Story and photos by Jennifer Lee

Two Clarke County charitable organizations dedicated to serving the needy have recently found a new home themselves, giving them a Main Street Berryville presence and better opportunities to achieve their missions. Help with Housing and FISH moved into their new digs at 36 East Main Street in the former Clarke County Library building just last month, and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception on December 5.

The county owns the building, but charges virtually no rent in exchange for the two organizations maintaining the building. FISH occupies the first floor with its clothing store and food pantry while Help with Housing’s offices are on the second floor of the recently renovated former residence. A spacious, bright room with a large conference table and fireplace on the first floor greets visitors and serves as a meeting room for both groups.

Help with Housing

Help with Housing (HWH) was founded in 1988 to assist low-income county residents with emergency home repairs like heating, plumbing, and accessibility issues. Since that time, the organization has grown to serve residents in the five neighboring municipalities of Frederick, Warren, Page, Shenandoah, and the city of Winchester and the number of projects completed has skyrocketed from five in 1990 to 97 in 2012. In the last 25 years, the organization has completed approximately 850 projects, assisted nearly 2,000 people, and spent $1.2 million dollars in services and materials.

Paula Costello, the organization’s executive director since 1994, says that the biggest challenge for her is, “the frustration of not being able to help all the people that really need it.” She said she receives five to ten calls a day requesting assistance on everything from water heaters to roof repairs, and there are presently over 100 households on the waiting list.

Requests are evaluated based on the nature of help needed, in addition to the income of the people requesting help. “Most of our recipients have a household income between $8,000 to $12,000 a year, and it’s very rare we get calls from people who are over-qualified.” In order to qualify, recipients must fall below 80 percent of the median income in a particular area, which varies from county to county.

Many requests are of a critical nature—the repair or installation of indoor plumbing and heating, installation of accessibility ramps and railings to assist the disabled, and roof repairs when conditions threaten the safety of residents. The cost of repairs can range from $100 to $5,000. “Depending on the issue, we try to respond to requests within a week—when it’s critical,” Costello said.

Over the years, Help with Housing has partnered with many regional agencies and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to expand their reach and effectiveness. Through HUD home grants, HWH is able to access up to $30,000 to assist with major rehabilitation projects where more than one problem exists.

Their partnership with United Way of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, beginning in 1994, has been instrumental in finding, funding, and completing projects in a nearly 50-mile radius. “We’ve partnered with many local agencies and groups—Access Independence, Esther Boyd, churches, and we are a big part of United Way,” Costello said.

Help with Housing was inspired by the concern of Clarke County residents Jane Cary Harrison and Charlotte Kern, who saw that some people were living in deplorable conditions among the grand estates and cozy neighborhoods in the county. Houses with no indoor plumbing, caving-in roofs, dangerous wiring, and no or little heat sources became the targets of a small group of citizens who formed the group and received seed money from the Virginia Housing Partnership Fund.

Costello says that about 65 percent of their beneficiaries are elderly people, many of whom are disabled and on fixed incomes limited to social security checks. “Often, the children or grandchildren of these folks will call to request assistance for their family members,” she said. Referrals also come from Social Services, health departments, building departments, physical rehabilitation facilities, and schools.

After a call comes in, Costello files a report, and project manager Chris Graham is dispatched to review the problem. Bids are then solicited from area contractors, many of whom provide discounted services and materials. Appliances and other items are often purchased at the ReStore, a nonprofit home-improvement store and donation center in Winchester operated by Habitat for Humanity.

Due to demand from neighboring counties, HWH expanded its reach in 1999, first to Warren County, then subsequently to Frederick, Shenandoah, Page, and the City of Winchester. “By far, the greatest need is in Frederick County, double or triple than in our other communities,” Costello said. There are a number of communities there where living conditions are often plagued with issues like mold, water leaks, deteriorating flooring, and substandard plumbing. Whereas other county governments contribute funding, Frederick does not. In Shenandoah County, the Shenandoah Community Foundation is a solid supporter of Help with Housing’s efforts.

Bringing new expertise and enthusiasm to fundraising efforts is Ardis Cullers, HWH’s new director of marketing and fundraising. She worked as a volunteer fundraiser in Washington, D.C. for several years, raising money for suburban hospitals and Key to the Cure for national breast cancer research. Since July, she has attended many workshops and meetings, spoken to civic groups, organized special events, and became a United Way Account Executive to increase the awareness and support of the organization. “I love speaking to groups about what we do and welcome the opportunity to do so,” Cullers says.

HWH established a capital campaign to help pay for office renovations, with Jim Stutzman Chevrolet-Cadillac contributing the funds to install a large new patio in the back of the building, a space that was previously unsightly and unusable and can now be used to host small outdoor receptions and events.

The results of HWH’s efforts are always gratifying, but the stories are often heart wrenching. “One Christmas, I got a call from a woman whose husband had left her and their children. He came back to get the birds in the house but not his wife and kids. I had to go home early that day,” Costello recalls, her voice cracking.

But with the assistance of Help with Housing and a caring community, the struggles of hundreds of people are eased each year. HWH welcomes any contributions community members can make, through cash donations, their Adopt A Project program, or by volunteering.

FISH

Filling the bellies of people in need is only part of the mission of FISH, a completely volunteer-run organization that has its first public space since its inception in 1969. Previously, its donation center was in a small building next to Old Chapel off Route 340, open only three hours a week. Now the organization has a kitchen and dedicated spaces for a food pantry and used clothing store and is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am till noon.

“This space offers a lot more contact with our clients and the ability to talk to people in person,” said Mary Veilleux, president of FISH’s board of directors. The food pantry is well-stocked with perishable and non-perishable items ranging from soup to nuts to diapers and the clothing store offers a varied selection of clothing and other items for men, women, and children, all for very low prices.

Jane Cary Harrison was the engine behind the founding of FISH nearly 20 years before helping to organize Help with Housing. She had heard about an organization named FISH dedicated to serving the needy in another community, and brought that name and mission, and its Christian symbolism, to Clarke County. A plaque recognizing Mrs. Harrison is now on the front of the building.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of FISH’s outreach is providing one-time emergency assistance to people who need help with basic living expenses, most often utility bills. There are six FISH volunteers who provide financial counseling and evaluate requests. Of those who qualify for help and are first time callers, FISH has been able to fulfill 100 percent of the requests, Veilleux said, but she sees the role of the organization beyond serving as an emergency resource. “We want to encourage people to take responsibility, be accountable, and look for ways to create a sustainable life.”

Connecting people is another byproduct of the mission. Vielleux tells the story of a man who had been laid off from his job and sought assistance with his rent payment. Through the network of FISH volunteers, he found a job six months later. “We can’t help people who need continual assistance, so it’s important we show them ways to help themselves,” she said.

Another service FISH provides is taking people to and from medical appointments and treatment centers. They have driven 157 people to appointments this year.

The food pantry, run by volunteer Grace Lewis, must follow USDA guidelines for public food distribution. People may come once a month and take a designated and varied selection of food items. They can come to the clothing shop, organized by volunteers Sue Ross and Sharon Harrison, as often as they like.

Local churches are the primary benefactors to FISH, contributing hundreds of pounds of food each year through food drives. “Mountain Baptist Church in Frogtown is our biggest donor. They are so generous, it just keeps you smiling about small community,” Veilleux said. Duncan Memorial Methodist Church hosts a food distribution event on the third Friday of every month in which a different church adopts the task of food collection. Civic groups like the Rotary Club and Boy Scouts and county schools are also regular contributors.

Clarke County Social Services is an integral partner to FISH, providing referrals and administrative support. In turn, FISH provides a more personal and often more accessible source of assistance than a governmental agency can. “We want to be there for anyone who might fall through the cracks,” said Veilleux. Unfortunately, the need appears to be growing, with 203 people visiting the food pantry in November compared to 300 people the entire year of 2006. Fortunately for all of them, the volunteers and benefactors of FISH of Clarke County are there to help.

Help with Housing is located at 36 East Main Street (2^nd floor) in Berryville and can be contacted at 540-955-1706, helpwithhousing@verizon.net, and on the web at www.helpwithhousing.org.

FISH is located at 36 East Main Street (1st floor) in Berryville and can be contacted at 540-955-1823 or on the web at www.fishministry.org.

by Jennifer Lee

Abel Ramos took a rather circuitous route from his hometown of San Ignacio in Jalisco, Mexico to owning and running his Camino Real Restaurant on Crow Street in Berryville. After years of contract work picking fruit in California, Oregon, and Washington, Abel’s father, Laureano, gradually moved his family to Kirkland, Washington. Abel was 14 years old. Then and there he started his career in the restaurant business.

“My father, mother, my two brothers, and me—we all worked in restaurants. My dad was the dishwasher, my brother Benjamin was a cook, and I waited tables,” Abel recalls. His father’s cousins had 18 restaurants around the state, and gave the family the experience and subsequent impetus to open their own restaurant. After moving to Blaine, Wash., they opened their first restaurant there in 1995.

Blaine is a town slightly larger than Berryville, sitting at the intersection of the Canadian border, a major interstate (I-5), and the Pacific Ocean. The Peace Arch, an international monument erected in 1921, stands there. Blaine was once home to the largest salmon cannery in the world, but the site has since been converted to a waterfront resort destination. What Berryville and Blaine may share is a “turn-of-the-century” character, embracing the architecture and signage of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as a deep appreciation for nature and the surrounding landscape among residents.

The Ramos’s passion for cooking began back in Mexico. “My grandmother served dinner out of her kitchen table in Mexico, and raised her family selling food to locals at our home town San Ignacio,” Abel recalled. The recipes he uses at Camino Real are largely old family recipes.

In the mid 1990s, Abel’s brother Benjamin made his way East and opened his restaurant (also Camino Real) in Winchester in 1996. “I came to visit and liked the area, so I stayed,” Abel says. Benjamin opened Camino Real on Main Street in Berryville in December 1997, and Abel took over the following year. At the time, Camino Real was one of just a few restaurants in Berryville, and its tattered booths were often full. “We could not have large groups there, like we can now. It just wasn’t an option,” Abel says.

Later, the Crow Street restaurant was built—a major conversion and expansion of an old, abandoned house—to house a Greek-style restaurant. When that business moved, the Ramoses took a big leap of faith. They moved from the small, cozy space that is now Boyd’s Nest restaurant into the Crow Street building. “So many people told me I was crazy,” Abel laughs. “Running a restaurant that is almost 7,000 square feet in a small town like Berryville costs a lot of money. We have to sell a lot of enchiladas in order to break even.”

They kept the ocean blue and white colors already in the restaurant, but added a furnished outdoor patio, lots of plants, colorful Mexican-inspired art, and large murals reflective of the Southwest. A bright mural of Mission San Javier del Bac, near Tucson, Arizona, is painted on the two-story wall in the dining room. “I just always liked the look of that place,” Abel says. He says business has grown by at least 60 percent since they moved from the Main Street space to Crow Street. Ninety percent of their customers, he said, are locals. Many of them come on a regular basis.

“I’ve made so many good friends,” said Ramos, “it is worth every hour I have worked.”

Every hour combined to add up to a lot of hours—an average of 70 hours a week for many years. Now Abel has slowed down a bit, to about 50 hours. “My wife doesn’t allow me to work so much,” he said with a wink while Alisia Ramos stood nearby with their curly-haired 3-year old son Damian. “But I like to be here, making sure everything is running properly,” he said.

Abel met Alisia 13 years ago while bartending at his brother’s restaurant in Winchester. They and their two children live in Boyce.

For many locals, Camino Real is a gathering place, with its small, well-stocked bar and lounge area with video gaming machines. The airy dining room seats about 50 people and the outdoor patio, warmed by a gas fireplace or cooled by large ceiling fans, seats about 20. The winding staircase in the front room leads to two more rooms upstairs, one equipped with another bar and plenty of seating for large parties or meetings.

“You may rent the upstairs for free if you eat our food. If you want to bring your own food, we charge a fee,” Abel explained. And by “our food,” Abel means an extensive selection of Mexican dishes and a few American standards, such as cheeseburgers, ribs, and steaks. You can get a chicken burrito or steak fajitas, served with rice and refried beans, or something more exotic, such as Abel’s favorite, Pollo en Mole – chicken cooked in a sweet, spicy, nutty salsa. He says the most popular dish they serve is Arroz con Pollo and the most popular beer is Dos Equis. And what’s his favorite American meal? Prime rib and mashed potatoes.

Camino Real makes its salsa and tortilla chips fresh every day, and serves them gratis with each meal. The guacamole is homemade, too, with big chunks of avocado and tomato. The margaritas have fresh-squeezed lime juice and are served in frozen, salt-rimmed glasses.

Abel travelled a long way to get from his hometown of San Ignacio to Berryville. Now people travel to enjoy to the Ramos family’s offerings. “People travel from up to 50 miles to come and eat here because the portions are good, the price is right, the food is delicious, and always served with a smile,” Abel said.

Camino Real likes its fiestas, too. It has Cinco de Mayo and Black Friday parties every year, karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights, and occasional live music. It is often the only restaurant in Berryville where you can grab a beer and snack after 10pm on the weekends.

As well as serving generous portions, Camino Real is supportive of community events and fundraisers. They help schools raise money through the PTA, sponsor Relay for Life events and Music in the Park. “Little things that mean a lot,” Abel said.

Camino Real Restaurant is located at 16 Crow Street in Berryville. Hours are Sunday–Thursday 11am–9:30pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–midnight. Website with menu at www.caminorealfamilyrestaurant.com. Phone: 540-955-430.

Delicious Seasonal Recipes from Clarke County Farmers & Cooks

By Jennifer Lee, with help from Kimber Herron, Ruth Szechenyi, Lori Mackintosh, and Juliet Mackay-Smith

The sun’s bent southern angle has that warm glow accompanied by the snap of autumnal cool, confirming that summer is indeed over. It’s time to start tucking in to thick sweaters, bonfires, and warm, locally harvested meals back around the dining table.

We are fortunate that Clarke County remains a largely agricultural place with a bounty of local farmers, food, and cooks, some of whom generously shared their favorite seasonal recipes using locally grown ingredients.

We’ll start with something simple but rich and delicious, from Mackintosh Fruit Farm. Lori Mackintosh said their Apple Panini is a favorite there. To prepare, thinly slice a honey crisp apple  and generously layer on multigrain bread. Top with arugula and provolone cheese. Spread Boursin cheese on inside of other slice. Put together, and grill or cook in a pan sprayed with olive oil.

Buckwheat Crêpes or Breton Galettes

Kimber Herron, an organizer of the Clarke County Farmer’s Market and a volunteer at the Burwell-Morgan Mill, likes to use some of the product the Mill grinds every week in his cooking. The Mill grinds wheat, corn, rye, 5-grain, and buckwheat, depending on the week.  Kimber’s recipe for Buckwheat Crepes comes, appropriately, with an interesting history lesson.

Buckwheat originated in southeast Asia around 6,000 BC, and has been grown in America since the Colonial period, with peak production occurring several years after the close of the Civil War. By the turn of the twentieth-century, about a million acres were harvested. That number dropped to about 50,000 acres by the 1960s. During the 1970s buckwheat acreage increased somewhat, with U.S. production in 2011 reaching a little over 190,000 acres.

The Russian Federation produces most of the world’s buckwheat at slightly more than 2 million acres per year. Compare that to current U.S. acreage in corn, which is about 80–90 million acres. Buckwheat is nutritionally superior to all cereals, containing 18 amino acids, with an especially rich concentration of lysine. For a variety of reasons buckwheat is not easily amenable to modern industrial farming methods, and is thus an ideal cereal crop for the small-scale farmer or homesteader.

Ingredients for 4-5 large crêpes:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

2 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 – 1/3 cup whole milk

1–2 shot glasses of apple cider, hard cider, or cognac

a pinch or two of salt

lard

butter

 

Whisk all of the liquids, eggs and salt together in a large bowl.

Mix in about 1/4 cup of the buckwheat. Whip well to remove any clumps. Drip test the mixture. Scoop a large spoonful of the batter and slowly pour back into bowl. If the drip stream stays together the batter is ready; if the drip stream separates into droplets, continue adding buckwheat little by little until the stream is continuous. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup of buckwheat.

Acquire a smooth griddle or large flat profile pan, preferably cast iron. Place griddle on stove at medium-high heat. Lubricate the surface with lard (preferably) or butter. When the pan is up to temperature, take about 1/3 cup of the batter and pour onto griddle/pan. Use the bottom of a large spoon to spread out the batter to a diameter of at least 10 inches. After a minute or two, peek under the crêpe with help from a spatula in order to check browning. 20-30% browning is sufficient.

Flipping a paper-thin 10” crêpe is tricky. If the crêpe is truly paper thin, you may not need to flip. Just set aside in a warming oven until the other crêpes are finished. Otherwise, carefully turn over crêpe with the aid of two spatulas—or a kitchen helper. Finish the uncooked side for another minute or two.

These crêpes can be rolled. Savory fillings include meats, cheeses, tomatoes, grits, mushrooms. Dessert fillings include whipped cream, chocolate, preserves, raw fruit, honey, candied ginger, and even ice cream.

Cumin-Chile Pork Kebabs

Matt and Ruth Szechenyi grow all kinds of wonderful products at their Briars Farmstead near Boyce, including eggs, beef, poultry, and pork. Ruth said this recipe is her sister-in-law’s favorite way to use their pork. She suggests accompanying it with rice, an Asian spicy noodle salad, or cucumber salad and a nice Pinot Noir.

Serves 6

2 Tbs ground cumin

3 scallions roughly chopped

1 jalapeno pepper roughly chopped, seeds removed

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic

3 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Briars Farmstead pork tenderloin chops—about 1 1/2 lbs total, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces

*All Briars Farmstsead pork is raised on pasture and fed a GMO-free, local feed. 


 

Combine the cumin, scallions, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, 1 T veg. oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, five spice powder, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms.  
Lightly season the pork with salt and pepper. Rub with about 3/4 of the paste. Cover and set in the refrigerator 30-60 minutes. Preheat grill to medium. Combine the rest of the paste with the other 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small bowl and set aside for basting. Brush grill with some oil. Thread 3-4 pieces of pork onto each skewer. Grill, turning until marked all over, 6–9 minutes, basting with the remaining paste during the last minute. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Apple & Cheddar Soup w/Roasted Apple Garnish

Anyone who’s been to Locke Store in Millwood knows how tasty the food that comes out of their kitchen is. They shared two seasonal recipes with us, sure to thrill your taste buds.

4 tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

2 large stalks of celery, diced

1/4 cup flour

1 sprig fresh thyme, picked

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 cups fresh apple cider

2 cups water

1 lb (about 3 medium) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces

1 ½ lbs (about 3 medium) tart cooking apples, cored, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces

2 cups half and half

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 lbs (about 2 ½ cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

Sautee first four ingredients over medium heat until onions are translucent (about 7 minutes).

Add celery to onion mixture and sautee for 5 minutes. Next add flour, thyme, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Sautee for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add cider, water and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until potatoes are almost cooked through. Add the apples and simmer for an additional 10–15 minutes, until apples are soft. Remove from heat.

Next, stir in half & half and heavy cream. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, blend soup until smooth.

Incorporate cheese into finished soup. Adjust seasoning with salt to taste.

 

Roasted Apple Garnish:

1 large or 2 small tart apples, cored, but not peeled, and sliced thinly

1 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Toss all ingredients together and spread in single layer (well spaced) on baking sheet. Roast about 20–30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Katie’s Pumpkin Raisin Bread

Yield: Two 9” X 5” Loaf Pans

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 pound pumpkin puree

3 eggs

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 Tbs baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cups raisins

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease loaf pans. Mix vegetable oil and sugar together. Add pumpkin and mix. Break up eggs separately in a small bowl, then add slowly to pumpkin mixture. Sift all dry ingredients together and then add slowly to mixture.

Scrape the bottom of your mixing bowl, and mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Mix in raisins. Split batter evenly between both loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the loaf. Let cool completely in loaf pans.

Some things sweet, some things savory, all things to warm your kitchen and your belly during this beautiful season of harvest and home making. Bon appetit!

Contact information for local ingredients:

Mackintosh Fruit Farm: 1608 Russell Road, Berryville. 540-955-2161. www.mackintoshfruitfarm.com

Burwell-Morgan Mill: 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood. 540-837-1799. www.burwellmorganmill.org

Briars Farmstead: 2535 Pyletown Road, Boyce. 540-837-2554. www.briarsfarmstead.com

Locke Store: 2049 Millwood Road, Millwood. 540-837-1275. www.lockestore.com

See You at The Curve!

Iconic establishment on the mountain serves up a one-of-a-kind experience

By Jennifer Lee

 

If walking into the Horseshoe Curve restaurant feels like you’re walking into someone’s living room, that’s because you are. Tracee and Jim Wink have been welcoming friends and not-for-long strangers into their cozy, colorful restaurant and bar, serving up simple, tasty food, drinks, and tunes on the first floor of their home for 25 years.

Sitting just inside the U-shaped turn on old Route 7 in Pine Grove, “The Curve” has been in operation since 1946, when Tracee’s grandfather Bob McClaughry bought it from George Bell for $5,000 on the GI bill after returning home from World War II. He and his wife Faye raised two daughters there in a 1-bedroom apartment attached to the restaurant, bar, grocery, and gas station—the room that now serves as Jim Wink’s office. “I don’t know how they did it,” Tracee says, shaking her head, “but they did.”

Tracee, too, grew up in the since-expanded home/meeting place, and has lived there all her life. She remembers as a child seeing, “these mountain people comin’ up over the hill on foot” to do their shopping and mingling. By the time she was 13 in the mid ‘70s, she was not only helping in the kitchen and greeting the customers, but entertaining them as well. “I didn’t go to the prom or much of anything else. I had too much fun playing right here,” Tracee remembers.

“I took guitar and singing lessons from the time I was around 5. I grew up thinking that I’d be a professional musician,” she muses. “Come Friday nights, some old gentlemen from Bluemont (Lou Allen Robey on Guitar and George Reed on bass, among others) would come sit at this table, and we’d play for tips,” she says, tapping on the table where we’re sitting. Some 40 years later, a myriad of musical acts come through on weekend nights, still playing just for tips.

When Route 7 was expanded to bypass Pine Grove, around 1973, Tracee remembers her grandfather being very concerned it would dramatically hurt the business. “It didn’t affect it at all. We’ve always been a word-of-mouth kind of place and, by then, were pretty well established,” she said.

When Mr. McClaughry died in 1987, Tracee’s stepfather suggested she take it over until her grandmother could sell it. “I remember some old guy saying ‘That little girl can’t run this place.’ I don’t know who it was, but I remember hearing it, and I figure that’s what convinced me to do it.”

Petite and pretty as she may be, it is clear that Tracee Wink is no shrinking violet. Her husband’s favorite modeling picture of her, taken some time ago and among many framed on the wall of his office, is of a glamorous, big-haired gal proudly toting a large rifle. Just as glamorous now, her sweetly raspy voice and sparkling smile are reason enough to visit the establishment.

Jim Wink must have thought so when he stepped in there in 1987 while with the Secret Service doing a project at Mount Weather. “We went on one real date,” Tracee said, explaining that every other “date” was spent at the restaurant, where she has worked six days a week for most of the last 30 years. Ten months after meeting, Jim and Tracee were married in May 1988. They celebrated their 25th anniversary this year. “We always say we wish we had a place like this to go on our days off,” Tracee laughed.

They bought Horseshoe Curve from Tracee’s grandmother that same year, keeping a Clarke County institution alive and well. Any changes they’ve made since then have been gradual, “really just adding a feminine touch, I guess,” Tracee says. They added wine to the drink menu, “and some fancy stuff with the meals,” Jim added. In addition to their popular cheeseburger with homemade fries, diners can get grilled ham and cheese, seafood specials, homemade soups, and other daily specials—most all of which Tracee cooks up herself.

The clientele has changed a bit over the years, too. “We used to have a lot of government people through here,” Jim said, referring to Mount Weather’s operations just up the hill on Route 601. Since many of those employees, namely FEMA, have moved to Winchester, some of that crowd has waned, though Jim sees a resurgence in the near future. He adds that ten years ago customers came from a defined local radius, but now many more are coming from Loudoun County and beyond.

The décor of the place is notable for its rich assortment of funny signs, figurines, tchotchkes, and old photographs, one of which shows a young Tracee posing with her tot-sized guitar. A neatly organized bulletin board holds dozens of customers’ business cards. Artifacts from Jim’s distinguished career with the CIA, Secret Service, and other government agencies that led him all over the world are interspersed throughout the place. Old-fashioned lanterns hang over the small wooden bar and colored Christmas lights line the ceiling. There is enough eye candy in one room to keep you entertained for hours.

The Curve also seems to have special powers when it comes to finding romance for its customers. “When people meet here, they stay together,” Tracee said. “We’ve had many engagements here—and a wedding.”

“And almost a baby!” Jim adds, remembering a woman who went into labor in the restaurant’s bathroom before the emergency squad arrived just in time to whisk her to the hospital.

Music became a major part of The Curve experience about ten years ago when a friend’s 14-year-old daughter started playing guitar on occasional weekend nights. Now, you can find excellent local and regional musicians on Friday and Saturday nights—and some Thursdays—playing a variety of genres, from rock and roll to bluegrass to blues and country.

“We are now booking through December 2014,” Tracee said, giving evidence of the place’s popularity with the performers, especially considering their only monetary compensation is based on the generosity of their listeners. “They say it’s their favorite place to play. Many of them call it The Bluebird Café of Virginia,” referring to the famed Nashville venue. “We have a band coming from Boston on October 10 who said they were told they HAD to play here. We don’t go out looking for bands, they just seem to find us.”

The size and character of The Curve makes the listening experience particularly intimate. There is no stage, and between sets musicians usually sit down with the audience. It’s also been a great training ground for young performers, many brought by their instructor Todd McDonald, Clarke County’s own guitar-teaching traveling gypsy who just played at The Curve last month. “He brought a 5-year-old drum player here one time,” Jim said.

On Tuesday nights, Tracee and a few of her friends—Richard “Duke” Huber on accordion and harmonica, Jimmy Haile on bass, Phil Jones on guitar and banjo, and Tracee on guitar and mandolin—gather to sing and play “mostly old hippie music and alternative country: Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, stuff like that,” Tracee said.

Tracee and Jim pretty much do it all at The Curve. They have one part-time guy who helps in the kitchen. “And the locals pitch in, take out the trash, help whenever we need it,” Jim said. “And I do whatever my wife wants me to do.”

That attitude of neighbor helping neighbor is prevalent among members of the Horseshoe Curve Benevolent Association (HSCBA), a nonprofit charitable organization the Winks formed in 1998. Their fundraising efforts began before then, in 1993. “There were two real bad fires up here on the mountain that year, and we wanted to do something to support the Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue folks,” Jim said. They raised $1,400 in that first fundraiser, and the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company 8 has become the backbone of their charitable efforts since then, Jim added.

Since then, the HSCBA has raised over $350,000 for charities from Winchester to Purcellville, from animal shelters to children’s programs to an annual $1,000 scholarship given to a Clarke County High School graduate who has had perfect attendance during their school years. “We didn’t want to get into having to pick, so this way the recipient picks him or herself,” Tracee said.

In January, the HSCBA hosts a Polar Plunge in the Shenandoah River to raise money to send needy kids to sports camp for a week. This year, the event raised enough funds to send eight kids to camp. In June, the restaurant hosts a big party for the Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue, complete with silent and live auctions, barbecue, fire truck rides, and live music. In October, HSCBA hosts a Police Appreciation dinner. In November, the organization sponsors a dance at the Blue Ridge fire hall; this year a raffle of a sapphire ring and a helicopter ride will raise funds to help purchase a much-needed and very expensive new ambulance for Company 8. At Christmastime, HSCBA members prepare and serve lunch to the residents of the Johnson-Williams apartments in Berryville. Various other events and efforts are spread throughout the year, making the HSCBA a well-known and well-loved group of locals having fun while helping others in this area.

So if you’re looking for a juicy cheeseburger, a friendly smile, great music, and a cold beer, you won’t find a more authentic and welcoming place than The Curve. “There’s no article or description that can properly convey the experience of The Curve,” one Clarke County resident and Horseshoe Curve fan said. “You just have to go there.”

Horseshoe Curve restaurant is located in Pine Grove at 1162 Pine Grove Road. Hours are noon to 11pm, Tuesday-Thursday, noon to 2am Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7pm on Sunday. Phone is 540-554-8291.