On a recent Friday evening, with only hours to spare, two parties of two canceled reservations for Dinner in the Garden. That left Beverly and Chuck Billand, owners of Patowmack Farm, with only six Cornish hens to prepare. And that's a shame. This is a very different dining experience. The view is spectacular.
Birds soar over the tree tops.
All is peaceful. Then, a train lets out a long, low whistle from somewhere in the distance, deep in the forest below. Work up an appetite with a half-mile stroll on the farm's nature trail to peaceful Catoctin Creek. After dinner, carry a wine glass up behind the chicken yard to the hilltop with Maryland to one side, the sun setting behind the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia under foot. The house should be full for Dinner in the Garden with 45 guests.