Warrenton

On Sunday I had a leisurely brunch with some former colleagues. One now lives in Winchester, the other in Alexandria, and me in Fredericksburg. As a middle ground we descended upon the picturesque town of Warrenton, Virginia, about one hour from each of us. I'd never ventured into downtown Warrenton and I look forward to going back to explore.

I ended up parking next to a shop named The Galloping Grape, which among other things, sells horse tack as well as wine. What a great combo!

We ate at Claire's at the Depot Restaurant, which was, as you might guess, located in an old train station. I'd made reservations ahead of time (thankfully!) and we were seated in the back room which was technically outside of the old station in a later edition that gave you the perfect view of the windows and brickwork of the historic structure. Our table also overlooked the back garden which was quite beautiful on this particular day.

It was a really wonderful experience and I urge everyone to try Claire's if you live in the D.C. metro area. The chef uses organic and local ingredients when possible and the staff was so knowledgeable and friendly. The bathroom was even impressive - with herbal handsoap and soft towels. Now, the way to my heart is normally my stomach and this certainly didn't disappoint. You are given cranberry-orange scones, warm from the oven, to start alongside poppy seed butter. The brunch was a nice mix of old favorites with new twists. One of my companions opted for the quiche, which I think was a mushroom, spinach, and pancetta variety that day; the other the eggs benedict with a crabcake instead of ham (it had a cute name like eggs Chesapeake or something like that); and I had the omlette of the day - a mix of spinach, peppers, mushrooms, and feta cheese (was supposed to also have shrimp, but being a vegetarian, I asked for it without). All came with fresh fruit and potatoes. Supposedly their crab bisque is amazing, but again the whole vegetarian thing came into play.

On the way home, I stopped just north of Fredericksburg on Rt. 17 at the Trade'n'Post in search of the great white whale - a chest of drawers that measures 30 inches wide or less. I have a spot in my hallway that needs a little something (not a lot) that will also provide me with extra storage. I'd really love something like this chest of drawers (image courtesy Doyle New York). Sadly, although they had a whole tent full of furniture straight from estate sales (mainly in PA), nothing to fit the bill this time around. I'll definitely stop back by. The owners were super-friendly and there was a little Jack Russell terrier on the front porch to give you a welcoming lick.