A Virginia Country Ramble
By Ally Kirkpatrick
Photos by Lani Allen
A Culinary Circuit in Loudoun County: Where Local Flavors and Farmers Connect
Just an hour west of DC, the road opens up. City traffic fades as the highway gives way to quiet, winding roads bordered by green pastures, split-rail fences, and farm stands with hand-painted signs. The landscape shifts to fields dotted with grazing cows and old stone barns. Soon, it becomes a patchwork of small historic towns, each one offering a slower, more grounded pace that feels like the start of a restful weekend.
This drive leads to a vibrant network of small businesses where food and community go hand in hand. In places like Leesburg, Waterford, and Lovettsville, chefs know their farmers by name. Shop owners carry each other’s goods. Menus change with the season and the harvest.
These aren’t just places to eat. They’re places built on relationships between growers and cooks, neighbors and friends. Here’s how to spend a day exploring Loudoun County through the meals, makers, and moments that bring it all together.
George's Mill Farm, Lovettsville, VA
This eighth-generation family farm is best known for its farmmade goat cheeses. Creamy chèvres and tangy feta, created fresh on site from the milk of their own herd. The cheeses show up on menus across the county, including at Cowbell Kitchen and Not So Lonely Club, where they’re rightfully enjoyed like a local delicacy.
The farm store is rustic, self-serve, and open year-round. It’s stocked with those cheeses alongside eggs, meats, and veggies from neighboring Fireside Farm. And in the warmer months? Small-batch goat’s milk gelato that’s mind-bendingly good and often sold out by midday.
But to really understand the community spirit of Georges Mill, come in the summer. That’s when neighbors gather for the farm’s seasonal barn dances, an old Loudoun tradition brought joyfully back to life. The scene feels lifted from a storybook: line dancing in a weathered barn strung with lights, goats grazing just beyond the fence line, musicians tuning up on the porch while kids play with the new barn kittens. It makes for a charming, magical evening well worth the trip.
Georges Mill Farm | 11873 Georges Mill Rd, Lovettsville, VA
Open daily. Farm store is self-serve. | Check website and Instagram for barn dance dates. georgesmillcheese.com
Corner Store + Not So Lonely Club, Waterford, VA
It’s a quiet early afternoon in Waterford. At The Corner Store’s tiny café, Not So Lonely Club, a regular spoons up lemon-zested and flower petal-festooned yogurt from a handmade ceramic bowl. Sunlight spills through the tall front windows, warming the room’s soft wood tones and vintage furnishings. There’s a hum of conversation about who’s moving into the house up the road. It feels less like a restaurant and more like being let in on a neighborhood secret spot, charming and casual, like sitting in the kitchen of your most sophisticated foodie friend.
The front door creaks open and Corner Store owner Sarah Holway steps in, maneuvering a newly acquired vintage sofa through the doorway. It’s a 1980s Chinoiserie-upholstered loveseat with quilted accents—peacocks, pink flowers—and it somehow fits perfectly. The shop is quickly rearranged. It appears this kind of thing happens often here—the space always evolving, always ready for its next iteration.
That’s the spirit that plant-forward Chef Estelle Richer-Legault cultivates as she works with Holway to create and execute the menu; inventive and ready to change, adapt as the ingredients at hand shift. Montreal-born Estelle Richer-Legault makes everything from scratch on site. The Corner Store is a design-forward shop curated by Holway.
Filled with handmade goods, natural wines, and one-of-a-kind vintage finds. It’s a gathering place disguised as a retail space.
The menu changes often but always with intention. Richer-Legault sources from the same local producers as Cowbell and frequently collaborates on pop-ups and events. Her six-minute egg comes in a dainty egg cup with a vintage spoon and delicious drippy house-made jam; her dairy-free yogurt bowls are edible still lifes; her signature gazpacho—“They call me the soup-whisperer,” she says, smiling—is returning this summer. Bright and farm fresh, it’s best enjoyed with a glass of chilled rosé on the porch.
The Corner Store and Not So Lonely Club host a full calendar of warm-weather happenings, wine tastings, watercolor classes, and collaborative events with farms like Fireside. This summer brings a new cocktail series supporting the Waterford Foundation, adding yet another way to linger longer in this peaceful village.
Corner Store Waterford + Not So Lonely Club
40183 Main St, Waterford, VA
thecornerstoreva.co
Blue Wall Cider & Wine, Long Stone Farm, Lovettsville, V
On your way from Waterford, stop by Blue Wall Cider & Wine, a welcoming spot for a refreshing drink and a taste of what nearby Long Stone Farm has to offer. Sip local cider or wine in the open-air garden or cozy tasting room, often accompanied by live music and good company.
The farm and cidery are run by Justin and Casey Wisch, who, alongside their four children, raise pasture-raised pork, beef, lamb, chicken, and eggs on more than 300 acres at the base of Short Hill Mountain. Their approach blends conservation and agriculture—managed grazing supports pollinators and livestock, native grasses flourish, and songbirds nest in thick hedgerow.
At the on-site farm store, you’ll find flash-frozen sausages, steaks, bacon, fresh eggs, and seasonal specials, all raised without hormones or antibiotics and processed at USDA-certified facilities. Cider and wine are made with the same care—sustainably and with intention.
Every visit supports more than just a farm—it’s a vote for healthy soil, thriving farmland, and a future where Loudoun County remains deeply rooted in its agricultural heritage.
Blue Wall Cider & Wine
40614 Charles Town Pike, Waterford, VA 20197
bluewallcider.com
Friday 1–6 pm / Saturday & Sunday 11–5 pm
Cowbell Kitchen, Leesburg, VA
Morning at Cowbell Kitchen begins with the scent of fresh-baked muffins drifting through the air. At the counter, a customer places an order and receives a wooden spoon stamped with a number. The espresso machine hisses steadily as milk is frothed for a latte. Through the open kitchen, pans of freshly roasted cauliflower glow with a golden hue of curry powder. The café buzzes with quiet energy. Sunlight softly streams through the windows, friends catch up at small tables on the patio, and staff moves in a practiced rhythm behind the counter. Cowbell feels personal and thoughtfully brought together. The people. The food. The feel.
Stop in for a Farm Bowl layered with house-made beet hummus, roasted veggies, and nightshade relish. Or order a seasonal flatbread with a swipe of Cowbell’s house-made smoky-sweet BBQ sauce. The crowd-favorite BLT returns in June, built around peak-season tomatoes and locally sourced bacon.
Cowbell began as a food truck at Lucketts Market and grew into a cornerstone of Loudoun’s independent food scene. Their menu is deeply seasonal, drawing from a tight network of nearby farms and makers, including Fireside Farm, Root and Marrow, and Georges Mill.
Cowbell is tucked into a charming brick building just off King Street, and its impact stretches well beyond its walls. Cheryl Strasser and Bre Grant bring passion and humor to feeding their community and carrying on the legacy of their co-founder. The Love, KK Foundation honors the memory of Bre’s late sister who founded the restaurant with Strasser. The initiative delivers thousands of pounds of produce, bread, and cheese to nearby families in need. All sourced from Loudoun farms.
Cowbell Kitchen | 26 N King St, Leesburg, VA
cowbellkitchen.com
Hamilton Mercantile, Hamilton, VA
On your way back to the city don’t forget to grab a coffee for the road—and maybe a handmade gift and some groceries. Housed in a 130-year-old building, The Hamilton Mercantile blends the charm of a historic general store with the feel of a modern neighborhood market. Inside, you’ll find local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and thoughtfully curated gifts from regional makers.
Hamilton Mercantile | 341 E Colonial Hwy, Hamilton, VA
hamiltonmercantile.com
Ally Kirkpatrick owns Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia. When she’s not behind the counter, you’ll find her exploring the region’s food scene one road trip at a time.