For years, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm has loomed large on our list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia. With recent news that it’s closing, this year, there will be a new number one. The fine dining destination where Colby Janowitz has been executive chef since 2023 will shut its doors for good on August 31.
But Janowitz and his wife, Meagan, a server at the restaurant with a master’s in forensic psychology, already have big plans. Calling the closure of The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm a “very fast decision,” the couple haven’t had time to get all the details in order. But the chef says that fans should start seeing more from him about a pop-up restaurant as soon as September.
Though he says a brick-and-mortar restaurant is the couple’s end goal, “It’s fun because I’ve seen a lot of my friends and colleagues over the years start this way.”
“We’re kind of in that stepping-stone stage of actually getting it done and just starting our first one. And then hopefully getting a schedule and having social media posts out there to where people are excited and making reservations, which eventually leads to something bigger and something more in stone,” Janowitz says.
He says followers can expect daytime fare that’s “a little more casual, more cost efficient” than what they’ve learned to expect of him at Patowmack Farm. Dinners, however, will likely be “candle-lit” and aimed at occasions where his globe-trotting farm-to-table oeuvre can really take flight.
The couple is currently on the lookout for sites for their pop-ups. But diners can look forward to seeing them appear at some of their favorite places in Northern Virginia, thanks to the strong farm partnerships established at Patowmack Farm. Those who enjoy a bit of a drive will likely also see the Janowitzes cooking and serving in nearby West Virginia.
Want to be the first on the list to find out where the culinary duo is popping up? Follow the chef @colbyjanowitz on Instagram for updates.
Feature image courtesy The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
