21 Tasty Ways to Keep Cool in the Commonwealth
Image: Fruitive
Ah, summer in Virginia. Whether you’re just kicking back on the sands or working up a genuine sweat, you’re going to want to stay cool throughout these dog days of summer. we are always here to help a fellow foodie out, So we put together a Chilling List of summertime delights for locals and visitors alike. Read on to find out the perfect sustenance for sizzling fun all across the state!
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Crisp, cool, and all-around awesome, the salads at 2941 Restaurant speak to summer’s bounty like nobody’s business. (Oh, and the rest of the menu ain’t too shabby, either…)
Image: 2941 Restaurant
Hot weather doesn’t always inspire an appetite, but portable Spanish-style gazpacho? We’ll take it! Enjoy some bold veggie flavors distilled to liquid refreshment for your summer R&R.
Image: Beefsteak
Nothing kicks off an absolute homerun of a farm-to-fork meal at the Copperwood Tavern like one of the joint’s primo cocktails paired with their $1 oyster happy hour, Monday – Friday from 4-7pm.
Image: Copperwood Tavern
On a hot, sunny afternoon when a steamy cup of Joe isn’t exactly suitable for soaring temperatures, it’s high time for a bottle of Lincoln Road cold-brew coffee. (And heads up: Get 15% off online purchases with PROMO CODE ‘VAFOODIE’ until August 7th!)
Image: Lincoln Road
Back in colonial days, toilers in the hayfields recharged with the sweet drink called switchel. Thanks to Vitick’s version—a thirstquenching quenching concoction made from honey, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and other wholesome stuff—you can cool off with the time-tested drink, even if you haven’t exactly been toiling.
Image: Marie Maroun
Mango Bowl, Berry Bowl, Beach Bowl: Aren’t your taste buds already juiced up for a refreshing blast just reading those flavors, only a sampling of the acai-bowl varieties Pit and Peel churns up daily? A smoothie foundation with a superfood boost: Just the ticket for a wholesome (and lip-smacking) summer treat.
Image: The Pit and Peel
Is it 5 o’clock yet? Sure it is! Contemplate the sweet nuances of the Virginia summer’s whole afternoon-to-evening rollout with a highball or taster flight at the Whiskey Jar, home to a spectacularly staggering selection of Scotch, Irish whisky, bourbons, and rye.
Image: The Whiskey Jar
Face those soaring temps with liquid courage courtesy of Williamsburg Distillery: Vintage recipes yield the mighty smoothtasting Jamestown Gin, Yorktown Silver Rum, and Williamsburg Bourbon (the only one anywhere made from American maize).
Image: Williamsburg Distillery
It’s summer in the nation’s capital. It’s hot out. It’s muggy, too. Doctor’s orders: Get thee to Dolcezza Gelato posthaste and prescribe yourself some fine-crafted Italian ice cream. Got it?
Image: Farrah Skeiky
We’re going to make a bold claim: Small-batch, fresh-spun, handcrafted ice cream from Blue Cow is going to hit the spot on a dripping-sweat sort of day every single time.
Image: Brett Winter Lemon Photography
Virginians have been toasting high summer with cider since colonial days, so why not embrace the tradition yourself? With Blue Bee, you’re beating the heat with some outstanding craft cider that puts the spotlight on heirloom Commonwealth apples.
Image: Chris Johnson
Hey, what better way to cool off on a sweltering summer’s day than with a draught or bottle of Blue Ridge Bucha, whipped up from genuine Blue Ridge water and flavored with organic and fair-trade ingredients?
Image: Jeff Gleason
Fuel your summer without breaking a sweat with a stunning salad from Green House Kitchen. These thoughtfully-made main courses are decked out with top-of-the-line ingredients (from Chimichurra Flank Steak to Japanese soba noodles) and backed up by locally made bread croutons.
Image: Green House Kitchen
Early Mountain’s Rosé —a blend dominated by Merlot and Quaker Run Syrah—isn’t just the perfect summer quencher: It’s also an ideal complement to just about whatever’s starring at that outdoor dinner party you’re hosting: from cheesy appetizers to something fresh off the grill. Salute!
Image: Early Mountain
Amid the whole slew of farm-fresh delights offered by Homestead Creamery Farm Market, an old-school bottle of delicious milk or a couple scoopfuls of ice cream hit that sweet spot of sheer summertime bliss.
Image: Homestead Creamery
Where better to seek the literal fruits of summer than Berryville in the Shenandoah Valley? At Mackintosh Fruit Farm, you can pluck your own fresh-as-can-be blackberries: a succulent punch of fruity flavor that could serve as the dictionary definition of summertime. Throw ’em in your favorite local ice cream, or mix it up in a cold smoothie for a refreshing treat.
Image: Mackintosh Fruit Farm
Quench that thirst, energize those taste receptors, and nourish your mind and soul in the process with a refreshing juice pack or Liquid Meal smoothie from Fruitive – and don’t forget their cool toast combos, like almond banana and strawberry PB toast.
Image: Fruitive
When you’re outright heat-stunned, not much fits the bill quite like a well-made popsicle. And with King of Pops, you’re slurping on downright delectable ice pops rendered from farm-sourced ingredients: not your average frozen novelty!
Image: VAFoodie
Facing down torrid temps, it’s time to head for the bar—the dairy bar, that is. Steer yourself to Kline’s for fresh-made ice cream of the finest caliber—creamy goodness that’s been driving patrons young and old wild since 1943.
Image: Kline’s Dairy Bar
Whether paired with the goods searing over the coals or enjoyed as a fine session ale all on its lonesome, Virginia Beer Company’s Saving Daylight Citrus Wheat puts the “quaff” in “quaffable.” We’re not sure that makes sense, but it doesn’t matter: This is a darn good beer balancing some citrus tang with a beautiful bitter edge, perfectly suited for a sweltering Virginia afternoon.
Image: The Virginia Beer Company
We’re gonna go ahead and define the exact high point of a particular sort of summer’s day in Alexandria: namely, tucking into Restaurant Eve’s Terrine of Moulard Duck Foie Gras, accompanied by seasonal standouts like Leedstown Farms strawberries and Path Valley rhubarb.
Image: Restaurant Eve