths (corrals)
- exceptional beer selection
- lots of free corn bread, crackers, crayons, i.e. stuff to keep the kids busy
- quick and delicious appetizers, including really good and spicy wings
- can pretty much always get a seat, no matter what day (turnover's pretty quick)
- great, friendly wait staff, nice to kids
- good kids menu, though order 1/2 as much for the little ones (i.e. 1 meal for 2 kids should be enough)
- Chili! (quick to make, deliver, eat and enjoy)

Wings! Firkin Hound - South Riding

2007-08-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

As very experienced and sophisticated Wing-eaters (we learned at Hooters in Dallas, of course, the very best Wing-place in the US), here's the take on our Wings extravaganza last night (takeout) from the Firkin & Hound in South Riding.

Generally, the wings were just enough meat (not really big ones), and not too much skin/gristle stuff. Good enough.

- Hot - sort of, but tasty
- Cajun - nice and dry, spicy enough, really good taste
- Sweet Chili - nice taste, but a bit too sweet - kindof a strange taste for real wing-eaters
- BBQ - just like it says

Didn't try the Suicide or Bourboun Chipotle, but we will be back to do so. Very nice an friendly staff.

Recent Yelp Reviews - Loudoun Restaurants

2007-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Rangoli's Indian Restaurant in South Riding

2007-08-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

A few months back we had the privilege of trying Rangoli's South Riding Indian Restaurant, located in Market Square. We obviously went to the lunch buffet, which is assuredly the best opportunity to get a wide variety of fare at reasonable cost, along with seeing the "regulars". The buffet was very, very good.

- Tandoori Chicken, very well seasoned with little gristle
- Kholajuri Chicken (a Curry) - nice and spicy, flavorful
- Lamb Biryani (a Rice-based dish) - excellent
- Peas Pulao - again, nice and spicy, great on the same spoon as the Chicken
- Lemon Rice - standard issue, but always good
- Mixed Vegetable Curry - vegetables well-cut and spiced
- Paneer Masala (a homemade cheese dish) - a truly interesting taste
- Aloo Methi (diced potatoes with fenugreek leaves)- something very new and interesting to us
- Dal Makhani (black lentils) - again standard issue, but always good
- Various fruit-based and fried Indian desserts - by this time, hard to add to our stomach, but we managed to pack away a few delicious morsels.

In all, we'd recommend Rangoli's every day of the week for lunch - on the weekends, there's additional buffet items, and day-to-day the curries, rice dishes and desserts will vary.

-Dulles South Online

Welcome to Loudoun Restaurant Reviews!

2007-08-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here we'll start building a review list of restaurants in Loudoun County Virginia, with special focus on the Dulles South region, including South Riding, Brambleton, Stone Ridge, Aldie, and the Broadloands.