Apple Cake

This fall the Lexington Farmers Market sold a delicious apple cake that I have been craving it ever since leaving Virginia. I came across a recipe called Marie-Helene's Apple Cake online from Dorie Greenspan's book, Around My French Table. The recipe suggests using four different types of apples. I used one of each: Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Ambrosia, and Golden Delicious. This cake is loaded with chunks of apple and spiked with dark rum. It was so good that my Mom and I ate it for breakfast. I suggest you try it. 

Recipe
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large apples (if you can, choose 4 different kinds)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled


1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven.


2. Heavily butter an 8- or 9-inch (20-23cm) spring form pan and place it on a baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1-inch pieces.

5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then rum and vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of the melted butter.

6. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.

7. Fold in the apple cubes until they’re well-coated with the batter and scrape them into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little with a spatula.

8. Bake the cake for 50 minute to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully remove the sides of the cake pan, making sure no apples are stuck to it.

See My Project: Eating Out In Lexington

Journalism Final Project

"Working" Assignment

Victoria Wade works at the Jefferson Florist in Lexington

The inspiration for this assignment comes from Studs Terkel's book "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do."

I was born and raised here. I went to Dabney S. Lancaster for a year. I couldn’t make up my mind what I wanted to do so I just started working.

I had a couple of summer jobs – babysitting and painting at VMI. Right before this I was at the Lexington Recycling Center for about a year and a half. Then I found this job and I’ve been here ever since.

On a day-to-day basis I don’t know where I’m going to have to go on deliveries, who I’m going to meet, or the different sites I’ll get to see. I get to do a variety of things each day. I help the customers and I do deliveries. Mainly in just the spring, summer, and fall I do the plant care outside.

Sometimes you get your customers that are a little picky, a little rude. The main thing about being in a business is to keep your customer happy. If we don’t have a plant and have a particular flower we try our best to get it. But being in a small business, you try your best to please them so it will keep them coming back.

Jefferson Florist delivers to a variety of people in Rockbridge County and beyond.

We do pretty much anyone. We go to the high school and do a lot for the students at VMI and W&L. We go to Kendal and sometimes I’ve even gone to places like Millboro and Augusta County.

           

The good thing is that when I’m here I can answer the phone and take someone’s order. I don’t do any of the flower arranging. Somebody else puts it together and then I get to deliver and talk to the person that’s receiving it. So I talk to the person who’s ordering it and the person who’s receiving it. I get to see what they’re like. Most everyone’s pretty cool. There’s on occasion the rude person.

They don’t send anonymous arrangements for a reason.

Sorry I’m just the middle person. We had one [mishap] when I first started here.

The sender wanted to remain anonymous. We thought okay, a little secret admirer thing. We didn’t think much of it. When we deliver it, they’re like “Who’s it from? Who’s it from?” We say, “Well they wanted it to remain anonymous.” I didn’t have the paper to actually say who it was from so I had to come back here. Turned out it was a girl who was just a high school student. She had to move to Lexington because the person who was sending it was stalking her. So we make sure that we don’t do any of those anonymous secret admirer things. But gosh – how did he find her after they had to move because of it?

Plant care

It’s a lot with the weather here lately. I don’t really have to water a whole lot. There’s a lot of dead heading which is pulling all the dead blooms and of course all the leaves getting up. But summertime is more of a routine. You come in, you water everything and then you check it again before you leave to make sure it hadn’t dried out. Some of them dry out a little faster. Doing it everyday you get to learn what plants stay wetter and which need water twice a day. It’s good having one person doing it all. When I have a day off it’s a little harder. I have to tell them which plants actually need it and which ones don’t because you can actually overwater or underwater of course.

I work sometimes six days and sometimes just four or five. It varies. That way one person isn’t working every weekend and one person isn’t off every weekend.

I am big into horses. I’ve been riding since I was ten. So in my free time I am at home taking care of them and riding with my friends. I just went the other day up North Mountain, which is one of the scenic little trails. It’s between Rockbridge and Allegheny County. It was wonderful to get away for a day and not have to worry about what’s going on at work and your phone ringing and what not. It’s just a day to yourself.

I have an older sister and a younger sister and brother. We all live at home. My older sister has two boys ages five and three. They live with us now so it’s a handful. But, they actually get into the riding too. They help me with my horses so that’s good. One of my horses I’ve had for two years, the other I’ve had since I was thirteen. I’m 24.

We’ve got some flowerbeds. Not really anything very well landscaped. We just put a little of everything in there. It’s not like you see downtown, the beautiful gardens. I don’t have that touch and I prefer just something broomed together.

We all have our days where we get a little stressed out, especially when we get a really busy day. But for the most part we kick back, relax and joke around, and have a good time. So, it’s good when you can get along like that.

I know on average we do anywhere between five and fifteen [deliveries] on a day-to-day basis. Five on our slow days and I’ve done 10 to 20 on a busy day, sometimes even more.

Several [people] come in on a weekly basis. The housemothers come in and do their little flower arrangements. There are some locals that you know want a couple plants here and some flowers there. Or they’re looking for a particular thing so they’ll continuously come in saying, “Have you gotten it yet?” On occasion we have farm fresh eggs. Our owner has chickens brings in eggs so we have our standard egg customers. Another thing about being here, I’ve been here for about three years now, is the deliveries. I can go into a lot of the same houses. You can tell when it’s this person’s anniversary or this person’s birthday because you’ve been there before.

There are some days of course any boss is going to come in and make you feel a little stressed out. But he’s a really nice guy, laid back. If you’re not doing something, he tells you to do it. He gets his serious days where he doesn’t want to joke around. He just wants to be all business and that’s understandable. He’s a pretty good guy.

I would like to stay here. I don’t plan on going anywhere else. I’m hoping to get a degree in horticulture. I really enjoy doing the outside plants. I don’t know everything about them, but it’s something I’d like to get to know a little better. A lot of times [customers] come in ask questions that I don’t have an answer to; I’d like to be able to have an answer for everyone. I hadn’t really checked into it completely, but it’s a thought I’m working on. For now I just get my books out and I study. The little plant books give you a brief description and you learn a little bit about the plants.

ALDEA

          This year my birthday fell between W&L homecoming and reading days, so naturally the festivities lasted a full week. I didn’t follow the intended purpose of reading days. Instead I went to New York City to celebrate the big 2-1. My friend and I ate at a restaurant in the Flatiron district called Aldea, which means “village” in Portuguese. The chef, George Mendes, is a first-generation American born to Portuguese parents. He has worked in a number of well-known restaurants in the United States and abroad. Before opening the restaurant in 2009 Mendes worked at a three-star Michelin restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain. 

          When we arrived at Aldea, a young hostess led us through the modern, narrow interior to the chef’s counter that overlooked the kitchen in the back. We had a view of the entire kitchen and observed Mendes and his team all night. 

          The counter had six chairs and we sat next to two older couples. All of us went with the tasting menu and wine pairing, plus cocktails to start. I had the Harvester, an apple flavored drink with calvados, chai-infused vermouth, and cider foam. It arrived in a martini glass much too strong for my liking. Courtney ordered the Hemingway Heat with rum, lime, grapefruit, and jalapeno. We shared roasted marcona almonds and marinated olives with our new friends from San Francisco sitting to our right.

          I have become quite an adventurous eater in the past year, but I still had not tried oysters. So I hesitated when our server brought a single oyster as the amuse bouche. My eyes darted from the translucent flesh, to the shellfish fork, and down the counter to the others slurping their oysters. Once I finally tried it, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it, but have no frame of reference. 

          The first course pairing was sweet sake with cured foie gras. The dish came on a black tile with a two-bite sized piece of rectangular toasted brioche with a fig slice on the left, a delicate spoon of fig sorbet in the center and the foie gras on the right. I liked the fruit with the foie gras along with the coldness of the sorbet.

          The second course, “A La Plancha,” was my favorite even though I was skeptical about eating octopus. The octopus was slightly chewy, but flavorful. The plate was misted with leek ash, a powdery looking substance; along with squid ink-citrus puree and chickpea stew in the center. The wine was a 2008 Spanish white called A. Coroa, Godello, Galicia.

          Next were Bacalao Cheeks, a stew of clams with leeks, fennel, and saffron. The clams rested a top the golden stew. This course was not very memorable. We drank a Portuguese red: J.M. Fonseca, 'Periquita,' Terras dos Sado '07.

          By the fourth course we were prettaaaaay happy. We watched the cook right in front of us hard at work making his seventh egg dish that they served in the hollowed shell. It was impressive, too bad we didn't get a chance to try it. We ate the popular Arroz de Pato - duck confit, with chorizo, olive, and duck cracklings. This was Courtney's favorite. The duck was delicious especially with the little bites of sausage and cracklings. I didn't notice the olives in the dish. French red wine: Domaine Roger Perrin, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone, '07.

          Dessert was a banana custard brulee with caramelized rice, lemon, and chicory ice cream. Mine came with a candle and Happy Birthday cursive script. It was perfect. After the dessert wine, one of the couples was chatting up the chef. Next thing you know, we were all in the kitchen taking a group picture. Mendes didn't seem especially pleased about the photo-op. At any rate, it was a great time.

Photo credits: Aldea. Forgot my camera this time.

Barren Ridge Vineyards

Owner John Higgs with Rascal

Based on an interview with John Higgs, owner of Barren Ridge Vineyards in Fishersville, Virginia. Higgs opened the first winery in Augusta County just two years ago. 

Well, I guess some of it was trying to figure it out for myself. My father was an apple grower and he owned a number of apple orchards. He bought this orchard in 1934 from a Dutch company.

From the 1940's through the 1960's, the Shenandoah valley was the apple growing region of the United States. It was like the bread basket of the United States. But then as things moved west with the apple regions of Washington we just couldn't compete.

My father was a very stubborn man. He started losing money. He sold all of his orchards except for this one.
He sold our house in Staunton and moved us to the tenant house on this property when I was in between school.

I went to Hampton Sydney for college. I lived here with my father and we worked the land just the two of us. So, the land has historical resonance to me as a son.

But he still could not make money. The business eventually went into decline. The whole property became overgrown for maybe 30 years.

 I left to go to the army. I may have been the only U.S. Army draftee with a grin on my face because I was so happy to be away from this place. It was nothing but hard work and I could see no future in the business. It was a losing proposition. But still, I'm the son of an apple grower which is fruit so I think the raising of fruit is somehow in my DNA.

This property has a soft spot in my heart, which I didn't realize until later on. I spent a large portion of my career in Europe and other foreign countries. I am living proof that if you run away from a place in a straight line and you go really fast you're going to end up right back where you started and that's exactly what happened to me.

I ended up doing what my father was doing which I thought was really stupid back when I was a kid.  The only difference is that this business is wine, so it's a heck of a lot more fun to try to make a product out of than apples in my opinion. (Laughs.)

At the end of 1999 I was living in Switzerland and working in Russia for Phillip Morris. I had a retirement offer and took it. My wife and I moved back to the states and lived in Richmond.

We spent a memorable weekend at the Barboursville Vineyards in Charlottesville. They were having a festival called Opera in the Vineyards. I became very interested in opera while I was in Europe. I remember it was a beautiful day and there were tents with lots of gourmet food and we sat on the lawn  listenting to beautiful music. Somehow or another I got the idea that I could do something with the orchard property that was similar to that.

From that kernel of an idea I started plans for a winery. The land completely overgrown and I had to buy it from a family member. I also had to deal with many zoning issues.

But once I bought the property it took me two years to clear. In the winter of 2006 I started building an addition to the old packing shed along with other renovations. I completed the winery part in the winter of 2007 along with our first harvest. In the spring 2008 we opened the doors for customers.

It was not until this year that they had their first major crop because it really takes three years to get a legitimate crop for grapes. 

Patio overlooking the vineyards

The soils in the Shenandoah Valley from what I've learned and seen in my vineyard here are ideal for grapes. They were ideal for apples and generally speaking are a good place for grapes. I knew that this was one of the most beautiful orchards you could imagine. It's just spectacular. I did intensive soil testing to make sure. I was right.

Geology lesson. 

The soil has a lot of limestone and weathered shale. The broken up shale allows moisture and roots to travel through. It is in effect an ideal location for grapes. It also has the advantage of being a high plain. When the glaciers came through they did so in a very interesting way. They left a lot of ridges and a very high plain. Our elevation is at 1400 feet at its peak. It has a very good orientation because evidently the glaciers came from the north going south and carved out a valley. Most of the ridges go north and south. This is a  perfect orientation for grape vines because you have a trellis system pointing north and south. The sun comes from east gets the east side of the vine and and travels over top and gets whole west side. This is great because maximum sun exposure is needed for the grape vines energy and growth.

Young French winemaker at work

Barren Ridge offers 13 varieties of wine. The tasting room and winery are open daily. 

OSTERIA FRANCESCANA

I ate at this restaurant on a weekend trip to Bologna and Modena with two friends during my spring term trip to Italy. The pictures say it all. 

Dining room. Pretty modern compared to the other restaurants we'd been to. 

Mortadella mousse and focaccia 

Foie gras 'popsicle' 

Leek and onion tart with truffles

Soup of snails

 Five variations of parmesan.  Most innovative cheese plate ever. 

Lentil raviolis. 

Creative salad

Dessert finale

Natural Bridge Fall Corn Maze

CAPOTE

Scene from Capote film. From left, Characters: Capote and Harper Lee

                                         

Truman Capote's final masterpiece, In Cold Blood is a piece of non-fiction literature based on the mass murder of a well-respected family in Holcomb, Kansas. When Capote read an article about the Clutter case in the New York Times, he knew he had found his next subject. Capote believed he was meant to tell the story of the seemingly motiveless crime. He travelled to Kansas with friend and writer, Harper Lee, and immersed himself in the Holcomb community for five years hoping to understand what happened on November 15, 1959 at the Clutter farm.

Capote's writing is extremely vivid and descriptive. I believe his careful attention to detail is what makes this book about a brutal crime so readable. He brings the small town to life in his first sentence, "The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call "out there." I thought this single sentence painted a picture of the small town where the Clutter's lived and why the crime uprooted the entire community. 

Personally, watching the film Capote really made the novel come alive even though the text accounts nearly everything that happens during the case and trial period. Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of Truman Capote makes the film. I truly gained a sense of what Truman Capote must have been like and how the Kansans' viewed him. 

Like he mentions several times in the movie, Capote had a photographic memory that allowed him to recall conversations with incredible accuracy. Once the people of Holcomb accepted Capote's idiosyncrasies, he was able to form valuable relationships that gave him more access to information about the crime. Capote amassed more information about the people, places, and events connected to the crime than he needed. 

Capote requested permission to talk to the suspects Perry Smith and Dick Hickock in their jail cells. His understanding of Dick and Perry, makes his work more than just reportage of a crime. Capote allows readers to evaluate Perry and Dick on their own accords based on the background information he reveals. The book and the movie both make Perry seem like the less harmful character, even though he is the one who killed four members of the Clutter family. Readers inevitably sympathize with Perry as Capote writes about his troubled upbringing in great detail. 

After watching the film, I can better imagine the nature of Capote and Perry's relationship. Capote really wanted to understand how such a sensitive, quiet man like Perry could have created such horror. He said, "It's as if Perry and I grew up in the same house. And one day he stood up and went out the back door, while I went out the front." Seeing Dick's character on screen confirmed my opinion that Capote was not biased in his writing. I think Capote did care about Dick's internal mental processes, but Dick was just a terrible man who had nothing to offer anyone. He showed no remorse whatsoever.


I liked Harper Lee's role in the film because served as a contrast to Capote. Lee helped ease Capote's abrupt entrance in Kansas allowing people to trust his intentions. She also understood how strongly he felt towards Perry by the end of the ordeal. The last scene in the film shows Perry's hanging. Capote says, "And there wasn't anything I could have done to save him." Lee replies, "Maybe not. But the fact is, you didn't want to."

The timid prospective & his over-enthusiastic father

Friday afternoon I sat down to a late lunch at the Bistro with a friend. Minutes after we ordered our standard Bistro salads, a high school student and his father walked in and sat at the small table just inches from us. The man immediately said, "Are you students?!!" The father and son from Baltimore had just taken a campus tour and it was apparent that the dad loved Lexington and W&L. We said we were students of course, not knowing it would lead to a conversation lasting our entire meal. I was not bothered by it at all, the exchange was actually pretty comical. The dad, a Sigma Chi who graduated from Cornell in the 80's, was a very honest guy. He seemed more interested in W&L's social scene than extra-curricular activities or do I dare say, academics! He didn't hesitate to ask us probing questions.


For example: "What are the top fraternities on campus? What's your favorite? Is it bi-delt? It can't be Sleep And Eat (SAE), can it? So, what are the Sigma Chi's like? Where do the athletes fit in to the mix? He even asked questions about fraternity rush and told us about greek life at his alma mater. While we tried to respond to these questions in an accurate and appropriate fashion, the son just sat there with an almost uncomfortable look on his face as he picked at his fish and chips. You could tell this was not the first nor the last time he'd been embarrassed by his lively father. The hopeful lacrosse-playing son hardly said a word.


Before we left, (Mr. Social picked up our tab) we directed them to the Sigma Chi house as promised. I have no doubt that he would have liked to post-up with the brothers all afternoon before driving back to bmore. Hopefully the poor boy did well on his SAT that he had scheduled for Saturday morning...

Lee Hi Travel Plaza

This is my first article for Reporting on Business. I enjoyed writing it because I got to go out to Lee Hi Travel Plaza, poke around, and talk to people. 


Berkstresser Runs a Destination, Not Just a Truck Stop

By KATE CANCELMO


 It is 7 a.m. and Bobby Berkstresser, owner of Lee Hi Travel Plaza, is poring over charts from the previous day and visiting the field desk for diesel and fuel sales. He is checking his company’s performance in Berky’s restaurant, the convenience store, and his towing and excavating business. Berkstresser does all of this before breakfast. 

Since 1981, Berkstresser has transformed the 260-acre property into a unique travel destination by providing better service and food at a good price. He bought Lee Hi Truck Stop for $5,000 down and employed nine people. He now runs a 240-employee operation and projects close to $75 million in revenue this year.

Berkstresser attributes his success to exceeding customers’ expectations. He wants to instill competitive traits in his managers and employees by looking at the week’s totals.

“Everyone here is fundamentally a jack of all trades. There are no lot lizards,” said Ron Hockman, a Lee Hi grounds man. Hockman has worked for Berkstresser two years and lives in an RV on the property, which includes a campground. He has done janitorial work, kitchen duty, and even prunes brush covering Lee Hi billboards on the interstate.

One out of five employees has been with Berkstresser for 20 years; many of the most veteran workers are waitresses at Berky’s. Nancy Hayslett, for example, has been working in the restaurant for 22 years. Her sister and daughter work there too. “It is a family restaurant. All of the waitresses are close and we stick together,” she said.

Regulars like trucker Claude Godfrey call Nancy   Jake. Jake is always ready to work.

Godfrey drives from Texas to New Jersey twice a week and twice a week he eats in the Tin Toy Café inside Berky’s. He can tell you that there is nothing on the East coast that compares to Lee Hi Travel Plaza.

“I pass 200 truck stops just for this one. They got clean showers and nice girls. I probably spend $200 a month here,” he said.

Margaret Ruley, who has been working there for 16 years, remembers when there were only five tiny booths.
Now, the restaurant has two rooms and a 1950s theme with an extensive collection of tin toys and pedal cars from the early 1900s. It happened by accident,” Berkstresser said. A consultant gave him a neat toy and Berkstresser bought an entire collection to display in the restaurant.

Berkstresser brings ingenuity, creativity, and attention to detail to the other aspects of his business. He thinks of new ideas and new ways of doing things to maximize profit. “We make a little money everywhere. That’s the key. We make pennies everywhere,” he said.

Bought White’s truck stop 

For years, Berkstresser dreamed of owning White’s Truck Stop. He saw tremendous growth potential. In January he got that chance. He acquired the company for $8 million and spent and additional $1 million for renovations.

Now, White’s Travel Plaza will operate under the same mentality as Lee Hi Travel Plaza, only under a different roof. Berkstresser made significant changes to the physical appearance of Whites’ convenience store and raised prices commensurate with better service and value.

He boasts a 36 percent profit margin with sales of $210,000 during August, up from $180,000 in May. Berkstresser also plans to open a coffee shop and a second Berky’s, guaranteeing the same home style meals as the original.

Berkstresser runs an expansive and profitable business, but he had to make changes to his organization during the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009. He laid off employees and watched his numbers more than ever.

He employs up to four people at a time from the Rockbridge Regional Jail work release program, a move that other business owners may be hesitant to make. But both parties benefit. Berkstresser pays the inmates minimum wage and they can reintegrate into the community before they finish their sentence.

Berkstresser is sensitive to changing technology. In January, new vehicles will take an alternative gas called diesel exhaust fluid. Both Lee Hi and White’s Travel Plaza must make plans to adapt their current distribution.

Berkstresser’s mega travel centers are evidence that businesses can evolve quickly. His hard work, attention to detail and business acumen have helped him thrive in this service business. He hopes he will be able to provide anything that a traveler would desire.  “I haven't been this excited about our people and our future in years,” he said. 

          

Town House Chilhowie, VA

Exterior

 If you had asked me to spend two months of my summer in Lexington as a freshman, my response would have been something like this: "Sorry, I have to get back to a civilization with queso and department stores. I'll be in Houston if you need me."


But after another year at W&L, I have grown to love small town life. They know me by name at Healthy Foods Co-op and everything I really need is just a walk away. I can honestly say that this summer in Lex has been one of my best to date. I met a number of classmates that I never would have known otherwise and took advantage of Virginia's natural beauty. I hiked House Mountain and swam in the Maury almost daily. I also took a few trips to Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Staunton. But, my most memorable venture was to a restaurant called Town House in Chilhowie, Virginia.


Every year Food & Wine Magazine features the Best New Chefs. The award is a major distinction in the food business. This year one of the chefs that made the list is John Shields, executive chef at Town House.


I had never heard of Chilhowie before, so I immediately looked it up along with the restaurant online. I learned that Chilhowie (pop. 1,827) is a town that has a total area of 2.6 square miles, making Town House purely a fine dining destination restaurant. It is located in the most southwestern portion of the state, just shy of a three hour drive from Lexington. I made a reservation for that Friday night.


I anticipated my meal the entire drive, wondering if it would exceed my already high expectations. Past a sign for Hungry Mother State Park (yes this is real) and just off the highway I found Town House nestled right on Main Street.

Town House interior

Of course there was nobody dining at 5:00 p.m. so I had the place to myself. I ate early so I could get back to Lexington before dark. The sommelier, Charlie Berg, greeted me by name and led me to my table in the corner of the dining room. This was my first solo dining experience, so I brought a book just in case.


Within a couple of minutes, the amuse bouche arrived a top a green slate tile. The cocoa and black olive sandwich cookie was filled with Meyer lemon compote and parmesan cream. The unexpected flavors were simply delicious.

Chilled Vegetable "Minestrone"

The menu offered a four or ten course tasting menu. I made a special request for seven courses of the chef's choosing. Ten seemed a bit too extravagant for the hot summer night, but four was not enough for the long drive. 


The first course, Shields' interpretation of vegetable minestrone, was like nothing I have ever seen. Delicate curls of thinly sliced brightly colored vegetables sat upright in the dish that Berg filled with vegetable consomme.


I could hardly bring myself to eat his artistic creation. I'm pretty sure I had a huge smile on my face and I am sure Berg got a kick out of me being young, alone, reading Ruth Reichl in the corner.


The next course was razor clams in a stock of their juices and Benton's ham, honeydew melon, and thyme. I enjoyed it, but it was my first time trying clams. Each item on the menu was extremely inventive and creative. Shields put together ingredients I would have never  imagined would taste good. Bananas in a crab dish? But, the Peekytoe crab in brown butter and lime with caramelized onions, salt cod, banana, curry, and cider vinegar was fabulous. 

Peekytoe Crab

While the soup of cherries was certainly presented nicely, I did not care for the dish as much as the others. It included marinated sardine, preserved ginger, tomato, and "almond bread" that was actually a cold foam. My favorite dish was the corn and crispy pig tail with Cruze Dairy buttermilk, basil, toffee, popcorn, polenta, and sorrel. You just can't beat good summer corn. I especially liked the contrast of textures in the dish.  


Town House's rural location is ideal to utilize produce from local farms. They use the season's freshest ingredients, changing the menu to adapt to what is available. 


Two hours later, I was very full and happy.  But, the best had yet to come. Shields invited me into the kitchen where I got to meet him as well as the sous chef and other cooks. It was pretty neat. Shields and his wife, Karen, who was not there, work as a husband-wife team. They previously worked in Chicago at Alinea and Charlie Trotter's respectively until they decided to take a chance on a new venture in Virginia. My experience at Town House was phenomenal and I hope to return with friends this semester. 

Lamb Shank cooked in Ash
smoked eggplant, miso, a dressing of bonito, black garlic

Blueberries & Lychee
peony sorbet, goat yogurt, coriander berries, crispy milk skin

Soup of Cherries

Visit www.townhouseva.com