Our first dinner our after returning from our 8-weeks away was at VERMILION in Alexandria as we saw that Chef Tony Chittum had returned there after a long absence and totally turned around the menu. We were thrilled to see Chef in house and chat with him and find out that he still maintains his position and ownership at IRON GATE in DC as well!
We were warmly welcomed by our server Tucker who brought over some glasses of sparkling wine for us as a treat as we perused the menu and tried to make choices as you can go a la carte or family style here and there are so many options!
We went a la carte, and everything was delish, even the yummy fresh radishes that came out complimentary with a wonderful, caramelized onion dip(photos on FB) which were so delightful, I wanted to head right to the farmer's market, which I did the next morning! We ordered a 2018 Williamsburg Viognier from Virginia, and I was also thrilled to see the huge Virgini wine list as well as many other places offering so many options. First came BETTIE's BUNS, a family recipe that has yeast rolls in a cast iron pan served with whipped sorghum butter and some pickled chiles. The three buns were gone in seconds as they melt in your mouth and come piping hot.
Starters were so varied and indeed novel such as the CRISPY CHESAPEAKE OYSTERS with sweet and sour apple remoulade, celery root puree and pickled mustard seed. I could have eaten a dozen of these! It was a nice change from all those amazing fresh oysters we had Down Under and reminded me that a cooked oyster can be terrific.
New Frontier Bison Tartare came with preserved oyster mushrooms, porcini aioli and St. Malachi cheese and I was only yearning for a hint more of mustard or spice to give it an extra kick that I always like.
We moved on to a Shenendoah Ox-Eye 2021 Cabernet France that was out of this world. We always like Virginia Cab Franc's and this one is a standout. My main was BUTTER BASTED SCALLOPS with Pork "Scrapple," Braised Shell Beans, Lacinato Kale and two mustards. This dish is unlike any scallop preparation you have ever had. It is a huge and rich dish loaded with flavors that surprisingly do not overwhelm the tasty mollusks. The "scrapple" is really like hush puppies on crack! The wine was ideal with this as you would always tend to white with scallops, but this dish was so hearty and indeed a great winter dish(it was chilly if spring)! SMOKE IN CHIMNEY TROUT came with black salsify, potato, crispy ham bits, leeks and a creamed clam broth that got raves and the DOUBLE RAVIOLI was filled with melted cabbage and golden potatoes with crispy Brussels sprouts, green apple and Valley Thunder Aged Cheddar Cheese offering a wonderful veggie dish that is sure to please!
Dessert was a Butterscotch Custard with salted caramel, whipped cream, chocolate crackle cookies that I tasted as I am not a fan of butterscotch--sorry. I was so full and happy anyway I did not need another bite.
What a great meal for our first time out back in the USA!
