By Stefanie Gans and Rina Rapuano
The Wine Kitchen
Leesburg | Modern American | $$$
Leesburg is where downtown and farmland touch. It’s where farm-to-table dining is not just a cliche, but where guests can catch people donned in farm name-emblazoned shirts dropping off actual, local produce. And it’s not just for show, it’s displayed throughout a menu changing with the micro-seasons: an artful splash of springy English pea ravioli with magenta-hued beet sauce; summery tomato salad stacked with marinated red peppers and torn burrata; and a good-any-time gnocchi flush with scrubbed carrots (only fresh carrots are good enough to keep the peels on) mingling with a savory bites of slow-cooked lamb infused with harissa. As it says in the name, wine is a specialty, with loads of options by the glass, plus a handful of Virginia producers. Selling local grapes, of course, is just another extension of showing off Leesburg’s link to the land. // 7 S. King St., Leesburg
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue’s 50 Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.