My Sperryville

Welcome to Sperryville, Virginia. Tucked between the North and South Forks of the Thornton River at the base of the Shenandoah National Park, this tiny village has quietly become a culinary hub—something locals have known for a long time.
Once a small crossroads serving travelers, tradesmen, farms, and orchards, Sperryville now moves to a gentler rhythm

Growing Joy

By midmorning, crates of greens are already stacking up near the wash station of Red Wiggler Care Farm. A line of growers moves steadily down a row, hands practiced, eyes trained on what’s ready
for harvest and what needs another day…

Rooted in Connection

The fairy lights cast a magical sparkle across the patio high in the Virginia mountains. Seated around the fire rings are chefs Travis Milton, Wells Selbe, and Marcus Repp. Less than an hour earlier, they’d pulled off a six-course meal for 57, and now they are mingling among their guests, sharing their favorite ingredients (pawpaws, spicebush) and tales of bringing local food to the table…

Memories & Meals

Stepping off the bustling sidewalk of MLK Avenue into Grounded, the plant-lined walls, artful mood lighting, and concrete benches evoke a serene, landscaped garden. Even before venturing further to explore the café, plant shop, and wellness studio, or to try one of the color and taste explosions that make up Grounded’s unique takes on lattes and matcha, the ubiquitous plants are already speaking…

The Invisible Work

At The Dabney, blistered peppers arrive smoky and sweet, their softened skins collapsing against grains of farro. The dish feels simple, almost effortless. For chef Jeremiah Langhorne, that apparent ease is the product of years of trial and error…

Julia in DC

Decades after her death, Julia Child continues to loom large in American food culture. Her influence rests on a rare cross-over: advanced classical techniques translated fearlessly for the home kitchen and popularized through her books and cooking shows…

Fish Shop DC

The lobster roll is perfectly composed: sweet, lush meat tossed with caramelized onions, celery, and a bit of dill and parsley, with just enough mayo to hold it together, all tucked into a glossy brioche roll.

The surprise isn’t the execution—it’s the sourcing. This sandwich is served at one of the mid-Atlantic’s most sustainable seafood res- taurants, Fish Shop at the DC Wharf, where the lobster is genu- inely local, trapped along a steep, frigid undersea shelf 60 miles off Ocean City.

Perfectly Balanced

The Persian Table’s founders, Nina Hamedani and Erkin Ozberk, have successfully reinvented baklava into a surprisingly light, flavor-forward pastry—far less sweet than typical versions of a dessert that can often feel overly dense and sugary. A product of the countless hours Nina spent experimenting in the kitchen (and testing her products on her grateful family and neighbors), each bite-sized piece of Persian Table baklava delivers an elegant burst of nuts, fruit, and fragrant spices.

Getting Grounded

Stepping off the bustling sidewalk of MLK Avenue into Grounded, the plant-lined walls, artful mood lighting, and concrete benches evoke a serene, landscaped garden. Even before venturing further to explore the café, plant shop, and wellness studio, or to try one of the color and taste explosions that make up Grounded’s unique takes on lattes and matcha, the ubiquitous plants are already speaking…