TASTE

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now The Conche Owner Santosh Tiptur prepares a dessert in his Village at Leesburg location. Next month, he’ll be busy preparing tapas and tacos at his new La Prensa restaurant in Sterling.

The Conche’s Santosh Tiptur Expands with La Prensa

BY JAN MERCKER

Pandemic or no pandemic, we can all use more tacos. Loudoun celebrity chef Santosh Tiptur is opening a new restaurant, La Prensa in Sterling, to off er internati onally inspired tacos, tapas and a killer wine and cocktail program. Tiptur’s 3-year-old chocolate-themed restaurant The Conche in the Village at Leesburg has developed a regional following and is thriving despite COVID restricti ons. And an outpouring of community support has led Tiptur to press forward with plans for the new spot. “We’re going to do the same thing we do at The Conche but in a diff erent style,” Tiptur said. Tiptur is a Mexican cuisine afi cionado, and plans for La Prensa have been in the works

Check out 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. Ashburn-44260 Ice Rink Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147 (571) 918-4092 • fords shshack.com Lansdowne-19308 Promenade Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-1301 • fords shshack.com 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

for two years. He signed the lease for the Sterling location near Nokes Boulevard last November, with plans to open on May 5, in time for Cinco de Mayo. COVID threw a wrench in those plans, and Tiptur briefly considered shelving the project. But a wave of support for The Conche after Virginia moved to its Phase 2 and 3 COVID guidelines encouraged him to keep going. “After COVID hit, we said maybe we’d better drop the idea for now. But then slowly everything seemed to be going back to normal,” Tiptur said. “It’s the community, the people who like us really support us. They don’t want us to go out of business.” La Prensa is Spanish for “the press” (as in a wine press), and a creative wine list will be a focus at the new place, along with tequila-based drinks. The Conche’s stellar bar program and creative cocktails are among of its claims to fame, along with an impressive 300-square-foot in-house chocolate lab. Tiptur launched The Conche in 2017, and it was an immediate hit. The chocolatethemed restaurant became dessert mecca, with camps and classes for adults and kids alike. But it also got raves—and staying power—thanks to its savory dinner menu and fabulous brunches. Tiptur is originally from India and traces his love of chocolate to his first Cadbury Eclair candy bar as a kid. He became a pastry chef and worked for cruise lines for a dozen years before opening the chocolate-themed D.C. hotspot Coco Sala with business partner Nisha Sidhu in 2008. Coco Sala closed its doors in early 2018. Tiptur moved to Loudoun with his family more than a decade ago and saw growth potential on his home turf. Since opening The Conche in 2017, it’s become a MidAtlantic destination, drawing a devoted DMV clientele, along with fans who travel from as far as Delaware and Pennsylvania. Diners often come for Saturday dinner and stay for Sunday brunch, Tiptur said. “They come once and they just fall in love.” Tiptur traces his fascination with creative international cuisine back to his years in the cruise industry, and it’s a guiding force in planning for La Prensa. Tiptur and his family love Mexican cuisine, and he says Rick Bayless’ contemporary Mexican restaurants in Chicago have long been an inspiration. La Prensa will offer both authentic Mexican-style tacos along with internationally inspired “spin-off” tacos. “Mexican cuisine is one of my favorites, but I don’t just want to open another Mexican restaurant. ... I like flavorful food. Tacos are going to be a vehicle for us to use many of the familiar international dishes,” Tiptur said. Tiptur and his team are waiting for final inspections and permits and planning a soft opening and then a grand opening in November. “It’s something fun, something new and something different,” he added. “You can put anything in tacos and it tastes good.”

santosh tiptur’s la prensa is located at 21305 windmill parc dr. in sterling. check out the facebook page for updates at facebook.com/laprensava.

Check out Loudoun’s Attractions 

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.

21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, VA 20164 (571) 258-3800 • heritagefarmmuseum.org

LOUDOUN MUSEUM With a collection of more than 8,000 artifacts, the museum tells Loudoun’s story over its 260-year history, with an ever-changing selection of special exhibits on Native American settlements, World War II memorabilia, the county’s role in the Civil Wars, along with displays of antique clothing and furniture. 16 Loudoun Street SW Leesburg, Virginia 20175 (703) 777-7427 • loudounmuseum.org

MORVEN PARK 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 elds. 17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org

OATLANDS HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS The 415-acre Oatlands estate, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers tours of the historic mansion, extensive gardens and outbuildings that include the oldest standing greenhouse in the South. Exhibits focus on the lives of the Carter and Eustis families who building the estate, as well as the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked there.

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175 703.777.3174 • oatlands.org

* During the COVID-19 pandemic, many venues have limited hours of operations and special requirements such as advance reservations. It is best to call ahead before making your visit.

BEST BETS

The Reagan Years are at the Tally Ho Theater, Thursday, Dec 31st

12.10

JILL FULTON BAND

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery Saturday, Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. vanishbeer.com

The Churchville, MD, nati ve is a recording crossover arti st known for her fi ery blues, country and soul tunes. CHRIS TIMBERS BAND & JULIANA MACDOWELL

Tally Ho Theater Thursday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. tallyhotheater.com

Two favorite Loudoun performers team up for a special night of music on the county’s

12.5

biggest stage.

12.19

AFRO-LACHIAN CHRISTMAS

Franklin Park Arts Center Saturday, December 19, 6 p.m. franklinparkartscenter.org

Storytellers Sheila Arnold and Adam Booth share Christmas and winter season songs, ballads and stories from the Appalachian and African-American cultures.

BEST BETS 23