The Leesburg, Va. resort is elevating its food and beverage program by reinventing a handful of its culinary concepts this year, starting with Coton & Rye.
In September, Lansdowne Resort and Spa (Leesburg, Va.) will debut it’s new culturally inspired and locally driven dining concept, Coton and Rye. This will be the first of the new culinary concepts to open this year at the resort.
The name “Coton and Rye” derives from the original farm that lived on property back in the 1700’s and pays homage to the landscape of Virginia wine country. Throughout the space, Coton and Rye will honor the history of Loudoun County with pre-revolutionary photography and shared stories of the Potomac and its original farm land.
The dining concept is designed to be an authentic American tavern with reinvented classic Virginian recipes and locally sourced ingredients from the mid-Atlantic region. Coton and Rye will offer traditional local dishes from the past, recreated to fit the “Landsdown Lifestyle” of today. Some featured dishes include: fried chicken platters, signature pot pie entrees and homemade cherry and apple fruit pies topped with slow churned ice cream.
“Cooking local has been a trend for some time now, but my menus are more than just local, they are historically driven, culturally intriguing and tell an authentic story about the destination,” said Marcus Repp, Director of Culinary Operations at Lansdowne. “Creating food that personifies the Virginia landscape is the perfect culinary pairing for our resort, combining bold and hearty cuisine with home-grown taste and mid-Atlantic comfort.”
Later this fall, Lansdowne will further enhance its dining operation with the unveiling of additional refreshed food and beverage concepts.
Repp, who is new to the resort, shared with C&RB’s Chef to Chef a little about the new concept, Coton & Rye.
C2C: How long have you been with Lansdowne Resort and Spa? What brought you here?
MR: I officially joined Lansdowne Resort and Spa a month ago. I have always been a traveler – I’ve spent time in Russia, Grand Cayman Islands, and San Francisco. Loudoun County attracted me because of the people. The passion and pride that the locals and the team at the resort feels for the area is what drew me in. Everyone is extremely loyal to this part of our country and very supportive of the various growing industries whether that’s wine, beer, farming, diary makers, or bakers. I wanted to be a part of something larger and I felt that in Loudoun.
C2C: What is the history of F&B at Lansdowne?
MR: Lansdowne Resort and Spa has always been a leader in Loudoun County for its food and beverage program, from the bounty of Virginia countryside, to the abundance of fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood. The artisans that have composed our culinary staff over the years have used our restaurants throughout the property as their collective canvas to create memorable experiences from the Sunday brunches by the waterfall terrace to seasonal offerings throughout the year for various holiday celebrations. The culinary experience has expanded in its 25 years with farm to table concepts with various options to accommodate our leisure, groups and wedding guests, as well as the local community. Stonewalls Tavern and Riverside Hearth offer traditional American favorites and the 45,000 sq. ft. clubhouse is home to Piedmont’s Table and Pub 46, both boasting a country-club style with gorgeous views of the golf courses and the Potomac River Valley. Up to 2014, On the Potomac Restaurant was known as the fine dining restaurant using farm to fork concepts and was a multiple winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
Culinary creativity had always been the guiding principle at Lansdowne from smoking our own salmon and bacon, to honey from our own beehives to herbs from our own garden.
C2C: Tell us about Coton and Rye. What was the inspiration behind the new restaurant? 
MR: Coton and Rye celebrates Virginia’s culinary history with signature dishes from the past with a modern twist. Coton and Rye’s locally crafted beverage program also centers around local ingredients and Virginia wine. While taverns are traditionally a place to eat, sleep and find companionship, Coton and Rye is an experience to enjoy homemade local recipes and watch sports games and sitcoms.
C2C: What makes Coton and Rye unique?
MR: It’s traditional Virginia recipes that have been recreated. Our team did extensive research about our land and our region. We refined the recipes to make it a modern day reflection of our interpretation of Virginia cooking.
C2C: Locally-sourced ingredients are clearly an important part of the operation. Why is that?
MR: Local pride was one of the reasons I chose Loudoun County. Sourcing ingredients that are local is another way we can share our love for the destination.
C2C: How often will the menu change?
MR: Due to the fact incorporating local ingredients is so important to us, we believe in changing menus to incorporate what’s in season.
C2C: What makes Coton & Rye unique among club and resort restaurants?
MR: Our relationships with local wineries, breweries, farms and dairy farms is what distinguishes us among our peers as well as our connection to the destination’s history and our land’s history. We are authentic.
C2C: Why the need for the F&B overhaul?
MR: When we discovered our rich history, it just made sense to reinvent our restaurants, celebrate them and bring them to life.
