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(November 2008) By Warren Rojas Food: 8.1 Ambiance: 8.7 Service: 8.1
As if the reconditioned bank theme wasn’t eye-catching enough, the powers that be at Lightfoot have further upped the design ante with an al fresco patio and custom waterfall that made a big splash with area residents this summer.
The restaurant’s fan base seems to cut across most economic/generational lines, ranging from gussied up girlfriends to relaxed nuclear families interested in sampling chef/owner Ingrid Gustavson’s challenging cuisine.
Gustavson, of course, remains wedded to her dress whites. But her menus appear to be wearing more Asian designs (hoisin-glazed pork chop) alongside retro reinterpretations (cheese plate with brie, homemade blue cheese and port wine-cheddar balls) and evergreen favorites (meatloaf sandwiches, fish and chips).
Bisque tastes of butter and cream and is buttressed by a wealth of pulled jumbo lump crab (island of meat bobs pleasingly amidst the ruddy broth). Shredded duck, crunchy water chestnuts and cheese relocate the filled-tortilla theme from southwest to Far East in a cross-cultural quesadilla. Caramelized onions (very good) and fried oysters (surprisingly blank) dangle from a barbecue-brushed N.Y. strip parked atop cheddar-jalapeno grits (busy but pleasant collaboration). (December 2007) By Warren Rojas Food: 8.5 Ambiance: 8.6 Service: 8.3 No need to slip the host a sawbuck or practice your name-dropping skills to secure a table at Leesburg’s much-beloved Lightfoot. But chances are, you’ll leave this former bank feeling like a million bucks. The sprawling, two-story restaurant integrates recycled vault accessories and vintage memorabilia to establish a quiet cool, then drops the lights real low to keep things nice and mellow. Clientele ranges from martini-toting girlfriends who seem quite content to gossip at the bar all night to mixed groups just as happy to pass plates back and forth so everyone can sample chef Ingrid Gustavson’s modern cuisine. The menu tilts towards the sea (seasonal crab, halibut and salmon specials took center stage during recent visits), but land-lovers have nothing to fear. Woodsy mushrooms and fresh goat cheese are baked into a flaky pasty puff (earthy richness). Creamy, spinach-laden stock is dotted with amazing little potato dumplings that simply melt in your mouth. No need to hunt for lobster in the soothing house bisque, a brew stocked with sweet lobster meat, homemade pasta and a smattering of salmon caviar. A grilled-to-order lamb T-bone (ideal for even the most discerning carnivore) is virtually bulletproof, whereas seared duck (done quite well, indeed) can’t fly high enough to escape a cluttered citrus risotto (bits of asparagus and sweet peas are good; pomegranate-orange-truffle oil emulsion seems like overkill). (August 2006) By Warren Rojas F 8.7 A 8.8 S 8.6 The tellers may be gone and the vault empty. Still, people appear quite comfortable leaving their money at Lightfoot in Leesburg, a former bank turned repository of wondrous tastes. Traces of bank security remain-mammoth locks serve as the backdrop for the bar and iron bars still cover the front windows-but everyone is welcome here. In fact, it's customary to see suit-clad patrons dining beside locals in denim and cowboy hats. Youngish servers in monogrammed aprons add a dash of polish, but stumble from time to time when describing exotic ingredients or unfamiliar daily specials. Executive chef and co-owner Ingrid Gustavson fancies fresh seafood and refuses to bow to market inferiority; a waiter counsels against ordering the trout one night because Gustavson "wasn't happy with it, so she sent it back." Crab appears nightly as "atomic" cakes (superb) and sometimes as a daily special (a creative Tandoori soft shell number). "The Plank" assembles spicy scallops (best), smoked salmon (very good) and roasted sausage (tasty) cooked atop a seasoned cedar plank. Beefier alternatives include a signature meatloaf sandwich, a respectable filet mignon and a stunning Tuscan rib eye.
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