A Food Lover’s Afternoon in Historic Downtown Leesburg
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Whether you are enchanted by its history, its railroad right of way-turned bike trail (the last 10 miles from Leesburg to Purcellville are arguably the best part of the W&OD Trail), its antique shopping, or its quiet beauty, it is clear that Historic Downtown Leesburg–Loudoun County’s original town center–has something to offer any visitor. If you are a food lover, there is even more reason to make Leesburg’s downtown an afternoon destination. Here are just a few memorable stops from my visit last Saturday.
Shop
(Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Work up your appetite with a little early afternoon browsing. At the friendly boutique retailer Crème de la Crème, you’ll find shelf upon shelf of goodies for your dining room and kitchen, including an extensive collection of French table linens and cutlery and handmade French and Italian pottery.
(Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
Crème de la Crème
101 S. King St.
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703)-737-7702
www.shopcremedelacreme.com
Lunch
Market Station (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
For lunch, meander over to Market Station, a charming shopping center framed around restored historic buildings (namely a railroad freight station, a station master’s house, a log house, barns and grist mills). Grab a sandwich to enjoy on the umbrella-shaded outdoor patio of bakery/coffee house/deli South Street Under. The almond chicken salad with red grapes, spilling forth from its bed of South Street’s famed ciabatta (also sold individually in foot long loaves), is ample enough to split.
Almond Chicken Salad on Ciabatta (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
For a lighter option, choose the blackened chicken wrap, which swaddles tomatoes, red onions and hunks of avocado in addition to its mildly spiced protein. And don’t forget the lemonade. None of that mucousy corn syrup aftermath here as this lemonade is sweetened with agave. Fresh lime juice also nicely mellows the astringency of the lemon.
Blackened Chicken Wrap (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
South Street Under
203 Harrison St. SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703) 771-9610
www.southstreetunder.com
Dessert/Snack
If you don’t heed any of my other advice, do yourself a favor and don’t go home without at least grabbing a slice (if not a whole pie) from Mom’s Apple Pie Company. In this tiny storefront parked at the slice-shaped intersection of Loudoun and Market Street, Texas Cake with mile-high fudgy icing, chocolate-drowned brownies (yes, chocolate on the inside, chocolate on the outside!), and saucer-sized cookies may compete for your attention, but there is a reason why this is the Pie Company, right? Emphatically yes–both pie slices I sampled were gold medal winners. A tawny double-crusted beauty hides a jubilant, slightly tart red raspberry and peach filling.
The Raspberry Peach Pie Goes Quickly! (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Northern Virginia Magazine)
If you are a blueberry lover, you are in luck. Delve into a generous brown sugar and butter crumb topping and uncover concentrated forkfuls of indigo farm fresh berry. And don’t worry–Mom’s is open seven days a week! Try a new pie flavor every day. . .
Blueberry Crumb Pie (Image: Johnisha M. Levi/Nothern Virginia Magazine)
Mom’s Apple Pie Company
220 Loudoun St. SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
(703) 771-8590
www.momsapplepieco.com
-Johnisha M. Levi
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