Twilight Polo at Great Meadow Polo Club

Twilight Polo

at Great Meadow Polo Club

By: Elizabeth Denham

The rolling hills, the crisp air, the smells of saddle leather and sawdust. Northern Virginia is horse country. And when you are visiting Fauquier County, you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to participate in one of the coolest activities in the area.

“Twilight Polo is such a fun event for the whole family,” local resident Kelly Malloy said. “The kids can run around and play, you can bring a picnic and wine, and the polo matches are something most people don’t get a chance to see very often. I highly recommend putting this on your schedule.”

On Saturdays from May to September, Great Meadow Polo Club - also home to the Virginia Gold Cup – hosts three polo matches as the sun goes down. Families can enjoy tailgating, picnicking, giant tug of war and dancing in addition to polo.

Arena polo started at Great Meadow in 2003 with the construction of a topflight polo arena. The arena version of the game is a bit different from traditional match play. It is played with a miniature soccer ball and three players on each team. It is the intercollegiate form of the game and is more affordable and easier to learn. It is a big hit with spectators!

Over the years, as polo became more accessible to players and fans in the Virginia hunt country, the sport grew in popularity. Played in a stadium on Saturday nights, Great Meadow Polo has become a sought-after summer venue for charity events, tailgate parties and family fun. In 2001, Great Meadow, through local contributions, was able to build a world-class polo field next to the arena. Grass polo is the traditional form of the game and is played with a smaller, hard ball and four players on each team.

Don’t miss out on this unique and affordable event when visiting Fauquier County. One pass gets a whole car load of friends and family into the event. From there, you will enjoy top-level horsemanship at a world-class venue, all while nestled in the beautiful countryside of Northern Virginia.

For more info call (540) 253-9845.

Double Decker “BUSTAURANT”

A destination for tourists

You may have heard about the double decker bus planted right in the middle of Marshall, Virginia. Johnny Monarch’s is a “bustaurant” with inviting outdoor seating complete with fire pits as well as cozy, warm indoor dining on the upper deck. Marshall, which has slowly become a leading food destination in northern Virginian hunt country, is the perfect setting for an eatery like Johnny Monarch’s.

A joint venture, launched nearly a year ago by Brian Lichorowic and Lorrie Addison, Johnny Monarch’s is located in a custom-designed park setting at its permanent location at 8374 West Main

Article and photographs courtesy of Johnny Monarch’s

Street. Brian and Lorrie’s goal from the beginning was to become a destination for tourists as well as day- trippers, senior groups, equestrians, cyclists, wine tourists and motorcyclists alike.

A native of upstate New York, Brian was raised by generations of restaurateurs, including his great-grandparents, who emigrated from Krakow, Poland where they ran an inn. Living in Middleburg for the better part of 20 years, and after retiring from a successful career in technology, Brian met Lorrie and they began dating. Lorrie, a national award-winning kitchen designer, quickly became a fan of Brian’s cooking and learned about his family restaurant history through listening to stories and tasting timeless dishes. Equipped with experience that runs through his veins—not to mention some amazing recipes from both of their families— Brian and Lorrie decided to launch a food business of their own. Seeking something idiosyncratic and fun, they opted for a bus instead of a physical building in which to share their food. When an online search revealed a British double-decker bus located in Krakow, the couple knew it was a sign and had it shipped to Virginia! Suffering significant damages in its trans-Atlantic journey it took nearly nine months to complete repairs and modifications. After getting approved by the town, county and state, Johnny Monarch’s opened for business.

The retail menu is a mixture of simple, comfort foods: meatloaf, World’s Fair sausage sandwich and hearty nonmeat entrees. It also features Hungry Hunter Nut Loaf and award-wining tomato pie. The majority of ingredients come from premium local and regional suppliers like Ayrshire Farm and Fauquier Finest meats. All raw ingredients for Johnny Monarch’s are purchased in primal form to reduce costs, and whenever possible, they purchase organically grown products. Emphasis is placed on one-platter meals and sandwiches with healthy sides. A walk-up counter offers refreshments, Johnny Mondarch’s labeled coffee, fresh juices and local in-town food delivery.

A unique thing about Johnny Monarch’s menu could be what is “not” being served. There is nothing fried and no commercial bags of chips or soft drinks. The menu offers two distinct types of cuisine. One can be viewed as “gourmet truck driver” fare and the other cuisine is touted as “energy-packed Olympian.” Some of these recipes are sourced from the US Olympic Training table menus and provide customers dishes with the highest level of nutrition available locally. Johnny Monarch’s will go to great lengths to satisfy both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. To keep food costs down, Johnny Monarch’s utilizes its own hydroponics greenhouses to grow over 50 percent of its vegetables and herbs reducing its food cost while significantly increasing its food quality. Their goal is to increase that to 75 percent over the next 12 months.

Johnny Monarch’s is open every day except Monday and is always featuring new items and unique specials. Follow Johnny Monarch on Facebook or their website at www.johnnymonar.ch.

“Johnny Monarch’s utilizes its own hydroponics greenhouses to grow over 50 percent of its vegetables and herbs.