Girasole

In The Plains,  there is a charming Italian restaurant named Girasole, Italian for sunflower. 

And if you are a fan of sweet and light moscato, this is the one for you!

Girasole is nested in a charming French countryside replica, despite serving Italian food. Try the chianti. Nice wine list!

The Plains is a charming mini-village, complete with two stores, no traffic lights, and two restaurants. It is not unusual to hear about Robert Duvall, known simply as Bobby, as having been through his home there recently.

The Plains has many farms, vineyards, and wealth, not in that order.
Rolls-Royces? Check.
Gold Cup races and polo? Check.
Huge properties? Check.

So check it out! It sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Rt 66 in Northern Virginia's exurb horse country.

Study in White

Study in White, Oil by Patricia Miller Uchello

Dear Imaginary Friends,

Every year, the Art League of Alexandria, Virginia, sponsors a Patron's Show, featuring donated art from its members. 
Tickets are sold for $200 apiece, and attendees vie for their favorite pieces of art.
I am donating Study in White this year.
What are the shades of white? They vary from a yellowish white to a gray, blue, orange, brown, gray or greenish white. All the subtle shades are hard to see and depict accurately. The study of all whites is considered a tour de force. Sort of like painting a polar bear playing in the snow!
This painting is on display from now until February 16, 2014, at the Art League Gallery in the Torpedo Factory.

Your imaginary friend,
Patsie

Del Ray

Name a neighborhood that has both character and characters.
I nominate Del Ray in Alexandria.
In case you are wondering why... I offer two excellent reasons.
Retail, number one:
A Show of Hands on Mt. Vernon Avenue. Great gifts! And, all hand made by local artists. A Show of Hands

Retail, number two:
Del Ray Variety Store on East Custis. It opened just yesterday and is patterned on the famous Hollin Hall Variety Store.

Shop in Del Ray and enjoy the scene. 

Your imaginary friend,
Patsie

A Show of Hands

Chez Francois, L'Auberge, Great Falls, VA

Il Ficchi, 5 x 7", Oil, c. 2010 by Patricia Uchello

Dear Cute Imaginary Friends,

Hi, I had a wonderful meal this week at Chez Francois this past week. Located in the very verdant Great Falls, VA, it sits inside a charming Alsatian mini chateau featuring Provincial French and continental cuisines. The food was ooh la la, and the woodsy setting as charming as ever. There is a delightful outdoor patio, when the weather cooperates.  

Great Falls is one of the prettiest suburbs and also the most chock-a-block with estates in metro DC. The drive alone is gorgeous as it wends it way up and down hills, with views of woods and streams flanking the road.

The only not-so-charming element is the fixed price cost. Lunch is $36 and dinner is $65. That said, this is a four course meal and I guarantee that you will not leave hungry!

For the sake of my ever-expanding waistline, I ordered a la carte and did very well with a delicious gazpacho that tasted more tomato-like than an actual tomato, and a plate of smoked salmon with creme fraiche.

Perhaps the highlight of the meal is the yummy cottage cheese (I KNOW!!) spread for which C.F. is justly storied. It contains chives, a touch of garlic, and salt and pepper. One spreads it on fresh warm garlicky French bread.

Also of note are the mini croissants with C.F.'s delish sweet butter. OK, I am now making myself hungry, and need to go make a homemade pizza, so that I will not drool all over my keyboard and short out my computer.

Au revoir for now,
Patsie

Trummer's On Main in Clifton

"Daffodils", Oil, c. Patricia Uchello, 2010

Dear Diary, aka, Imaginary Friend,

Wow, what a delicious trip to Clifton, VA, we took tonight! For the last year, I have wanted to try the new destination restaurant in Clifton, called Trummer's On Main.

If you go, allow 45 minutes drive southwest from Alexandria. Expect to get lost en route! It is in rolling farm country, amidst "starter castles" on 5 acre lots. The restaurant itself in in an old converted historic building, and there are three dining rooms. The only heart-stoppingly pretty one is the Garden Room. It is a visual delight: Gorgeous porportions and a gracious setting with some unusual plank tables. Not to mention the bar in the foyer area, which is onyx, lit from the interior. Glowy madness!

The service is top notch, with so many waiters and servers, they almost trip over each other.
The menu is not large. Trummer's specializes in unique frothy cocktails, a great wine list (try the Austrian Pinot Noir), and a yummy albeit small selection of nouvelle cuisine.
The asparagus appetizer looked like a lovely gift wrapped up. The tomato risotto was outstanding in its intensely tomatoey flavor.
The restaurant was so cold, that I kept asking them to turn down the A/C, as we were under a direct draft. My advice: wear your parka, even in the summer.
I really enjoyed my salmon, but my husband complained that there were not enough vegetarian entree choices. As for me, I usually make a beeline for the shrimp, crab or veal scallop dishes, and there were none of the above.
Trummer's is closed for lunch. Bummer! There are very cute shops in Clifton, including All ThatGlitters, which would encourage me to make a day trip to combine eating and shopping. So many times, I have had lunch at Heart In Hand in Clifton, always disappointed with the food. Trummer's fills that void. Excellent cuisine comes at a fairly steep price, though, much like Restaurant Eve's prices in Old Town, Alexandria.
Clifton now boasts a wine shop, too, and a lovely antique store. It is like Upperville with fewer horses. I can now say definitively, though, that there is better dining in Clifton.
Dinner for two: $100-150.
The hungry traveler,
Patsie

The Warehouse: a foodie destination on King Street

If you visit Old Town, Alexandria, VA, please give your taste buds a treat, and head to The Warehouse on King Street. Yum. Their she crab soup is a must-have. I have never tasted better, and believe me, I have done my research into this important matter.
I have, because of my due diligence, become a regular. My picture, in caricature form, now graces the stairway, among other foodie luminaries, such as Katie Couric. Apparently, she knows her crab soup, too.
Bon Apetit,
Your Imaginary Friend,
Patsie
PS The Warehouse is conveniently located on King Street, 2 blocks West of The Art League in The Torpedo Factory, a visual taste treat. The Art League Gallery is on the first floor, and a staple of great art at affordable prices. The building is the number one tourist destination in Alexandria, and situated right on the Potomac River.