After returning to the music scene full time, Juliet releases “Carnival,” her most ambitious project to date. TUNES, page 14
GET OUT LOUDOUN
Get Out Loudoun is distributed monthly to entertainment, tourism, and hospitality venues throughout Loudoun County. For the latest news on the music scene and other community events, go to getoutloudoun.com.
CONTRIBUTORS
Dana Armstrong Norman K. Styer
ON THE COVER
Hannes and Sarah Endhardt pose with three best-in-classwinning wines from this year’s Loudoun Wine Awards.
TO ADVERTISE
Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com
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Inside:
TAKE HOME LOUDOUN
Why visit a chain or box store for beverages, produce and gifts this season when you can buy locally made items at Loudoun shops?
SPOTLIGHT
Hannes and Sarah Endhardt have set high marks since opening their Lincoln-area winery three years ago. And the awards keep piling up.
WINE
The Loudoun Wine Awards celebrated the county’s best wines and the industry’s top leaders. See the list of must-try vintages for your next tour.
TASTE
The evolution of a Leesburg cobbler shop into a downtown hotspot continues with the latest round of renovations at Shoe’s Cup & Cork.
BEST BETS
Get Out Loudoun’s top entertainment picks for November.
Photo by Anna Haas
Take Loudoun Home for the Holidays 2024
BY DOUGLAS ROGERS
Visit Loudoun
A couple of weeks ago, friends from Washington, DC, visited my wife and me in Loudoun for the weekend and gave us a parting gift at the end of their stay. It was a bottle of semi-sweet artisanal Vermouth made by Clever Beast Botanicals. I confess to a flush of embarrassment. Not only because our friends had clearly noticed my fondness for a Martini, but because the Vermouth, purchased at the amazing Corner Store in Waterford, my home village, was made in Loudoun and I had never heard of the brand before.
It turns out Clever Beast is the company of Leesburg-based couple Carlene and Chris Thomas who use laboratory techniques to delicately extract a variety of plant and herbal botanicals to make everything from Sweet and Semi-Sweet Vermouth to a Tomato Vine Spritz and even perfume. You can purchase their products (as well as associated merch) at the Corner Store (along with other local, handmade and vintage items) and at quirky local health food store Neighbors in Leesburg.
We live in a special place. Why visit a chain or box store for beverages, produce and gifts this season when you can buy locally made items at Loudoun shops? There is even a campaign to promote it: Take Loudoun Home. Brainchild of Loudoun Economic Development and Visit Loudoun, the campaign promotes some 1,200+ farms and businesses in Loudoun, reminding customers that while Loudoun is wonderful to
Courtesy photo
Carlene and Chris Thomas at Clever Beast Botanicals in Leesburg create artisanal Vermouth, among the special products featured in the annual Take Loudoun Home campaign.
VISIT LOUDOUN
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FROM PAGE 4
visit, they can also take a piece of it home. So, where else to “Take Loudoun Home” this holiday season?
For starters, why not cater your Thanksgiving dinner with a turkey from a Loudoun farm? At Day Spring Farm in Middleburg the Baker family raises and sells seasonal turkeys on pesticide-free pastures while at Dawson Gap Farm in Hillsboro, the Morrison family produces grass-fed, non-GMO, chemical-free eggs, chicken, pork, beef and Thanksgiving turkeys for local markets. Pro-tip: order your birds early because they go fast!
We all know Loudoun is DC’s Wine Country, so to toast that turkey dinner this holiday season I’d recommend a bottle of the 40th Anniversary Loudoun Red Blend, a collaboration vintage made by 12 Loudoun wineries to celebrate this year’s 40th anniversary of Loudoun wine.
Of course, not everyone needs alcohol to toast. If you prefer a healthy beverage why not stock up on some Loudoun-made herbal teas or coffee? Yarrow Remedy is the Leesburg-based business of Cree Catlett who creates a range of natural teas and powders that can be used to make lattes and matcha. Order them at coffee shops Second Nature in Leesburg and Doppio Bunny in Purcellville. She also makes lip balm and a hydrating eucalyptus botanical water, which are both great for gifts.
Talking of which, you will need a tree to put your gifts under as Christmas nears. Instead of buying a regular parking lot spruce, take the kids on a trip to Country Loving Christmas Tree Farm in Brambleton, a family-run operation with a range of conifers from White Pines to Norway Spruce to Red Cedars of different sizes. In Purcellville, Loudoun Nursery has been growing Christmas trees at various farms in the county since the early 1970s. Make an appointment and drive out to pick up a Blue Spruce, Canaan Fir or other varietals on Thanksgiving Friday or weekends until mid-December.
We can all toast to that.
Happy Holidays!
SPOTLIGHT
Endhardt Vineyards: An Award-Winning Wine Journey
BY NORMAN K. STYER
When Hannes and Sarah Endhardt moved to the area from Chicago, they were surprised to find Virginia has a wine industry. Now, they’re at the forefront of the effort to build Loudoun’s reputation for high-quality wines.
During last month’s Loudoun Wine Awards, Endhardt Vineyards won best-in-class awards in three categories, as well as the Grand Award for its 2023 Upper Block Sauvignon Blanc, judged to be the top wine among the record 147 entries. Those honors build on gold medals earned in the 2023 and 2024 Governor’s Cup competition.
Hannes is from Germany. Sarah grew up in Minnesota. They met in Chicago and moved to Northern Virginia for work.
“When we met, we were both traveling a lot overseas. He's from Germany, and so we spent a lot of time going to the wine regions in Europe, particularly Italy, and driving around enjoying the culture and the lifestyle. We met a lot of wine makers. We just love to sit down, drink wine and talk to the owner,” Sarah said.
They valued the opportunity to sit down for an afternoon, have a glass of wine, relax and enjoy beautiful views.
“I never thought we'd have a winery, but I thought that was a pretty, cool thing,” she said.
As they explored Virginia’s wine region, they began to think they had something to offer.
“We started going to some wineries and were like, ‘Oh, man, there's a thriving industry here,’”
Hannes said. “And then we found that some of them weren't super pretty or didn't have that great wine. And I remember thinking how hard can it be? It turns out it's actually really hard. It is really hard.”
“To me it seemed the industry was just kind of starting to come into its own. So I thought we could create the thing that we loved, which is the opportunity to make incredible wine and create an environment,” Sarah said.
In 2018, they bought 46 acres of farmland near Lincoln. They planted their first vines in 2019. They opened a tasting room in 2021, welcoming patrons happy to be out of the house following the pandemic.
Today, they have 11 acres under vine with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Gruner Veltliner. The property’s 150-foot elevation change contributes to one of the pleasant surprises. The vineyard has two blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, one at the top of the property and one on lower land. It was the 2023 Upper Block wine that took top honors in the Loudoun Wine Awards.
They said the two blocks showcase how the
Photo by Norman K. Styer Hannes and Sarah Endhardt pose with three best-in-class-winning wines from this year’s Loudoun Wine Awards.
GAELIC STORM
11/1 - DOORS: 7PM
COWBOY MOUTH
W/ MAX MUSCATO 11/9 - DOORS: 7PM
W/ ALAN SCOTT BAND 11/22 - DOORS: 7PM 11/21 DOORS: 7PM
environment shapes the grapes.
“It's at the top of the hill. It gets full sun all day. It gets really great wind up there. And the soil is really rocky, so it drains really well,” Sarah said.
Hannes said he spent a lot of time with the pickaxe while working on the top of the hill. The shale soil, “is actually really good for the for the vines. It's not good for digging holes,” he said.
The lower block of Sauvignon Blanc is nearly an opposite. “It's obviously much lower. It's shadier. It's a flatter slope, so it gets more water. The soil is more clay,” Hannes said. They decided early on not to blend grapes from the two sections, creating two distinctive flavors.
“It's fun to try them because they're just so different in how they come out, which was surprising to us. It’s kind of fun to experiment with,” Sarah said.
The key architect of the young winery’s early success is winemaker Ben Renshaw.
Renshaw started his wine journey in 1998 as the general manager of Tarara Winery. In 2004, he established a custom vineyard management and installation company and with his father planted the first vines at Furnace Mountain Vineyard on his sister’s Leesburg farm near the Potomac River. He opened 8 Chains North in 2010. He sold the winery in 2021 but continues as its winemaker.
“He's been making wine in Virginia for 20 plus years and we're really grateful for him,” Sarah said. “He does both the vineyard and the winemaking. He's teaching Hannes.”
“I’m the intern and apprentice,” Hannes adds. “We met and we became very good friends. He's a mentor and advisor.”
“It takes a long time to kind of understand the art of wine making,” Sarah said.
Hannes said there are two ways to make wine.
“There's the textbook you follow, like the exact instructions, and you have Scott Laboratories and a bunch of things. And then there's the self-taught way. That's what Ben did,” Hannes said. “He's been doing this for 20 years and he's
more working with feeling the wine and what feels right.”
“His wine making style is very like an old world—Italian, Spanish, French— inspired way of making wine. I think it has been awesome to see that that's actually how it works. You kind learn a lot of these little tricks and tips when you when you work with him.”
But the Endhardts have learned that what goes on in the winemaking process is a small part of operating a vineyard.
“I was surprised by the amount of farming in the winemaking, Hannes said. “You kind of think it's very glorious to make the wine the cellar, but 80% is done on the farm.”
And a farmer’s life is one of constant challenges.
“There's good days and there's bad days. It depends what's going on,” Hannes said. “The one thing I learned is there is always something. There's a drought or it rains too much. The tractor breaks own. The spotted lanternfly shows up. The frost happens in May. It's just always something.”
They said that experience has changed they way they handle stressful situations.
In addition to Renshaw, the Endhardts have found support from many others in Loudoun’s wine community, including James Phillips, now the winemaker at Stone Tower Winery; Doug Fabbioli, who gave them the advice he has given many wannabe winery owners: “Don’t do it;” Kerem Baki at Hillsboro Winery, and Jon and Cori Phillips, who have followed a similar path at the Wine Reserve at Waterford.
And they’ve built valued relationships with their patrons.
“We've really built some great customers over the past three years that we've been open,” Sarah said. “We've met a lot of people who are really supportive and come back once a month and have become friends of ours. We're really grateful to them for just being part of our journey.”
Endhardt Vineyards is located at 19600 Lincoln Road.
Learn more at endhardtvineyards.com.
WINE
Over the past decade, Williams Gap Winery’s Brigette Smith has grown from a tasting room newbie to become Loudoun’s 2024 Wine Ambassador of the Year.
Industry Leaders Honored at Loudoun Wine Awards
BY NORMAN K. STYER
With the 2024 harvest complete, the leaders of Loudoun’s wine community celebrated their successes during the annual awards banquet held last month at Lansdowne Resort.
It was the largest year for the Loudoun Wine Awards with a record 147 entries in 16 categories from 30 wineries.
Endhardt Vineyard was the year’s biggest winner, earning the top prize—the Grand Award—for its Upper Bloc 2023, the bestin-class Sauvignon Blanc. The Lincoln-area winery also won best-in-class rankings for its Reverie White 2023 (White Vinifera) and its Fervor Red 2021 (Bordeaux Blend).
Hannes and Sarah Endhardt bought their 46acre farm in 2018 and planted five varietals. Working with winemaker Ben Renshaw, they’ve been winning awards since their first harvest.
“There’s just so much passion and love in this room for what you do,” Sarah Endhardt said. “Drinking wine is sexier than making wine. We all know that. But gosh, it›s really fun to be here tonight, and it’s really fun to be recognized and after so many years of blood, sweat and tears. We know everyone in the room feels the same way and we’re just so humbled.”
In addition to celebrating the best vintages, the Loudoun Wine Awards put the spotlight on individuals credited with helping to improve the county’s wine industry.
Bluemont Vineyard’s Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Scott Speilbring was named the 2024 Winemaker of the Year.
“It’s been stated a few times tonight, numerous times, it’s about community and family,” Speilbring said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what this county in going to do over the next several years.”
Tremain Hatch, the viticulturalist at his family’s Zephaniah Farm, was named 2024 Winegrower of the Year. That award comes just months after he was named state Winegrower of the Year, recognized as a critical industry resource by the Virginia Vineyards Association.
Hatch, who helped plant the first grape vines on his family’s Leesburg-area cattle farm as a teen in 2002, said he continues to learn more every day in the vineyards that he works with. “We’re all moving forward together,” he said.
Brigette Smith, the tasting room manager at Williams Gap Vineyard near Round Hill, was named the Wine Ambassador of the Year.
Smith didn’t know much about wine when first taking a weekend vineyard job nearly a decade ago.
“During my month in that position, I listened to the associates as they poured wines and spoke not only romantically about the wines, but also technically. And that really intrigued
Photo by Norman K. Styer
THE TOP TASTES OF 2024
In this year’s Loudoun Wine Awards competition, 19 wines earned gold medal ratings. During the pre-program tasting at the Loudoun Wine Awards ceremony, attendees were drawn to the remarkable notes of Iron Will Winery’s 2023 Sparkling Viognier; it was named the best sparkling wine in the competition.
Here are the Best-in-Class award winners you’ll want to sample on your next winery tour:
Best Sparkling Wine: Iron Will Winery & Vineyard’s Sparkling Viognier 2023
Best Hybrid White: Quartzwood’s Chardonel 2023
Best White Vinifera: Endhardt Vineyard’s Reverie White 2023
Best Albariño: Good Spirit Farm Winery’s Albariño 2023
Best Chardonnay: Williams Gap Vineyard’s Chardonnay 2022
Best Sauvignon Blanc: Endhardt Vineyard’s Upper Bloc 2023
Best Viognier: Kalero Vineyard’s Viognier 2020
Best Petit Manseng: Hillsborough Vineyards’ Opal 2022
Best Rosé: Three Creeks Winery’s Rosé 2021
Best Cabernet Franc: Bluemont Vineyard’s Cabernet Franc 2021
Best Merlot: Williams Gap Vineyard’s Black Label 2021
Best Petit Verdot: Three Creeks Winery’s Petit Verdot 2022
Best Cabernet Sauvignon: Greenhill Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Best Bordeaux Blend: Endhardt Vineyard’s Fervor Red 2021
Best Tannat: Walsh Family Wine’s Tannat 2021
Best Sweet Wine: Walsh Family Wine’s Late Harvest Petit Manseng 2019
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me and inspired me to try to learn more,” Smith said.
Visiting other wineries around Loudoun, Smith “noticed it wasn’t only my co-workers who had this passion, but every tasting room that I walked into showed the same authentic enthusiasm.”
That inspired Smith to learn more and to share it.
“Most of you are sitting in this room right now taught me what I need to know: How to talk to guests about winemaking, how to talk
to guests about managing the vineyard, and also how to talk technically and romantically, about wine,” Smith said. “For me, what separates Loudoun wineries from the rest of this state is our desire to educate others and to educate ourselves.”
Visit Loudoun President and CEO Beth Erickson said it is that dedication and collaborative spirit that has made the county’s countryside a destination for visitors, now up to 1 million annually.
“You are growing year over year. You are doing it right,” she said.
1
50 West Vineyards
39060 Little River Turnpike, Middleburg 50westvineyards.com
2 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com
25 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com
26 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com
27 Water’s End Brewing 1602 Village Market Blvd SE #120, Leesburg watersendbrewery.com
28 Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery 38506 John Wolford Rd., Waterford wheatlandspring.com
CIDERIES MEADERIES
1 Henway Hard Cider Company 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont henwayhardcider.com
2 Loudoun Cider House 43376 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg loudounciderhouse.com
3 Mt. Defiance Cider Barn 495 E. Washington St., Middleburg mtdefiance.com
4 Wild Hare Hard Cider Cabin 106 South St., Leesburg wildharecider.com
1 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com
TUNES
Juliet Lloyd’s ‘Carnival’ Explores the Highs and Lows of Love
BY DANA ARMSTRONG
SUMMER might be a distant memory, but for singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd, carnival season is just beginning. Lloyd’s new album, “Carnival,” released on Oct. 25, marks her first major recording project in 17 years. She celebrated her new era with an album release show at the Barns of Hamilton Station on Nov. 1.
When Get Out Loudoun last spoke with Lloyd in 2022, she had just transitioned back into becoming a full-time musician. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she spent the early 2000s gigging around Boston and recording two studio albums.
In 2009, she traded that lifestyle for the stability of a corporate job in the DMV. But like many, the pandemic served as a reckoning point for Lloyd. With so many of her creative outlets shut down, she couldn’t justify returning to her day job.
“There's something about having [live performances] taken away, you sort of reassess what's important,” Lloyd said.
“For me, there was still something pulling me back into music. … Maybe I even have more to say now than I did when I first tried to do this as a profession years and years ago. I was much younger then and hadn't lived a life,” she said. Lloyd now performs over 150 shows a year. Though she lives in Maryland, she regularly serenades patrons of Loudoun’s breweries and wineries with a mix of covers and originals.
What was the catalyst for returning to the recording studio? Many things, but most notably, Dachshunds and Todd Wright.
Around Valentine’s Day in 2023, Lloyd participated in a Beatles Love Songs show with a local promoter. The evening featured a talented array of DMV musicians, including herself and Loudoun singer/songwriter and producer Todd Wright.
“I remember [Wright] was on stage introducing one of the songs he was about to sing. He mentioned that his Valentines are his Dachshunds, which is really cool because I have Dachshunds,” Lloyd said.
“Dachshund people are a special kind of people, and you sort of know when you meet another one, you're like, ‘OK, you're cool.’”
Naturally, Lloyd met up with Wright backstage to exchange photos of their dogs. This, along with their shared love of music, sparked an instant comradery between them. The two soon
Photo by David Fimbres
Juliet Lloyd continues her post-pandemic return to working full time as a musician with the release of a new nine-track album.
started hanging out and writing songs together. Ideas for the album’s second track, “The Spring,” emerged from her and Wright’s first studio session. From its slow and haunting opening plucked guitar notes to its beautiful imagery and bleak refrain, the song set the stage for a truly dynamic album.
Interestingly enough, though “The Spring” was one of the first songs they worked on, it also became one of the last they finished for the album. According to Lloyd, that was one of the luxuries of her and Wright’s 15-month-long recording process.
“I was writing, recording, and basically touring non-stop for that 15-month period. It was a lot of multitasking. But what I loved about this extended process: number one, it let me work with Todd Wright, who is amazing … and we had so much space to be creative.”
Lloyd would often write a song and test it out during her gigs around Loudoun. That real-time feedback let her know which songs most resonated with her audiences.
The album’s nine tracks transcend genre, moving between indie pop, folk, soul, and rock as effortlessly as Lloyd glides across the notes of her vocal runs. Thematically and sometimes sonically, the work is united by her title track, “Carnival,” which was directly inspired by a fateful car ride during the recording process.
“I remember I was driving on 270. I looked over and I saw a carnival set up in the Clarksburg Premium Outlet’s parking lots. It just brought back this flood of nostalgia,” Lloyd said.
“It was really interesting for me to explore this idea of the two sides of the carnival. On the one hand, you have the joys—the sights and the smells, and you go on the rides, and it's so fun. But then it leaves and you're left with this empty parking lot.”
In many ways, she discovered the carnival was a deeply personal metaphor for the highs and lows of relationships throughout our lives, the memories we retain from them, and how we move on.
“Search Your Soul” is a disco-inspired tune that references “funhouse mirrors” and confidently calls out toxic exes. Ballads like “When Love
Comes Round Again” describe the often difficult self-healing process of reopening your heart. Her single “Pretty,” released earlier in the year, warns about the dangers of narcissists and young love.
“Someone [reached out about ‘Pretty’ and] didn’t think it was fair. I have a different impression of that,” Lloyd said.
The final song she recorded for the album, “Call Your Wife,” was written in response to that reaction. She credits Wright for “working his magic” on the production side. Accompanied by Lloyd’s biting lyrics, the backing track mocks the tones of a carnival organ before twisting into a vengeful rock song.
Of course, the theme of the carnival provided Lloyd ample opportunities to play with imagery. The artwork on her singles mimic tarot cards, her music video features abandoned Ferris wheels and swings, and her album cover poses Lloyd on the back of an old-time circus wagon.
Now that “Carnival” is out, it’s only fitting that Lloyd takes her show on the road. She celebrates with four album release performances in November and December—two in Virginia and two in her home state of New York.
“When you have an opportunity to do a show that's just all of your own music, it's really fun to look back and put the songs together in a way that tells the story of you as a songwriter. I’m really excited to do that at all the release shows,” said Lloyd.
She will be joined by a backing band and perform all nine songs from “Carnival.” Additionally, she’ll resurface some favorites from her past albums.
“I've been placing a big bet on this album. It's definitely my most ambitious project, especially coming back at this a second time around … the production, the sound, the vocal performances. I think the songwriting is so much stronger than what I was doing earlier in my career.”
“There's something for everybody in this album. And so, I'm really hoping this can find its way into as many people's earbuds or stereos or whatever else as possible.”
Juliet Lloyd’s album “Carnival” is available now on all streaming platforms.
See her touring schedule at julietlloyd.com/tour.
Renovated Shoe’s Reopens with Elevated Menu
BY NORMAN K. STYER
The evolution of a Leesburg cobbler shop into a downtown hotspot continues with the latest round of renovations at Shoe’s Cup and Cork.
The North King Street building was reimagined by owners Fred and Karen Schaufeld a decade ago when the eclectic coffee shop and restaurant helped to spur a downtown renaissance. The addition of a bocce ball court created one of the town’s most popular outdoor dining
spots in the backyard Secret Garden.
Following a month-long renovation over the summer, Shoe’s has upped its coolness factor once again.
The makeover of the interior builds on the 1930s speakeasy vibe of the restaurant’s upstairs dining room and ushers in an elevated dinner menu. The new floor-to-ceiling bar display leaves little doubt that Shoe’s is more than coffee shop these days.
General Manager Jimmy Zinter said the changes are exciting.
“I would say that it definitely still has that coffee shop feel in the morning, but then as we drift into the lunch hour and into dinner, it
Photo by Norman K. Styer
General Manager Jimmy Zinter and Francesca Terreri stand in front of the new cocktail bar at Shoe’s Cup and Cork.
Loudoun’s Attractions
CATTY CORNER CAFE
A place where cat lovers can come together, spend time in our cozy lounge, drink coffee, and get the chance to meet our amazing rescue cats. With the option of even being able to adopt and give them their forever home.
CATS - COFFEE - COOKIES
116 E. Market Street, Leesburg VA 703-944-4158 cattycornercafe.com
DOUBLE X ARCHERY
Northern Virginia’s Premiere Archery Pro Shop and Indoor Range ARCHERY SERVICES - LESSONS - RENTALS
500 E. Market Street, Leesburg, VA 540-206-0041 doublexarchery.com
LOUDOUN HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM
Travel through time to meet the 10 generations of Loudoun County residents who built this county and left their mark on the land. Exhibits include a schoolhouse, general store, Native American artifact display and the American Workhorse Museum Collection.
Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate on the edge of Leesburg that was home to Virginia governor and agricultural pioneer Westmoreland Davis. Tours of the Greek Revival mansion include 16th century Belgian tapestries, Spanish cassones, hundreds of silver pieces, Hudson River Valley paintings, and Asian treasures. The estate also features the Winmill Carriage Museum, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting of North America, formal boxwood gardens, miles of hiking and riding trails, and athletic fields.
17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org
really picks up a lot,” he said. “They're looking for a really fun experience, a nice bottle of wine, maybe a great cocktail that we're making. We’ve got some really great sangrias—like the rosé sangria, the Thai basil sangria—that have been flying.”
Chef Jarroun Durrette comes to Shoe’s after working for the Washington Commanders and at Honor Brewing Company. Working out of a newly remodeled kitchen, his new menu includes shellfish options, including a popular shrimp and grits, and crabcakes. And the Shakshuka has emerged as a favorite. “We also have a wonderful, this is crazy, steak and egg. I mean, it is just out of this world. It's so good. The meat is really tender. It's a beautiful cut,” Zinter said.
Durrette also has a focus on using the freshest ingredients and making everything in house. “We've always been a scratch kitchen, but now we’re making our own Caesar dressing, for example. We're making a lot of our own dressings. We're butchering in house, as well. We
want to make sure we're delivering the best products to the community,” Zinter said. While the space and the menu may be more upscale, the staff also is working to maintain an informal, community hang-out feel. That includes the assortment of board games available on the bookshelves.
“We have some great chess and checkers. We’ve got some backgammon. We’ve also got every single board game, I think, that you could possibly think of in there right now. We really want people to utilize those as much as they can,” Zinter said. “Play a game of Shoots and Ladders or Candy Land. Beat your son in chess.”
“We still want it to be a community center. We still want people to hang out with us, not just eat and run. We want people to come in and really enjoy themselves and have an experience with us.”
Shoes Cup & Cork is located at 17 N. King St. in Leesburg.
Learn more at shoescupandcork.com.
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Loudoun’s Dining
FORDS FISH SHACK
Consistently voted Loudoun residents’ favorite place for seafood, Ford’s offers fresh seafood in a family-dining atmosphere at three locations, as well as a catering arm and a food truck operation.
South Riding 25031 Riding Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152 (703) 542-7520 • fords shshack.com
SPANKY’S SHENANIGANS
Known as one of the Loudoun’s favorite bars, Spanky’s Shenanigans is a popular destination from its morning breakfast menu to its ample roster of live music performers.
538 E Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176 (703) 777-2454 • spankyspub.com
LIGHTFOOT RESTAURANT
Inside an historic bank building in downtown Leesburg, the Zagat-rated Lightfoot provides both a ne-dining experience and a gathering place for locals. Executive Chef Ingrid Gustavson serves up American cuisine with southern and ethnic accents.
11 North King Street Leesburg, VA 20176 703-771-2233 • lightfootrestaurant.com
TUSCARORA MILL
Known by locals as Tuskies, the restaurant is located inside a restored 19th century grain mill in Leesburg’s historic district. Offering everything from locally sourced ne dining to a casual bar experience, it’s been a dining destination for more than three decades.
203 Harrison St SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 (703) 771-9300 • tuskies.com
HAPPENINGS
GORBACHEV EXHIBIT OPENS AT BYRNE GALLERY
The Byrne Gallery in Middleburg features an exhibit of works by Yuri Gorbachev this season.
This year, Gorbachev's long-time friend Alexander Zakharov joins him for a collaborative show, which runs Nov. 7 through Dec. 31. The gallery will host an artists’ reception Nov. 9 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Gorbachev has exhibited his work in the gallery every year for the past 21 straight years. His work is featured in the Louvre in Paris, the Kremlin in Moscow and the White House in Washington, D.C. Gorbachev has also designed advertisements for Absolut and Stolichnaya vodka and was commissioned by Stolichnaya Red Vodka in 2011 to design its new label. Learn more at thebyrnegallery.com.
DODONA MANOR HOSTS VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
For the 20th year, The George C. Marshall International Center, the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County join forces to host a Veterans Day Commemoration at Dodona Manor.
The program on the lawn of Marshall’s Leesburg home will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 11.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Ken Falke, a retired U.S. Navy master chief petty officer who worked with special operations in explosive ordnance disposal and founded of the Boulder Crest Foundation in Bluemont. He will be reflecting on the meaning of the day and the remarkable contributions of veterans to our community. Vintage military vehicles will be on site for exploration, and Dodona Manor will be open for free tours.
Learn more at georgecmarshall.org.
DEATH COMES TO DINNER ENTERS FINAL SHOWINGS
The StageCoach Theatre has two more performances planned for its latest murder mystery, “Death Comes to Dinner.”
On Nov. 10 the troupe will take the stage at Ambiance in Ashburn. The season’s finale will be performed at a Nov. 16 fundraiser for Help 4 Our Children.
The play welcomes patrons to join Victor Storm’s birthday party to rub shoulders with spies, assassins and other members of the espionage industry. Victor, however, will not be attending his party alive.
For details and tickets, go to stagecoachtc.com.
LOUDOUN SYMPHONY PRESENTS CLASSICAL ODYSSEYS
The Loudoun Symphony Orchestra’s season continues with a captivating program featuring pioneering chamber works by Mozart, Copland, William Grant Still and Yanchen Ye.
The performance includes William Grant Still's Danzas de Panama, which is based on a collection of Panamanian folk tunes and when all movements are together form an impressive tour de force. Yanchen Ye is a rising young composer whose works have been commissioned and performed by the world's most prestigious orchestras.
Patrons may mix and mingle with other music lovers afterwards at a reception which includes complimentary dessert and wine.
Classical Odysseys will be performed Nov. 15 and 16 starting at 7:30 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Ashburn. For details and tickets, go to loudounsymphony.org
LECTURE: LOUDOUN BLACK COMMUNITY’S STRUGGLE FOR EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY
The Thomas Balch Library on Nov. 17 hosts a talk by members of the Edwin Washington Society on the effort of Loudoun’s Black community to overcome the cultural and legal hurdles of systematic racism.
Larry Roeder, the society’s Chair and CEO, is the author of “Dirt Don’t Burn: A Black Com-
munity’s Struggle for Educational Equality Under Segregation.” Barry Harrelson is an editor of the Bulletin of Loudoun County and the Edwin Washington Society.
They will discuss the system of educational apartheid that existed in the United States until the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact on every aspect of life for Black Americans. The book provides new historical details and insights into African American experiences based on original research through thousands of records, archival NAACP files, and records of educational philanthropies.
The lecture begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. Register at tinyurl.com/TBLEvents.
LEESBURG’S FREEZE YOUR GIZZARD RACE RETURNS
Runners will gather at Ida Lee Park on Nov. 23 for the 22nd annual Freeze Your Gizzard Race.
The event includes a 5K Cross Country Race and 1-Mile Fun Run starting at 9 a.m. The 5K race runs through a scenic course across the park’s 138 acres. The fun run starts at 9:45 p.m.
The event supports the Loudoun Hunger Relief food pantry, with runners and spectators encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable food items.
Learn more and register at tinyurl.com/gizzardrace2024.
GETOUT Best Bets
11.9
NELSON
Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.
Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
Twin brothers Matthew and Gunner Nelson from the legendary entertainment family scored a number 1 hit with “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” on their 1990 debut “After the Rain.”
11.13
PROJECT LOCREA
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
Franklin Park Arts Center franklinparkartscenter.org
A special performance by a global jazz-fusion ensemble dedicated to creating and performing original compositions and contemporary arrangements inspired by folk music of different countries.
11.16
LARRY STEPHENSON BAND
Saturday, Nov. 16
Lucketts Community Center luckettsbluegrass.org
Known as one of the best tenors in Bluegrass, Stephenson returns to perform an evening of traditional bluegrass, gospel standards and musical stories.
11.21
COWBOY MOUTH
Thursday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com
Frontmen Fred LeBlanc and John Thomas Griffith bring a bit of New Orleans to the downtown Leesburg stage.
11.22
ON THE BORDER
Friday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m. Ion Arena ionarena.com
The hits of The Eagles are performed by a band members selected to recreate the look and feel of the real show.
Saturday, December 7
10:00am-2:00pm
Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park
ICE GAMES | ICE SCULPTURES | TRAIN RIDES | SANTA VISIT MUSIC | “FROZEN” CHARACTERS | VENDORS & MORE!
FreeFun ForAll Ages! Food ,Music , Games!
WinterFest 5K Starts at 9:00am at Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park Pre-Registration Required
loudoun.gov/PRCSEvents | facebook.com/LoudounPRCS
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation & Community Services For ADA accommodations call 703-777-0343, TTY 711
