Does your hunger for great food drive you to great distances? Well, in the D.C. area, you can combine that love of food with a quick day trip — without breaking the budget.

Believe it or not, you can sample dishes from a three-star Michelin chef without forking out hundreds of dollars for a tasting menu. Or get lost in the beauty of a Shenandoah or Chesapeake Bay sunset while sampling some of the best wood-fired dishes the Mid-Atlantic has to offer. We even found a fancy Spanish tapas bar with a bottomless brunch, in — of all places — Ocean City, Maryland.

For this trip the only thing you’ll need to work-up is an appetite and a willingness to travel (by car) for some destination dining.

Patty O’s Cafe at The Inn at Little Washington
Washington, Virginia
Drive time: 90 minutes

We will let you in on a little secret: You don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars to whet your appetite at the three-star Michelin restaurant Inn at Little Washington. While it’s certainly a foodie splurge, you can also savor some of what Chef Patrick O’Connell has to offer at his al-la-carte restaurant across the street, Patty O’s Cafe. This restaurant in a former gas station resembles a classic French bistro with popular dishes like onion soup served with Calvados, whole roasted quail, and mushroom-style bourguignon.

Almost all of the dishes are sourced locally from The Inn’s very own farm, gardens, and greenhouses. This trip is also worth a quick self-guided tour of the property’s lush garden and farm complete with farm animals: chickens, goats, sheep, and llamas. Best of all, you can grab-and-go for the car ride home with something sweet. Bakery options include flaky croissants, artisanal breads, and homemade gelato.

Sumac
Sperryville, Virginia
Drive time: 90 minutes

Near Shenandoah National Park sits a farm brewery with an outsized reputation for being some of the best spontaneous, barrel-fermented, and coolshipped beers and ciders in Virginia. Go a little beyond Pen Druid’s tasting room, and you will find what looks like a basic black trailer — but is actually Sumac, kitchen turning out farm-to-table dishes run by chef Dan Gleason. Fueled entirely by wood-fire cooking techniques, Gleason serves a-la-carte options or a pre-fixe tasting menu for two.

For fall, Sumac’s menu might feature a smoked duck breast served in a dark wine grape mole, or roasted marinated peppers with XO-sauce. Sumac focuses on cooking all its proteins, vegetables, dairy, and grains from within a 150-miles radius. The beauty of this place shines in Gleason’s talent as well as the picnic-style setting, just as the sun tucks over and under the Shenandoah. Sample the brewery’s Belgian-style beers, or pair the menu with a glass of natural wine from the bar’s small selection.

A special reason to visit this month includes this weekend’s collaboration with Richmond chef Matthew Brusca. The chefs’ combined menu will feature Chesapeake Bay seafood and locally grown ingredients, cooked via the foodways of Virginia. Sunday’s ticketed dinner ($160 per person) is sold out but the lower-cost lunch ($150 for 2 people) still has reservations available.

Ruse
St. Michaels, Maryland
Drive time: 90 minutes

It’s spooky season, and the seafood-centric restaurant Ruse in St. Michaels, Maryland is building a devoted following with Eastern Shore regulars and Halloweenfans. This restaurant, located in the uber-trendy Wildset Hotel, offers a fresh take on local cuisine by way of the water. Walk in and you’ll immediately notice the oyster bar showcasing a variety of oysters and shellfish. Chef Michael Correll keeps the seafood coming on the rest of the menu, with dishes such as sea scallop ceviche, smoked trout dip, and rock shrimp tagliatelle.

A special reason to visit includes the restaurant’s movie nights, including a special showing of Hocus Pocus on Oct. 26. Watch this Halloween classic from the comfort of a blanketed spot on the hotel’s lawn with either a sweet-and-savory snack box, or a picnic-style dinner to-go. Ruse will also be offering curated cocktails and mocktails inspired by the Halloween season. Ticket packages range from $12-50 and can be purchased online.

Spain Wine Bar
Ocean City, Maryland
Drive time: 3 hours

This rowdy beach town best known for orange crushes and steamed crabs is bucking its own trend thanks to a new hotel with a swanky rooftop bar and restaurant that has quickly become one of the hottest restaurants along the Maryland shore.

Spain Wine Bar comes from owner Peter Elias and offers a menu of tapas, plus an extensive list of Spanish wine and cocktails. Find a variety of traditional options from appetizers such as mussels with chorizo to larger plates like paella, not to mention classic sangria. Or sample unique cocktails like the El Fuerte with habanero tequila or the Alhambra with pomegranate, aperol, and orange blossom.

Their rooftop boasts some of the best views in Ocean City with brunch bragging rights. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, there is a bottomless brunch spread with Spanish flair, including pan con tomate and torrija Catalan (Spanish-style French toast), as well as eggs Benedict topped with smoked salmon or crab cake — this is Maryland after all.

Farmhouse Bistro at The Crossvines
Poolesville, Maryland
Drive time: 1 hour

Maryland wine might not be the first thing that comes to mind in our region — after all, Virginia has cultivated an expansive wine region over decades. But one small startup winery, The Crossvines, hopes to change that in Montgomery County. It’s also an excellent place to dine outdoors and sample local Maryland wine and farm-to-table fare.

Located about an hour north and west of Washington, DC, The Crossvines serves as a wine incubator space, run in partnership with the University of Maryland. Think of this winery as a three-in-one facility: a classroom for soon-to-be vintners, a wine production facility for anyone growing grapes, and a tasting room to savor wine pairings. It also recently announced a guided wine tour available for a limited time through November.

They also have a full-service restaurant, Farmhouse Bistro. Chef Luis Montesinos serves up locally sourced dishes including wild Chesapeake Bay rockfish and jumbo lump crab cakes that pair perfectly with the Crossvines’ Front Porch white blend. Golf lovers will also enjoy the fact that the winery sits adjacent to one of Montgomery County’s largest public golf courses, The Poolesville Player’s Club, which feels more like a private country club.

Marigold
Keswick, Virginia
Drive time: 2 hours 30 minutes

French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten recently debuted his Virginia tasting menu at the renovated Keswick Hall resort near Charlottesville. Marigold’s seasonal menus feature dishes prepared in part with produce, beef and honey harvested on the nearby Oakdale Farm. This includes fall fresh flavors like tender baby beets served in a coconut yogurt with pink lady apples, and crunchy maitake mushrooms marinated in citrus honey and black sesame. There’s also a tasting menu ($128 per person) with your choice of a starter, main entree, and dessert.

Everything about this restaurant gives off rustic and cozy vibes, and you will certainly want to linger longer. From the outdoor patio and stone fireplace where you can sit in a rocker with hot (and, if you prefer, spiked) cocoa in hand to the wood beam-accented bar and dining room where you can sip and savor Virginia wines. If you wish to stay a little longer and pamper yourself, the hotel, located next door, includes luxurious accommodations, a heated outdoor infinity pool, and a wellness spa with herbal body and massage treatments.