Magnolias at the Mill — Restaurant in Purcellville

My wife and I went here after an event at a winery, to have a late dinner. We showed up about an hour before close.

Parking: There is a parking lot nearby (free), some street parking, and a few other lots around the area--it's in a small downtown area which is easy enough to navigate. It's a pretty area, walkable, and clean.

Service: We were sat quickly, and found our booth to be comfortable. A waiter quickly brought water, and asked if we were ready to order--we weren't, and were given extra time without pressure or problem. We eventually did order, and the two of us split a salad, burger, calamari, and bottle of wine. They split the salad and burger, putting each on two plates, so it was easy for us to share.

Calamari: The calamari was excellent, and included some fried pepperoncini (Or perhaps banana peppers?), which added a nice tang to the dish. The dipping sauce was excellent. The fried outside was crispy, not soggy, and the breading ratio was spot on. The calamari itself wasn't rubbery or fishy, either of which is a significant detractor from a dish. Very pleased.

Salad: We had the endless summer harvest greens, and it was quite pleasant. The greens were crisp and fresh, without any browning or wilting. The cab sav vinaigrette dressing was just the right amount, without soaking everything.

Bread Basket: The bread was warm, soft, and quite good. A little dipping oil with it was also good, but as it was an olive oil bread, I didn't feel it needed it.

Burger: Excellent smash burger. As a general rule, I prefer thick burgers, but I can get along fine with a smash burger too. We added a fried egg, which was cooked just enough to have a slight bit of runny yoke, but not so much that it got everywhere. Had I had the full burger I would have preferred a more runny egg, but as we were splitting it, and it came pre-cut, having a less runny egg was better, to ensure the yoke didn't soak through or run away from the burger before it arrived. Good attention to detail from the chef. The fries were quite good as well.

Wine: Very good wine selection/service. The waitress brought the bottle for inspection, poured some to make sure were were okay with the bottle, and ensured our glasses were filled again when we got low. We didn't finish the bottle, and had it corked to go. I imagine most people would be able to find something they would like here. More bottles available as bottles than glasses, and prices set as one would expect in a restaurant. No surprises there. A fairly solid variety of wines from different regions, and price points.

Dessert: Full disclosure: This was ordered 2 days later and taken to go. We had the chocolate covered tiramisu, and the vanilla crème Brule. The tiramisu was a delight, rich chocolate on the outside of a light and fluffy tiramisu. I'd be happy to have this again, and it's well worth trying. The Crème Brule also very good.

Ambiance: The only place I dinged the stars. From the foyer, to the front waiting area, to the seating area, to the bathrooms, all clean/comfortable. It was quiet enough, we did not have to shout or raise our voices to hear each other or speak to the waitress. There were other full tables near us, but given the time of night, the entire place wasn't full. The ONE negative thing: It was very dark, and hard to read the menus. One of the tables that sat after us pulled out their cell phones, to shine a light on the meus so they could read them properly. This was a set of about 5 very bright lights just across from where we were sitting. My wife and I also had trouble reading the menus, and had to hold them up to the light hanging above us to get all the details. For eating and talking, and a more intimate dining experience, the light level was great. Sadly, it made menu-reading a bit of a challenge and a chore.

Overall: VERY pleased, and would be happy to come back. Great for date nights, special occasions, or just a...

I visited early on a Thursday evening as a stop on my way to western Virginia. Parking was ample and convenient between spots in front of the building and an adjacent free public lot. Stepping inside I noticed a change in the lighting level to a more dimmed but still warm look. The bar area was relatively busy, so a corner seat worked well for me to eat and leave inside of two hours. The bar staff were cordially conversational and approachable, rather quickly offering water and a set of menus. Service times were a little slow at first but picked up as my meal progressed with bar staff expediting my first course without any prompting by me. Surfaces were promptly cleaned within minutes after guests left.

I settled on a few courses mostly consistent with the season: mushroom strudel appetizer, an ancient grains salad, roast chicken dinner, and a passion fruit mousse cake and coconut sorbet. The strudel took longer than expected to arrive but made up for the delay with well portioned and tasty mushrooms that oozed earthiness and bacon-y accents with each bite. The pastry could be a little thinner for me, but overall a great way to start. The salad was delightfully balanced such that I could taste every flavor and texture as I finished that plate. Farro and quinoa grains easily seen and felt along with bitterness from the arugula, brightness of the cucumbers, grapes, and orange segments, crunch of the pistachios, sharpness from the goat cheese, and spice of the perfect amount of mustard vinaigrette harmoniously come together very well indeed. The chicken dinner was equally pleasing with the balance of dark meat stuffed with bacon, spinach and onion, still moist white meat, and proper carrot and green bean vegetable garnishes along with mashed potatoes of which I could had a double portion. The only very minor quibble I had about this entree concerns the lack of crispy skin for the white meat. Dessert was yet another standout with a nicely flavored mousse cake with the passion fruit flavor not too assertive and not too subtle. The candied pineapple came in a satisfying portion and the coconut meringue could easily be part of a pavlova dessert it was that good without being too sweet. The sorbet had a pleasing feel and flavor to end.

The total bill including 11% combined tax was just about $80. The way in which flavor and textures achieve such balance would absolutely draw me back for special occasions or even when in the area for diversions...

If you have a severe gluten allergy or have Celiac disease, please read!!!

While they offer an extensive gluten-free menu, it’s important to note that there is a disclaimer about food preparation, and no separate fryer is used. Please review it carefully to ensure it will work with your dietary restrictions.

Unfortunately for us, we didn’t initially notice the disclaimer, and while the disclaimer did make it known about the shared fryer, it didn’t address the level of care we expected, including proper staff knowledge.

The gluten-free options we selected were not adequately described (on the menu or by the server). Adding to the issue, our server appeared dismissive of concerns raised about the high risk for gluten cross-contamination and seemed uninformed about the preparation when we discussed discrepancies from the menu description to what was brought out. Additionally, he answered some questions incorrectly. This raised serious red flags for our party, and we were prepared to pay for what we had already ordered and leave due to the risk.

However, Quincy, one of the managers, took the time to discuss our concerns, accurately answer questions, and personally supervise the food preparation to ensure it was safe. Additionally, he did alter what we had been given since there were differences in the food that was brought out and would have made one person in our party sick.

In the end, once the manager addressed the discrepancies, and fixed what needed to be fixed, the food was excellent. However, given the high end atmosphere this restaurant tries to promote, and the extensive gluten free options they list, the server could have done more to understand and accommodate gluten-free questions, and ensure accuracy with the answers. His disinterest was noticeable. It took the manager to make...