Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill

We really enjoyed the Asian orange cauliflower to start, and devoured that; I also got the mushroom coffee soup, which was unique and I slurped to the last drop. And don’t even get me started on the complimentary salty-​sweet focaccia bread, which we would have used to replace our full meals had we not run out!
The main courses were a bit boring though – I got the pasta putanesca, and there was certainly nothing to complain about, but it just wasn’t very flavorful with its basic tomato sauce. My friend got the mushroom bolognese, which she said was fine, but definitely not worthy of a 5-​star resort. Our other friend got the scallops, which were so smoky that she couldn’t even eat them – and the word «smoke» was nowhere on the menu description, or she wouldn’t have ordered them in the first place!
The service was awesome though, and they took the scallops off our bill. Our waiter was attentive and funny, as was his assistant. I think the only thing they need to work on is the main courses, and this restaurant would be great!

Atmosphere is great! However the service is VERY disappointing and the food was somewhere between just «ok» to bad. The upside however is that it’s not pricy. Considering the hotel the restaurant and dinning experience were very disappointing.

Fine dining should be a combination of good service, great food, and atmosphere. Harriman’s hits most of those notes. We arrived early relative to our Open Table reservation, but they served us immediately despite being very busy. Service was a standout for the entire dinner. My wife started with the grilled calamari, which was perfectly cooked. It had the appropriate fishiness that paired well with the lemon aloli added. I had the chopped salad with radicchio, bibb lettuce, marcona almonds, machego cheese, and a sherry bacon vinaigrette. Now I must confess that I love bacon, but I’m always fearful that a restaurant is using it to cover up flaws. Not the case here. All the elements of this salad combined to form a flavor team. The dressing with lightly applied thus adding to the salad rather than drowning or covering up anything. The marcona almonds provided a nice toasty and crunchy finish. For the mains, my wife had the filet mignon med. rare and I went with the herb roasted pork tenderloin. Both were cooked perfectly and had the right amount of seasoning. The herbs on the pork added more flavor. Now here’s why they get 4 instead of the 5 stars. The sides on both our dishes were uninspiring. The filet’s mushroom duxelles were overcooked and the roasted baby potatoes had too much going on, as they were trying to make them look like a full baked potato. The wilted spinach was the star of the sides. Perfectly wilted and nicely seasoned. For the pork tenderloin the brussel sprouts were lacking any seasoning and there were uncooked slices of green apple, which if roasted would have been a good add. All of this was swimming in a celery root purée that I saved the pork from. The braised pork cheeks added were amazing however. Wine list is solid. We were homers and stuck with a VA wine: Barboursville Octogon, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

My wife and I came here for brunch on Sunday to celebrate our anniversary. They remembered it was our anniversary and wished us. They also remembered items we told them that we do not eat when making the reservation. I was impressed. We were greeted politely and seated. The lady explained the buffet and dessert bar to us. I love eggs benedict, but don’t eat ham so I was sad that they all contained ham. I told the chef making omelets that, and she said she could make us smoked salmon egg benedicts! I jumped on that. And my, were they delicious! Probably the best I’ve ever had. My other favorites were the shrimp grits and corned beef hash; just sooo tasty! The fruits were extremely fresh and you could taste it. In fact, everything tasted fresh and of the highest quality. The dessert bar was to die for. There were so many different desserts, it was just overwhelming. It was pure bliss. All of the food was either good, or spectacular. There wasn’t anything I ate that I didn’t like.
The only minor downside is that our server was slow on refilling drinks, getting me new silverware, etc. It wasn’t a huge deal, but I guess I expected her to be around more often since we were serving the food ourselves (and it wasn’t very busy). We paid $ 45 per person for brunch. I have been raving about my experience and already recommending the place to my friends. We will definitely be back!

Honestly, loved every dish. We tried another fine dining restaurant in the area (Goodstone), and while we enjoyed some of the courses there, we loved every dish we tried here. The kombucha squash soup was an experience, the caprese salad was great, the lobster ravioli was so good and the Wagyu was melt in your mouth good. And we topped it off with the lemongrass panna cotta which was a great experience. Would come back. Our hostess, Susan, was very helpful in recommending dishes.

Wow… just wow. Chef came out to greet us himself. Told us what was fresh. We ordered it and went to heaven. Amazing.

When the whole experience is special, you pretty much have to begin at the beginning. We knew Chef Edwards from The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, so we were looking forward to celebrating three birthdays at Harrimans. And we’re so glad that we finally went, but we’re sorry that we waited so long.
The onigiri amouse bouches were the most amazing onigiri that I’ve ever had; the texture of the rice was remarkable, but the apps that we ordered were also standout excellent. The scallop appetizer was a special, and it was simple and perfect, the agnoletti also exemplary, and though I had my doubts about ordering a squash soup, the vegan kabocha squash soup may, with berbere spiced marcona almonds, coconut milk, and cilantro, was my favorite. The vegan The crispy sesame cauliflower, with sweet soy ginger glaze, preserved orange peel,
coconut, black sesame seeds, was just as well prepared, but to me enough like a vegan General Tso for it to be my personal least favorite.
The seasonal vegetables and accompaniments from their our own culinary garden and the salamander resort farm was faultless, and the pork chop with sweet corn and mushroom fricassee was also perfect, but I LOVED the grilled swordfish was so amazing that it brought actual tears to my eyes. OMG! Really! Its hay smoked sweet potatoes, braised collard greens, guanciale, fermented jalapeño butter accompaniments were all appropriate and wonderful, but the swordfish itself was best that I have ever had. No doubt expertly sourced, it was nothing like the slightly dry and flaky fish that I’ve enjoyed elsewhere. With sufficient chew to be interesting, it was as soft as it was flavorful.
The cornbread macaron, sour cherry gelee, chocolate brittle dessert trio was a sweet finish to a warm, wonderful evening. It’s a bit of a drive from Gaithersburg, but we’re looking forward to returning. Maybe we’ll stay at the resort next time.

When at salamander, one meal is ok here. Good quality food with variety, nice staff, and great atmosphere.

A very ordinary Sunday brunch at this pretentious, equestrian themed resort.
My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary.
First, we needed help from a valet to even find the restaurant, as it is hidden behind the bar.
We were seated in a bright, and airy, high ceiling, tall windowed rotunda facing the outdoor lawn. The décor and furniture was like a mid-​range Marriott motel; nothing elegant — though they had a leather stool set just for my wife’s purse — never seen that before.
The place settings included just one knife and fork; we had to lay our settings on the table for second dishes, and use our knife to stir the drinks and coffee. I grabbed a salt and pepper shaker from another table as our waitress was never around when we needed her, though she had no discretion to interrupt our conversation when she wanted to take an order.
My weak Bloody-​Mary was served in a jam jar — OK, we’re in the country… though hunt country is not the same as down on the farm — maybe I should have worn overalls. The olive stick included: a slice of bacon, feta cheese, stuffed olive, and celery stick. I should have made a meal just out of that.
The buffet was served in the adjacent «Cooking Studio»; and included the boring usual — an omelette station manned by the head chef, «Chef de Cuisine», Chris Edwards; french toast on chewy sour dough bread and spongy pancakes. The head chef’s flipping eggs?
There was a putrid looking mushroom gravy served on quarter sized, hard biscuits, and miniature shrimp & grits with oil floating on the surface of the dish.
The bacon was overcooked, as one would expect at a mediocre restaurant.
The roast beef had more fat in it than meat — Chef Chris had to cut out the fat and re-​heat the slices.
There was fruit sushi — my first.
The pastries and bread were old and hard, obviously not made on premise.
The fruit, not seasonal, could have come from the Safeway in Middleburg.
The coffee was tepid and I had to go scarf a spoon and sugar bowl from another table as the waitress disappeared.
And the bill came to $ 115, including two drinks. I don’t know — seems pretty steep for a pretty ordinary meal with mediocre service.
Harrimans doesn’t come close to either the Ashby Inn, nearby in Paris, or L’Auberge Provencale in Boyce. I’d recommend either for Sunday brunch over this place any time.
And shouldn’t there be an apostrophe in the name, Harrimans?

When dining in horse country the place should blend in with the aesthetics and represent the trend in farm to table foods. This place is as good as it gets, hidden beneath the giant shadow of the resort. It stands alone and deserves top billing with its chef, with Ron as its steward and a view that very few restaurants afford. It’s intimate yet hip, combining a tasting menu with a first class meal list and local wines to make sure you feel like you’re in Virginia. Bring your date, your wife, your friends… it is worth it

This was my 3^rd time dining at Harriman’s, yet my first time for Brunch. Let me just say it was an esquisite experience that I wish didn’t have to end. My sister and I arrived for our 11am reservation, to celebrate her 35^th birthday. Lucky for us, the weather was perfect, and we were able to sit out on the portico. Not only was the weather perfect, we also enjoyed overlooking a wedding ceremony in progress on the lawn. Our server was Ron, he was very professional and attentive. As for the delectible food selection… there were all sorts of freshly baked pastries, fresh fruits, cooked to order omlettes, roast beef, fried chicken, boiled peanuts, bacon (pork & turkey), sausage links, potatoes, pancakes (buckwheat/​regular/​vegan), salad, HOT syrup (maple/​blueberry), chilled spiced shrimp, assorted sushi, fresh juices (Apple/​orange), $ 8 unlimited mimosas, and $ 16 unlimited bloody Mary’s.
Upon arrival, our waiter Ron asked if there was a special reason for our visit, I told him we were there to celebrate my sisters birthday. As he saw us just relaxing and talking, he appeared with a red velvet cupcake, with a piece of white chocolate candy with the inscription «happy birthday» on it, accompanied by a lit candle. Such a nice gesture, and it really made the brunch even more special.
As if that weren’t enough, after we completed brunch, we took a small tour of the facility, only to run into the Owner Mrs. Sheila Johnson herself, as we entered the gift shop. Oh talk about the highlight of the day, and the PERFECT way to end a birthday celebration! She was very nice and even autographed my sisters journal and took a picture with her. She was actually in to indulge in spa/​hair care services. How cool is that!!! Overall EXCELLENT experience and can’t wait to return in a few weeks.

In conjunction with my review for my stay at Salamander…
— The food at Harriman’s was not special. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t anything to remember. The meat was dry.
— The service at Harriman’s left much to be desired as well. It took forever for the server to take our order, they did not bring us bread until after our first course, and because the wait was so long for everything, the people at the table next to us arrived after we did and got up before us. There was a really, really long wait for everything and the service was just not very pleasant. They also did not seem to be willing (at least initially) to seat us near a window even though the place was fairly empty.
— Our dining experience at the Gold Cup was better than Harriman’s (the service was much better!), but there were several loud incidents throughout the evening (e.g. breaking glasses, dropping plates, etc).

Finally a 5 star resort has a restaurant that understands fine dining!
Honestly, these days it’s all about table turnover. So many classy spa and resort restaurants have great food but move so quickly that it feels like just minutes after you sat down, your getting up and leaving. Where’s the conversation? Where’s the ability to digest and clear your palette? If you’re looking for a quick dining experience, this isn’t the place for you. However if you are looking for a place that has vegetable dishes so good, this meat eater was considering coming back to the restaurant just for that meal (Seasonal Vegetable Medley) you are in the right place (not to worry their meat dishes were phenomenal as well):
Are there some over priced wines? Probably. I did notice a bottle for $ 3,000 on their wine menu. However there are some great places to buy wine in town and you can have the restaurant cork the bottle for you. Plus their prices didn’t seem that astronomical for other wines.
Service was really attentive and helpful with both recommendations and also splitting the appetizers in half so both I and my fiancée could enjoy them.
When you go, get the chicken noodle soup. I promise you that it’ll be one of he best soups that you have ever had. Also their vegetable seasonal offering was honestly that good. There are way too many vegetables and purées to mention or remember, but they all tasted so great and worked so well together. I had the filet mignon. It was great, however, next time I’ll go for the wagyu.

Middleburg used to be know for quaint little nooks with different foods. On approaching the building the first thing that struck me was the asphalt jungle parking lot. The beautiful Piedmont region is literally a Walmart parking lot. To fit into my favorite town this monstrosity could have been more creative with its parking design. Once into the restaurant it was empty. Even though there were just a few tables our service was horrible. I don’t normally care about meals coming out slow if the waitstaff checks the table for drinks occasionally, but we had to hunt someone down to get a refill. Food? Came out cold, soggy, and had a sad presentation. Restaurant meals are a time to relax. This was just stressful. And 8.00 for a baked potato?

Had dinner there during a one night stay and a breakfast the following morning.
Dinner was quite delicious and service was mostly great. We did have a very early seating (5:30Pm) and service was very good before restaurant got busy. It did slow down a bit after, but held its own.
We enjoyed all our dishes. Well seasoned, well cooked and some were creative. The only part of our meal that was a letdown was dessert, but a manager came right over to address the issue (impressive!).
Breakfast was a bit chaotic, and service was noticeably slower then ideal, but the food came out tasting fantastic and all wrapped up nicely at the end. I think it helps to not be starving as you arrive and manage your time expectations within reasonable limits.
Yes, prices are a bit over what you’d expect for experience, but I suppose you are partially paying for the resort factor.
I’m not sure if I would make a special trip to the restaurant if I didn’t stay at the Salamander resort, the juri is still out on that one.

First time visit on a cold, rainy/​sleety night. Valet out front of the resort is handy in these occasions. We were part of a group of ten dining out during restaurant week and promptly seated after checking our winter coats.
The tables and chairs were large providing loads of room for everyone to enjoy the night out. The restaurant was decorated as an upscale horse barn including nice iron work resembling horse stalls. Our server greeted us warmly, informed us of the specials and took out drink orders. There is an extensive wine list and a friendly som to help you out.
We all ordered off the super reasonable restaurant week menu for $ 35! A three course meal with your choice of catfish (table fav), risotto or Cornish game hens that arrived in a variety of interesting leg poses. We finished with a yummy chocolate pot de crème.
Great night out for all of us. You’ll need a bigger wallet for non restaurant weeks but definitely worth while for the great food, service and environment.

Sheila Johnson, you disappoint! Bill and I wanted to love this place. We were so excited when the Salamander opened — a place close by for sexy date night without driving to DC? Yes please. We thought this was going to be our place. But unfortunately, we will never come back again.
The lobby of the building is gorgeous. We read that $ 100 million went into building the property — and it shows.
We’ve been here twice now. Once for a quick dinner at Gold Cup and then dinner at Harriman’s. Both were disappointing.
The service is just awful. Bill and I stopped by for a late dinner, and the problem started with valet. $ 5.00 payable at the front desk? So we have to wait for everyone to check in at the front desk just to pay for our valet? Because you can’t trust the valet service to handle it? No.
Harriman’s is supposed to be their fine dining restaurant, but feels more like a Denny’s. Nobody asked to take our coats, so we were left to hang on to them throughout dinner.
Next, nobody asked if we wanted to start with a cocktail or wine. Why bother to give is a wine and cocktail list? Do you train your service staff?
The food wasn’t very good either. Frozen/​heated rolls weren’t a good sign. The dinosaur kale salad was good, not great. I had the pork shoulder steak, and it just alright. The pork was cooked well, but the flavors just weren’t doing it for me, the sauce was too tart, and I’m not sure the Brussels sprouts worked. The whole thing was just off. On top of the food being poor, I wasn’t offered a steak knife. So I cut my steak with a butter knife. Server was nowhere to be found. Bill had the salmon, and we agreed we could make better salmon at home.
Finally, nobody came to check on us. Nobody asked how the food was and I wasn’t offered another glass of wine.
If you’re trying to be a luxury destination and are charging luxury dollars, you need to provide that same level of hospitality and service. We really tried to love this place, but will never come back.

Lovely Sunday brunch accompanied by beautiful surrounding views of the Salamander Estate. The service was friendly and attentive and the buffet had a great assortment of eggs and warm food, pastries, pancakes/​French toast, fruit, lox, grits, etc. Everything was very fresh, nicely presented and served.
Highly recommend the eggs Benedict, fennel sausage and turkey bacon. The mini-​key lime pastry was also delicious as was the Bloody Mary — assuming you like spicy and bacon combined.
Can’t say much about pricing as it was included in our stay at the resort, but I assume brunch is on the pricier side. Good to reserve for special occasions and celebrations.

My friends and I stopped by Harrimans for lunch before we started are Sunday Funday wine touring. The place is nice, the staff was extremely attentive, and the prices were very reasonable, but that was pretty much the best part of our lunch experience! For such an exquisite resort the food was AWFUL! I am assuming Ms. Shelia Johnson hasn’t visited Harrimans kitchen lately to taste test the food lol. I ordered the BBQ pulled chicken sandwich topped with coleslaw and onion rings, it tasted and looked like slop! My other four friends were very disgusted with their meals as well. I can’t even remember what they had, because I was still in shock at what was on my plate! The fries were the best part of my meal, thank goodness for the invention of fries! Next time I will do the brunch buffet. I hear its much better!

My partner and I went to Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill a few times while we were staying at the Salamander Resort for the weekend, and overall, I felt it was just okay.
We started off with brunch, and they have options between a very carb-​heavy buffet that looked good and a smaller a la carte menu. I opted for the poached crabcakes, which were fine but nothing outstanding. The service was very slow throughout the meal, which was surprising considering the place was teeming with servers and not that many tables. It was a nice setting looking at the surrounding landscape, but the food was only passable. The green tomato ketchup they had was flavorless.
We also had dinner at Harrimans as part of a group, and for what they charge, the food is not up to snuff. We were presented choices from a set menu, and the chilled lobster salad was a much better option than what I ordered, which was some kind of asparagus concoction that was not memorable at all. For our main dish, the majority of the table ordered steaks. I would say roughly half of them had to be sent back to the kitchen for various stages of being overcooked. It was a waste of good meat, but apparently there is a problem with how Harrimans cooks their steaks, since it wasn’t a one-​off occurrence. Even though mine was slightly overcooked, it was still tasty.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend eating at Harrimans Virginia Piedmont Grill. We ate here a few times because we were staying at the hotel on site, but had that not been the case, I wouldn’t go here.