I recently found myself having dinner at Tuscarora Mill (Tuskies to the locals) in celebration of a birthday. I’ve been there before, as has pretty much anyone who lives or works in Loudoun County, but this particular meal calls for an official review. Rather than blather on about the various nuances of the dishes, I’ll try and touch on the main things that I care about when visiting restaurants. It’s actually kinda hard when you’ve been somewhere a handful of times but I’ll persevere.
It’s kinda a pain to get to during rush hour since it’s in downtown Leesburg… especially if the cops have a “Driver’s License checkpoint” set up along the way. Besides that, the location definitely has a sense of history. Like several other restaurants in LoCo, it’s housed in a historical building of one form or another. The largely wood interior is classic in that anitque way and it avoids the manufactured feeling other resaurants have. The atmosphere isn’t so stuffy that you’ll feel out of place in jeans but it’s upscale enough that you can take a date there all gussied up.
Our server was pleasant, very knowledgable about the menu/ingredients and seemed to actually enjoy her job. She wasn’t working there because she couldn’t do anything else… well, she might be… but she did a good job of faking it. She seemed to take pride in the service she provided and the food the chef prepares. (Which is a lot more than I can say about that god-awful Clydes in Ashburn. It was great when it opened but the service has really hit the shitter as of late.) She was almost too pleasant, and by the end of the night I kind of wanted her to go away, but I shouldn’t complain about that.
As usual, their beer selection is pretty good. If you like beer, be sure to head over to my post about their beer selection from 6 months ago. I chose this option (again) and chose the Fullers London Pride (again), Hofbrau Hefeweizen and had the bartender pour me something I forgot. The beer was tasty as usual and the ability to choose a flight is one of my favorite things about the place. Bringing me a half glass of Lagunitas Censored unprompted and without charge didn’t hurt either.
The food was really, really good. I can’t remember it being as tasty as it was on my previous visits. I expected a decent meal but both the wife and I were surprised at the quality of every single course. I rarely have a hard time figuring out what to order because I know what I like. Somehow, Tuskies managed to get a lot of what I like on the same menu so I had a tough time picking. Below is what I ordered; it was all great. Cheap? No, but I don’t feel like I got ripped off.
Pan Seared with Roasted Peaches,
Pistachio-Onion Marmalade, Grilled Ciabatta
WARM GOATCHEESE SALAD | $10
Local and Organic Lettuces, Poached Pears,
Walnuts, Tomatoes, Aged Sherry Vinaigrette
BEEF AND BEEF | $24
Grilled Tenderloin Tips and Braised Short Rib
Gorgonzola Mousse, Truffled Grits,
Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts
Besides our usual sushi joint, I think it may be our new go-to place for a nice meal out. We don’t go to expensive dinners but a few times a year and it’s nice to know there will be a place that can provide when we need it. It’s expensive but not “OMG WTF!” and accessible to most local professionals, I believe. I really think it’s one of the jewels of the Loudoun County restaurant scene.
FWIW, the best thing on that whole menu was the short rib. They can be difficult to get right but they’re relatively cheap and downright tasty when they are.