Ashby Inn & Restaurant

The Ashby Inn is a beautiful restaurant in a gorgeous setting-- the perfect country getaway for a romantic evening with warm service, a laid-back ambience, and excellent dishes. The courses were reasonably priced, and we opted to go with an a la carte experience rather than trying out the $99 tasting menu, and were not disappointed with our choices. Our entrees, a perfectly cooked Cornish hen and a beef rib loin with amazing smoked flavor, were particularly enjoyable. The suggested wine pairings for each course, priced by the glass, were also spot-on, and each was a decadent treat. The one cocktail I tried featured a locally made Catoctin grain liquor (Mosby's Spirit), steeped in thyme, and was similarly outstanding. Oh! and the fresh-out-of-the-oven baguette slices that started out our meal-- divine. I should note that we dined at the Ashby on a night when the restaurant was between chefs, just after Tarver King's departure-- our meal was still superb, though not all of the dishes were noteworthy. Looking forward to having the opportunity to revisit this lovely retreat once the new chef has settled in! For now, 4.5 stars for a wonderful meal in a lovely space.

Tarver King leaves Ashby Inn for Patowmack Farm

LINK: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fblogs%2Fgoing-out-guide%2Fwp%2F2013%2F08%2F12%2Ftarver-king-leaves-ashby-inn-for-patowmack-farm%2F&s=78d1de2d00962ae9ba19b9403bd611c6723d722875d1162192d40d322be56503" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpos…</a>

Will be interesting to see the direction a new chef takes starting in September.

Wife and I went here for for dinner only so I can only speak to that in regards to this review. The Chef's at the Ashby Inn did not disappoint in the slightest. The food was absolutely delicious and far exceeded what we expected to have at an establishment flanked by farms and mountains. Speaking for which, the view is worth the cost of this place alone, it's really spectacular.

We decided against the Chef's tasting since they're best paired with wine (we don't drink) and we saw a few specifics we wanted to try instead of being locked into specifics from that menu. Needless to say our meal was fantastic, and we not only enjoyed the level of service from their staff (whom was very knowledgeable on each dish that was being served) but the quality of the food itself.

We'll definitely be back in the Spring.