Stairway to Tuscany

I’ve been exploring my home state of Virginia while updating a guidebook on the region, and during my travels, I’ve discovered wonderful new places to eat in the heart of the historic small towns of the state. In 2009, Virginia will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its Virginia is for Lovers campaign, but they may want to change that to “Virginia is for Food Lovers”!

The charming town of Fredericksburg is about 60 miles north of Richmond and is full of colonial and civil war history. Often overlooked for the more highly publicized Williamsburg, Fredericksburg is well worth a visit and full of wonderful restaurants. I recently ate at the Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen, a “farm-to-table” restaurant that is garnering foodie raves around the country.

Sourcing their food from local farmers, the rustic Tuscan fare is not only about as close to that of their namesake as possible, but also a great value. My friend and I started with the Antipasto Platter ($9) and could have made our entire meal from that one bountiful starter. A platter loaded with artisanal cheeses, proscuitto, salami, roasted garlic, red peppers, tomatoes, and olives was topped with crostini. Grab a bottle of one of the many good Chianti’s on the wine list and this is absolutely heaven on a plate!

Homemade soups like the Tomato Basil Bisque were tough to resist, but since I had gorged on the generous antipasto, I went straight to the entrée list for a spicy shrimp diavlo. Other options that I passed up included Saffron Roasted Salmon, Balsamic-glazed Chicken, and of course, hearty pastas with Bolognese, Marinara or Alfredo sauces. As it turned out, I still had to pack a doggy bag as, again, the portions were very large.

Open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, the prices are incredibly reasonable, with lunch in the $7.95-$9.95 range, and dinner from $14.95-$19.95. The thoughtful wine list includes some of Italy’s best reds and whites and the cozy atmosphere of this cellar encourages a long leisurely lunch or dinner. www.ciaopoppyhill.com