Happy Hour Hotspots — Harrisonburg, VA

After six months of sipping my way through downtown, I’ve come to a conclusion and can now dub my favorite local drinking spots. From unbeatable Happy Hour specials to creative cocktails to tantalizing tastings of beer and wine from around the world, these spots have my coming back again and again for all types of beverages, booze, and bubbly.

1. Local Chop & Grill House

Local Chop has quite a few designations under its belt, thanks to the nationally-acclaimed Chef Ryan Zale (see my previous Local Chop post). A focus on local, farm-fresh ingredients means the dining and drink menus change with the season. Zale and the restaurant’s mixologists and bartenders take what’s in season to highlight in menu items, so I love coming back to see what new flavors they’re showcasing. We definitely stand by the Local Hibiscus Margarita, Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail, and the Spring Sangria, but then again we’ve yet to find a drink here that isn’t over-the-top amazing.

2. Capital Ale House

Nothing can beat a rooftop bar. But a beautiful rooftop bar with a stunning view of Court Square, cozy furnishings and great happy hour specials? Now you’ve really won me over. It’s tough to beat this view, and frequent live music on the rooftop just adds to the restaurant and bar’s charm. And, if you’re a beer fanatic, their extensive lineup of beer on tap (remember this impressive bar?) and beer list the size of a novel are enough to melt your heart.

3. Union Station

Union Station definitely wins the contest for best bar bites prices, and is fighting for the #1 spot for most delicious cocktails. My favorites are Strawberry Starburst and Nutty Ginger (so much so that I’ve already harassed the bartenders about how to make them and tried to recreate my own at home). Plus, with hefty appetizer proportions at the price points of $2-$5, I’m completely swept away every time.

4. Dave’s  Downtown Taverna

Did I already mention how much I love drinking outdoors? Especially on rooftops with amazing views? It’s not a surprise that Dave’s Taverna makes this list, because it’s the epitome of my “heavenly happy hour” thanks to the lookout on the Taratsa (rooftop). Like at Capital Ale, Dave’s Taverna gives a unique overlook of Court Square and the Rockingham County Courthouse, and the area’s shaded umbrellas and patio heaters make it a comfortable space to sip on drinks in nearly any weather.

5. Downtown Wine & Gourmet

Downtown Wine & Gourmet is a hidden gem in Harrisonburg. Not only does it serve as a shop providing a diverse selection of wines and beers from around the world, gourmet chocolates, local coffees, and home-brewing supplies, but it also serves up free beer and wine tastings twice a week. On Fridays from 5-7 the shop offers free samples of a carefully-selected array of wines, and Saturdays from 1-4 does the same for beers. It’s the perfect pitstop before grabbing dinner downtown, and it’s always amusing to peruse the store and scour the hard-to-find selection of spirits.

Music, Moscato, and a Mountain View: Bluestone Vineyard — Bridgewater, VA

If Virginia is known for one thing, it may just be its wine. Vineyards populate Virginia like food trucks populate Durham- they just go hand-in-hand. Of course, being that I had never been to a vineyard before (devastating, I know), this was a must for the bucket list. So, what better way to appreciate the breathtaking views of the Shenandoah Valley than with a day at the vineyard?

Bluestone Vineyard is located in Bridgewater, a quick 20 minute drive from Harrisonburg. With such a close proximity, it’s common to see Bluestone’s wines in the city’s locally-owned restaurants and beer/wine shops. But sipping on the locally-fermented wines at one of these restaurants just isn’t the same as enjoying it at the vineyard itself. Partly because of the scenery; how spectacular are these views of the rolling countryside?

Adored the shabby-chic cow chalkboard. And the $10 entry fee to the vineyard’s “Toast to the Weekend” event not only got us a front row seat to live music, but also a glass of wine. Oh, and get this. You can BRING YOUR OWN FOOD! How brilliant is that idea? The vineyard also had a food truck in case you didn’t want to pack your own picnic, but I loved the whole concept with or without the food truck.

Little did we know, one glass was just a tease. Well, I guess that was kind of obvious going into it. Who goes to a vineyard and has just one glass of wine? Bring on the bottle!

Bluestone Vineyard’s Moscato was amazing – perfectly sweet and crisp. There’s something about sipping on a glass of wine right where it was made that makes the pricier bottle every bit worth it. (But don’t get me wrong; I am still every bit a lover of Trader Joe’s $4 bottles)

And then there was Mike Davis. Apparently, he performs regularly around Harrisonburg and the Valley, belting out all of my favorite country and 90s songs. I’m a little upset no one’s introduced me to his performances before. I don’t think I’ve ever attended a live music night where I knew the words to every song the band/solo artist sung, but Mike was spot on with the music selection. To me, there’s nothing better than being outdoors on a beautiful day listening to country.  Seriously, why didn’t I find out about any of this before!?

 

(Definitely trying to make friends with the bigwigs that live in this unbelievably beautiful countryside home)

Bluestone Vineyard, you won my heart. Your Toast to the Weekend nights are the most wonderful thing I’ve ever discovered. You had me at the moscato- and the country covers!

Local Chop & Grill House — Harrisonburg, VA

Working in the tourism industry for a few months has certainly put the “best of the best” restaurants in the area on my radar. And I’m on a mission to eat my way through every single one of them. Enter: Local Chop & Grill House, a Harrisonburg favorite featuring Chef Ryan Zale, who was included among an exclusive 1% of chefs and professional cooks in the Best Chefs America 2013 book.

If that doesn’t make reason enough to take a trip to try the delectable food, the building itself does. Dating back to 1908, the City Exchange Building that incorporates Local Chop radiates with history, making for a stunning atmosphere for the restaurant’s guests.

One of my favorite parts about this historic building? The exposed brick interior walls. So charming! And, though we had to have our first Local Chop experience inside, I’m dying to come back and dine al fresco thanks to this inviting setup.

The “Local Bar” is separated from the main dining room, creating a cozy atmosphere complete with fireplace, hightop tables, chalkboards, and beautiful rail lights. I highly endorse the sangria.

Local Chop & Grill’s Chef Ryan is known for his farm-to-table philosophy. If “Local” is not only in the restaurant’s name, but also listed before nearly every menu item, you can breathe a bit easier knowing you’ll be dining off fresh, local dishes.

Let’s talk about this AMAZING culinary creation. The local bison burger was topped with smoked ghouda, smoked bacon, and mango hoisin bbq. On the side, a local sweet potato and local hickory syrup risotto. Oh my, y’all. SO good. There was something about the farm-fresh ingredients and attention to flavor that made this one of the best burger dishes I’ve ever had.

Next time, I’ll opt for one of the more traditional menu items, where you pick a local meat or vegetarian entree, a rub, a sauce (there are FOURTEEN to choose from), and two sides. Though on the pricey side, I’m sure it’s worth every dollar.

Of course, even though I wanted to die from how full I was, we had to get dessert. This chocolate-espresso confection was to-die-for, and thankfully they didn’t over-serve us with an enormous proportion, because I know I wouldn’t have been able to stop eating.

Spinach and Sweet Potato Frittata

This is the first time I’ve ever made a frittata. Honestly, it just always sounded too fancy for me to even consider making something like it. But truthfully- it’s super easy. It’s like one big egg pie. And one of the best parts about it? You can stuff it with whatever you want (aka whatever the hell is left in your fridge at the end of the week). For me, it was tomato, onion, spinach, and sweet potato. Bring on the superfoods!

I adapted my spinach and sweet potato frittata recipe from NatureBox.

Ingredients:
- 8 large eggs
- 3 hefty handfuls of uncooked spinach
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1 sweet potato
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp skim milk
- pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Microwave the sweet potato until it is almost fully cooked. Then, peel and cut into pieces.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
4. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray, then add onion, garlic, and sweet potato. Cook until onions are translucent and sweet potato has completely softened, about 5 minutes. Then, add the spinach and mix until the leaves have wilted.

5. Next, pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir all ingredients. Cook for a few minutes, until eggs start to set.

6. Transfer the pan mixture into the pie pan, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top of the frittata.
7. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and serve in wedges. Enjoy!

Harrisonburg’s Taste of Downtown: Rick’s Cantina Serves Up Gourmet Mexican

  
Yesterday marked the first day of Harrisonburg’s biannual Taste of Downtown week, and of course I was a willing participant. I’ll jump at any good excuse to eat out and try new restaurants. But hey, it’s all to support our downtown district and locally-owned eateries, so I don’t have to feel bad about skipping a couple days at the gym this week to do dinner downtown.

First up this week? Rick’s Cantina, a saucy texmex joint that opened up last fall thanks to the masterminds behind another popular Harrisonburg restaurant and inn, The Joshua Wilton House. With the prestige of the Wilton House lingering in my mind and the thought of the non-traditional Mexican menu grabbing by tastebuds’ attention, I couldn’t wait to see what Rick’s Cantina had in store.

A restaurants can quickly win me over or lose my interest with its atmosphere, and luckily for Rick’s, I was extremely impressed. With a cozy downstairs bar and an inviting upstairs loft space, complete with explosed brick walls, festive lighting, and just enough Mexi-memorabilia to not be tacky, the cantina gave off the perfect vibe.

Now for the most important part: the tequila. And the food. Clearly, Rick’s Cantina knows its tequila. I mean, look at that menu. There may be more booze options that food choices, but hey, who’s complaining about that? We decided to order a few of the Taste of Downtown specials, which were a GREAT deal: $10 for a specialty burrito, side of Yucca fries or fried plantains, small side of chips, and a margarita.

We did, however, order an additional appetizer of chips and salsa, because, well, we’re hungry monsters. And what’s a margarita with good tequila without a side of chips and salsa?

One of my favorite things about Rick’s Cantina was the extremely unique menu. I ordered a DUCK burrito. A duck burrito!? I hadn’t even heard of such things before I saw it on the list. But when doing Taste of Downtown, we may as well try the most original foods, right? Let me just tell you, it was a-maz-ing. Stuffed with duck, bacon, rice & beans, poblano corn relish, cheese, & molé sauce, this burrito was anything but a burrito. I almost feel bad calling it that. And as for the sides, I’d never tried Yucca fries nor fried plantains, so both were a treat.

With a slew of other non-traditional tex-mex entrees on the menu including Fog mushroom or BLT quesadillas, tofu “hippie” or chorizo and egg burritos, duck sopes, salmon and avocado ceviche, and more, you’ll quickly forget you’ve entered a Mexican restaurant. Plus, the cantina also has classic dishes, making it easier for you to bring that discerning-palated-friend along with you. And, as if you needed to convince you further to take the plunge into trying Rick’s Cantina, the chefs use a majority of locally-sourced ingredients to whip up these gourmet-tex-mex dishes.

So, take it from someone who’s a first-timer: take advantage of Taste of Downtown, add Rick’s Cantina to your list, and make sure you order the duck burrito (and the margarita, of course)!