The Wheel Still Turns
Historic grain, modern kitchens, and the enduring flavor of the Mid-Atlantic
BY: James Whitman
In the kitchen at Neutral Ground in McLean, chef David Guas stands over a container of freshly milled cornmeal from George Washington’s Mount Vernon gristmill. Before it becomes tangy-sweet corn bread or creamy grits served alongside his 12-hour brisket, he rinses the meal repeatedly, washing away the husks and bitterness that would have been familiar to 18th-century diners but can feel too coarse for modern palates.
The cornmeal arriving from Mount Vernon is still produced using methods that date back to 1771. For Guas, those grains create a natural bridge between the Mid-Atlantic and his native Louisiana—connecting Southern food traditions through ingredients, technique, and agricultural history.
The relationship began years ago when Guas was invited to participate in Mount Vernon’s George Washington birthday celebrations, where chefs re-created 18th-century cooking techniques using open-hearth fires, historical recipes, and freshly milled grain from the estate’s working gristmill.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Guas recalls. “But as soon as the first corn cakes hit the pan, people started lining up.” Soon, he found himself cooking as fast as he could to keep up with the growing line of visitors drawn by the complex fragrance of the browning and caramelizing artisanal grain. “I’ve been working with that cornmeal since.”
The original corn cakes were dense, rustic, and noticeably sour—practical food shaped by preservation, fermentation, and necessity rather than refinement. Guas began adapting them, incorporating buttermilk and Louisiana cane syrup to soften the texture and balance the sourness.
But beyond the reaction from the crowd, Guas noticed something else: the flavor of the grain itself. Freshly milled, heritage cornmeal carries distinct texture, aroma, and character that industrial products often lack.
What started as a historical cooking demonstration evolved into a long-term collaboration. Guas became the first high-profile chef allowed to commission custom grits and cornmeal directly from Mount Vernon’s mill, working with the master miller Cory Welshams to create a grind tailored specifically for his kitchens. He still drives to Mount Vernon several times a month to pick up the freshly ground grain himself.
At Guas’s two restaurants Neutral Ground and Bayou Bakery in Arlington, that cornmeal now appears throughout the menu. It becomes cast-iron corn bread, creamy grits, lemon chess pie, and fluffy hush puppies. Roasted corn adds sweetness and moisture. Honey butter and pepper jelly bring balance and richness.
The connection to Mount Vernon gives the food additional depth, showing how historical ingredients and techniques can continue evolving inside contemporary kitchens.
Originally built in 1771, the gristmill was part of George Washington’s broader agricultural enterprise—a business that, like many farms and food operations today, existed in constant tension between ambition and survival. Washington continuously experimented with crops, milling technology, and production systems in an effort to keep Mount Vernon economically competitive in the rapidly changing economy of the late 18th century. Even then, small Mid-Atlantic agricultural operations faced familiar pressures: competition from larger commercial producers, volatile markets and high transportation costs.
Across Virginia and much of the South, enslaved people fueled the profitability of agricultural production. At Mount Vernon, enslaved workers planted and harvested grain, transported sacks to the mill, maintained equipment, and carried out the many other daily tasks needed to sustain an 18th-century estate. The gristmill stands not only as an example of early American innovation and entrepreneurship but also as a reminder that much of the region’s agricultural wealth and infrastructure was built through forced labor.
The mill itself was rebuilt and restored in the early 20th century. Today, under the direction of head miller Cory Welshans, it produces hundreds of pounds of cornmeal and grits each week. Some of the product stays at Mount Vernon where it is prepared in the estate kitchens and served at the inn. Some goes home with visitors. And some ends up in Guas’s restaurants.
This continuity of a historic foodway is increasingly rare: Modern food sys- tems prioritize consistency, scale, and efficiency over regional identity. Small mills disappear. Commodity grain replaces local varieties. Skills once passed down to succeeding generations become harder to sustain.
The relationship between Guas and Mount Vernon doesn’t just preserve a food tradition—it keeps it alive and active. The grain is not just sitting behind glass. It is still being milled, cooked, adapted, enjoyed, and shared.
