Images and editorial supplied by Culpeper Tourism & Visitor Center
A Taste of Culpeper’s Top Chefs
One way to know if you love a town is to eat the town. How many superb restaurants are available to keep you coming back for more? In Culpeper, there are quite a few.
Modern American Cuisine in Culpeper
At Flavor on Main, Executive Chef William Corum crafts traditional American food with a fresh, modern flair. You’ll be intrigued to see and taste the Southern, European, and even Asian influence in his service. Sit back with a signature cocktail – the Bees Knees – and take in the vibe of the place. Flavor’s décor is Prohibition Jazz style with hand-stamped ceilings, chrome, and an overall slick, clean look. The Southern Comfort grabs your attention—not the whisky, but an entrée. True to the name, the dish is a vision of juicy downhome goodness. Fried chicken, black truffle mashed potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts, and a red-eyed gravy makes you want to smack your mama and lick the plate.
Farm-to-Table Dining in Culpeper
On vibrant Davis Street is Foti’s, a farm-to-table restaurant by former five-star Inn at Little Washington Executive Sous Chef Frank Maragos and his wife Sue. The rotating Mediterranean flare menu includes items you may not expect but will be curious to try. Take the fried buffalo frog legs, an appetizer served with celery slaw and a bleu cheese sauce. A personal Foti’s favorite is the sweet potato and chick pea burger. Packed with flavor, this melty delight comes with a house-made spicy feta sauce on top. It’s the perfect comfort food. In addition to the delicious food Foti’s offers, the atmosphere is amazing. There are so many details to ponder over with delicate murals and fine touches everywhere. Attempting to take it all in will be reason enough to dine again.
Grass Rootes is a dream come true for owner and chef Andrew Ferlazzo, a native of Culpeper and veteran in the restaurant industry. His right-hand man is executive chef Kevin Scott. Together they deliver true farm-to-table New American cuisine in Culpeper’s oldest building. The menu at Grass Rootes is simple, clean, and full of real flavor that can only come from the freshest ingredients available. There’s nothing froufrou about it. Have a taste of a Grass Rootes original when you order the spinach and goat cheese salad. It’s served with Scott’s own warm bacon and onion dressing, and you won’t find it anywhere else.
International-Inspired Eats in Culpeper
Named for Italian founder and one-time White House chef Lucio Tonizzo, Lucio Restaurant remains true to its origin, serving delightful Italian dishes in the beautiful Victorian home Tonizzo fashioned into his culinary dream. To eat like Tonizzo imagined you would, try the Italian meatballs alla Lucio, a house-made favorite.
A cute umbrella-filled alley will immediately draw your attention to Thyme Market, a European deli. It’s the place to pop in when you need a cold drink on a hot day, a snack or a full meal. The brick oven pizzas are popular, as are the huge salads. Order from the deli case to pick up a Panini filled with farm-fresh delights. Enjoy a heated focaccia in the alley with an ice-cold Perrier and a side salad for a perfectly simple but more-than-you-can-eat downtown lunch.
Fine Dining in Culpeper
For fine dining, consider It’s About Thyme, the Market’s older sibling. Both establishments were created by John Yarnall, assistant to the chef in the White House during the Nixon administration. His daughter, Joclyn Yarnall, is a French-trained chef and the restaurant’s head chef. The menu represents Italy and France very well, but a hearty ground filet mignon cheeseburger is also on the menu.
Fresh Seafood in Culpeper
Yarnall’s third foodie hot spot is The Copper Fish, his answer to fresh seafood in Culpeper. Take your selections home for preparation or enjoy them in house. The menu includes oysters, shrimp, po’ boys, fish tacos, lobster, crab cakes, a mean Étouffée, and plenty more.
Big Eats in Culpeper
Quietly tucked away behind Davis Street and down an alley in an 1890s brick warehouse is Piedmont: A Virginia Steakhouse. Take just a single step inside and your eyes begin to wander, noting all of the history beneath the soaring ceilings. The old elevator – the first in Culpeper – is still intact but not used. The Pasta from Hell is a great choice. More than generous, it is piled high and topped with jumbo shrimp. The “hell” part refers to the sauce, of which there really isn’t any. The pasta is tossed with red pepper flakes and banana peppers, and perhaps a knob of butter. Be prepared to request a doggy bag and refills on your drink.
Eat well and enjoy the flavors of Culpeper’s chefs.
