Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Random Notes
Inspired by a bounty of cherokee purple tomatoes and lettuce from our csa, Niedlovs sourdough, farm fresh eggs from Brock Creek farms on Signal Mountain, a bumper crop of basil in our garden(basil aoli), some previously opened goat cheese and a Benton's bacon ice cream Saturday night at Town House restaurant in Chilhowie, we threw down with some blt's tonight. Combined with a Grenache based blend from Pax called cuvee Moriah (the 2004), a chicken salad requested by the kids (leftover chicken from the grill with some grapes and a bit of curry), and some simply grilled okra (with olive oil, sea salt and pepper), we had a terrific simple summer meal. The Pax wines often evoke a bit of bacon fat for me, and this particular bottle was no exception. The downside of all this was this was the last of 10 pounds of Benton's heaven and another pork run to Bentonville (well, actually Madisonville, Tennessee) is imminent and necessary. Mail order is never as fun as seeing the masterful genius Allen Benton in person....darned if he doesn't remind me of Jimmy Carter. The Cuvee Moriah still has some years left as mouth drying tannins showed themselves still.
Caroline was reading an article(June 2009, Bon Appetit) to me on our drive back from Virginia this weekend about bacon drippings/fat being fairly equivalent as far as health goes as olive oil, etc. I can remember in our own family the can/jar of drippings kept close by in the kitchen. So tonight, we filled an old jar with the leavings from frying up the Bentons...a guilty pleasure for sure. Anybody else returning to this "old" practice?
Here's a puzzle. How will the James Beard Foundation handle Townhouse and its chefs? Joint award for best chef/best new chef(s)? Best new restaurant? Best dessert chef and best chef separately? How long will it take for them to find the place...we're certainly in the process of notifying/contacting them, but will it be too far from a major airport for them to easily send reviewers?
James Beard recognized Restaurant Eugene is on the agenda for this coming weekend.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Town House Chilhowie, VA...Best Meal in the USA?
Thanks to a New York Times article in this weeks food section, Caroline and I made the 4 hour trek up to Chilhowie to check this place out.
The background is a soon to be married couple of Chicago chefs (she the pastry chef at Charlie Trotters and he a sous chef at Alinea) were selected to open Charlie Trotters new restaurant in Las Vegas, but ultimately decided they wanted to do something a "little" different. Chosen by a local Virginia couple named Tom and Kyra Bishop who love to travel and great food to revamp their Chilhowie restaurant, they have brought molecular gastronomy to a part of the country unfamiliar with it.
This may be the best meal in the United States right now...John Shields and Karen Urie told the owners that the first goal was to be the best restaurant in Virginia, but after a year and a half, it has easily surpassed that. As we were 4 courses into 14 Saturday night, we realized we were onto something very very special. At that point, we felt it had surpassed our meal at Alinea just 3 weeks prior, and every NY restaurant including Per Se, Le Bernardin, and Jean George we'd ever been to. Comparisons to French Laundry, Arzak and Noma began to form in our minds. By about course 7, the Laundry (which admittedly we haven't been to in about 10 years) had been left in the rear view mirror.
The cooking involves molecular gastronomy techniques, but the flavors far surpass those of Alinea, WD 50 and even Mugaritz. Hence, the comparison to Arzak which uses molecular gastronomy to better result than either Mugaritz or Alinea. Karen is in charge of the sweet side of the menu, but her influence is felt in elements on the savory side as well. You can hardly wait for her desserts...we sampled 4 of them. The chefs forage for local ingredients in the local countryside ala Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen (we had a lobster salad at Noma where he had foraged for "beach herbs" that was amazing).
There is a feeling of being in the twilight zone, as the restaurant is so unexpected in such a small out of the way corner of the US, but perhaps its a part of a trend to follow the European example of "destination" restaurants in small towns such as is seen in France and Spain. The feel of the place is definitely more Spain casual than French formal which is a good thing in our minds. The chefs make the rounds of the dining room just like Elena and Juan Mari at Arzak, stopping to chat and even introduce a dish here and there.
They told us they plate every dish themselves, unheard of at most restaurants of this caliber. The owners are present and involved and contribute to an unbelievably welcoming experience.
The wine list is evolving but is unbelievably fairly priced with many solid selections under 50 dollars. Accommodations are available at nearby Marion and Abingdon...we stayed at a recently opened B and B called Collins House in Marion...a car service is offered by the restaurant to nearby accommodations.
The website to check out the menu is townhouseva.com. A 4 and 9 course option are available, but they are extremely flexible about adding items from other parts of the menu as you desire. There is a maturity to the flavors, textures, artistry and sheer intellectuality of the cooking that is far beyond chefs of 31 and 32 years of age. Amazing. One of the great meals of our lives.
The background is a soon to be married couple of Chicago chefs (she the pastry chef at Charlie Trotters and he a sous chef at Alinea) were selected to open Charlie Trotters new restaurant in Las Vegas, but ultimately decided they wanted to do something a "little" different. Chosen by a local Virginia couple named Tom and Kyra Bishop who love to travel and great food to revamp their Chilhowie restaurant, they have brought molecular gastronomy to a part of the country unfamiliar with it.
This may be the best meal in the United States right now...John Shields and Karen Urie told the owners that the first goal was to be the best restaurant in Virginia, but after a year and a half, it has easily surpassed that. As we were 4 courses into 14 Saturday night, we realized we were onto something very very special. At that point, we felt it had surpassed our meal at Alinea just 3 weeks prior, and every NY restaurant including Per Se, Le Bernardin, and Jean George we'd ever been to. Comparisons to French Laundry, Arzak and Noma began to form in our minds. By about course 7, the Laundry (which admittedly we haven't been to in about 10 years) had been left in the rear view mirror.
The cooking involves molecular gastronomy techniques, but the flavors far surpass those of Alinea, WD 50 and even Mugaritz. Hence, the comparison to Arzak which uses molecular gastronomy to better result than either Mugaritz or Alinea. Karen is in charge of the sweet side of the menu, but her influence is felt in elements on the savory side as well. You can hardly wait for her desserts...we sampled 4 of them. The chefs forage for local ingredients in the local countryside ala Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen (we had a lobster salad at Noma where he had foraged for "beach herbs" that was amazing).
There is a feeling of being in the twilight zone, as the restaurant is so unexpected in such a small out of the way corner of the US, but perhaps its a part of a trend to follow the European example of "destination" restaurants in small towns such as is seen in France and Spain. The feel of the place is definitely more Spain casual than French formal which is a good thing in our minds. The chefs make the rounds of the dining room just like Elena and Juan Mari at Arzak, stopping to chat and even introduce a dish here and there.
They told us they plate every dish themselves, unheard of at most restaurants of this caliber. The owners are present and involved and contribute to an unbelievably welcoming experience.
The wine list is evolving but is unbelievably fairly priced with many solid selections under 50 dollars. Accommodations are available at nearby Marion and Abingdon...we stayed at a recently opened B and B called Collins House in Marion...a car service is offered by the restaurant to nearby accommodations.
The website to check out the menu is townhouseva.com. A 4 and 9 course option are available, but they are extremely flexible about adding items from other parts of the menu as you desire. There is a maturity to the flavors, textures, artistry and sheer intellectuality of the cooking that is far beyond chefs of 31 and 32 years of age. Amazing. One of the great meals of our lives.
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