BY BILL KOSSLER

BY BILL KOSSLER

Rappahannock News Special Writer

Jo Mariea and Harry Carlip of the Heritage House in Washington are the new proprietors of the Bleu Rock, where they have vigorously put their shoulders to the wheel, putting their mark on the place with an array of expansions, improvements and changes. They want to bring an equine element, a bit of horse culture to the Bleu Rock.

With that in mind the Bleu Horse Pub will be opening its doors for its local premiere this Saint Patrick’s Day. This first opening will be a kind of welcoming to the community, a chance for locals to come in and say hi, and get a look around the place before the grand opening after all the new work is finished.

The new pub is just the tip of the iceberg for their plans for the Bleu Rock. Even now two ten stall stables are going up, with tack shops and offices, and plans afoot for two horse tracks, and perhaps sanctioned events a bit down the road.

Speaking with Ms. Mariea and Mr. Carlip the other day, they were very excited about their work and plans, yet they also see all these changes, while dramatic, as in keeping with the best aspects of what the Bleu Rock has always been, and the fruition of the vision that the founders, the brothers Jean and Bernard Campagne of La Bergerie in Alexandria, saw for the Bleu Rock.

In Ms. Mariea’s words, “we saw the place as a rose bud and we wanted it to bloom.”

While Mr. Carlip and Ms. Mariea have taken over the reins, the Campagnes are still around and about. “The Campagnes are marvelous, marvelous people just fantastic, the thing that we bring to it is being here, in the restaurant, keeping and trying to enhance what they had already built, and they were very excited about that prospect” said Mr. Carlip.

The Campagnes have always had a love and vision for the Bleu Rock, which they worked on whenever they could escape the demands of their other busy restaurant. Ms. Mariea feels: “they just wanted to complete it... still can’t get them off the mowers- isn’t that funny- they still come out, they come out to trim the roses and mow the grounds. Its become a friendship..they know we’ve never had a restaurant, and they wanted to see us succeed too, they wanted to see the horses come back and more vines planted; their dream completed.”

While they work together with everything, Ms. Mariea has been focusing more on the interior decor, and she has more of a horse background. Her son raises and races horses in Virginia, his horse Christo Kid ran in the Rappahannock Races this year. Mr. Carlip, meanwhile, has hopes for the Bleu Rock’s vineyards.

Chef Richard Mahan, formerly of Oliver’s and The Inn at Little Washington, will remain at the restaurant’s helm, along with his wife, pastr^ chef and aide de camp Lynn Mahan. Under his hand and cuisine, these last four years, the Bleu Rock has transformed into a consistent, sustained success.

For the Pub, Chef Mahan anticipates the food will include typical pub fare, some lighter, less pricey fare to accompany a few drinks, with maybe a bit more fun, more experimentation upon occasion than in the dining room; maybe some Thai style items or a Sushi night, for example.

Giving sway to partner Jo Mariea, as the arbiter of such matters, Mr. Carlip tells us “Jo has been redecorating, upgrading visually, comfort, lighting, and is infinitely capable of making it a comfortable environment... country elegant.” Her goal is “when you walk in the door, I want you to