Ashburn Magazine | July/August 2022 by InsideNoVa

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From the Publisher MEET A CHANGE LEADER

his has been a tough year for the National Football League team that calls Ashburn home. With its announcement of a new name – the Commanders – in early February, the team hoped it could put some of the controversies of the past few years behind it. Alas, investigations of sexual harassment and financial misdeeds have continued to swirl around its owner. Those issues – coupled with untoward political remarks made by an assistant coach – all resulted in the Virginia General Assembly tabling legislation that would have helped the Commanders build a new stadium complex in the state, perhaps even in the Sterling area of Loudoun County. On the field, though, head coach Ron Rivera, who was hired in 2020, repeatedly talks about changing the team’s culture. And one of the players Rivera is counting on to lead that change is from right here in Ashburn. Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen

played high school football at Stone Bridge, just five miles from the Commanders’ headquarters and practice facility off Loudoun County Parkway. After winning a national championship at Alabama, Allen returned to Ashburn as the NFL team’s first-round draft pick in 2017 and has established himself as an All-Pro in every sense of the word – both on and off the field. So as the Commanders enter a new season with high expectations, Rick Snider, who has covered Washington sports for over four decades, profiled our hometown hero in this month’s cover story. After signing a long-term contract a year ago, Allen seems likely to remain in Ashburn for the foreseeable future – and, speaking as a Commanders’ fan (although not of their off-field shenanigans), the team needs more Jonathan Allens. Elsewhere this issue, you’ll meet two other highly talented local residents – albeit from different ends of the age spectrum. Our “Amazing Kid” (Page 8) is 17-year-old gymnast Lauren Brendlinger, a rising senior at Broad Run High School who is headed to Israel this month to compete in the Maccabiah Games, an international event for Jewish athletes. And we also are delighted to profile Barbara Buer, who at age 87 and a resident of Tribute at One Loudoun is still producing beautiful paintings. You can read about Buer and see some examples of her work starting on Page 28. Speaking of beautiful, you won’t want to miss some of the amazing cars on display at Ashburn’s newest dealership, the Exclusive Automotive Group, which moved from Vienna this spring to a new location off Russell Branch Boulevard. Read why the owners chose Ashburn in our “Business Boom” feature, starting on Page 32. And while the cars are way too “exclusive” for a lowly magazine publisher, we know a certain defensive lineman who might have a few extra dollars in his pocket.

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CONTENTS

HOT SUMMER SPECIALS

AMAZING KIDS

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

28 TIME OF OUR LIVES FEATURE

Local gymnast competing on the international stage this summer

STILL BLOOMING Ashburn resident Barbara Buer has created amazing art for six decades

BY CHRIS WADSWORTH

MORE AMAZING KIDS

DEVINE

LOUDOUN COUNTY'S PREMIERE DESTINATION FOR ELEVATED AESTHETICS

BUSINESS BOOM FEATURE

RIDING IN STYLE

OUR NEIGHBORS

BINGO & KARMA

High-end auto dealer sets up shop in Ashburn

Four-footed Ashburn neighbors help students learn to read — and relax

BY CHRIS WADSWORTH

BY CYNTHIA GONZALEZ

MORE BUSINESS BOOM

Updates from the Ashburn business community

20 AROUND TOWN

An album of Ashburn area events

LOCAL ADVENTURES FEATURE

TUNNEL THROUGH TIME

COVER STORY

TAKING COMMAND Stone Bridge grad Jonathan Allen emerges as a leader for his hometown NFL team

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50 REAL ESTATE ROUND-UP

The latest facts and figures about home sales in Ashburn

The latest restaurant, retail, and other cool news

52 WINE & DINE

HOME COOKING

Venture into the heart of a Virginia mountain via a historic train passage

The private chefs at Fleur de Cuisine have overcome adversity on their way to success

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Washington Commanders defensive tackle and Stone Bridge high school grad Jonathan Allen after a grueling summer practice at the NFL team’s headquarters off Loudoun County Parkway. (Photo by Astri Wee of Astri Wee Photography.)

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AMAZING KIDS

Let the Games Begin

(Below) Lauren Brendlinger at the University of Maryland where she will start in 2023 and compete in gymnastics; (below left) a photo of Lauren competing at age 8; (right) Lauren doing a flip on the balance beam during a recent competition in Maryland.

Local gymnast will compete on international stage this summer BY

CHRIS

WADSWORTH

auren Brendlinger was definitely an energetic kid. The rising senior at Broad Run High School describes herself as “fearless” since a young age, so when her parents noticed her climbing and swinging on the monkey bars at a local playground, an idea popped into their heads. “She started in a weeklong gymnastics camp during the summer … moved on to a weekly recreational class and by November was invited to join the girls’ competitive team,” said Jodie Brendlinger, Lauren’s mom. “She fell in love with the sport and has never looked back.” It was an epiphany for the athletic 7-yearold who had played a variety of sports. “I remember it being unlike anything I had ever tried before,” said Lauren, now 17. “I loved throwing my body around in all types of positions. I just thought it was so much fun to teach my body cool tricks that no one else could do.” Lauren, who lives in Ashburn Village, has devoted much of her free time over the past decade to gymnastics. She trains with and competes for a club team at the Capital Gymnastic Training Center in Burke. She has won about 150 medals over the years and has committed to attend the University of Maryland and compete in gymnastics.

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As they used to say in the infomercials – “But wait! There’s more.” Lauren is headed overseas in July to compete in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. The games – which date back to 1932 – are held every four years in the Jewish state and bring together some 10,000 Jewish athletes

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from around the world. “It’s an opportunity to combine my sport and my athleticism with my faith,” she said. “I obviously hope to perform well, but my biggest aspiration is to become part of a larger Jewish community … build new friendships … and represent our country.” While there, she will also get time to tour the country – what Lauren calls a trip of a lifetime that’s “on every Jew’s bucket list.” Like most gymnasts, Lauren trains and competes in a variety of events, but lately she’s been loving the floor routine. Athletes run and jump and flip across an open space – the spring-laden floor flexing and thumping with each footfall – then land mere inches from being out of bounds and raise their arms in triumph. “It feels the most free to me,” she said. “I can dance. I can tumble. I can use a lot of my power. I like that it’s based on both technique and power, and I can show off my strength and put together routines with high difficulty in an artistic way.”

(Above) Lauren (left) with her father, Carl, mother, Jodie, and older sister, Jordan; (left) Lauren at her Bat Mitzvah in 2018.

Morgan Evans, one of the coaches at Capital Gymnastics, says she expects Lauren to “crush it” at the Maccabiah Games. “She’s strong on all four events – vault, bars, beam, and floor,” Evans said. “Her powerfulness on floor allows her to perform very difficult and high-level passes that make her floor routine competitive. She is also very confident on floor and loves to perform, so her routine is super fun to watch in competition.” The future for this human dynamo is bright. After the games, she’ll return to Broad Run for her senior year. At Maryland, while officially undecided on a major at the moment, she expects to study some kind of engineering – possibly mechanical. And, of course, she expects gymnastics will continue to be a part of her life long after her club and collegiate careers wrap up. “I would love to coach part time at a local club,” Lauren said. “Passing on my knowledge would be great. And I definitely think my own kids will be in gymnastics. It will be their choice, but I hope one day, they love it as much as I do.” A

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MORE AMAZING KIDS

WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS OK, we know all kids are amazing, but if you know of a kid who’s so amazing that they should be featured on this page, please email information to editor@ashburnmagazine.com.

Enterprising Student Raises $8,000 for Charity Via Tutoring

Ashburn Teen Scheduled to Play Carnegie Hall

Noelle Koo, 18, a recent graduate of Riverside High School and the Academies of Loudoun, continues to oversee a charity-based tutoring organization she created during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Noelle, who spent much of her younger years overseas with her foreign service family, recognized when the pandemic started that many kids were going to need help keeping their grades up. She founded S.E.E.D. Learning, an online STEM tutoring service for students in kindergarten through ninth grade. All the tutors are juniors and seniors from the area’s two STEM magnet schools. The site is nonprofit, and all the tutoring services are free. However, donations to S.E.E.D. to benefit the No Kid Hungry charity are happily accepted. So far, Noelle’s efforts have raised more than $8,000 for the charity. And she plans to grow and expand S.E.E.D. Learning this coming school year as a freshman at the University of Virginia. You can donate or learn more at www.seed4learning.com.

Parv Gosai, 17, a rising senior at Rock Ridge High School, has been named one of the brightest young musicians in the country with his placement on the roster of NYO2 — one of Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles. Parv, who plays the flute, is traveling this summer to New York to train with world-class musicians and then heading to Miami Beach for a five-day residency with the New World Symphony. The program culminates with a concert at Carnegie Hall on August 1. During the summer, Parv and his fellow young musicians will be performing Jessie Montgomery’s “Soul Force,” Rachmaninoff ’s “Symphonic Dances,” and Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F Major.”

Ashburn Students Claim Victory in ‘Shark Tank’ Style Competition Six Ashburn students were among the winners in a recent entrepreneurial competition sponsored by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce. It was the sixth annual Investor Panel, part of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy. The students had to develop and launch their product or nonprofit and then pitch it to a panel of local business people. William Just, who just completed 10th grade at Independence High School, took the top prize of $1,500 for his Loudoun-themed candle business. Other Ashburn winners included Praggy Sangeetham and Priyanka Thaker from Stone Bridge High School for developing a compact safety device; Reem Khalil from Farmwell Station Middle School, who developed a skin care product; Logan McMillon from Independence High School, who was honored for his custom-designed gaming accessories; and Samhita Kotamraju of Farmwell Station Middle School, who created software to help demonstrate different sizes for online clothing retailers. A

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OUR NEIGHBORS

Bingo & Karma Four-footed Ashburn neighbors help students learn by helping them relax BY

CYNTHIA

GONZALEZ

any dogs probably spend their days playing, sleeping, getting treats and going for walks. Pretty easy duty. But some dogs have a little more responsibility on their plates – or food bowls, as the case may be. Bingo and Karma are specially trained yellow Labrador retrievers who are part of Tail Wags and Book Bags, a nonprofit based in Ashburn. The dogs travel to area schools, working with teachers and students in what can best be described as canine-assisted lessons. The dogs literally help the kids relax so they can learn. “Our dogs have big hearts and love unconditionally. Children feel that immediately and their anxiety floats away,” said Karin Hemphill, founder and director of Tail Wags and Book Bags. “They get caught up in the joyful experience and forget about the things that usually hold them back. The dogs don’t care about how well students perform. They care about kindness and have never met a child who didn’t pass that test.” The dogs from the organization have worked with more than 400 children at schools in Northern Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Tail Wags was founded eight years ago in Washington by Hemphill, who moved to Ashburn’s Alexandra’s Grove neighborhood in 2020. Bingo and Karma live with her and are trained to help students who struggle

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Bingo, in the green vest, and Karma, in the blue vest, are specially trained yellow labs who work with children with various learning challenges at area schools. In these photos, the dogs are seen interacting with students at the Lab School of Washington, where they have worked for several years.

academically, emotionally or socially. The organization uses the Orton-Gillingham Approach, a multisensory phonics program aimed at students with dyslexia or other learning challenges. Sophia Crawford is a 10-year-old student at the Lab School of Washington, one of the schools that works with Tail Wags. She has struggled with reading anxiety and dyslexia and has been a part of Tail Wag’s “Paws to Read” program for two years. That’s when students sit with the dogs and read and write in a relaxed environment. “I’ve got more confidence reading,” Sophia said simply. Her father, Mark Nielsen, is more effusive in his praise of the progress he has seen Sophia make with Tail Wags. “I don't think you can ask for anything more exciting as a parent,” Nielsen said. “It has been transformative for her, and her confidence level has increased exponentially. It has certainly changed her life. It’s changed ours.” Bingo, age 9, and Karma, age 2, were professionally raised and trained at a service dog facility where they were taught to do more than 50 different tasks, such as greeting students with a “high five,” painting with a paintbrush in their mouth, delivering spelling word letters in a bucket and passing flashcards to students. Working on reading lessons with the dogs or just spending time with them helps the students connect and work through the learning differences they experience — such as ADHD, anxiety, speech and literacy challenges, dyslexia and more. Lynn Gudhus is a reading specialist and science teacher at the Lab School of Washington who has worked with Tail Wags and Book Bags since the organization was launched. Students in her science classes participate in activities with the dogs such as using the scientific method to figure out what a dog’s favorite toy or treat is. “A dog like Bingo and Karma — they're just going to love you unconditionally. There’s no judgment. I think the students feel a little bit more safe to fail, take risks, be a little bit more courageous, and that’s been really exciting to see,” Gudhus said. Hemphill is planning to expand her organization’s offerings now that Tail Wags has relocated to Ashburn. She is rolling ASHBURN MAGAZINE

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Karin Hemphill (left) is the Ashburn resident who founded Tail Wags & Book Bags. She is both the owner and the facilitator of Karma and Bingo, who are trained to participate in activities such as painting, carrying items in buckets, passing flashcards to students and even giving high fives.

still keep our hand in Washington, D.C., because we love the schools we work with there, but we really want to create opportunities for people in the local community to work with the dogs and have that kind of assistance.” Hemphill’s own son grew up with ADHD and dyslexia, and she saw the positive impact that therapy dogs had on her son as a child. This is what led her to develop Tail Wags and Book Bags. “I researched it quite a bit and decided this was something that I thought would be really helpful to students,” she said. “I learned about how incredibly smart these dogs are and how eager they are to work.” A

out a new tutoring program this summer, in addition to the “Paws to Read” program. It will provide customized canine-assisted tutoring sessions for students in first through fifth grade — and Hemphill is eager to launch it in Ashburn area schools. “One of our goals is to meet the needs of the local community,” Hemphill said. “We'll

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Cynthia Gonzalez is a rising junior at Dominion High School in Sterling and is a staff reporter for the school’s student news organization, DHS Press.

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Ashburn Recreation Center Groundbreaking June 16, 2022

fter years of planning, the first ceremonial shovels finally dug into the dirt off Broadlands Boulevard a block or so east of Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm. It marked the official start of construction on the Ashburn Recreation Center. Local leaders and interested citizens gathered in the empty lot where the center will one day stand. Speeches were given and photos taken — traditions familiar to major civic construction projects everywhere. The 117,000-square-foot center (rendering at right) will include a large swimming pool, basketball courts, classrooms, fitness equipment, a running track, a splash pad and many other amenities. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025. A CENTER: Dignitaries participating in the groundbreaking included (left to right) Christi Maple, chief of staff to Supervisor Tony Buffington, Blue Ridge District; Mark Hair, Ashburn District representative on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Board; Sylvia Glass, Broad Run District supervisor; Mike Turner, Ashburn District supervisor; Juli Briskman, Algonkian District supervisor; Matt Rogers, chief of staff to Chair At-Large Phyllis Randall; Steve Torpy, director, Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services; Michelle Frank, Broad Run District planning commissioner; Scott Worrest, interim deputy director of the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure. BOTTOM, LEFT: Steve Torpy, director of Loudoun County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, speaks about the future Ashburn Recreation Center at the groundbreaking ceremony. BOTTOM, RIGHT: Several dozen local leaders, area residents and members of the construction team listen as Scott Worrest, interim deputy director of the county’s Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, speaks at the ceremony.

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EMERGES AS A LEADER FOR HIS HOME TOWN NFL TEAM BY

RICK

SNIDER

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I N S I D E N OVA F I L E P H OTO

onathan Allen stood on the goal line awaiting the biggest moment of his life. The Stone Bridge High School defensive lineman knew rival Broad Run High School could ice a victory in the 2011 “Battle of the Burn” by moving the football just inches on two plays. The deafening roar generated by 5,000 fans in a stadium built for 3,200 felt smothering on the warm fall night. Van Halen’s “Right Now” had welcomed Broad Run to the field, while Stone Bridge followed via Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” Dry ice machines blanketed Stone Bridge players with smoke for their entrance. It was . . . a show. Broad Run ran straight ahead, but Allen was there to stop it. You’d think the Spartans would kick a field goal rather than run once more at the eventual Virginia Player of the Year. Instead, Broad Run tested Allen again. Once more, Allen stuffed the play. Stone Bridge wound up winning the rivalry game 31-30 in overtime after trailing 24-0 with 13 minutes remaining. “It turned the momentum to turn [the

game] around,” Stone Bridge coach Mickey Thompson said of Allen’s play. “One of the greatest comebacks I’ve been around.” Allen’s letterman’s jacket from that season still hangs in his closet because it’s the most memorable moment of a career that included winning a collegiate national championship for Alabama and now being a key member of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. “That moment was incredible,” Allen recalled. “That and the moment we came back [to win] was incredible. It was a moment that competes with any other moment I’ve had. High school is a special moment.

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It’s not a job at that moment. You’re with your high school buddies. College and the NFL is a job. High school is the last bit of innocence you have.” Thompson hasn’t won 300 games without spotting talent and putting it in the right position. Allen started as a receiver and running back, but after a pass went through Allen’s hands and into his facemask, Thompson looked for another position for his tall, speedy player. Allen’s hands were better suited to catching people than footballs. “Jonathan is the only player I’ve seen that could take over a game from the defensive side,” Thompson said. “If he got going, you could absolutely not run anything. Rarely had a guy like that on defense. He had such great instincts to run stuff down. He took over games.” Allen acknowledges the position switch was life-changing. “I owe a lot to [Thompson] because, if not for him, I might not be playing now.” Special aptly describes Allen’s career. Well, and serendipitous. Allen arrived in Ashburn in 2010 as a high school freshman after stops in five states as a son of a U.S. Army sergeant, as well as a 10-month stint in foster care. Allen quickly became a Washington football fan and attended training camp at the team’s practice facility off Loudoun County Parkway. Allen found roots in Ashburn, but after graduating from Stone Bridge in 2013 returned to his native Alabama to play for one of college’s powerhouses. There, under coach Nick Saban, he found the discipline required to become a professional player. “When you play for a guy like Coach

BY B I L L KAM E N JAR

S T O N E B R I D G E G R A D J O N AT H A N A L L E N

BY AS T R I WE E P H OTO G RAP H Y

TAKING COMMAND

(Opposite page) Jonathan Allen plays in a game during his time on the Stone Bridge High School team in Ashburn; (above) Allen sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a 2018 game.

Saban with the structure and discipline [the program] puts you under, there’s not too many things to compare with that,” Allen said. “It challenges you.” Heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, Washington figured the defender would be long gone by its 17th selection in the first round. Indeed, Allen was considered a top-five choice before questions arose over shoulder surgeries. In the NFL, any whispers of doubt become infectious in the minutes between selections, and Washington couldn’t believe Allen was still available before quickly taking him. The team’s coaches had actually followed Allen as a high schooler. Washington coaches often attend nearby high school games because some of their sons play for the local teams and Friday nights are usually free time for coaches. Allen’s name would be mentioned when coaches talked about Stone Bridge games, but nobody foresaw it as an early peek at a first-rounder. Allen certainly didn’t expect to return home to play professionally. He spoke with a team official only once in passing before the draft. “No idea I’d come back here,” Allen said. “It’s a blessing. God has blessed me more than I can imagine to have my family come to every game.” It took a little re-adjusting to an area that has grown dramatically since Allen first arrived. He

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Far left: Jonathan Allen tackles a San Francisco 49ers player during a 2019 game. Photo on right: Allen talks with Washington head coach Ron Rivera after a summer practice at the team's Ashburn training facility.

THE JONATHAN ALLEN FILE BORN: Jan. 16, 1995, in Anniston, Ala.

6-foot-3 BY B I L L KAM E N JAR

WEIGHT: 300 pounds

WIFE: Hannah; married July 2018

HIGH SCHOOL:

COLLEGE: University of Alabama; graduated 2017. Played on team that won the 2016 NCAA Championship and received three major national awards: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award.

NFL: Drafted in the first round (17th pick) by Washington in 2017. Has played in 69 games over five seasons, with 245 total tackles, including 26 sacks.

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BY B I L L KAM E N JAR

still marvels at the massive data centers that now encircle the team’s practice facility. “There was nothing out here [when I was in high school,]” he said. “Loudoun was just all trees. People don’t believe that I came to Redskins training camp and there was nothing here. One Loudoun wasn’t a thing. It was a different city when I came back.” Allen and his wife, Hannah, live in Great Falls, but he stays in touch with Thompson and Stone Bridge. Allen assists in team fundraising and attends a few practices and games each year, hoping to inspire others to follow his path to success. “[Allen] shows you what you can do here,” Thompson said. “There are opportunities playing here and [if you] do the right things. Jon was a great player, but he was a guy who worked hard, tried to do the right thing. He tried to get better every time on the field. Seeing that is the value of him being right here.” Allen has emerged as a leader for the Commanders — on the field, in the locker room and in the community. After the 2020 season, the team responded by signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract. Allen earned his first Pro Bowl honor in 2021. Commanders’ officials know if they are to become serious Super Bowl contenders,

Stone Bridge; graduated 2013. A four-year letterman whose honors included being named first team all-state and named to the MaxPreps AllDecade High School Football Team.

BY AS T R I WE E P H OTO G RAP H Y

HEIGHT:

they need the defensive line to play well. For that to happen, Allen has to lead the way, so Washington invested heavily in him. And Allen gained the security of likely playing an entire career in his hometown. Off the field, Allen is heavily involved in Sasha Bruce Youthworks, a Washington nonprofit that supports children in foster care. Allen was in the foster system at age 9 before his father regained custody so he knows the challenges these children face. To Allen, writing a check isn’t enough. He wants kids to know someone who cares about them. Jason Wright, president of the Commanders, noted that through the nonprofit Allen holds weekly counseling sessions with youth in the community, serves on the planning committee and contributes to their Rapid Response funding initiative. “Since his rookie season, Jon has con-

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BY AS T R I WE E P H OTO G RAP H Y

tinually demonstrated a commitment to our local DMV community,” Wright said. “As a Northern Virginia native, Jon has made it a goal of his to make sure that all children across our region have access to the resources they need in order to succeed.”

Like many NFL players, Allen also has adopted the “My Cause My Cleats” program, with his proceeds benefiting Impact 22, which helps young people with education and nutrition. For his community involvement, Allen has twice been Washington’s nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year, one of the league’s most prestigious honors. “As a Christian, it’s my duty to give back,” Allen said. The Commanders enter a season of promise. Many expect the team to have its first winning season of Allen’s tenure. A smile overwhelms him when imagining the local impact of the team winning a Super Bowl. King of Ashburn? “[Winning a Super Bowl] would mean everything to me,” he said. “I would love to see the city on fire as part of that thing. It would be special.” A Rick Snider is a columnist for 106.7The Fan and founder of Rick Snider’s Washington on YouTube. He has covered Washington sports since 1978.

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"

Loudoun county resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy, “my feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do. That I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.” Then she met Ashburn's very own Rachal Lohr, L.Ac. Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort, and numbness caused by nerve damage to the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful. “How can you live for the next 30 years when you don’t even want to get out of bed to do simple things?”

She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling, and sharp pains that those suffering from neuropathy often describe. “The way that I would describe it, it’s equivalent to walking on glass.” Dawn hadn’t worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would ‘touch’ her feet.

Unfortunately, Dawn’s story is all too familiar for the over 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy. If you’re unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis you’re not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet. You have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. You’re struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor told you to ‘just live with the pain’ and you’re taking medications that aren’t working or have uncomfortable side effects.

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Fortunately, two months ago Dawn read an article about Rachal and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications.

What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Northern Virginia.

If you’ve missed too many tee times because of pain or you’ve passed on walking through the town centers with Rachal Lohr, founder of Firefly Acupuncture and Wellness, in Ashburn, friends because you’re afraid of falling, is using the time tested science of it’s time to call Rachal and the staff Acupuncture and a technology originally at Firefly. developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting It’s time you let your golden recovery and healing to treat this years BE GOLDEN! debilitating disease. Rachal Lohr, L.Ac. is once again “Now when I go to bed at night accepting new patients. And for a I don’t have those shooting pains. limited time will be offering Free I don’t have that burning sensation. Consultations so call (703)263-2142 I don’t have pain coming up my to schedule a consultation.

legs,” Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Rachal Lohr's treatments. “I can wear socks and shoes!”

Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day.

“It’s life altering. As far as I’m concerned Rachal saved my life!” Rachal has been helping the senior community for over 15 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results.

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY? Visit www.FIREFLYAcuAndWellness.com to learn more and to take advantage of Call (703)263-2142 their New Patient Offer! to schedule a consultation!

TIME OF OUR LIVES

F E AT U R E

till Blooming Ashburn resident Barbara Buer has created amazing art for six decades

n the competitive world of fine arts, it can take years of education and training before a serious artist can even hope to have his or her work displayed in a gallery or bought by a collector. Unless you are Ashburn painter Barbara K. Buer. Buer is proof that sometimes all an artist needs to succeed is determination and talent. Completely self-taught, Buer, who is 87 and lives with her husband, Per, at Tribute at One Loudoun, has achieved what many trained artists only dream about. During a career that has spanned more than 60 years, her original paintings – which sell for as much as $6,000 each – have been displayed at prominent galleries, graced magazine covers, been featured in books, been sought by collectors, and purchased by interior decorators and leading corporations. “I love the challenge of being able to depict beautifully what I am seeing with my eyes,” Buer said. “I don’t like to be called a ‘photorealist’ per se, but basically, I think that’s what I actually am, because I want my paintings to look as realistic as possible.”

JILL

DEVINE

Lifelong Love of Flowers

It’s impossible to view Buer’s work without noticing one dominating constant: flowers. “It’s the subject matter I’ve always had access to,” she said. Buer became intimately familiar with the range and characteristics of flowers as a young girl. She grew up on Staten Island, and her father was a florist in New York City. “My father would go to the market in Manhattan at 3:30 a.m. to pick up flowers, and I would go with him when I was a little girl. The sellers would reach out and give me a flower to take home, usually a single orchid, and I loved to study the petals.” Buer helped her father with arrangements in the shop. “I made bouquets and corsages, but mostly I sat there making bows, because my fingers were small and agile – thus, my interest also in bows.” Buer points to a large oil painting on her living room wall that she titled “60 Cents a Bow,” which features an almost photographic depiction of racks of pastel-colored Hallmark bows and spools of ribbons. “That painting is my favorite, because it’s different from all my others,” she said. “The challenge there was to make the bows shine.”

A Self-Taught Talent

Without the aid of a teacher, Buer taught herself to do watercolors in high school. “I just bought supplies and did it – and the more I did it, the better I got,” she explained. Later when she was married, her husband’s job took the couple to southern England, where they rented a home surrounded by a private garden. “I realized there that my passion was

to paint blossoms, not arrange them, and I began to dabble,” she said. Buer and her husband then moved to Pennsylvania, and she began to paint more seriously after her son, Peter, started going to school. Most of Buer’s paintings begin with a photograph. She starts by sketching the outline shapes on the canvas and then filling in with basic under colors. “Then I determine where I want the

highlights to be,” she said. “You can’t make a flower look like a flower using just flat colors. You have to create highlights and shadows to show the variations of the shapes and the bends and turns of the petals.” She finds paintings made entirely of white flowers to be the most technically challenging but also the most satisfying. “Being able to shape them using just whites and grays is quite difficult.”

That my mother was self-taught … and that she got so far entirely on her own steam is truly amazing."

Artist Barbara Buer continues to paint each day at her dining room table in her apartment home in Ashburn.

Buer and her husband moved to Ashburn a few years ago to be near Peter and his family. Peter recalls that critics liked his mother’s skill at showing how light reflects through a crystal vase or through the petals of a flower. “That my mother was self-taught … and that she got so far entirely on her own steam is truly amazing.”

"60 Cents a Bow" — a painting by artist Barbara Buer that hangs on her living room wall.

Still Creating

Andrew Riley, community relations director at Tribute at One Loudoun, said residents and staff have recognized Buer’s talents. “Barbara definitely commands an audience,” Riley said. Roughly every month or two, Buer sells an original painting or a high-quality

Buer continues to paint at her home. Although her building has an art studio, she prefers to paint where she always has throughout her career – at her dining room table. “My husband has Alzheimer’s, and I want to stay near him,” she said lovingly.

giclee print through her personal website or other online marketers. “I think the reason my paintings sell is because of the subject matter, especially with decorators,” she said. “The decorator selects a painting because the colors in a specific flower match the color themes in a particular room,

and they can work with that.” Buer is exceptionally modest when talking about her art – except when she reflects on what she considers the pinnacle of her long career. She is rightly proud of being selected as a signature member of two highly respected art societies: the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. The memberships require a rigorous juried submission process. Her entrance paintings for the American Watercolor Society were displayed at the prestigious Salmagundi Club on Fifth Avenue in New York, one of the oldest art organizations in the country. “That was the grandest thing that happened to me professionally,” Buer said, “and those are designations truly worth bragging about.” A To see more of Buer’s artwork, check out her website at barbarabuerartist.com. Jill Devine is a freelance writer and former magazine editor from Loudoun County who writes for a variety of Virginia publications.

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RIDINGINSTYLE

BUSINESS BOOM

F E AT U R E

H I G H - E N D A U TO D E A L E R SETS UP SHOP IN ASHBURN

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ometimes it seems Ashburn is a mix of money and modesty. For every million-dollar home or steak place offering $75 ribeyes, there’s an IHOP or a McDonald’s. But sometimes Ashburn can’t help but lean in on the luxury. That’s the case with a car dealership that opened in May on Russell Branch Parkway near Topgolf. It’s the new home of the Exclusive Automotive Group, the region’s only vendor of Aston Martins and Bentleys, as well as super car brands Koenigsegg and Karma. New cars start in the $150,000 range and go up from there, passing the half a million mark for a custom-built vehicle shipped from Europe. Regardless of the size of their pocketbook, even an average car enthusiast can’t help but be wowed by some of these stunning vehicles. Exclusive Automotive Group, or EAG, started about 10 years ago in Fairfax County. It was created by a group of Aston Martin owners who were, of course, big fans of the famous British automaker. When the Aston Martin fran-

chise in the greater Washington area became available, they decided who better to sell the brand than them. They went up against several large area auto dealers and managed to impress the Aston Martin folks with their straightforward business plan. Against BILL SHAWN the odds, they got the franchise. “We had this private dinner with them, and at the end of the dinner, they said it’s yours and you have 60 days to get a showroom, to get a general manager, to get a line of credit, a floor plan and to be in business,” said Bill Shawn, one of the founding partners. “And in 60 days we did it.” Not that Aston Martin didn’t hedge its bets. “We learned later that they were so concerned about us … that they appointed one of the established dealers in town to be our backup in case we fell on our face,” Shawn said with a laugh. Fortunately, the dealership thrived, new brands were added and now EAG has made the biggest move in its history – literally and figuratively – by uprooting its Vienna showroom and relocating to Ashburn. Ashburn Magazine interviewed Shawn about why the dealership chose Ashburn, its new facility along Route 7 and what it’s like selling cars that many folks dream about. Here are excerpts from our conversation. WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS TO MOVE THE EAG DEALERSHIP TO LOUDOUN COUNTY AND TO ASHBURN SPECIFICALLY? “We saw the economic action and the economic growth and the degree of prosperity. And our brands, obviously, are intricately correlated with prosperity and business success. We had an increasing number of clients coming from Loudoun County.” ASHBURN DOES HAVE A LOT OF ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT SO DO OTHER AREAS OF THE GREATER WASHINGTON MARKET. “It’s true we can be anywhere. Our franchises are exclusive. We are the only dealer of any of our brands anywhere between Philadelphia and Charlotte. So literally we could have been in Maryland, the District, anywhere. But we really liked Loudoun and we really liked Ashburn and what was going on in Ashburn with the degree of high-end development and the degree of entrepreneurism and successful people. And we found what we thought was just an absolute choice parcel of land that was perfect for us.”

not only accomplished people, but smart people who know what they want and know how to negotiate. Many of them have built businesses and some have sold them. Some have top positions in business, in government and academia. But they all are smart and know how to drive the deal. That’s one of the big challenges we have. Just because somebody has money to be able to afford one of our cars doesn’t mean they are going to pay what the sticker is.”

IN YOUR COMPANY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE NEW DEALERSHIP, IT REFERRED TO THE “CAR CULTURE” IN THE ASHBURN AREA. WHAT DID THAT REFER TO? “There are lots and lots of car activities – everything from ‘Cars and Coffee’ events and dealers having car events, to show-and-tell events. People obviously drive their cars and appreciate their cars. Loudoun still has enough free and open space where people can enjoy the drive – it’s not all congested with traffic and traffic lights. As they say in Los Angeles, you are what you drive. There are a lot of people [here] who are successful and want to show it.” ASHBURN IS OBVIOUSLY KNOWN AS AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY. WHEN YOU ARE SELLING VEHICLES WITH SIX-FIGURE PRICES, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN YOUR DECISION TO COME HERE. “It’s just doing your homework. You are going to go where your products can be afforded and can be appreciated. There’s another element to that too – what I like to call the velocity of money. We are dealing with lots of entrepreneurs and successful people who have made their money and have achieved success themselves and – as a result – they are ready, willing and able to consume and to buy the nice things they want because they have earned them.” WHO IS A TYPICAL EAG CUSTOMER? “When we first opened up, I thought we would be sort of getting British toffs [Editor’s Note: upper crust folks] – part of my childhood was in England so I can directly relate to

TELL US ABOUT THE LOCATION ON RUSSELL BRANCH ALONG ROUTE 7 – WHY WAS THAT LOCATION CHOSEN? “It’s a great location. The only thing it doesn’t have is a direct off ramp from Route 7, but other than that, it has everything. And it does have great visibility. You should go by it at night. We are elevated and we have a lot of window space, including a lot along Route 7 and, at night, we that – but that’s not our typical customer at all. It’s really hard to say there is a prototypical customer that we have, but I think the one thing I see in common – that spans any cultures, any races, religions – is that these are successful people, people who have achieved something, and are also smart and sophisticated.” WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF SELLING ULTRA-LUXURY CARS? “Our sales people honestly – it’s no secret – sometimes get intimidated because they are dealing with very successful people who know how to negotiate. We are dealing with

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Fast Facts About Exclusive Automotive Group in Ashburn Partners: Mike Bratti, Ian Carter, John Metcalf and William Shawn

Official Opening: June 25, 2022

Size: 42,000 square feet

Number of cars onsite:

New – 20-30 (many of EAG’s cars are custom ordered and not part of the onsite inventory); pre-owned: 60-70

Price ranges:

New – $200,000 to $5 million; pre-owned – $60,000 to $350,000

Service bays: 18 Employees: 32

have lit up the facility, so the cars are on display for however many hundreds of thousands of cars and impressions go by there every day. You can’t pay for that kind of visibility. It’s better than a billboard.” WHAT ABOUT BEING FARTHER FROM THE D.C. AND ARLINGTON/ALEXANDRIA CUSTOMERS? “Early on, we agonized over moving too far away from the District and that we would lose some customers. But that has not been a problem because what we found is our brands are a destination. We have people come out for the day just to hang out.” BUILDING A HUGE NEW SHOWROOM FROM THE GROUND UP MUST HAVE ALLOWED YOU TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS ON YOUR PREVIOUS LOCATION. “Ten years ago, we started out in a refurbished Lincoln-Mercury facility that had been built in the 1960s. So, when we got the opportunity to buy the land and to design a building – yeah, we put our experience to work, and it … allowed for a lot of upgrades. We really went all out with it. It’s very 21st century.”

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WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THESE NEW AND IMPROVED FEATURES? “Our service facility is not only fully air-conditioned, which is pretty unusual in the car business, but all our equipment – everything from balancing tire alignment to heavy sophisticated engine overhaul equipment – it’s all new, it’s all state-of-the-art. It looks absolutely beautiful as well.

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OXYMORON, BUT OF COURSE, IT’S NOT. “We tend to have the best of the best in used cars as well. We often get in everything from Ferraris to Rolls Royces to high-end Mercedes, literally everything. So, when a customer comes and wants a car, and we don’t have it… we are usually able to source it and find exactly what they want.” WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR EAG? “We want to make our mark. We want to be part of the community. We want to evangelize our cars and see as many of them as we can driving around in the neighborhoods and on the highways and we want to expand and grow as we do.”

The service area, in particular, looks like a surgical ward.” IS THAT SOMETHING CUSTOMERS LOOK FOR – A SPIC-AND-SPAN SERVICE BAY? “Stuff like this is important to guys like me – car guys, petrol heads. When I bought my first Aston, before we had the dealership, I insisted on meeting the techs – the mechanics – first and seeing their facility so I knew how my car was going to be treated. My wife, who is a great lady,said, ‘We’ve had four children and you’ve never asked to meet the doctor. Yet you do that for your cars.’ (Laughing.) You want your cars to be well-treated – that’s all I can say.” IT’S NOT JUST NEW CARS, CORRECT? YOU HAVE USED LUXURY CARS, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE AN

ARE NEW ADDITIONAL BRANDS IN THE WORKS? “I’m not at liberty to say, but we have discussions all the time with various brands, and we will probably – in the next year or two – add a brand or two, but we are very particular in what we add.” FINALLY, CAN PEOPLE COME AND SEE THE CARS EVEN IF THEY AREN’T IN THE MARKET FOR ONE? OR DO YOU PREFER SERIOUS SHOPPERS ONLY? “We always appreciate serious shoppers, but my partners and I are true ‘car guys’ so we completely understand how people may enjoy seeing our incredible cars in person. In fact, like many kids and teenagers today, when we were growing up, we loved seeing great cars and dreamed of the day when we could own one. So, we always appreciate enthusiastic visitors who share our passion and our respect for our cars.” A

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ASHBURN MAGAZINE

Dearly Beloved and Departed

Summer Camp Musical Production July 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 & 17 – Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00pm. Sundays at 2:00pm.

*Valid in-store at the Ashburn Wild Birds Unlimited. One discount per purchase. Offer not valid on previous purchases or sale items. Offer valid thru 8/15/22.

Now Showing

• August 20, Sept 2, Oct 14 – Sly’s Magic • July 22, Aug 19, Sept 16 – StageCoach Bandits Improv All performances are held at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn except as noted. Registration is still open for Acting and Improv summer camps for ages 10 – 18.

MORE BUSINESS BOOM

Ashburn Mom Writes Book About Hiking With Kids

Local Clothier Launches Mobile Fashion Boutique

Erin Gifford is a professional writer and has specialized in travel writing. But when the pandemic hit, travel writing opportunities dried up for a while. So veteran traveler Gifford turned her attention to another one of her passions: hiking in the great outdoors. She launched a website called Go Hike Virginia and then pitched Falcon Guides, a publisher of travel guides, on a book about hiking with kids in Virginia. The company bit and her book – the first of three hiking guides she is writing – came out this spring. “Hiking with Kids Virginia: 52 Great Hikes for Families” is the first of three books she is writing for the publisher. Her second, “Hiking Coastal Trails of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia,” is due out in August. More information is available at gohikevirginia.com/hiking-books.

Mohini is an Ashburn-based clothing boutique that specializes in women’s saris and men’s kurtas and other traditional and elegant Indian-style clothing. Now, the brand has upped the ante with Mohini on Wheels, a mobile boutique that comes right to your door. You can hop on board, try on clothing and have alterations done without leaving home. The Mohini team says there is no difference in price and no obligation to buy. Clients are encouraged to schedule their visits in advance so the Mohini stylists can properly plan their visit to your home, workplace, or special event. More information is available at mohini.us/wheels.

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Amp Studios, a hair and beauty salon in the Lansdowne Town Center, has earned some extra bragging rights thanks to having an award-winning stylist on the team. Melanie Markham won the “New Talent – Eufora Stylist of the Year” award at the Eufora Global Connection event held in April. “This is a huge accomplishment,” said salon owner Anna Michelle Jackson-Perry, “I am so proud and happy for Melanie. She is an exceptional stylist who is so incredibly talented and is a true visionary when it comes to color.” Melanie is a Master Artist and has a passion for precision haircutting and dimensional color. For more information on Melanie and the Amp team, visit ampstudios.us. A

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LO C A L A D V E N T U R E S

F E AT U R E

TUNNEL THROUGH TIME

Venture into the heart of a Virginia mountain via a historic train passage

"U BY

GLENDA

BOOTH

ntil you go there, you just don’t get the tunnel.” That’s what Paul Wagner says about the Blue Ridge Tunnel, a 4,273-foot underground passageway, dug mostly by hand in the mid1800s. Wagner should know – he directed a documentary about this engineering marvel, located under Afton Mountain about 22 miles west of Charlottesville. “There’s something symbolic, metaphoric,” he muses in his film. “There’s something powerful about the notion of a tunnel.” Indeed, adventurers seem to love to amble through the historic railroad tunnel turned pedestrian footpath and tourist attraction. It opened to the public in November 2020, and by the end of 2021, more than 130,000 visitors had ventured into the nearly pitch-dark mountain passage. There’s something magical, even mesmerizing about it. Visitors stroll in near darkness under an arch of hard, raw, greenstone rock. In the distance is a tiny, white orb of light, the tunnel’s other opening, which grows larger and larger as you approach it. It’s nearly impossible to determine how far away that dot of daylight is, but it’s a magnet, pulling walkers ever closer.

(Far right) A historic photo of the Blue Ridge Tunnel through Afton Mountain near Charlottesville; (this page) an explorer with a headlamp traverses the train tunnel turned tourist attraction.

Tourists pose for a selfie outside one of the entrances to the Blue Ridge Tunnel while a group of bike riders pauses just inside the tunnel; (right) the Blue Ridge Tunnel as seen on a sunny summer day.

Walking through evokes awe and goosebumps, as well as admiration for the workers who put their lives at risk to blast the tunnel. Early American leaders like President George Washington championed canals and rivers for commercial transportation between Virginia’s Tidewater and western regions, but by the mid-1850s, some argued that canals would be inadequate and impractical. Claudius Crozet, who had studied engineering in France and served in Napoleon’s army, had another idea – burrow through Afton Mountain. Crozet came to the United States at age 26 in 1815, taught engineering at the U.S. Military Academy and then was chief engineer for the Virginia Board of Public Works. He was a founder of the Virginia Military Institute and president of its board. Thomas Jefferson called him “by far the smartest mathematician in America.” At the heart of the tunnel’s history are the 800 Irish immigrant workers and around 300 enslaved men who built it between 1850 and 1858, working eight to 10 hours a day. The Irish workers came to America to escape the famine in Ireland. They lived with their families in nearby shanties and initially earned $1 a day. Slave masters regularly rented out their enslaved workers in those days, but these owners insisted that their slaves not do any blasting, not because the owners were altruistic, said Wagner, but because they wanted to protect their financial livelihood. “It’s just so revealing of the way slavery worked as an institution,” Wagner said. “It helps you see just how twisted it really was.” The enslaved workers labored as blacksmiths

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or floorers who cleared the rock debris after the detonations. Clues to the construction methods, such as grooves in the hard rock walls, are visible today. Workers hammered long star drills into the rock, filled the cavities with volatile black powder and fuses, and lighted the powder. The blasting filled the work area with debris. It was cold, nasty, dangerous work. Some workers suffered injuries like lost fingers. Some were lost to cave-ins and explosions. Forty died from cholera. Usually, a 100-member crew labored on one side of the mountain and another 100 on the other side, inching along to meet in the middle. Each crew built 20 feet a month, a superhuman engineering feat that took around eight years. Crozet devised ventilation and drainage systems and had to battle skeptics who questioned whether the two parts would actually align. “When the crews finally ‘holed through’ on Christmas Day, 1856, not only did the tunnels meet exactly, but Crozet’s calculations were found to be so precise that only one-half-inch separated their alignment,” reads the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks website, where the tunnel is listed. It was the longest railroad tunnel in the nation in its day. It is 16 feet wide to accommodate trains and has a 51-foot descent from west to east. At its deepest point, it is about 700 feet below the surface. In 1858, the first train rumbled through. The tunnel provided rail access through the Blue Ridge Mountains, connecting the Piedmont with the Shenandoah region. Trains carried products like imported goods and oysters from Virginia’s eastern region to the west and farm products from the west to the east. In 1944, the tunnel closed, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad replaced it with another tunnel 40 feet deeper. In the 1950s, the Dixie Bottled Gas Corp. built two, 12-foot-thick concrete bulkheads at either end in an attempt to store propane in the abandoned tunnel, ASHBURN MAGAZINE

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but this did not succeed. The tunnel was largely forgotten until 2001. Allen Hale, then a member of the board of supervisors of Nelson County, where Afton Mountain is located, convinced the board to explore the tunnel’s restoration and use it as a pedestrian trail. In 2007, the county bought the tunnel from the CSX railroad company for $1. Some 13 years and $5.4 million later, the tunnel and entry trails opened, 19 years after the

project was first conceived. The dark, quiet environment is not totally devoid of wildlife. Songbirds such as eastern phoebes nest in the rocks, and state experts have identified three species of bats hibernating for the winter in the tunnel. Other observers have spotted long-tailed salamanders skittering about. Many visitors carry flashlights and even lanterns as they venture into the tunnel – not only for navigation, but also to better

understand the tunnel’s ecosystem and better ponder the history of this relic from Virginia’s past. “There’s nothing quite like this in the country in terms of age, design, and the way it’s preserved,” said Hale, who is considered the “kingpin” of the Blue Ridge Tunnel path. “It’s perfectly preserved as in 1858 when the trains came through. Every time I’ve seen people there, they are having a good time.” A FOR MORE INFORMATION: Head to the Nelson County’s online site for visitors to the Blue Ridge Tunnel at nelsoncounty. com/blue-ridge-tunnel or check out The Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation at blueridgetunnel.org. Glenda Booth is a freelance writer based in Virginia. She writes for publications around the state.

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R E A L E S TAT E R O U N D U P

Ashburn’s TOP TEN A

s spring turned into summer, the real estate market was clearly cooling off, according to data from the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. Across Loudoun County, the number of sales that closed in May dropped 17% from the prior year. In Ashburn, sales were down 21.9% in the 20147 Zip code and 5.3% in the 20148 Zip code.

In addition, buyers had more homes to choose from: Listings doubled in the 20147 Zip code, to 70 at month’s end, and were up 46.4% in 20148, to 82. Prices continued to soar, however, with the median sales price in the 20148 Zip code rising 7.1% to $773,500 and in 20147 rising 5.4% to $622,000. And houses continue to sell quickly. The average number of days on market was just six in 20147 and nine in 20148. “We’re seeing signs that the market is beginning to level out,” said 2022 DAAR President Rich Blessing. “Although the market is still far from balanced, the continued gains in supply are certainly a welcome sight for those in the homebuying process.” Highlighted below are the five highest-priced homes that sold in each of Ashburn’s two Zip codes between mid-April and midJune, along with the sales price and other key information. Data and photos from Realtor.com.

20147

20148

20398 NORTHPARK DRIVE

41779 PRAIRIE ASTER COURT

19618 SARATOGA SPRINGS PLACE

23036 WELBOURNE WALK COURT

$1,900,000 Sold: June 10 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 5,195 square feet

$1,800,000 Sold: April 22 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 6,235 square feet

$1,900,000 Sold: April 29 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 5,480 square feet

NO PHOTO AVAILABLE

$1,755,000 Sold: April 29 3 bedrooms 4½+ bathrooms 6,442 square feet

20145 BLACK DIAMOND PLACE

42616 COCHRANS LOCK DRIVE

19441 AUGUSTA VILLAGE PLACE

22390 CONSERVANCY DRIVE

19693 STANFORD HALL PLACE

42988 LAGO STELLA PLACE

$1,850,000 Sold: May 31 5 bedrooms 5½ bathrooms 7,218 square feet $1,550,000 Sold: June 1 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 4,264 square feet $1,455,551 Sold: June 15 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 6,024 square feet

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$1,700,000 Sold: June 1 5 bedrooms 6½ bathrooms 8,094 square feet $1,700,000 Sold: June 22 6 bedrooms 5½ bathrooms 8,551 square feet $1,525,000 Sold: May 27 4 bedrooms 4½ bathrooms 6,786 square feet

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WINE & DINE

Home Cooking The private chefs at Fleur de Cuisine have overcome adversity on their way to success BY

CHRIS

WADSWORTH

(Left) Natalie Ramos, founder and chef at Fleur de Cuisine in Ashburn; (above top) Natalie packs up individual meals as part of a catering order for a client; (above bottom) Tiana Ramos, chef and co-owner of Fleur de Cuisine.

velyn Willis leads a hectic life. The Ashburn Village resident is a senior flight attendant with United Airlines. She is frequently on the go, jetting around the world. So, as you might imagine, planning a holiday get-together or a dinner party with friends is a challenge. That’s why she turned to the private chefs at Fleur de Cuisine for help. Fleur de Cuisine in Ashburn is owned and operated by chefs Natalie and Tiana Ramos, a mother-daughter team that specializes in cooking elegant meals in their clients’ kitchens. “I contacted Chef Ramos a few years ago to host a family gathering of about 25 people,”

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said Willis, who estimates she has the team cook for her a half-dozen times a year. “I have ordered charcuterie boards, pastas prepared in all different ways, pulled pork, lamb chops and seafood, just to name a few. Her chocolate lava cake is now my favorite dessert.” Natalie Ramos says a private chef provides a personal service. “You talk to your clients. You go into their home. You connect with them on a deeper and more intimate level.” She has lived in Ashburn – first Ashburn Village, now the Broadlands – for seven years. It’s a far cry from the dangerous streets of Brooklyn and the Linden Houses public housing projects where she grew up. “Drug dealers on the corner. Friends shot in front of me,” she recalled. “My life played like a Spike Lee movie.” With a mother who was frequently “not

around,” it fell to Ramos to help take care of her younger brother. Making him dinner each night was her first taste of cooking, even if food was often scarce. Her father – a loving, but often absent man – would sometimes show up after his shift at a restaurant. “He would have either a sauteed steak or a bologna sandwich. He knew I had probably not eaten and wanted to make sure I was fed,” she said. “When my father came home once a month with [a] sandwich, I felt hope.” Eventually, Ramos left Brooklyn and attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University’s satellite campus in Miami. She worked in a variety of chef and management roles in various food and beverage jobs before moving to Virginia in 2014 and overseeing a hospital cafeteria. She came to Ashburn in 2015 to work as a manager for a Sterling-based catering company. But her troubles weren’t behind her – a personal crisis saw Ramos seeking help from LAWS, a domestic violence shelter for women in Leesburg. Around this time she got some much-needed advice. “My best friend told me, ‘Do what you do best – and cook. All the energy you put into making other people successful, why don’t you put it into yourself?’” Ramos recalled. “I had my culinary degree, so why not use it?” So, in 2016, Ramos launched Fleur de Cuisine. She started it out of her home, calling up companies, telling them about her offerings and taking small jobs here and there. Soon, those small jobs added up and became bigger jobs. She steadily built up both her recipe book and her roster of clients and, in 2017, she was busy enough to lease commercial space off Waxpool Road. “Clients can be anyone. You might have professional athletes, celebrities, high-profile CEOs,” Ramos said. “Someone who just wants to hire a private chef for a spouse’s birthday, or someone who says, ‘I want to have a private chef for my parents’ 50th anniversary.’ Basically, anyone who wants to have an intimate culinary experience in their home.” Dishes such as coffee crusted filet with a lobster bearnaise, red snapper with a shrimp creole sauce and butternut squash ravioli with a maple sage cream sauce wowed her customers, and word of mouth has spread. On the day Ashburn Magazine spoke with her, Ramos had already catered one corporate event and was preparing for

My life played like a Spike Lee movie. another, and had two private chef events that evening. As far as working together, mother and daughter say it’s been a blessing for both of them. “I’ve been working with my mom since I was about 10 years old,” said Tiana, 25, who studied at the famed Culinary Institute of America. “The food industry isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. We have our bad days. But in the end, we call ourselves the Dream Team, because we work so well together in the kitchen, and we know we can count on each other … to work hard and get it done.” Natalie says Tiana is a better version of her. “She is a chef that is hungry. She is smart and strong. She has the skills that I wish I had at her age – which tells me that when she is my age, she will be 10 times stronger.” A big part of Natalie Ramos’ business and life is her faith. She brings it up in conversation and posts about it on social media. But faith is something she didn’t have much of during her rough upbringing, although she says that she always felt someone was watching over her. An aunt in North Carolina helped her discover what she calls “God’s big plan.” “Every morning, I start my day with giving thanks to God and reading a devotional,” she said. “There are times I am down on my knees at the shop, crying, and thanking God for what he has done for me.” The path to this point may have been difficult, but for Natalie Ramos’ clients, the proof is in the proverbial pudding – or chocolate lava cake, as the case may be. “Chef Natalie and Chef Tiana bring so much fun energy to the room. It is obvious they absolutely love what they do. They make you feel like they are your family, just hanging out in your kitchen having fun,” Evelyn Willis said. “I would be lost without them.” A

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THE BURN A round-up of the latest restaurant, retail, and other cool news from Ashburn and beyond. Check out The Burn at TheBurn.com and follow it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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GEARHEADS UNITE! CARS & CIGARS IS TURBOCHARGED.

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In other baseball news, Replay Sports, another training and batting

The Tanuki Japanese Restaurant in the Cameron Chase shopping plaza has closed for good. That’s the center next door to the

FOUND FOR LONG EMPTY BLOOM GROCERY STORE SPACE

cage facility in Ashburn, announced it will move from its location on Red Rum Drive to the former Bloom grocery store space in the Belmont Greene neighborhood. Bloom’s parent company discontinued the brand back in 2012 and the 30,000-square-foot space has been empty since. Replay is expected to open at its new location in mid-July.

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RESTAURANT CLOSES

A new baseball-themed facility with hightech batting cages has opened to baseball fans. The Ballpark is in the Lexington 7 building on the north side of Route 7. That’s next door to the Riverside Square shopping center, home to Texas Roadhouse and other businesses. The Ballpark expects to serve both serious athletes, helping them train, while also welcoming casual players who just want to hit some balls. The facility also has an onsite restaurant called Home Plate.

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BATTING CAGE FACILITY OPENS

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The longtime Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque restaurant has been sold to new owners. Danny Hurdle owned and operated the restaurant for 17 years in the historic Partlow Brothers building on Ashburn Road in Old Ashburn. But in June, he sold it to the Goreys, a local family that has seen several of their children and relatives work at the restaurant over the years. While the recipes are expected to stay the same, new dishes may be added to the menu, and they may also add beer and wine.

3 THE BALLPARK

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BROTHERS PIT BARBEQUE SOLD TO NEW OWNERS

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Ashburn Ice Rink. The sushi restaurant had operated in the space for five years, having itself replaced a previous similar tenant – Sushi Noshi. On social media, the owners of Tanuki thanked the community for its support.

ROA D

Cars and Cigars is comin’ in hot at Loudoun Station on Saturday, August 13 from 2-5pm. Rev up your weekend with hot rods, muscle, and classic cars lining the streets. Enjoy food and drink specials while you cruise around the show. Blip your throttle for a smooth ride into a fun-fueled weekend.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 • 2-5PM RAIN DATE IS SATURDAY, AUGUST 20

To learn more, visit: carsandcigarsashburn.com

5 ROADHOUSE

MOMO & GRILL OPENS IN ASHBURN VILLAGE

6 FARM & FORK

KITCHEN BRINGS FARM TO TABLE CUISINE TO GOOSE CREEK VILLAGE

A new restaurant specializing in Nepali food has opened its doors in the Ashburn Village Shopping Center. It’s called Roadhouse Momo & Grill and features momos – a type of steamed dumpling – as the centerpiece on its menu. It also has many other dishes based on the cuisine of Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu. Momo Roadhouse has taken over the space that previously was the Urban BBQ Company.

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At press time, a new farm-to-table restaurant was preparing to open in Ashburn’s Goose Village shopping plaza off Sycolin Road. Called Farm & Fork Kitchen, the restaurant is the brainchild of well-known DC chef Jorge Chicas. Many of the ingredients Chicas will use will be sourced from farms and artisan kitchens in the region. The new eatery is going into a space next door to Social House and upstairs from the new Massaya Lebanese Restaurant & Bar that opened in May. A

LOUDOUN STATION’S SUMMERBRATION IS BACK AND BRIGHTER THAN EVER! SUMMER OF WILL FERRELL

FREE TO THE PUBLIC • Sunday Nights Beginning at 7:30pm • Loudoun Station District Park June 5 Anchorman

July 10 Daddy’s Home

June 12 Kicking and Screaming

July 17 Zoolander 1

June 19 Blades of Glory June 26 Talladega Nights July 3 The Other Guys

July 24 Zoolander 2 July 31 Elf August 7 Night at the Roxbury

August 14 Austin Powers International Man of Mystery

BODY IGNITE AND BODY BOOST HOSTED BY FIT4MOM

FREE TO THE PUBLIC Friday Nights • June 3 - Sept. 2 at 6:30pm Loudoun Station District Park *June 10 and August 19 - Class Will Be Held In The Gramercy East Basketball Court at 22050 Eastside Dr.

August 21 Bewitched August 28 Stranger Than Fiction

PILATES IN THE PARK

September 4 Land of The Lost

FREE TO THE PUBLIC Wednesday Nights June 8 - August 31 at 6:30pm Loudoun Station District Park

loudounstation.com/events 43751 Central Station Drive • Ashburn, VA 20147

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