The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm

Up a gravel road is a restaurant so rustic, you can imagine being served by goats and sheep.  The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm is the epitome of farm-to-table, serving organic food with lots of fresh vegetables and herbs.  We were seated in on a patio overlooking the Potomac.  Our first course was the fresh baked English muffin, which really was freshly baked!  It was served with blueberry jam flavored with hyssop, an herb not much used in contemporary cooking.  It was hot and wonderful.

It's an interesting menu that uses less common herbs, such as sorrel, lovage, pokeweed and lemon balm.  It is a good place to get inspiration and ideas to use the herbs and vegetables that are often available only a farmers markets. 

I had the quiche with ham, sheep's milk cheese, and a gastrique, decorated with delicious nasturtium and sorrel leaves.  I chose an appetizer as an entree, because I was 100% sure I wanted dessert.  My friend had rabbit over a cornbread puree with mushrooms and an egg on top.  For dessert, I had their interesting take on a cheese course and my friend had a blueberry tart.

Sweet almond cake with mascarpone ice cream, a savory cheese sauce and cheddar crisps

Blueberry tart with lemon balm ice cream, lemon basil leaves and honey

You know you have arrived at heaven!

The view:

We learned about the restaurant from another friend who lives in the area.  It's in Lovettsville, Virginia and we stopped by on our way to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.  The town is about an hours drive from DC and about 20 minutes from Harpers Ferry.  Don't be afraid of the gravel road.  It is steep, but a very short climb to the parking lot.