Another Chocolate Story: Leesburg's Wine Kitchen

Sometimes bliss is found with friends and chocolate.



Today Katie I. and I were introduced to The Wine Kitchen's "Dark chocolate mint Torta Palla with mint sea salt." It is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten -- in fact, I can't think of anything I like more. But I'm also still in a food coma. When I come out of it and am on full brain power, I'll update this :)

And after a fun, productive, and energizing lunch meeting, we now know why the Washington Post raved about this restaurant and why it has some of the most sought-after tables in historic Leesburg.

The cozy space on King Street, known for small plates of delectable fresh food and affordable "flights" of wine, opened in November 2008 and has seen a solid stream of customers since. But don't let the weekend evening crowd dissuade you from giving it a try. Our server said that often the wait is just around 25 minutes.

Co-owner Michael Mercer, who greeted us (and the other lunch patrons) personally, took the time to talk about the menu, the wines, and what it is like to be in Leesburg. We are both fans of jazz musician Mary Ann Redmond, who will be performing tomorrow at Leesburg's First Friday and hope the rain holds off long enough to bring a lot of people into town.

In addition to the amazing dessert (pictured above)Katie and I shared three plates -- duo of asparagus, pasta with lamb sausage, and a croque monsieur with a small salad. Every bite was perfect and the portion sizes were enough to fill us up. I only wish I could have tried a wine flight, which is absolutely in my future plans.

Two reasons why I'll go back: 1. Local charity: 3% of all lunch tabs Tuesday through Friday go to Loudoun Interfaith, the local food bank, and 2. Flexibility: Mercer said the kitchen will accommodate a food allergy with some modifications to menu items.

I love flexibility, community focus, and great customer service.

What kind of food, entertainment, or other experience gives you those happy, blissful feelings?