Secret Garden Cafe
Location: 404 Mill St, Occoquan Historic District, VA, 22125
Price range: $
At Yarn's Length Less on the rustic side; more on the cozy feel. The Secret Garden Cafe is very true to its name. When you walk up to the eatery, you’ll see a little wood-paneled structure that’s deceptively house-like, but, despite the colonial-style signs hanging from the building’s trim, the doors are locked, and the lights are shut off. In between this building and the neighboring one on the right is a slim alley and a set of cobblestone stairs. This is where the secretive entrance to the cafe lies.
After climbing the cobblestone stairs, visitors will see a vast, beautiful garden covered in crawling vines. You can hear the babble of a nearby stream. There are aesthetically pleasing fairy lights that droop over the patio, and little umbrellas perched above each dining table. The back of the building houses the indoor dining that the front of the building lacks.
The reason the cafe looks so homey is because back in the late 1800s, it was the living quarters of Dr. Hornbaker, the town pharmacist. Through generations, it was passed down until finally it was converted into a restaurant. The restaurant is owned and operated by Sarah and David Devight, a lovely local husband and wife duo.
The outdoor garden is quaint and comforting, but during these colder months, the indoor seating is the real draw. A kindling red-brick fireplace gives the convivial eating space a warm glow to the already warm, copper-colored wood floors, tables, and chairs. Houseplants dot the windowsills, hang along the ceiling, and sit perkily on the floor.
The Secret Garden Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the menu caters to a wide range of flavors and cuisines. Customer favorites include shrimp & grits, French toast, and crab cakes, though they also have a rotating dinner and dessert special. Check it out during the week to avoid a crowd.
Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm
Location: 42920 Broadlands Blvd, VA 20148
Price Range: $$
Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm establishing shot on a rainy day by Baron Maddock
A rustic, all-American farm and restaurant rolled into one, Clyde’s is perfect for the colder season. Clyde’s rests on a large, sprawling piece of farmland with a plethora of dining rooms that acquire complementary yet unique aesthetics, and four bars that allow guests to soak up the view and unwind with a beverage.
The dining establishment saved multiple 18th and 19th century antique buildings from demolition, and all-in-all prides itself on being a preserver of the past who provides something authentic to the community. These buildings were carefully dismantled and moved onto Clyde’s plot of land; then restored into the beautiful, colonial-styled structures they once were back in the day.
When entering the main building of Clyde’s, you are immediately faced with their rustic, historic, woodsy charm. An 1804 Vermont tavern named Samuel French is the first of these preserved sites you will encounter. Much of the tavern’s original woodworking has been retained, such as the interior wood-paneled walls and the dining room chair rail trims. Any damage that the tavern suffered was restored via craftsmen who replicated the exact designs, staying true to the original feel of the place.
Murals of the colonial era are painted along the lobby walls. Though they are new additions to the historic site, Clyde’s ensured that they were following classic traditions. Itinerant artists of the past centuries were nomadic craftsmen who would paint businesses and homes in return for food and shelter. Clyde hired artists who could replicate the Itinerant style.
Behind the main building is the Roxbury House, an 1810 restored inn also originally located in Vermont. Mahogany-colored and intricately marbled timber makes this location stand out, as the wood beams that hold up the room were handcrafted with axes and chisels before the days of chainsaws. Cabinets line the back of the room, painted a milky white color. This is allegedly the original coloring, made with ‘milk paint’, which was a common paint during the colonial era. It is made from lime and milk, which was used at the time for higher end establishments.
Last on the list is the Chandler barn. The building is not a historic site itself but rather houses eye-catching artifacts. Upon entering, there stands a regal faux horse pulling a carriage. The horse used to stand inside Club 21 in NYC as the speakeasy’s mascot. The carriage was bought by Clyde’s in an auction; it’s dated back to the 19th century, before automobiles did away with wooden travel mobiles.
Musicians come to the dining rooms on Fridays and Saturdays; the Audubon Bar features a pianist every day of the week. The restaurant’s location in the farmland has inspired the head chef to source locally and create homey tavern-style food. Customer favorites include the calamari, stroganoff, and salmon.
The Ashby Inn & Restaurant
Price range: $$$
Location: 692 Federal St, Paris, VA 20130
Ashby is romantic, country-esque, and quaint, doubling as an inn and an eatery. The building has been around for centuries and is now serving up fresh farm-to-table cuisine.
In 1829, a local blacksmith by the name of Manley Pierce built the Inn. Originally it was a residential house with four rooms. He added on to the building at the turn of the Civil War for traveling soldiers. Not every section of the Inn is as old as the main part. The registration office and gift shop were built 20 years later in 1850. These areas were Paris’s VA town store for an entire century. The gift shop and store were not renovated or rebuilt and have remained true to the original design. Little Royal Crown Cola advertisements from the early 1900s are still plastered on the window to this day.
A rectory was built on the land for a Methodist Church before it was purchased by Norman and Marie Ashby and turned into an inn. When the Ashbys died in the 1980s, John and Roma Sherman bought the property and then, 20 or so years later, sold it to Charles and Jackie Leopold, and now it’s a vacation staple to the Northern Virginia area. The Method Church rectory was converted into a private event space by the Leopolds in 2015.
The cutesy colonial style business is snuggled into a three-acre plot of land that overlooks the beautiful hillsides of NoVa’s countryside. On this land is a little garden where they pick fresh, seasonal ingredients for their menu.
Dinner and lunch are served during the week and weekends. These mealtimes are a bit more crowded as the place opens up to the general public. Children are rarely allowed, so it doesn't get too rowdy. Every guesthouse is granted a made-to-order breakfast. In fact, those staying at the inn are the only ones offered breakfast as Ashby’s is not open to the public during that time.
Speaking of the guesthouse, there’s a main rooming area that is comprised of six uniquely designed bedrooms, which fit two people, perfect for a romantic getaway. Each room has a color palette that blends well with the countryside yet gives the space a bit of a quirky pop. The style combines cottage and colonial revival with warm hues and ornate furniture. Each room offers something a little different; some have a garden view, some a bathtub, while others have a walk-in shower. In any room, though, the guest is guaranteed a gorgeous view and beautiful interior design.
Outside of the main rooming area is the School House, a late 19th-century building which was once a school. It was converted into a five-room suite with a more traditional colonial style in the decor than the main room’s revival theme.
These three locations are absolutely unbeatable in terms of beauty, comfort, and charm. There’s one option for each price range, and all three cater to a different rustic, winter experience. Jump on these places quickly before reservation space fills up for the season!
Posted by Lauren Weiner
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