New York Times names Sumac food truck in Sperryville among top 50 restaurants in country

A food truck tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Sumac, has been named one of the 50 best restaurants in America by the New York Times. 

“We would just like to say a huge thank you to all of our supporters, our staff, and we just have huge, huge gratitude to our Sumac community,” chef and owner Dan Gleason said Wednesday.

New York Times reporter Melissa Clark wrote that it was “one of the most elegant bites” she’s eaten all year.

“The setting may be rustic, but Abigail and Dan Gleason’s cuisine is fiercely refined, with a menu that changes as the hyperlocal ingredients come into season,” Clark wrote.

Gleason said he hasn’t considered moving Sumac from the grounds of Pen Druid Brewing in Sperryville and into a brick and mortar restaurant. “We absolutely love what we do,” said Gleason, adding the business is a collaborative effort with his wife and partner, Abigail.

“People are pretty satisfied with what they get at Sumac,” he said. “And I think a lot of it is because of the casual model that we have — we can still be gourmet and offer high-quality food and product, but people do it at their own pace.”

Gleason said the food at Sumac is “anything that can be cooked over a fire.” He uses locally-sourced ingredients from farm partners, and the menu changes depending on the seasonality of the food and what farmers are able to sell.

“Our farm partners are 100% our inspiration,” he said.

To see the full New York Times restaurant list, visit rappnews.link/9fw.