Auburnlea Corners the Market on Organic Eating

By Donald Saltmash ‘16

Published February 2015

 Welcome to Cornerstone, Lynchburg’s newest large community development. Located just down the road from Lynchburg Regional Airport and Liberty University, it is a sprawling community offering various amenities residents of Lynchburg, the fastest growing city in the Central Virginia region. While Cornerstone has plenty of housing options and close proximity to the bustling Wards Road, the true treasure of the community just opened a month ago.  Auburnlea Farms Corner Market is a combination of grocery store, butcher, café, and soda shoppe, and, somehow, each aspect manages to successfully co-exist. 

Auburnlea’s exterior borrows architectural details from traditional southern barns, and upon entry many rustic details emerge in the small grocery, a sharp contrast to the stark white floors and long aisles of traditional stores. The small-world feel makes for a pleasurable shopping experience away from the tedious bustle of the grocery experience that large corporations have established as today’s norm. It does not have the selection of Kroger, or the breadth of goods and supplies of other supermarkets, but then again, that is not the goal of Auburnlea. Instead, it emphasizes quality over quantity, with a selection of high-quality locally sourced organic foods and a butcher section comparable to nearby Bedford Avenue Meat Shop. Auburnlea’s soda shoppe has a truly unique character as well, featuring house-made sodas and syrups made with organic fruits, as well as ice cream from Trickling Springs, which is sourced from  “Beyond Organic” small farms providing milk from grass-fed cows. 

Turkish Fig & Blue Cheese saladsAll photo's courtesy of Donald Saltmarsh '16

While the market and soda shoppe are wonderful, the highlight of a trip to the Corner Market is its small café that could easily be pictured in the streets of San Francisco or Portland. The cafe’s booths and tables nestle into a small walled-off strip of the store; however, even though the space is small, it does not feel crowded or cramped. Small touches such as Edison light bulbs and table legs made from spinning wheel bases give the café soft lighting and provide continuity of the farm-to-table themes of the menu, with a section that changes daily. 

On the day that I dined at Cornerstone, the menu featured four unique salads, a variety of soups and sandwiches, and an exceptional burger menu. Beverages included organic coffee drinks, and of course, the draft pulled sodas from the soda shoppe. In Lynchburg I rarely see truly unique ingredient pairings, but this restaurant differs, offering a fresh take on classics and commitment to quality. My dining companion and I started the meal with two Turkish Fig & Blue Cheese salads ($7 each), which along with the obvious ingredients also included mixed greens, granola, and apple slices, topped off with a pear vinaigrette dressing.The fresh salads had just the right amount of crunch and sweetness that balanced well with the tangy blue cheese. We followed the salads with a Steak Sandwich ($10) and a Bison Burger ($10)—a tough decision when the burger menu also boasted chorizo, ahi tuna, and turkey burgers. 

The bison burger topped with
 local goat pimento cheese and hot pepper jelly

The steak sandwich was cooked to preference (I went medium-rare) on a hoagie loaf with dark honey and mustard, Swiss chard, Havarti cheese, and onion gravy. The bison burger was topped with local goat pimento cheese and hot pepper jelly. The steak sandwich came with a side of your choice; I went with the barley & quinoa salad over the other options including red potato salad, house made potato wedges, or homemade potato chips. The bison burger came with a choice of the aforementioned potato wedges, potato chips, or an additional choice of sweet potato fries, and my companion went with the sweet potato option. The farm-to-table feel of the dining experience made it seem a gourmet experience with affordable prices; all of the ingredients were extremely fresh, and the meat was tender and juicy. The pimento cheese and hot pepper jelly on the burger distinguished itself from standard American-fare in a very good way, and the medium-cut sweet potato fries avoided the grease over-load of most fries without sacrificing the crunch of the outer potato. The steak sandwich emphasized the excellent steak cut, and the salad offered a refreshing and healthy option reminiscent of summer day barbecues. 

Barley & quinoa salad came as an
optional side with the steak sandwich.

The many vegetarian-friendly options including salads, veggie burgers, pimento cheese, and a veggie sandwich, a small rotating dessert menu, combined with the reasonable meal prices (entrées range from $8-14) make the café element of Auburnlea Farms truly a stand-out in Lynchburg, a worthwhile one-stop shop for dinner and groceries. Whether you are looking for high-quality products or simply a delicious meal, this market will not leave you disappointed. We left with nothing to complain of other than full bellies, full grocery baskets, and a strong feeling that Dr. John Abell would approve.