GRAVITAS gives us yet another gorgeous meal worth of much adulation(8-30-20)

We had another double "celebration" in August and since our experience at Gravitas at the beginning of the months was so rewarding, special, delicious and comfortable(vis-a-vis distancing/masks/etc) we returned to GRAVITAS. We had asked Chef Matt Baker to create a veggie tasting menu for Samuel as this was his last big meal out before he heads back to boarding school tomorrow. I think he was truly happy and we loved our multi-course meal created to celebrate our dearest friend Mel's birthday.

Celebrations here begin with a glass of Gosset Champagne and we all quickly devoured the magnificent Parker house rolls(divinely salted) and house made Focaccia. We ordered a bottle of rose to start, Bodegas Breca 2018 Rose of Garnacha which was bone dry and had amazing flavor. It was perfect with the acidity of our Amuses: Tomato Gazpacho, Arancini with Pesto Aioli and a superb Seafood Cocktail with crispy garlic chips.

Sam started with the most beautiful Summer Garden Salad with Herbed Goat Cheese(pics on FB!!) which was so beautiful you really did not want to eat it, but he did! We had the Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi with Soy Vinaigrette, Shaved Jalapeno Black Vinegar Aioli, Nori, Crispy Shallots & Garlic which is so simple yet sooo delicious and refreshing, especially on a hot summer evening. 

Our second course was an amazing, but again, so simple, Tomato & Burrata Salad with Cucumber, Marinated Baby Tomato, Brioche Croutons with a Chardonnay Vinaigrette. The small cherry or baby tomatoes had an awesome burst of acidity and balsamic when you bit them open and we learned that after they are peeled they are marinated in balsamic! Not that I like to peel my tomatoes, but what a brilliant idea! 

We moved on to a Chablis Vielles Vignes 2018 from Jean-Marc Brocard that chef recommended and went amazing well with our Corn & Lobster Agnolloti, which Will described as the best lobster dish ever! It was superb with acidity form a tomato fondue and chunks of Maine Lobster with a slight sweetness form a Saffron Vanilla Reduction with Taragon.  Sam devoured his rich creamy chilled Corn Veloute with Corn-Goat Cheese Espuma, Puffed Sorghum and Basil. We all declared more bread was needed for the sauces!

Next for Sam came a Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto, Tomato Fondue and Pecorino Toscano and there are few pastas Sam can refuse, peso being his favorite. We had a divine Seared Red Snapper with Summer Bean Salad, Onion Mojo, Pepper Coulis and (of course) Garlic. At this point a bride entered in a small wedding party(maybe 8 total folks) looking gorgeous in her summery airy gown and they all headed upstairs for their dinner to a round of applause from the 7 or so tables in the large room!

Our final wine was a huge 2009 Priorat Garnaxta Blend from Des Nivell in Spain that was beyond amazing and paired so brilliantly with the Wagyu Beef main course for us. Samuel's dish a a huge selection of Tempura vegetables done to perfection and we all were really amazed at the variety of the food and superb love that went into each dish.

A slice of chocolate birthday cake arrived with a candle  for Mel and Sam got a special drink called a Berry Nice, while we enjoyed a sparkling Brachetto d'Acqui from Braida.

The dessert was right up my alley with tons of fruit flavors and was called Summer Cherries with a Creme Fraiche-Lavender Cremoux, Cherry Cake, Cherry-Ginger Sorbet and Chocolate Sable.

As this was not enough the mignardises arrived with a very lemony and tasty Olive Oil Cake and a blow your mind Blackberry Marshmallow that actually had a fizziness when you put it in your mouth, think fruit marshmallow on pop rocks!

It was another magnificent dinner worthy of multiple Michelin stars!

Fearrington House Inn, North Carolina has confusing cuisine(8-13-20)

 Our final night of the road trip was last night and we head home later this morning after what I'm sure will be another amazing breakfast like we had here yesterday at the Fearrington House Inn  restaurant.

 Alas, last night's dinner was a bit of a letdown, despite the elegant setting, excellent service and most exciting menu.  There is an option of 3 courses for $95 or 4 for $115.  We all decided that they were so many delicious choices to choose the 3 course menu to start and then decide on dessert after we had finished. We never got that far as the dishes were indeed quite huge, and even odder, confusing with so many ingredients on each plate it was hard to keep track of them.

 Canapés arrived first with a vegetarian pickled watermelon and tomato salad with basil herb aioli for Sam and a salmon mousse with caper-raisin puree for us.  We all got the miniature canoli I filled with lemon ricotta cheese and herb powder. They were quite deliciou,s but it seemed to take forever to have the wine that we ordered delivered. A 2017 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitages Blanc from the Rhone was mineral forward and ideal.

 Next came the amuse bouche of cauliflower custard with sweet summer corn salad and a crispy Lotus root topped with Brown butter powder. It was tasty indeed but the custard had the oddest rubbery taste.  Everyone was happy when the herbed parmesan corn bread and ep- baguette arrived.  The bread was warm and fabulous and the salted butter and sweet butter were both really superb. Seconds were in order for most of us.

 For the 1st course Sam chose the heirloom tomato gazpacho with pickled watermelon, pearl onion, basil, chives and a tomato espuma.  Will and I loved the she-crab salad with a yellow pepper and crab custard and Sherry foam, although the canoli stuffed with creme fraiche seemed a bit bland unless you mixed it with the other ingredients; there was also nutmeg, snow peas, mustard seed and tomato gel.  The crab itself came out as a huge torchon-like pate and was indeed excellent, especially since we are so picky about our crab being from Washington DC.  Madeleine chose the local goat cheese tart with caramelized onions, beets, champagne and spice of the angels which we later found out was fennel pollen,  which was why I avoided selecting this.

 Both Will and Sam chose the white asparagus with Fearrington farm egg, avocado, hazelnut and brick dough for their 2nd course,  and while the asparagus were delicious the egg itself just seemed a bit lame.  We had told our server Brian at the beginning of the meal that we could not eat grapefruit and yet Will's dish arrived with several segments on top and it took almost 10 minutes for them to replace the entire dish rather than just taking the grapefruit off, which would have been so much easier;  perhaps he thought it was an allergy, as opposed to something we just couldn't eat.  Madeleine chose the Herb crusted lamb with red current green tomato, green olive and mint and seemed very happy with that.  My octopus with compressed melon and seared cucumber came with paprika oil and puree, pistachio cream, more mustard and mustard seed as well as a yogurt that had the texture of a boiled egg white, not something very appetizing.  The octopus, melon and cucumber were excellent and I loved the paprika, but the yogurt really wrecked the dish.

 Sam declared that his main course, Carolina gold rice with Fearrington vegetables, black garlic, cherry tomatoes and English peas, was the best dish he had during the entire vacation.  It's very funny because when he saw the menu he looked at it and said "the only vegetarian main course is rice, how boring!"  Will and I decided to split 2 main courses and the duck breast with pickled Bing cherries and crispy salsify and salsify puree with honey glaze, savoy cabbage and hibiscus was probably the better of the two.  The duck was cooked sous-vide and then seared which of course means that the skin is not crispy; something I really missed.  The other dish was a veal and truffle manicotti stuffed with veal custard(fondant), Maitake mushrooms, pearl onion, red pepper and zucchini.  A blueberry crumble was on the side which made for an odd addition. Madeleine had the same dish and none of us could finish it as it was very rich and the pasta had the oddest texture.

 We chose a 2009 Guillemard-Pothier Beaune "Les Greves" Premier Cru  Which had the most amazing nose and an intense fruit for Pinot Noir, but the overall effect was truly boring.

 We never really complained about anything because the food wasn't bad ,it was just odd.

 We decided to skip the desserts and by this time my nose was running so badly I thought I was sick because the room was so cold.  They finally turned the air conditioning from 66ﾟ to 70ﾟ as we were getting ready to leave and brought over some nice mignardises of  Salted caramel, pineapple pate a fruit, chocolate shortbread, white chocolate guava truffles and  Blackberry marshmallows.  They were yummy but the white chocolate guava truffles were definitely the winners.... of a meal that probably isn't worthy of winning much.

 A truly nice gesture was a jar of farm made organic marmalade to take home.

Chapel Hill NC's HAWTHORNE & WOOD will WOW you!!

 For our first night in central North Carolina on a 2-night stay, we discovered that the hotel restaurant, which is considered the best for miles around, would not be open on Wednesdays.  When I inquired as to other excellent options nearby, the entire team here came up with only one possible answer, Hawthorne & Wood in Chapel Hill, just 12 minutes away.

 Well, all I can say is "thank you team" at Fearrington House because it was truly one of the best meals we've had in a long time,  not to mention the superb service, excellent cocktails & wine and just a grand time.

 The Covid dining rules here seemed to be stricter here(save for our DC outing 11 days ago when we had a temperature check on arrival!), perhaps it was because we were in the heart of a liberal city and we were actually asked questions about our health on arrival. We were also told that they would put the water pitchers on the table after they poured the water and then we could pour our own as they were no longer allowed to touch a bottle of wine or water pitcher after we had touched it. This had not occurred anywhere during our travels or even at home before we left. 

Our server Fitz was a pleasure and even told the story of how the restaurant was named(the chef's grandparents lived on these street names!).  We also discovered that the drink I ordered was actually created by him in a different restaurant where he met the chef and then came to open this fabulous place with him. The Open Kimono consisted of Japanese whiskey, fermented lemon-ginger syrup(which Fitz explained came from a family recipe in Ethiopia), burnt thyme and bitters; it was divine and not sweet at all, with an herbaceousness that tantalized the taste buds, as did everything we ate. Will opted for our summer standard, a Campari & tonic.

 We had decided on fish and chicken for main courses, so there was no question we would have a white wine. The wine list was also fantastic and one of the managers, Tim, suggested(from my choices) that we go with the superb Priest Ranch Grenache Blanc 2017 from Napa, another brilliant choice.  We eventually ran out of wine, so Willl decided to finish off his main course with a glass of the Fontanavecchia Falanghina 2018, one of the excellent 18 wines available by the glass, not to mention the 15 craft beers, and of course the two huge wine lists(standard and reserve)!!

 The tables are very well separated and there were comfortable banquettes with really nice leather chairs and dark wood tables. The art varied on every wall and within each wall and the lighting was what you might call fairly dark but gave a nice ambiance.  The menu is divided in to bar snacks, first courses and main courses, but it was clear that some of the bar snacks could easily be appetizers.

 Samuel started with a gorgeous chilled heirloom tomato soup with Arbequina Olive oil, black pepper and caramelized onion croutons. Madeleine  opted for the gorgeous Vera Luce Farms summer vegetable salad with green goddess dressing, Sungold tomato, heirloom tomato, pickled ramps, dill and Kohlrabi crispies.  Will and I actually split this as a middle course and it was simply one of the best salads I have had in ages;  I now know exactly have to use my pickled ramps that are sitting in the refrigerator... not to mention the pickled shallots.  I'm not a big fan of dill, but the fact that it was such a minimal use of fresh dill it really didn't impose on the entire dish at all.

 For his starter Will chose the North Carolina Shrimp Cocktail(and we know where the best shrimp come from stateside) with charred smoked leek aioli, fines herbes and fried saltine crumble, "new bay. The local shrimp were a treat and the crumble crunch was simply awesome.  

 My Seared slow-cooked Pork Shoulder came with June Prince Peaches, kicky Serrano peppers and a divine tamarind vinaigrette.  The amazing garnish of king purple radish was a treat although I had no clue what they were, as it was a new radish to me.

 Main courses were just as impressive and Samuel said his Runner bean and roasted garlic Agnolotti with a tomato conserva and (again) kicky golden dagger peppers, Pole beans with Parmigiano-Reggiano was really awesome. Kudos to a chef who is not afraid to use great spice and heat!  Madeleine's seared Beef Tenderloin came with the most magnificent looking potato rösti that looked like they had been deep fried mutliple times for crispness and a Yuzu Kosho Jus.  It was accompanied by what was called the new creamed spinach, which was a ball of spinach seared and then served amidst a sea of Parmigiano foam/cream.  Will chose the crispy-skinned Springer Mountain Farms chicken with teriyaki sauce, chilled Ramen noodles, pea tendrils and scallions,  which I tasted and can attest to its brilliance and flavor.  My thick crusted sauteed Morehead City Flounder came in a coconut-lemongrass broth on a bed of Jasmine rice with sugar snap peas and rose heart radish.  Everybody was in heaven and we all sent praises to Chef Brandon Sharp who had a stint at the French Laundry in Napa and new several chefs that we know in DC. 

 We were all about to think about sharing one dessert when the team of Fitz, Tim and Amber all brought out 3 complimentary desserts:

 Peach Galette was warm and a maple glaze was poured tableside; the peaches and crust and glaze were all sheer pastry genius, flaky, yet sweet and fruity(just like us).

  Blueberry Pavlova came with a lemon cream and blueberry coulis, and simply because I am not a meringue fan it was not on the top of the list.

  The winner was easily the Chocolate Pot de Creme with slivered Almonds and macerated cherries!! I am a huge fan of fruit desserts and we all raved about the quality of them, as well as the kindness of the staff and indeed their service, which in these times can be a difficult task as well.

 It was our second to last night on this amazing road trip, but truly one of the top meals for sure,  and I would recommend that anybody with in a couple hundred miles of Chapel Hill make a detour to hit this fabulous restaurant.

LIMONES for our last night in Asheville was literally luscious(8-11-20)

We met another friend from DC who had moved to Asheville for dinner and we were thrilled we found LIMONES a Mexican-Californian cuisine spot downtown that was excellent from start to finish and in between.

The Margaritas were large and tasty with a Pomegranate using El Jimador Tequila with Cointreau, lime and a sugar rim and our Caliente(with a nice pinch) hosting Sauza Tequila, triple sec, lime and habanero. We chose a super red recommended by our A-1 server, Julian, and while I rarely choose young French reds the 2016 Chateau Boutisse St Emilion Grand Cru was a steal and had a Merlot-Cab Franc blend that was super.

The guac was superb, but it was the homemade thick chips that won everyone's raves. Ceviches were also delish with a sampler offering three styles: tuna/papaya/avocado/pickled onion/lemon/EVOO; Flounder/lime/guac/red onion; and Bay Scallop/Shrimp/Octopus/Poblano/Avocado & Cilantro. When Will mentioned there was not much tuna in the first, Julian brought over a huge bowl full of tuna!

The salad of Grilled Watermelon, Heirloom tomato and feta was delish with a hint of balsamic on the melon. 

Mains were just as varied and wondrous, although Sam said his Local Butternut Squash and Organic Ras el-Hanout Kale Enchiladas with Chile colorado sauce, saffron basmati rice, habanero pickled onion, crema, avocado and salsa was just okay.

The Grilled Red & Green(salsas) Swordfish with saffron basmati rice, gazpacho and avocado salsa was very nice. Chicken Tinga Tacos with consomme rojo, organic cauliflower escabeche, feta, habanero pickled onions and salsa del dia as well as the Seared Sea Scallops with creamed corn, fava beans, roasted chilies and cucumber-mint pico de gallo also got high marks. The winner was the Carne Asada with Cauliflower veloute chile colorado, organic ras el-hanout kale, roasted carrot romesco which was a s tender as could be(so the bison hangar from the night before lost that race easily)  and the flavors really melded and worked from the many ingredients.

Desserts sounded too good to pass up with a dense rich Flourless Chocolate Torte with fruit-chipotle sauce, a nice(if heavy on the whipped cream) Tres Leches with peaches and pecans which was a super local touch and the divine Warm Bread Pudding with vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. Mexican spiced chocolate truffles came with the bill and we loved them back at the hotel just now with a glass of wine.

A winning last night in Asheville, before we head east to our final destination before heading home.

Asheville NC's RED STAG is sad (8-10-20)

 I am rarely negative when it comes to food, but last night's dinner at one of Asheville's top hotels, the Grand Bohemian(part of the Kessler Collection, now under Marriott management) was a huge downer. We arrived in the elegant setting which has a clubby feel with lots of taxidermy and loved our out of the way table for two as we let the  teens order Italian take-out to have in the hotel. 

We actually loved the decor and feel of the place and were ready for our adult night out, but there was a loud thumping 19-somethings disco thud going on from the sound system that actually made the room shake. We mentioned it to our server, Alexandria(or Ali) and she said she would check. Ultimately the manager, Ben Haas, came over to explain that the music is determined by upper management and cannot be adjusted or changed. What the ????? He managed to turn it down to a dull thud, but it was a huge imposition on a nice night out for what we hoped would be fine dining.

This is probably one of the most expensive places to dine for miles around and while the service was admirable, it seemed the rest was downhill.

The "Kessler Margarita" was a nice size drink with Exotico Tequila Reposado, Triple Sec, Lime & orange juices as well as Rose's Lime juice and Grand Marnier. This made us both super happy, We also loved the idea that you scanned a bar code with your phone and the whole menu from drinks to coffee was at your fingertips; this is the way of the future that we need RIGHT NOW for cleanliness.

We decided to split two starters: Spinach-Artichoke Fritters with a roasted garlic ricotta dip that were a bit dough heavy, but indeed quite yummy. We were excited about the Elk Carpaccio which comes with Lusty Monk Mustard Aioli, Crispy Capers, Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings and Arugula and it looked great when it came, although there was not a lot of the thinly shaved meat(that comes from New Zealand--odd with so much elk wandering around the area!). The mustard aioli was thick and actually heaped on so thickly with the cheese and arugula that you might as well just eat a jar of mustard!

We had a super bottle of 2016 Rioja La Montesa from Monte Yerga(Alfaro) in Rioja that was super with our main courses; we both chose the Carolina Bison Hangar Steak from Leicester, NC(6 ounce) with house steak sauce, mine with grilled asparagus and Will's with steak fries. Ali said the chef prefers to serve it medium rare and we were thrilled.

Will's steak came with ketchup instead of the steak sauce, but that was rectified in a minute,

They both came cooked past medium and the meat was slightly chewy throughout; we were not happy with these $38 plates without the sides(tax or tip)! It wouldn't have been the worst meal ever or even close, until I went to take my last bite and there was a huge hair under the meat.

We felt horrible, but also cheated of a nice night out.

Asheville, NC's RHUBARB raises the bar and delivers deliciously(8-9-20)

 Our first night in Asheville we chose RHUBARB as we were joining two friends who lived locally and we need a place with variety and outdoor seating(covered) for 6. It was ideal and the large outdoor dining area had spaced tables so we had plenty of room as well as a bird's eye view of the main square downtown(Pack Square). The drummers were there on the square(where the "confederate" statue is wrapped in plastic with "Black Lives Matters" spray painted on the base. The noise from the drummers was a bit loud, but not really bad, and it was such a beautiful evening, we were all quite happy. Our server Vanessa worked hard and explained the long menu with it's many plates of different sizes. Fun drinks were ordered and Will chose the House Collins with Vodka, Bad Art Draft Strawberry- Rhubarb & Lemon which was more like a spritzer. Annette chose the Gin version with Chemist Gin, and then moved on to Gin & Tonic. I hit the jackpot with a Strawberry+Smoke which was Altos Blanco Tequila, Illegal Mezcal, Tawny Port, Domaine de Canton, Curacao and Strawberry Cordial with Lime. It sounded sweet but was not at all and had a gutsy kick from the alcohol mix with a smoky flair. The wine list had great variety for great prices as well.

Since our friend Wayne used to work for Austrian Airlines, we chose the Volker von Daonabaum Gruner Veltliner from Burgenland 2019 which was crisp, dry and full of apple hints and just perfect for an outdoor summer's eve. Our reds were a Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2018, a fine wine that I used to drink all the time but have not seen on menus for a while and then a Finca Decero Mini Ediciiones Petit Verdot, Remolinos Vineyard 2014 from Argelo, Argentina which was full bodied and nice with our heavier dishes.

We decided to try a bunch of shared plates to start as did the teens. We all chose the Goat Cheese Burrata with huge grilled toasts, red onion jam, blackberry sherry compote and crispy shallots which was one of the best ever burrata dishes. The goat burrata has a firmer outside and less of the softer filling, but it was dreamy nonetheless. South Carolina Scallop Crudo came with TM Watermelon & Purple Daikon Salad, Yellow Watermelon Vinaigrette and Black Earth Arugula. This was a nice crudo, but was also the least exciting of all the dishes we had. Remember plenty of photos on FB and you can see from the various farms and vendors, Rhubarb really uses locally sourced ingredients. Gaining Ground Squash Fritters were super with a Pinchito Yogurt Dip, but my favorite has to be the Royal Red Shrimp with Tasso Toast, Field Pea Humus, Spiced Green Tomatoes & Shrimp Cream. The tasso ham is cured in house and comes from Bear Creek Farms.

Gaining Ground Heirloom Tomato Salad was another hit for the teens with Shiso, Basil, Chevre, Shaved Gaining Ground Sweet Onions, Vincotto Vinaigrette & Duke's Croutons. We all adored the Ricotta Gnocchi with Sherry-Roasted Gaining Ground Beets, Tomato-Pecan Pesto, Chevre Fonduta and shaved beets. I also have to add that the beets and daikons and all were so beautifully thinly sliced and colorful.

The mains of Grilled Bear Creek Farms Bavette Steak with roasted new potatoes & Shitake mushrooms, red Russian Kale and charred Onion steak sauce were delish, and a number of us opted for the KIDDIE size Rhu-Burger & Fries, which is a Beef & Bacon patty(with Ashe County Cheddar(option for House made Pimento cheese instead), with B&B pickles and comeback sauce which was less exciting, but a deal at $6.50 as the adult size has TWO burger patties and goes for $14!

I had the Preserves & Cures which is a plate of house-cured meats(copa, culatello, smoked local trout rillettes & head cheese) and pickles(shishito peppers & shaved fennel), seltines(basically oyster crackers on steroids!) and a yummy Rhubarb Mostardo. Great fun and variety.

While we were all pretty full we agreed to share a piece of Coconut Cream Pie with White Chocolate Graham Crumble, whipped cream and Strawberry-Swirl Ice Cream which was as good as it sounds.

What a fun night for all and what a treat to see a dear friend from my travel business who I have missed for so long since he retired(and his fab new girl friend!)!

--

make it Madison's at Old Edwards Inn if in Highlands, NC(8-8-20)

 We had two nights in Highlands, NC and the first one was a local pizza joint that I would say was decent but won't recommend much. Our second night was at the hotel's fine dining restaurant and the service was superb, especially from our server Matt, and the food was very good, even if the portions were just way too big!

Since we were not driving anywhere, Will & I started with Grey Goose dirty martinis and moved on to a bottle of 2017 Chateau Fuisse Pouilly Fuisse "Tete de Cuvee" which was super refreshing and a good choice with all our dishes, while Will had a glass of the Artadi "Pasos de San Martin" Garnacha from Navarra in Spain which was "nothing special" with his main course of lamb merguez.

Breads were warm and fun: Buttermilk Biscuits, Bacon & Cheddar Corn Muffins and a Mountain Spice Roll (with Alpine spices as Matt explained the pastry chef Austrian!).

Sam started with the Rustic Southern Caesar(photos on FB) which came with a huge slice of crispy bread and a huge salad. Painted Hills Beef Tartare was superb with aged Balsamic, Farm Egg, Anchovy, a large piece of grilled Sour Wheat bread and Squash Relish. Will and I shared this and the even more filling Heirloom Tomato & Dark Cove Goat Cheese Pie which was very rich and somewhere between a flatbread and pizza. Served warm on a bed of tomato paste with basil oil, cherry tomatoes and herb salad(I think that was basil and some light greens), I don't think anyone could have finished the entire starter alone!

The mains were a Lamb Merguez & Hand-Cut Fusilli Pasta with Basil Pesto, Merguez, White Wine, Field Peas and Pecorino Cheese which was a huge. Since Sam had become vegetarian they were most accommodating and making this dish with various grilled veggies instead of the lamb! I adored my Spicy (not that spicy) Buttermilk Cracker Crusted Trout with Sauteed Zucchini Noodles, a superb Smoked Chili Shrimp Cream and several small tomatoes topped with Watermelon Salsa. There were three large slabs of delicious local trout, but there was no way anyone could eat it all, and we all looked at each other after the main course knowing dessert was not an option, no matter how good S'mores Bread Pudding, Southern Peach Semifreddo or even souflee was!

Due to COVID the restaurant is only using every 3rd table or so and since it is fairly small, reservations are almost mandatory months ahead with the major tourist rush in Highlands all summer. I am glad we booked ahead and while Highlands may not be a place I would return to, the people are very friendly and my two local hikes(history & nature)offered complimentary by the hotel were FABULOUS!

On to Asheville!

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Blackberry Mountain's Firetower for the views and fab food(Walland, TN)(8-6-20)

 For our last dinner at Blackberry Mountain we headed to the topmost hill of the resort and the Firetower Restaurant which sits at the base of a fire watch tower, which you can climb for even  more awesome views. The dining room is part outside and part inside with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Great Smoky Mountains on one side and the huge valley to the north; it is truly stunning(check out the FB fotos). There are some secluded accommodations up here as well and the dining is a bit more laid back, but still fabulous food.

Our servers Darien and Kaleigh explained that there are only3 courses here(as opposed to 4), but we decided to start with an extra course and share the Charred Shishito Peppers which here come with Avocado Yogurt, Lime and oodles of gooey melted Pecorino cheese on top(we asked to have the mint garnish left off). I make these at home simply broiled with some rock salt and EVOO and adore them, but this dish was heaven.

Halee, our sommelieuse from Three Sisters, had moved up here and we immediately chose the Vieille Julienne from Clavin 2017 Cotes du Rhone, a great Grenache Blanc/Marsanne/Rousane blend. We had some leftover Fery Meunier from the night before and that went with Will's burger.

The flatbread arrived (more like pizza bread) with olive oil and was salty but yummy. I noticed the music was a bit loud, but luckily not overpowering.

Three of us started with the excellent Plancha Seared Octopus with potatoes, smashed olives, smoked tomato sauce and fresh herb salad of celery leaves and fennel fronds.

Sam chose the Shaved Cauliflower with spring onion, Calabrian chilis, Marcona almonds, Colatura and fennel fronds as well. He followed this with Potato Agnelotti with a very rich and creamy tomato sauce, pecorino, escarole, fennel and Aleppo pepper.

I went for the superb North Carolina Trout with a Sweet Corn(quasi-creamed) with Green tomato and Shishito & Jalapeno peppers & Basil. Madeleine opted for the Roasted Mushroom Bolognese(it was veggie, but they quickly agreed to pop in some sausage) with Rosemary Pappardelle, Toasted Walnuts, Fennel, Ricotta and Crushed Red Pepper.

Will had the Firetower Smash Burger which was two beef patties with Sweetwater Cheddar, Firetower special sauce & Lettuce on a huge Flatbread roll served with a side salad with Pine Bud Vinaigrette. After a forkful of salad he almost choked as it was way overdressed and salty. The manager, Chelsea Edwards, immediately replaced the salad with another and offered him a complimentary after dinner drink.

We all decided to split two of the same dessert, Warm Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream, Ginger Beer Macerated Blackberries and Garden Spearmint. I took the mint off mine and loved the simplicity and local berries; what a treat.

Will(for free) and I both ordered an after dinner drink special called Rising Smoke(video on FB) which has torched sasafrass branch forced into the glass which is topped and brought tableside where the drink is poured in. The ingredients are Vida Mezcal, Yzaguirre Reserva Vermouth, Averna Orange Bitters and Lemon and the drink was fun, warm, smoky, toasty and the perfect last meal farewell to the Great Smoky Mountains that were now enveloped in the evening clouds that come in after the sun sets.

Second and final night at Blackberry Farm's THREE SISTERS soars(Walland,Tennessee) 8-5-20 and Chef Jeff's cooking class for lunch!

Our first full day at Blackberry Mountain was full of activities including a ceramics class in the afternoon, but at 11am we met up with Chef Jeff Ross who gave us some tips on how to prepare an awesome meal. We started with dessert and made an amazing semifreddo so it was cold by the time we finished our meal which consisted of a heavenly salad of grilled zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, fresh peaches and a superb vinaigrette which I can't wait to try at home. The wine was a yummy FX Pichler Gruner Veltliner 2017 "Loibner" from Wachau which was ideal with the salad, but I would have preferred a Pinot Noir or such with the main course of Guinea Hen roasted and then set in a mushroom broth with grains, quinoa, romesco cauliflower and grilled mushrooms. Jeff called it "Guinea hen swimming in a mountain stream." The semifreddo came with a chocolate crunch at the bottom of each cup and was served with a lemon verbena simple syrup & blueberries. Ideal meal for a mountain summer day.

Dinner was back at THREE SISTERS which we love with the views of the smokies(catch the fotos on FB) and such excellent service. Our servers were Val and Henry, whose last name was Astor, and of course, we asked if he was related to the famous family. Turns out his family was Jewish from Lithuania and his grandfather changed the name when he was acting in vaudeville!! The bread arrived and this was a sourdough as well, but tonight even better than multigrain was the caramelized onion and the amazing local butter..we all had seconds, Sam had thirds! We finished off the wines from the previous night and the Condrieu was superb with my Poached Gulf Shrimp in Roasted Celery Broth with charred Eggplant, Chili Oil, Charred Carrots and Dandelion Greens. Everyone else started with the North Carolina Burrata Salad with grilled homegrown grapes, focaccia, preserved wildflowers and almond vinaigrette.

Will finished off the red from the previous night and we all agreed the second course was Tartare. Sam went for the veggie version of only Beets, the rest of us adored the Creekstone Beef Tartare with Grilled Beets, Pistachios, Caraway Aioli & Charred Onion. We ordered a bottle of Fery-Meunier 2002 Chambolle-Musigny which Halee had opened and decanted and it was simply divine with the tartare and the main course the three non-vegetarians had: Snake River (Idaho) Wagyu Flank Steak cooked just past rare with Mushroom XO(& Bourbon essence), Summer Lettuces and Aged Sherry Vinegar. Sam chose the Roasted Zucchini with Pistachio Yogurt, Cauliflower and Herbs and was so full he could not east dessert. I was not impressed with the two cheeses the second night as they too were from the Blackberry Farm(sheep) but alas had little excitement: Brebis was soft and tart and Miller's Cove(which Sam tasted and liked alot) was hard and crumbly. A sweet pepper relish accompanied and was not my cup of tea, but the lavosh crackers are awesome. Will chose the Peaches & Cream with black walnuts, frozen yogurt and rhubarb consomme, but the winner was Madeleine's Chocolate Pavlova with Buttermilk Cremeux & Dark Chocolate Ice Cream..BIG Winner as we headed back to our luxury cabin all way overfull.

Tonight we eat at the FireTower Restaurant at the top of the "mountain" for a change and then head off to North Carolina and yet another Relais et Chateaux property.

Tennessee's Blackberry Mountain makes dinner a delight at THREE SISTERS (8-4-20)

We spent the day driving south from Roanoke on the Blue Ridge Parkway and turned west to head over to the Great Smoky Mountains and Walland, about 45 minutes southeast of Knoxville where  Relais et Chateaux boasts two amazing sister resorts, Blackberry Farm and the newer Blackberry Mountain, where we are now for three days. We headed down to the lodge from our magnificent cabin(check out the video on Facebook) to dine at the main restaurant called THREE SISTERS. There's a huge terrace and windows overlooking the majestic Great Smoky Mountains and we had a bird's eye view of the peaks as the sun set. The menu is quite varied and offers many choices, even for Samuel, who has renewed his pledge to be a vegetarian. We had drinks in the lounge beforehand and Will loved his Margarita but I ventured into the unknown with a Penicillin made of Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch(one I know and love well) with ginger ale, lemon juice and Laphroaig 10-year spritz and loved it. The dining room has both indoor and outdoor seating and we asked for outdoors as it was in the 70's and absolutely gorgeous; not a bug in site either. The wooden tables give a rustic feel, but the dining experiences oozes fine dining with Spigelau crystal and excellent service. 

Our servers Bob & Ryan were superb and we soon found out Ryan and his wife both had recently left DC and worked with Chef Eric Zieboldt at Kinship; his wife was on their pastry team! What a small world. We ordered some wine from Halee and were thrilled with the huge list, even if many of the prices are insanely prohibitive. An Xavier Gerard 2017 l'Arbuel Condrieu from the Rhone was a dream of mineral and fruit and went superbly with the starter we ALL decided on: Green Tomato Carpaccio with Blueberry Capers, Seeded Croutons & Creme Fraiche(all fotos on FB) which was a novel take on the old tomato salad. We are excited to go back again tonight to try more different dishes(tomorrow we eat at the other restaurant called FireTower.

It did seem to take forever to get the wine brought, but it was amazing as was our red, a Mas Martinet 2012 "Els Escurcons" Garnacha from Priorat in Spain that was earthy and superb with my main course of pork.

Sourdough multi grain rolls came with house butter that we all raved about.

As we sat, a gent at the next table (who I had seen in the lounge, but only from the rear as I spotted his yarmulke--not something you expect here) came over and said hi. It was Hilel from our farmer's market in Bethesda several years ago who had sold meat, jerky, and more with his brother Chaim--the purveyors of the famous kosher lamb bacon. He and his wife of a day were on their honeymoon!!! Smaller world!

The next course was a Sweet Corn Soup with Pickled Summer Vegetables, Cucumber and Espelette for Sam, Roasted Heirloom Squash, Buttermilk Ricotta, Lavender & Squash Jam for Madeleine, a Soft Cooked Farm Egg with Guinea Hen Jus, Cherry Tomatoes, Pickled Green Tomatoes and Urfa Biber for Will while I adored my Virginia Little Neck Clams with Pimento Verde, a tad of fennel and Herbed Grilled Bread-great for the clam juice mop up.

The third course was even more impressive with a huge portion of Paprika Roasted Cauliflower with Cauliflower Puree, toasted almonds & summer herbs that got raves. Madeleine loved the Wood Grilled Beef Tenderloin with charred cabbage, olive oil potatoes, bone marrow and horseradish, while Will raved on his Seed Crusted Mountain(local) Trout with Short Grain Brown Rice, Bok Choy & BBQ Trout Sauce. My Wood Grilled Pork Loin was as juicy as could be and came with a Birch Glaze, Peanuts(and a pesto of peanuts), preserved vegetables & charred mustard greens as well as a "surprise" pork rib that was crusty crunchy yummy.

All happy we could not resist the (included) desserts: Will went for the Blueberry Lime Tart with Buttermilk Ice Cream & Basil Buds, Madeleine chose the Shagbark Hickory Affogato with Sorghum Caramel Popcorn & Brown Butter Blondie. While Sam did not order anything, they sent the Three Layer Chocolate Tart with candied cocoa nibs and I adored the amazing Blackberry Farm Hawkins Haze Cheese(sheep) with wine poached fruit, honeyed nuts and lavosh that was super and I could have eaten all night. 

After dinner the "team" took us in one of the many Lexus 4wheel drives back to our cabin where a fire flamed on the screen porch and we were ready to make some smores with marshmallows, graham cracker and Hershey bars provided. This was heaven..and we had a Pinot Noir we brought from home to boot.

First night--A BIG WIN and can't wait for more.....

Roanoke's 419 West--will FILL you up (8-3-20)

For our second night in Roanoke we were worried as almost everything is closed on Monday, but we found 419 West about 10 minutes from downtown which has a huge menu and while might seem simple, has some really great food that just needs a little help.

Julie offered a taste(that was almost a 1/3 glass) of one of the wines on the menu by the glass and we liked the Grande Arte 2014 Shiraz from Portugal that was quite huge. Julie was concerned she could not open the cork, so the bar person came over and laughed, but she did just fine.

Sam started with edamame that could have served two tables, while Madeleine had the small Caesar salad(prices are $4.99 for small or $7 for large). Will had yummy Veggie Spring Rolls while I chose the Cornmeal Fried Virginia Oysters with BBQ sauce that came with greens and some of the sauce tossed on them. They were tasty and crunchy, but the sauce thrown on the greens made the bottoms of a couple of the bivalves a bit soft on the meal.

The pizzas were huge: White with Calamata Olives and Mushroom & Grilled Chicken with Goat Cheese & BBQ sauce....they can include everything.

To explain, I ordered the Big Lick Sandwich which was Corned beef, melted Cheddar & Swiss cheese, a huge amount of Applewood smoked bacon that was crunchy delicious and cole slaw with Horseradish mayo on Pretzel Bread. It was HEAVEN and again, I wish the cole slaw was not the bottom ingredient as the fab bread was a bit soggy on the bottom side. Will had a yummy Reuben.

At the end of the starters, we were asked to keep our silverware as they were running low, which made little sense as the place had every other table blocked off and was 80% empty, although most folks were outside.

Will had a yummy Creme Brulee for dessert, but the powdered sugar was too sweet on top and uncalled for.

A decent meal, and hugely filling for low prices for sure, but yes, a very local experience indeed.

Off to Tennessee tomorrow, stayed tuned for lots of Relais et Chateaux dining.

Roanoke, VA is tops at TABLE 50(8-2-20)

Our summer 2020 road trip began with Roanoke on the way to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. We met our friends Anna & Clinton who worked at Washington Opera over 20 years ago for dinner at the quaint Table 50 just a couple of blocks from our hotel. Again, masks are required until you are seated and the tables were very well spaced, although Sunday night is pretty dead in downtown Roanoke, so we were the last one to leave at 945pm as the place technically closes at 9pm. Tiffany was an awesome server starting us with not too spicy Jalapeno Margaritas and Sangria as warm baguettes and honey butter arrived. We had not eaten since breakfast in DC, so welcomed anything to munch on after our in-car lunch of Pringles!

The building is historic and has original copper tables, tin ceiling and brick walls. The menu is extensive so Will and I decided to share and then Tiffany mentioned the special main course: A filet Mignon with either Tiger Shrimp or Fried Oysters, Adouille Sausage, Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus and Cajun Sauce. Boy, were we tempted and indeed Anna & Clinton succumbed! 

I started with a superb Classic Caesar with Parmegiano-Reggiano crostini and roasted garlic, of course with added anchovies while Will & Anna chose the Herb-baked Goat Cheese over Spring Mix with Spiced Pecans, Apples, Dried Cranberries and Dijon Vinaigrette, another excellent and huge salad. Clinto had the Crab Bisque, Sam chose the Caesar(no anchovies) and his friend Madeleine had the  Maryland style hot Crab Dip!

We ordered a yummy Legaris Crianza 2013, Ribera del Duero from the extensive and indeed impressive wine list which went great with everything from those huge filets platters to the dishes Will & I shared: Blackened Ahi Tuna with Andouille Sausage over a huge Crawfish Risotto with Asparagus & Southern Fried Buttermilk Chicken with a kicky vinegary white BBQ Sauce with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Collard Greens, both of which were really excellent. Sam had the Sweet Basil Pesto with walnuts and honey over Pappardelle Pasta while Madeleine went with Beef Stroganoff over Pappardelle with Shitake Mushrooms. Everything was great and while we were way too stuffed to even think about dessert, Tiffany still proffered small glasses of limoncello for the adults!

A super start to our road trip, even if we did have a flat tire we knew we had to get fixed today(it was quite painless since I had road hazard protection at NTB).

Let's hope tonight is half as good as almost every decent spot in town is closed on Mondays!

Tomorrow off to Tennessee and Relais et Chateaux!!

DC's GRAVITAS gets the gold medal (8-1-20)

It's been 6 months since anything has been posted to this group and I hope you haven't given up on me; we are back again.

 We took the brave step and ventured out for our 1st meal since March on Saturday night...... It was a very special occasion for one of our dearest friend's 50th birthday, so we chose GRAVITAS knowing that they had limited seating inside, a fabulous tasting menu, a Michelin star and one of the best teams in town led by chef  Matt Baker.

 On arrival, our temperatures were taken and we were escorted to a table in a corner where the closest table was at least 8' away and everyone was asked to keep their masks on except when they were eating or drinking. The staff all had masks and while you could call it the white glove treatment, many of them were wearing black gloves. Everyone was kind, understanding and helpful and it really was a wonderful experience and the meal was fabulous.

 There are 2 tasting menus one of which is a $115 with an additional $95 optional wine pairings or a $180 addition if you choose to do the vintage wine pairing. There is also a 2% covid surcharge and of course tax and gratuities are not included.  We chose the $115(with some surcharges) and $95 wine coming in at $210 each plus fees, taxes and tips. They easily accommodated our friends gluten free diet and asked if there were any other special needs and we proceeded to enjoy a complimentary glass of Gosset champagne. 

Three canapés arrived (photos on Facebook):

- Pea and burrata tart

- Beet and goat Crostini with a zucchini salad

-Tomato pissaladiere with basil--this was awesome.

 Each one had an amazing flavor burst and they were all superb.  Warm focaccia and parker house rolls arrived, with a huge plate of gluten free olives to sub for the bread. 

 The 1st course was one of the most beautiful summer vegetable salads that you can imagine on Earth with herbs, white wine Vinaigrette and a goat cheese Espuma. The paired wine was Von Winning 2018 Sauvignon Blanc from Diedesheim, Germany which was a huge mineral intense wine with grapefruit aftertaste. Two of us opted for the Sashimi paired with an amazing Sake.

 Maryland crab salad was virtually solid crab with a little green Apple, lemon oil,  crab roe aioli and crab consomme poured tables ideas. I loved the Rose of Grenache from Domaine Ott "Chateau de Selle" 2017 from Cotes de Provence...great summer tarte wine and so refreshing made from 50% Cabernet France and 50% Gamay.

 One of us opted for what looked like the richest Vicchysoise  on Earth served with a huge pile of caviar and paired with a Manzanilla dry sherry.

 Olive oil poached Ora King Salmon  was a beautiful presentation with Carolina gold rice, green tomato consomme, basil, a puckery Olive tapenade, and a rice chicharron on top. One of the best ever Arneis Roero from Ermanno Costa 2018 in Piemonte was paired. Will chose the Crab Linguini here, which was a special, but switched it for the salmon, declaring the pasta too salty!  The kitchen immediately handled it and it seemed like seconds before the replacement dish arrived.

Vietnamese spiced grilled quail came with wild rice salad, fermented turnips, sugar snap peas, spring greens and an onion broth, again poured tableside.  I'm a big fan of quail in this dish was absolutely perfect. The dish was not spicy at all and was beautifully paired with a 2018 Antech Chardonnay from Pay's d'Oc.

Our birthday girl(woman) chose the "main" course of Sea Bass with Swiss chard, vermouth foam and espalette pepper. Her husband had the Korean BBQ Eggplant with sushi rice, snow peas, sesame mushrooms and Goguchang Aioli. Will opted for the $20 surcharge Roasted Wagyu Beef ribeye  accompanied by Olive oil whipped potatoes, summer bean salad, glazed asparagus,  salsa verde and crispy garlic. My choice was the Roasted Breast of Squab with Foie Gras stuffing, English pea puree, glazed squash and zucchini, roasted baby eggplant and mizuna( That looked like poison ivy oddly)! with spicy garlic jus.  All the dishes were just the right size and nobody felt like we were stuffed but more like we were very well satisfied. The red was  Trisaetum 2017 Oregon Pinot Noir.

Complimentary glasses of Braida Brachetto d'Aqui sparkling  red arrived before dessert to accompany the Flourless chocolate birthday cake with chocolate ganache and apricot bavarian cream!! The regular dessert was a gorgeous Stone Fruit and Rosemary composed of Rosemary poached peaches, Mugolio macerated blueberries, Arnold Palmer gelee and apricot honey sorbet... I Ioved it, the perfect ending to a meal on a hot night. The Peach Elderflower Vermouth from Flying Fox in Virginia actually paired quite well, but is not really something I would normally drink.

Before we left we got plates of Raspberry-Rose Marshmallows and Lime & Lemongrass Macarons!! What a great time we all had and indeed never felt too odd save for our masks. I do have to say that the rest room has all automated soap and dryers and a gigantic air filter with UV light which was impressive, as was the whole experience.  We felt we needed to get out as the next day we started a 12 day road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains of No. Carolina and Tennessee, so more reviews to come.