With the beginning of autumn comes the beginning of cozy-food season, when hearty dishes help us adjust to colder weather.
From comfort foods to tasty beverages, it was easy to find seasonal drinks and menu items bursting with fall flavors in Montgomery County, Maryland. Below, you’ll find just a sampling of some of our favorites, including Apple Pie-Stuffed French Toast, Roasted Acorn Squash Flatbread and Grumpkin Smoked Pumpkin Ale.
Silver Diner
Rockville & Gaithersburg
Crafted by Chef Ype, Silver Diner is no stranger to locally-sourced dishes inspired by the fall season. Choose from the Creekstone Farms Meatballs and pappardelle, swimming in a hearty marinara with English peas, mushrooms and roasted butternut squash or Pork Chops breaded in panko and served with sauteed apple cider kale, bacon, and butternut squash mac and cheese. If you’re looking for a sweeter choice, try the Apple Pie-Stuffed French Toast crusted in cinnamon sugar, layered vanilla crème and served with roasted apples, pomegranate and drizzled salted caramel.
True Food Kitchen
Gaithersburg & Bethesda
At True Food Kitchen, artisan chefs create seasonal dishes that take advantage of naturally ripe fruits and vegetables so their flavor is full and their nutrients, rich. For a light pairing, we suggest trying a bubbly Apple Spritz with the Roasted Acorn Squash Flatbread crafted with truffle honey, lemon almond ricotta, pistachio, calabrian chili, arugula and garlic purée. Looking for something heartier, try the Fall Pesto Pasta with seared mushroom, roasted acorn squash and cilantro pumpkin seed pesto.
Breweries & Cidery Along the Tastemakers Trail
Rockville, Laytonsville, Germantown
Pumpkin spice is all the craze throughout the fall and local craft breweries are no exception to the trend. At Third Hill Brewing Co., try the PS Stout (Nitro), which is smooth and creamy with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and all spice, to help remind people of the upcoming holidays. Try Mayorga coffee beans, and cold-pressed Mexican vanilla. Locals also enjoy a Grumpkin Smoked Pumpkin Ale from Waredaca Brewing Company, a complex porter style ale with smokey, pumpkin and spiced notes. If apples are your preferred fall flavor, try Doc Waters Oak Aged Still Cider, an award-winning dry cider, slow cold fermented from their own apples, then aged with French oak to develop depth of flavor and notes of vanilla.
For more autumn inspiration, check out Photographic Proof Fall is the Best Time to Visit Montgomery County and 4 Beautiful Fall Foliage Routes for Cyclists.
