Joshua Wilton House

Today, I'd like to begin with a story (skip to the not-italic section for the normal entry): Several days ago, I was pulling into the parking lot at Ragtime Fabrics, and the man parked next to me rolled down his window. He gestured across the street to Union Station. "Have you ever eaten there? Is it good?" I told him it was okay, but not extraordinary. "I want to take my wife somewhere nice tonight. What would you recommend?"
I told him that I had heard that the Local Chop & Grill was pretty good, but I hadn't been there. "Of course, if it's a super special occasion, you should go to Joshua Wilton House."

When I got home, I told this story to my husband. Only then did it strike me as odd. "It's kind of random that he asked me about that," I said. "Do I exude this air of 'Harrisonburg Dining Blogger'?"

Fabric-store-parking-lot-dude, if you are reading this, I hope you and your wife had an awesome dinner together. It's a great town for food, and I recommend that you explore every inch of it.

One point that put me at a serious disadvantage when trying to answer this gentleman's question is that my husband and I are not really "fine dining" people. We're hopelessly casual and slouchy. We're cheapskates. We're shy and uncomfortable with the kind of waiter attention that one gets at really Nice Restaurants. The hush and clink of crystal unnerves us. My husband only wears ties to funerals and hasn't bought a suit since high school. Oh, and we have a one-year-old.

Last week, though, our son's daycare offered a "date night" and we jumped at the chance to go out without the baby (much as we love him). We decided to go to the Local Chop & Grill, because we hadn't been there. We got there, and the place was packed. The maitre d' (or hostess? I don't really know what the difference is) told us that it was JMU Parents' Weekend, so there weren't any tables available--and that, even if it weren't, we really should make a reservation on the weekend. We went to Thai Flavor instead (one benefit of knowing the hole-in-the-wall restaurants is being able to get a table, without a reservation, even during JMU Parents' Weekend!) and had a wonderful meal there. Incidentally, Thai Flavor got a new sign--good job, folks! It's much easier to find now. I'm hoping to visit the Local Chop & Grill some other time and give a full report. Incidentally, *last* year, we also had a dining issue related to JMU Parents' Weekend. Next year, I'm marking my calendar!

All of this is a really lengthy preamble to the actual entry. Joshua Wilton House is, without question, the best Nice Restaurant in Harrisonburg. It really is completely incredible. I've eaten dinner there exactly twice, and both times were transcendental experiences. Mark Newsome is a real chef, and you can taste the quality of his care and attention in every bite. He was recently featured in the documentary American Meat. WMRA's Virginia Insight did an interview with Newsome and some other people involved with the documentary, which you can listen to at their archive.

• Location: 412 South Main Street. It's in a beautiful old Victorian house (pictured above), and has practically no sign.
• Website: joshuawilton.com
• Food Profile: Locavore fine dining
• Price: An entree will run you around $25, but if you're going to get all gussied up and go out to a nice place like this, you'll want a "first course" (aka appetizer) ($10), a salad ($10), a nice beverage, and one of their beautiful desserts. So, plan on $50 or more per person, plus a nice tip. You won't regret it.
• Warnings: They have a dress code! This might be the only restaurant in Harrisonburg that does. Don't show up in a t-shirt. Their website describes appropriate dress as "smart-casual," which I think of as what you might want to wear to an afternoon wedding. 
• Specialties: I don't know who their dessert chef is, but I worship the ground he or she walks on. The Crème brûlée is totally amazing. Bon Appetit called it "so ethereal it could steal a Frenchman's allegiance." That really doesn't go far enough. 
• Local sourcing? Yes. They've been doing local since before it was a thing.
• Tips: 
• Sound expensive? Here's my favorite way to enjoy Joshua Wilton: They have an awesome lounge/bar. It feels like the smoking room in one of those English country houses, with leather upholstery and dark wood paneling. The bartender is friendly and the drinks are incredible. Go in there, get a drink, an appetizer, and a dessert. Enjoy the atmosphere without doing the full dinner.
• There is an online reservation form on their website. Useful, especially if it's JMU Parents' Weekend!

About Joshua Wilton House:
The house itself was built in 1888 by Joshua Wilton, a Canadian transplant who came to the Valley after the Civil War. Interestingly, Joshua Wilton was instrumental in bringing electricity to the Shenandoah region. In its long history, it has been home to several families as well as a fraternity. In the late 1980s, the Moore family purchased it, began restoring it to its original (pre-frat-house) beauty, and converted it to its present restaurant and inn configuration. Mark Newsome, Sean Pugh, and Ann Marie Coe bought it from the Moores in 2004. They have maintained the restaurant's tradition of excellence ever since.

Food:
I really cannot stress enough how incredible the food is. It is fresh and local--some of the fruit even comes from Chef Newsome's backyard. The restaurant prides itself on sourcing the highest quality ingredients. When the raw material is that good, the best chef knows to get out of its way and let the natural tastes come through. Every time I've been there, I've been impressed with the inventive, yet not over-done, combinations of flavors. Unlike the stereotypical high-end restaurants (where the joke is that the higher the price, the smaller the entree), the portions are perfectly sized. Every detail matters, and it's clear that the staff works together to assure that they all are addressed. From creating relationships with local farmers to fashioning a beautiful garnish, the Joshua Wilton House staff prides itself on perfection.

Atmosphere:
This is definitely formal dining. And yet, one of my JWH experiences included one of the zaniest people I've ever known. He was telling crazy stories and getting all of us laughing until we cried--and that didn't feel out of place. JWH is formal and yet friendly. It is a very authentic place. There isn't any pretension in the waiter's flair as he pours your wine--he is genuinely doing it in the most perfect way he knows, out of a love of excellence. The food is unadorned because it has nothing to hide. The formal atmosphere arises from a mutual agreement between the patrons and staff that there is a way one should behave in the presence of art.

Friendly city food coop grand opening

I was at an awesome and long-awaited event yesterday afternoon: the grand opening of the Friendly City Food Coop. As a member for several years, albiet not a particularly active one, I have been following the development of this project eagerly.

The store is gorgeous. It's laid out nicely, and there's room enough to room around or stop to chat with a friend (and every time I've been in there, I've run into a friend). The prices are comparable to what you'd find at Martin's, and there are a few screaming deals to be had. For example, I got a whole hormone-free, free-range, happy chicken for about $11. Yum! Even if a few things are a little pricier ($6 bag of potato chips, anyone?), remember--the community owns this place. The money stays here. So quit your whining and support it. If you want to shop there without ending up in the poorhouse, the rules are the same as at any grocery store--shop the perimeter. The produce, bulk items, dairy, and meat are all reasonably priced. It's the processed foods that get you in trouble. Well, those and the wall o' fair trade and organic chocolate bars. My friend brought a bar of the almond and sea-salt Chocolove to a get-together and it was just brain-melting-ly delicious.

Many of the meat and produce items are sourced locally. These are labeled very clearly. That's one major thing I noticed--the co-op has done a great job of making sure it's easy to tell where the food is coming from and what kind of happy special it is.

Can I just say, I'm totally biased? I'm so proud of our community for having a place like this. Really. Good job, Harrisonburg! Way to be awesome. You know where the real danger is for my wallet at this store? Not the mint-flavored Newman-Os (which are wonderful, FYI). No, it's the shwag. I already bought a FC2-branded Chicco bag for my husband as a Father's Day gift. It's only a matter of time before an impulsive moment lands another one and a FC2 t-shirt in my cart. I want people to know that I'm a member/owner. I want people to check it out, and hey, if you aren't a member, think about joining! Oh, but I should be clear--nonmembers are totally welcome to shop there.

Also, do these people ever know how to throw a party. I took my Little (from Big Brothers/Big Sisters), his sister, my husband, and my baby, and there was something for everyone. A dozen tents held information and activities provided by a number of worthy organizations, from the Radical Roots CSA to a group called New Community Project, which is working on creating a bikable Harrisonburg. Nu-Beginnings Farm had sample breads out (which you can buy at the Co-op). There were at least two booths with sample coffee. Which they gave to my eight-year-old Little. THANKS, COFFEE GUYS.

They had tie-dying, for children of all ages. Some of it came out really nicely!

Corn hole was quite popular. I still don't know how to play it, but these children demonstrated a first: I've never seen H-burgers play cornhole without simultaneously drinking cheap beer. I thought that was in the rules. Shows how much I know.

I didn't get a picture, but somebody gave my Littles a cup of dirt which purportedly had some carrot seeds in it. I hope that they grow. Thanks, whoever you are. The kids are excited.

There were some awesome raffles--really great prizes, and lots of them. My husband won a gift certificate to Earth and Tea, which is one of his favorite local eateries (oh, I should totally write a post about them!). My Little won a gift certificate to Vito's, on Port Republic. He says he's going to take his mom out to dinner for her birthday. Is that the cutest thing ever, or what? If I have done one great thing through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, it's educating this child about local dining. Before we met, his favorite restaurant in town was Dairy Queen. Now it's Jess's Quick Lunch...which is at least a moderate improvement. At least they're locally owned.

(Yes, that's Mary Jo, the flower lady, checking out the Radical Roots booth).

These guys were raffling off a $20 gift certificate to any downtown restaurant to promote their new web service, Our Common Place. I didn't win it (who needs it more than the lady who writes the food blog? FYI, I've never had a free meal in this town), but I thought I'd give them a shout-out anyway. I signed up and I've already gotten a few recommendations for local businesses. It's a nice site; you should check it out.

Is that a cute baby, or what (gratuitous baby shot)?

We encountered a number of local celebrities. If you hear a familiar soothing voice behind you when you're measuring bulk items in the co-op, don't freak out. WMRA's Tina Owens (you know her from Acoustic Cafe) is working at FC2.

Rumor has it that the Steel Wheels played at the opening, but I must have been there at the wrong time. There was a really nice band while we were there, featuring a Little Grill guy as the lead singer/guitarist. However, since the LGC peeps don't introduce themselves when they take your drink order, I've seen this guy every couple of weeks for years and don't know his name. Mystery Grill Man, nice music. Thanks!
(ETA: I've been informed that the lead singer of this band (I'm thinking they go by "The Dish Dogs" is Chris Howdyshell, aka "Howdy." My source adds: "He's good people.)

Last, but never least, my friend and co-worker Tony Lopez, a performer with local improv group No Strings Attached, was dressed as a giant rollerblading carrot.

Check out the Friendly City Food Co-op next time you have a chance. You'll be in the neighborhood, I'm sure. It's next to Kline's! :)

Thai Flavor

• Location: Good luck, man. Thai Flavor is actually one of the reasons I started this blog. I kept hearing about this place, but had a terrible time finding it! I finally had to beg a coworker to take me there for lunch one day (thanks, Aaron!). A stranger to our town would have a time and a half trying to locate it. It's at 51 Kenmore Street. What, you've never heard of Kenmore Street? It's kind of near the Big Lots, the Little Caesar's, and King Photo. Here's a map. You need it.View Larger Map
• Website: http://www.thai-flavor-restaurant.com
• Food Profile: Thai
• Price: Reasonable. Entrees are $8-$12, roughly.
• Warnings: Like many of our fine local eateries, closed on Mondays. Also, you will think you are in the wrong place--it doesn't look like much from the outside. Just go in and enjoy!
• Specialties: Everything I hear about the place is excellent. Everyone who ate there with me had food that was awesome, and so was mine. One of my dining partners is vegetarian, and her food was wonderful. She even was able to ask the staff about hidden meat products and got a clear and complete answer. Check out the beautiful garnishes--hand-carved butterflies made from carrots. I'm not sure if they're delicious. Mine was too lovely to eat! Also, the staff was very helpful and friendly.

Taste of the World

Just a quick public service announcement:
The Taste of the World Dinner, a fund raiser for New Bridges Immigrant Resources, is this Saturday, March 26.

I volunteered for two years, and the best part about volunteering is that they give you the left overs. Lots of ethnic restaurants contribute dishes. Some groups, like the eastern Europeans and the Iraqis, who don't have a restaurant, just bring stuff. Absolutely incredible food, great music, and for a good cause.

It's $50 a plate. For the best meal of the year in Harrisonburg, it is worth every penny.

There are still a few tickets available. Call 540-438-8295 or email questions@newbridgesirc.org to make a reservation.

Mr. J's Bagels

• Locations: 
  • Market Square East (on 33, East of Rt. 81, kind of by the PetSmart)
  • Rockingham Square (on 42 south of town, in the plaza with the Food Lion)
  • Harmony Square (on 42 north of town, in the plaza with the OTHER Food Lion).
• Website: http://www.mrjsbagels.com
• Food profile: Fresh, awesome bagels (also deli sandwiches)
• Local sourcing: I don't know where they get their flour, but the bagels themselves are assembled right here in the Shenandoah Valley. I heard a rumor (unsubstantiated) that Mr. J himself, aided only by one friend, makes all the bagels for the entire city. That's thousands of bagels every day! If it's true, Mr. J. is our own local superhero.
• Price: a couple bucks. Not bad.
• Take-out: Yes! They also offer catering.
• Warnings: If you don't know what you want, or need a minute to think, the staff can get testy. So hurry up already! (Hint: it's all good!)
• Specialties: Bagels (duh). The everything bagel is pretty awesome, as is the egg bagel. 

About Mr. J's:

Mr. J's has been operating in Harrisonburg since 1990, when owners Dave and Jerry Jerlinski moved to the 'burg and decided that the town was incomplete without New York-style bagels. The concept had legs--Mr. J's is a popular spot for breakfast. A number of local businesses order Mr. J's one day each week as a treat for their employees. This is how I got to know the finest bagels in town--Bagel Fridays at work. It's the highlight of our week.


Food:
 I've had actual New Yorkers attest that Mr. J's offers the closest thing to the New York experience that they've encountered south of the Mason-Dixon line. They have 15 different kinds of bagels, not counting seasonal varieties. You can get a deli sandwich or breakfast sandwich served on any kind of bagel (and a couple of breads, too). For drinks, there are bottled juices and drip coffee. The bagels are the centerpiece of the establishment--they don't distract you with other random stuff.


Atmosphere:
Very casual. You'll see JMU students in their jammies grabbing a bite on their way to class (seriously, you guys go to class in your jammies?!?) as well as business guys rubbing cream cheese off of their ties--and everyone in between. Although it's mostly a carry-out sort of place, all of the locations offer seated dining.


But what if I hate bagels?
You can get a non-bagel sandwich, but why? If you're on the Atkins diet, this is not the place for you.