Welcome to the September Edition of Field Trip Friday!
I started this blog series six months ago in response to those who wanted to know more about the area we live in. We are close to many tourist attractions, so these reviews highlight the local food and beverages that can be found near them.
I was a little hesitant about this series because I didn’t know how it would come across. I didn’t want this blog series to come across as two folks getting schnockered, and eating too much on Friday night. It’s more than that.
80% of our readers we surveyed say they enjoy the Field Trip Friday Series. They like reading the local food and beverage reviews we put together. Our hope is that the reviews will be helpful, should you ever decide to visit this part of Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Maybe you can check out some of the places we talk about if you visit sometime.
Today’s edition of Field Trip Friday is about our visits to Tin Cannon Brewing Company, a brewery in Gainesville, Virginia, and Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano, a restaurant in Haymarket, Virginia.
Before I begin with today’s great places, I just want to say that I’m not being compensated in any way for this post. Field Trip Friday posts are based on a good-faith, honest opinion of some of the places David and I visit. I will admit, the research is fantastic! 😋
Tin Cannon Brewing Company
Tin Cannon Brewing Company is located at 7679 Limestone Drive, Suite 130
Gainesville, Virginia. Gainesville is located in Prince William County, in Northern Virginia, at the heart of where I-66, Route 15 and Route 29 all run together.
Tin Cannon formed 5 years ago when Aaron Ludwig and John Hilkert, who shared a passion for making home brews decided to join forces with each other to share their passion for making beer with others.
Tin Cannon Brewing Company gets its name because it is located in an area rich in Civil War heritage. In fact, you only have to take a short drive down Route 29 through the Manassas Battlefield to see memorials, structures and of course, cannons from the 1800s era. The name also is sort of a “tongue in cheek” expression. Aluminum cans, like the ones beer sometimes come in, were known long ago as “tin cans”.
The brewery is located back in an industrial park like many breweries are. Tin Cannon manufactures their craft brews on-premise and sells them in their taproom.
The taproom was a quaint and quickly became a happening spot as 5:00 p.m. approached and the live entertainment arrived.
Tin Cannon Brewing menu is updated weekly. Their staples include our Virginia Blonde Ale and Revenge of the Zyth IPA, with a seasonal beer rotation of experimental beer, dark ales (porters and stouts), and IPA varietals. Their menu is updated through the Untappd app each week. And a new beer is released each Friday to keep the pours interesting.
On this particular Friday, David and I did a flight of four beers; the Virginia Blonde, Meet’cha in Vienna (Vienna Lager), Vaughn’s Peanut Butter (English-porter) and the Pleased To Wheat You Mango (Hefeweizen).
The Pleased To Wheat You Mango was the new Friday release beer. All four beers were quite drinkable. The Peanut Butter was a little too sweet for our taste. Of the four beers, we liked the Meet’cha in Vienna the best. This was a really nice Vienna Lager. We each had a pint and just like that they had tapped out of the lager for the night. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who liked that beer!
We enjoy the offerings at Tin Cannon Brewing Company and recommend them. If you are out near Bull Run National Park or any of the other historical sites in the Prince William County area, pop into Tin Cannon Brewery for a quick flight. They sell ½-pints and pints, as well as 32-ounce and 64-ounce growlers.
I will also add that there is a huge Cabela’s store less than a mile away. Just saying…
For hours of operation and more information about Tin Cannon Brewing Company, visit their website at https://www.tincannonbrewing.com/home.
Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano
Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano is located at 15120 Washington Street, in Haymarket, Virginia. Haymarket is located in Prince William County, west of Gainesville, Virginia where Route 15 and I-66 intersect.
David and I have been going to Giuseppe’s since we moved to Northern Virginia in 2009. The restaurant was practically in our back yard when we lived on Bull Run Mountain. We’ve always adored this restaurant and have taken both friends and family there for dinner. Everyone always leaves there full and happy!
Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano has served their community for the past 25 years. When you walk into the front door you feel like you’ve entered an Italian home. There is a kind welcome at the front door with a friendly smile from a hostess eager to seat you.
There are three options for seating. If you are looking for a pub-style atmosphere with live entertainment, the bar is the place for you. If you are looking for a casual dining experience the main dining room is a relaxed environment with lots of space. There is also outdoor dining on the large front porch.
Giuseppe’s specializes in real Italian food from quality pizza and subs to authentic Italian dishes with homemade pasta included. When David and I dine here, we always start our meal with the calamari. The calamari at Giuseppe’s is some of the best we have eaten. It has just the right texture served with a marinara sauce that is as we say, “STUPID GOOD”!
While we have eaten the authentic Italian dishes Giuseppe’s has to offer, it’s hard not to get the pizza. Their pizza is some of the best pizza in the area. We love to order what they call the “Giuseppe’s Special”. This pizza is a supreme-style pizza with a perfectly crisp crust. The pizza is topped with just the right amount of Pepperoni, Sausage, Green Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, in such a way that it does not overcrowd it. However, we add black olives to this pie every time to make it in our opinion the perfect pizza!
I should mention they have an amazing Sicilian Style Thick Crust Pizza. It only comes in a large size, so take your appetite if you go!
There is usually no room in our stomachs, but sometimes we splurge and get one of the delicious homemade desserts. On this particular visit, we ordered a cannoli to split. Yum!
If you are hungry after all that Civil War history and beer drinking, stop by Giuseppe’s for some of the best Italian food in the area!
For more information about Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano, visit their website at http://www.giuseppesri.com.
That concludes this edition of Field Trip Friday. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the local food and beverages we experienced.
Did you enjoy hearing about the two places we visited? Want to hear about more places we visit on Field Trip Friday? Comment below.
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Click [HERE] to read our other Field Trip Friday Local Food & Beverage Reviews.
Vincent "Vinnie" Sabatino says
OK now I can comment ,I’ve seen your “Friday Field Trip ” and Like your comments about the Tin Cannon Brewery and Giuseppe’s looks like a “Fun Place ” to chow down on Calamari (one of my Faves) i’m 82 years young and enjoy food from many places and There are a few places here in North Carolina that make Great Pizza however I like to make my own Dough and sauce for the pizza ! My Daughter-in-law
makes a great topping of Caramelized Vidalia onions Ricotta (Badia spices Granulated Garlic and parsley) Home grown Basilico and Pignola nuts We usually have for the Five of us about nine rustic pizzas (plenty for all ) I also like experimenting with Sous Vide Cooking which is a whole other topic and have had great results with that !
I watch for you “Food blog” ,always interested in “New recipes” Thank You, “Vincenzo”
The Mountain Kitchen says
Vincenzo, thank you so much for your support. I’m glad you like reading the blog. The pizzas your family make sound amazing! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I enjoy hearing from you! Debbie
Paula Somers says
I’m in the midwest but I love to read about your Friday adventures. The Italian food looks wonderful and the beer looks awesome too!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you, Paula. We appreciate it so much!
Annie says
This sounds like such a fun night! And oh, man – that pizza! Gimme!