It's About Thyme

Last night, Jeff & Therese Simpson treated us to an incredible dinner at It's About Thyme. This restaurant is nestled among the antique shops of historic Culpeper, and it's truly a treat. A beautiful impressionistic mural adorns the wall, and the atmosphere is warm and charming.

When we arrived, John (the owner) greeted us at the door and asked if we were expecting to meet someone. As it turns out, the Simpsons had called to leave word that they were running a bit late, so John showed us to our table and invited us to enjoy a glass of wine while we waited. His knowledge of wines was impressive, and after asking us several questions about our preferences we felt comfortable leaving the choice to him. We were not disappointed.

Our time with Jeff & Therese was wonderful. They are such sweet, bright, real people (if that makes sense), and the night rushed by with conversations ranging from high school sports to parenting, from church to vacations, from pets to Broadway, and everything in between. We really enjoy their friendship.

Margo and Therese had the Chilean Sea Bass, and the bites Margo shared with me were incredible. Flavorful, tender, moist, light... perfect! Jeff had the New York Strip, and it came garnished with a relish that included baby shrimp. I had the Filet Mignon, served over creme fresche mashed potatoes and vegetables, with tangy mushrooms on the side. I have to say that it was the very best steak I've ever had, beating out the previous record set at a back yard barbecue at Rick & Kiki Chalupnik's house many years ago. John had explained to us that his restaurant takes special pride in the quality of their beef. If the average grocery store cuts are rated between 40-60 (on a scale of 100, with 0 being perfect), they buy meats rated at around 3, and then "water age" them themselves to enhance the flavor. The result was incredible. For desert, a couple of us enjoyed pumpkin cheesecake (hey, it's autumn... it's time!), while Therese dared to order the Chipotle Chocolate cheesecake. Yeah, that's right; I didn't believe it either. Surely the waiter was confused. How can you put spicy Mexican chipotle in a desert? Sure enough, they found a way. The result was a very dark, very rich chocolate cheesecake that tasted like pure chocolate while you chewed and swallowed. But wait for it... wait... there it is! The burning spicyness followed and was surprising in its intensity.

I guess I've found my favorite restaurant on the East coast. So far. It's About Thyme set the bar pretty high, and it's going to be tough finding another place to top it. But I promise to keep exploring! (Hmm. Maybe I missed my calling as a restauranteur, eh?)