Travel Archives - Page 9 of 11

Luxury Hotels and Dining
Home Away from Home for the Holidays

Jordan Wright
December 2010
Special to the Washington Examiner and San Francisco Examiner

Charlottesville and The Piedmont

The Boar's Head Inn at Christmas - photo courtesy of the inn

The Boar’s Head Inn is a perfect destination for couples or families. Horse and carriage rides with a Blue Ridge backdrop, breakfast with Santa, Christmas Dinner in the Old Mill and gingerbread workshops are some of the holiday activities to choose from. New Year’s Eve celebrations feature the Kings of Swing and Executive Chef Bill Justus’ lavish Virginia-centric menu offering choices like Braised Veal Cheek Ravioli with Wild Mushrooms, Porcini Marmalade and Leek Froth, Beef Carpaccio with Watercress, Arugula and White Truffle Oil, Lobster Consommé with Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Lobster Quenelles, and Stuffed Veal Chop with Foie Gras, Black Truffle, Fontina and Prosciutto with Chestnut Spaetzle and Brussels Sprouts. Desserts will wow with Green Apple Terrine with Vanilla Bean Sponge and Mascarpone Sabayon, and Milk Chocolate Gateau with Chocolate Mousse, Kettle Corn and Banana Rum Ice Cream.

For a special treat the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular Package” includes dinner, overnight stay and tickets to see The Rockettes perform in nearby Charlottesville. Luxuriate in the full-service spa or hit the state-of-the-art fitness center and sports club offering indoor tennis and dozens of classes in zumba, yoga and kickboxing.

Christmas at Keswick Hall - photo courtesy of the inn

Keswick Hall’s 48-room Tuscan-style villa sets the gold standard for luxury country inns in Virginia. Enjoy underwater music in the outdoor heated pool, beauty treatments in the spa and fitness facilities, or just relax in the 400-volume library and Tea Room with antique snooker table. In the evenings chestnuts will roast and s’mores will melt on an open fire. Ladle creamy hot chocolate from a copper pot beside the grand fireplace in the hotel’s spacious lobby. On Christmas Eve there’s caroling and a special holiday Sunday Brunch is served throughout December.

Christmas dinner at Fossett’s offers plenty of choices from recently named “Rising Star Chef”, Dean Maupin. Indulge in his Maine lobster bisque, Osetra caviar, seared foie gras, Wagyu beef, Rack of Fluvanna County lamb or Carolina Flounder. For dessert traditional Buche de Noel beckons, as does an over-the-top version of Sticky Toffee Pudding.

At the nearby Barboursville Winery’s upscale Palladio Restaurant Executive Chef Melissa Close Hart, who has prepared many a meal at New York’s James Beard House, cooks her delicate version of Northern Italian cuisine that pairs brilliantly with the estate’s wines. Most products are sourced from local farms and the exquisite pasta is house made.

While staying in the area view Colonial holiday decorations at nearby Montpelier, the home of James Madison, and at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s house and gardens. For ski and snowboarding facilities Wintergreen Resort is about an hour’s drive away.

www.boarsheadinn.com
www.keswick.com
www.barboursvillewine.net
www.montpelier.org
www.monticello.org

On Maryland’s Eastern Shore

The Inn at 202 Dover - photo courtesy of the inn

The Inn at 202 Dover in Easton, MD is certainly one of the most stunning mansions on the Eastern Shore. Boasting five-star luxury appointments, an elegant library, glass conservatory and antique-filled rooms, it has only five suites, each a private themed retreat with six-foot jetted Jacuzzis and in-room saunas and gas fireplaces.

Ron and Shelby Mitchell, transplanted New Yorkers, have brought a sophisticated dynamic to the art of innkeeping. On New Year’s Eve guests will be dancing to DC music man Joe Holt and singer Beth MacDonald following a five-course dinner in the intimate Peacock Restaurant prepared by the inn’s Cordon Bleu-trained Chef Mark Knipp, formerly Chef de Partie at The Inn at Little Washington. They’ll have a four-course dinner with dishes like Poached Carolina Flounder with Sun-dried Tomato Meyer Lemon Risotto, Roast Duckling Gabor with Chestnuts with Pistachios, Vanilla-Poached Lobster with Truffled Root Vegetables, Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin with Truffle Mushroom Port Jus and Cippolino Onion and Potato Puree. Dessert is a decadent Chocolate Flourless Torte with Chambord and Chantilly Cream.

Convivial young hosts, Jordan and Alice Lloyd opened the Bartlett Pear Inn in a 220-year old home in Easton, MD. Jordan, who trained with French chef extraordinaire Michel Richard at Citronelle and Thomas Keller at New York’s Per Se, emerged with his own style, reworking classic dishes with a clean finish. The small bar has become a big draw among upscale locals, but the food is the main draw at this very pretty pear-themed property in Easton, MD. New Year’s Eve dinner features a five-course dinner. Roasted Chestnut Soup with Duck Leg Confit, Truffled Maitake Mushroom Velouté Fricassee, Chicken Ballotine with Truffled Sweetbreads, Roasted Apple and Madeira Wine Jus, Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Agnolotti are a few of the choices on this elegant menu that finishes with Bûche de Nöel, Pavlova with Pomegranate Sorbet or Valrhona Hot Chocolate with house made Sugar Doughnuts.

The Robert Morris Inn - photo courtesy of the inn

In Oxford, MD America’s oldest inn dates back to 1710. This year the historic Robert Morris Inn, recently purchased by British hotelier, Ian Fleming, celebrates 300 years in operation. In period-inspired guest rooms you can channel your inner James Michener…he outlined his sweeping saga “Chesapeake” here overlooking the Tred Avon River.

On Christmas Day renowned international chef and proprietor Mark Salter will serve an eclectic menu of favorites culled from his background in Welsh, Scottish, British and French cuisine with dishes like Potato Soup with Lobster and Chives, Oysters Rockefeller with Spinach, Bacon and Parmesan Cheese, Chicken Liver Parfait with Beet Apple Chutney and Toasted Brioche, Seared Scallops with char-grilled Red Onion, Scottish Salmon with French Lentils and Kale, Smoked Bacon and Five-Onion Sauce, Pennsylvania Dutch Turkey and Baked Ham with Sage, Onion and Chestnut stuffing, Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with layered Goat Cheese and Potato and Truffled Celery Root Purée with Madeira-Black Pepper Jus. Desserts beckon with a traditional Christmas Pudding, Caramelized Apple and Frangipane Tart and Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée with Hazelnut Shortbread. A jazz band accompanies the lavish five-course The New Year’s Eve dinner beginning with champagne and canapés.

Christmas tree at The Inn at Perry Cabin - photo courtesy of the inn

The Inn at Perry Cabin is a magnificent destination resort with a chic nautical look reminiscent of the Ralph Lauren style. It overlooks the Miles River within walking distance of the Victorian village of St. Michael’s, MD. Executive Chef Greg Brandberg, who earned his stripes under Lydia Bastianich and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, brings an Eastern Shore sensibility. Brandberg plans a sumptuous Christmas feast that includes, Yellow Fin Tuna and Local Crab, Maine Lobster Bisque and Oysters Rockefeller, Grilled Scottish Salmon with Port Wine Glaze, Herb Roasted Beef Tenderloin and Juniper-Scented Braised Pork.

The inn’s New Year’s Eve gala features Herb Stuffed Pheasant Roulade, Atlantic Halibut with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, and Beef Wellington plus a ballroom dedicated to divine desserts made by Pastry Chef Elise Broz who will ring in the New Year by featuring over 20 different delectable sweets. The ten-piece Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra will play big band standards á la Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Gershwin. How romantic!

Throughout December horse-drawn wagons ferry passengers around historic downtown Easton, and on New Year’s Eve the town hosts “First Night Talbot” with a parade of sea creature puppets led by a giant mermaid. Bands, gospel choirs, jugglers and scads of other family-friendly acts perform around town culminating in fireworks and a countdown to the kitschy, must-see “Crab Drop”.

The beautifully restored Avalon Theatre in downtown Easton plays host over the holidays to a Messiah Sing In night and DC’s Eric Byrd Trio doing “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

www.innat202dover.com
www.bartlettpearinn.com
www.robertmorrisinn.com
www.perrycabin.com
www.theavalon.org
www.easternshore.com/firstnighttalbot

On Virginia’s Northern Neck

The Hope and Glory Inn - photo courtesy of the inn

The Hope and Glory in the tiny town of Irvington, VA is a circa 1890 former schoolhouse now bed and breakfast, whose proprietors Dudley and Peggy Patteson encourage its guests to talk amongst themselves. With a zinc-topped bar encourages collegial truancy it sports No. 2 pencils and black-and-white composition books to write down your drink order. A large reception area with desks, chess boards and a welcoming fireplace offers itself up for reading a book, sipping a cocktail or meeting your fellow travelers.

The harvest table prompts guests to share their adventures at their wonderful breakfast. Painted furniture, overstuffed chairs and antiques mix chock-a-block with stylish décor in an irreverent elegance. No frilly doilies or tea cozies here. It feels just like home…decorated by Aunt Martha Stewart.

Since dinner is not available at the inn the hip Nate’s Trick Dog Restaurant, which had its ups and downs in the past, has bounced back with new chef-to-watch Nate Myers, who along with his wife Courtney have recently resurrected the cool vibe and eclectic food.

Look for creative and deliciously memorable cuisine driven by bold fusion flavors. Myers will serve a couples-oriented holiday menu for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with classic French dishes like Cassoulet, Chateaubriand, and a deconstructed Beef Wellington.

The Tides Inn at Christmas - photo courtesy of The Tides Inn

Also in Irvington The Tides Inn is one of the country’s most distinctive resorts. Four generations of the Stephens family have been welcoming both DC area and international guests to the hotel’s 106 rooms and suites since 1947 by yacht or motorcar to this quietly luxurious top-drawer destination on Virginia’s Northern Neck. Chef Thomas Flynn plans several different four-course dinners for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. A few choices are the Rappahannock Oysters with pickled watermelon salsa and Tamarind Ginger Sauce, She-Crab Soup, Herb Roasted Chesapeake Bay Rockfish, Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb with Cranberry Gastrique and always their famous Crab Cakes. Desserts range from White Chocolate Crème Brûlée to Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding. Be sure to book an appointment to enjoy the posh spa.

www.hopeandglory.com
www.trickdogcafe.com
www.tidesinn.com

In Richmond

The lobby of The Jefferson Hotel - photo courtesy of the hotel

The Jefferson Hotel is one of the nation’s most spectacular historic properties. Built in 1895 to compete with Europe’s most magnificent hotels, everything about it spells graciousness and grandeur. Executive Chef Walter Bundy, who trained with Mark Miller in Santa Fe and Thomas Keller in the Napa Valley, grows herbs in the hotel’s garden and includes a myriad of gorgeous vegetables with his main dishes. He will be serving such delicious offerings as Bourbon Braised Ayrshire Farm Pork Belly with Apple Cider Gastrique, Diver Scallops with Ginger Infused Vanilla Bean Orange Butter, and Loch Duart Salmon with Spicy Spaghetti Squash, Edwards & Sons Surryano Ham and Cauliflower Coulis. Desserts are unique and non-traditional – Peanut Butter Semifreddo with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Bourbon Anglaise and Pumpkin Seed Tuile, and a Pear Raisin Cobbler. If you are there for the weekend be sure to enjoy the spoon bread at their legendary Sunday brunch served in the Rotunda beneath soaring 70-foot ceilings. Tweaked and lightened up Southern classics like Surry County Sausage Stuffing, Jamerson Farms Brunswick Stew, and Jefferson Spoonbread share space with all the other fabulous brunch items.

While in town catch the Richmond Ballet’s Nutcracker, hop a free ride on the horse-drawn sleigh rides around Carytown, visit the newly renovated Virginia Museum of Fine Arts open 365 days of the year including free access to their exhibitions on Christmas Day, and see the festive display of lights at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

www.jeffersonhotel.com
www.vmfa.state.va.us
www.lewisginter.org
www.richmondballet.com

A Journey through the Piedmont

Special to the Georgetowner and Downtowner
Jordan Wright
October 2010

On a leisurely two-hour drive from Washington DC through Piedmont wine country, past farms and orchards, we stopped for lunch in the one-light historic town of Madison at Susie’s Madison Inn. This cheery and charming restaurant with country French decor, served us a delicious lunch of wild mushroom soup, mountain trout, calves liver and bacon, and a mozzarella salad with heirloom tomatoes from nearby Shady Grove Gardens.

Owner Susie Reilly is a former Georgetown grad who has augmented her cuisine with local chef, Cheryl Goldsborough’s, adorable cupcakes, hummingbird cake and rum-infused Jamaican coconut cake sold from glass cases in the restaurant’s front bar area. Expect to find wines from nearby Sweely Estate Winery and Barboursville Vineyards to accompany your meal, which we topped off with their signature bread pudding and mixed berries, before we headed down the road to our destination.

The Boar's Head Inn - Charlottesville, VA

If like myself you haven’t visited the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville in a dog’s age you will be stunned to see its transformation from an aging resort in the late ‘80’s to a luxury property. Shortly after my last visit the University of Virginia took over ownership of the resort establishing it as a foundation, and recently poured in over 14 million dollars in the past five years in extensive renovations and redecoration with the addition of the state-of-the-art sports center, conference center and spa.

The inn, which takes its name from Elizabethan England when it was a symbol of hospitality, is situated on 573 acres of natural beauty. A winding driveway takes you around the grounds past rolling lawns before delivering you to the porte-cochere and into the lobby and public rooms which are exquisitely furnished in English antiques. Our room, like others in this 170-room inn, had a balcony overlooking a serene lake graced by a pair of resident swans. I strolled down to the water’s edge before dinner and sat on a swing beside a stand of native cardinal flowers, where I watched the sun’s sparkling reflection off the lake before it faded behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Old Mill Room - photo by Jordan Wright

We met up in the cozy Tavern for drinks before our dinner in The Old Mill Restaurant. The warm and elegant dining room was originally reconstructed from an old water gristmill built on the Hardware River in 1834. Dismantled and transferred from Albemarle County to its present site, it was reassembled using fieldstones from the foundation for the Tavern’s fireplace and the archway in the Ordinary Room where guests sip cocktails and take tea in the afternoons. Original pine planks from the mill are incorporated throughout the inn and the old millstones are imbedded in the inn’s courtyard. It is an enchanting setting for a restaurant that still maintains its 23-year running AAA Four-Diamond distinction.

Dover sole Stuffed with Lobster and served with Pea Risotto and Bok Choy - photo by Jordan Wright

In a room romantically lit by wrought iron chandeliers, a toasty fireplace and candlelight we took our dinner. Executive Chef Bill Justus, suggested Vanilla Bean-infused Duck Breast and Charred Sea Scallops on Polenta with Virginia ham and grilled corn succotash. For our second courses we enjoyed Dover Sole stuffed with Lobster and Bok Choy and served with pea risotto and a very large bone-in Veal Chop finished with brandy cream. The elegant service (I particularly appreciated the offer to decant our bottle of 2007 Saintsbury Carneros Pinot Noir) and first-rate cuisine was exquisite. We gilded the lily with desserts of Cashew Banana Caramel with cinnamon ice cream and Chocolate Pave with a chocolate tuile. How perfectly they paired with our flutes of Blanc de Blanc from nearby Kluge Estate Winery!

Cashew Banana Caramel in Phyllo with Cinnamon Ice Cream - photo by Jordan Wright

Dawn broke on our first full day to a myriad of options. The Charlottesville area alone has 23 of some of the finest vineyards in Virginia and is part of the Monticello Wine Trail. We could visit the wineries, or spend a leisurely day antiquing in town, drop in at James Monroe’s historic manor Ashlawn-Highland, or tour James Madison’s recently restored Montpelier. We could always dodge the heat and hoist a tankard at the 1784 Mitchie Tavern or travel through time at Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent home, Monticello. It is worth noting that Monticello and the University of Virginia campus, are architectural treasures included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and worth a visit.

My husband pressed for a tour of his alma mater and we were delighted to discover the streets filled with hundreds of the cutest, preppiest, fresh-faced students laughing and chatting excitedly on their way to the university’s auditorium for UVA’s “Orientation Day”. We trotted off to the downtown pedestrian mall with its over 120 shops and more than 30 restaurants and had a bite at Orzo, a lively Mediterranean bistro filled with an international clientele of exchange students.

Back at the hotel there was bicycling, swimming or lounging beside one of three pools, fly fishing clinics, tennis (12 indoor and 14 outdoor world-class courts), golf on the 300-acre Birdwood championship course, a rock climbing wall to scamper up, or perhaps a trip to the sports center to join one of over 50 weekly classes from Power Yoga and Zumba to High Intensity Training sessions or Boot Camp with a personal trainer. All offered to guests of the hotel during their stay.

The Boar's Head Christmas - Gingerbread house

After a lavish breakfast featuring a smoked salmon bar, eggs of every variety, Virginia ham and sausage and an array of baked goods (we loved the pecan cinnamon rolls) I took the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate at the Spa. Housed in a darling cottage the serene full-service spa offers nine different types of therapeutic massages from the traditional to Thai Bodywork and the Raindrop Treatment that uses key essential oils dropped like rain along the spine and massaged into the tissue. There are also a number of detoxifying wraps. Try the Mud Wrap or Body Glow using sea salt, herbs and essential oils or just enjoy the beauty services. They use Astara, Dermalogica and Get Fresh products and my facial was one of the best I have ever had anywhere.

If you’re planning now for the holidays the inn has a great array of family activities and gently priced packages. Horse and carriage rides, breakfast with Santa, Christmas dinner in the Old Mill and gingerbread workshops. Go online to get the latest details and enjoy making your own beautiful memories in Virginia’s beautiful Piedmont.

Original Recipe Rye Whiskey Sold Out at Mount Vernon

Jordan Wright
July 2010

Our first president tipples the good stuff at Mount Vernon - photo by Jordan Wright

George Washington is still entertaining in fine style at his Mount Vernon home with the release of his original recipe un-aged rye whiskey being sold for the first time since 1814. A limited number of the bottles, priced at $85.00, were available for the launch (only 471) last week and I was thrilled to be number 30 in the queue. There was also a commemorative boxed set containing an engraved shot glass and mini bottle of the aged variety, a tempting bracer for an brisk autumn fox hunt.

A magnificent morning greeted eager tasters who toured the distillery and gristmill along the banks of Doe Creek where the rye whiskey is being made and bottled by hand just as it was done two centuries ago and according to the original records uncovered at the estate.

The grist mill at work - photo by Jordan Wright

Every part of the centuries-old process is authentic - photo by Jordan Wright

The raw grain ready for processing - photo by Jordan Wright

VA State Senator Toddy Puller, whose efforts cannot be understated in sponsoring Virginia’s new distilled spirits tasting law allowing Mount Vernon a special designation to sell the whiskey, was presented with the first bottle by Dennis Pogue, Mount Vernon’s Associate Director for Preservation, and Dr. Peter Kressy, President of the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS), who proudly told of his association’s commitment in leading industry funding for the $2.1 million archeological excavation and reconstruction.

James Rees, President of the influential Mount Vernon Ladies Association spoke of Washington the innovator and entrepreneur, “This was the largest and most successful distillery in the United States, marketing to the West Indies, England and Portugal.”

The handmade process in the distillery - photo by Jordan Wright

Master Distiller, David Pickerell, poses in front of the distillery - photo by Jordan Wright

The Master Miller (center) checks the records - photo by Jordan Wright

Master Distiller, David Pickerell, formerly of Maker’s Mark Bourbon and now distilling his own WhistlePig Farm rye whiskey in Vermont, described the whiskey this way, “It’s nose is slightly floral, earthy and grainy, with a taste that is surprisingly sweet and mellow with a berry taste.” He added, “The whole process was exhausting. Everything was made by hand and we did it in two weeks!”

A rare first bottle of George Washington's original recipe rye whiskey - photo by Jordan Wright

The estate currently has around 50 gallons laid back of the two year-old straight rye whiskey aging in oak barrels. It won’t be available till next spring. But according to Pogue, the demand for the un-aged variety has been so high they are trying to have a new batch ready at the same time.

World Champion mixologist, Todd Thrasher of Restaurant Eve and PX in Alexandria, was so inspired he created a new recipe for Whisk and Quill just for the occasion.

I Cannot Tell a Lie

1 oz. George Washington Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Bourbon
½ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
2 oz. Cherry Vanilla Juice (recipe follows)
Dash of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters

Cherry Vanilla Juice
Mix together 1 quart of pitted cherries and 1 scooped out vanilla bean. Pass through a food mill.
To serve:
Stir all the ingredients together and serve in a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
Courtesy of Todd Thrasher

For more information about The Distillery at Mount Vernon visit www.mountvernon.org

For questions or comments on this article contact [email protected]. Visit us on Facebook to see more photos of our stay.

South Carolina – A Food Lover’s Dream

Jordan Wright

June 2010

Lena Mae Brown's Carolina Gold Plantation Rice Pudding at the home of Campbell and Meredith Coxe - photo by Jordan Wright

A quest for the traditional “receipts” of the Old South and the emerging epicurean landscape of the New South drew me to tour South Carolina on a nine-day culinary adventure. Along the way my partner and I sampled pickled cherries, okra, mushrooms and leeks and beheld gleaming glass jars of green beans and purple baby beets. From top restaurants to roadside stands we tasted blackberry, raspberry and tomato jams and jellies and reveled in the fresh fish and shellfish from oceans, rivers, and bays starring on every menu.

We found the art of charcuterie enjoying a revival with chefs preparing their own rillettes, patés, terrines and dry-cured sausages. Here and there refrigerated walk-ins were crammed to bursting with whole pig’s heads, pork belly, fresh sausages from hogs and rabbits and bacon…tender, salty and smoky…to flavor antelope, quail and earthy slow-cooked greens.

We met and dined with chefs whose kitchens were a hive of creativity and experimentation, and whose near-religious devotion to local and sustainable foods was palpable. Notable American cooks from Greenville and Latta, to Charleston, Pawley’s Island and Beaufort are adapting and reinterpreting Southern flavors, adding French Haute Cuisine, Nouvelle French, American Modern, Mediterranean, and Pacific Rim influences to their gastronomic conversation to create a new Southern gastronomic paradigm.

Below I give you some of the most delectably innovative food we feasted on and the historic properties where we were ensconced. Follow my dishes, if just vicariously now, until you can visit for yourself. I wouldn’t want you to miss a morsel.

Upcountry Greenville

Pickled beans, okra, cucumbers, cherries, peppers and turnips at High Cotton - photo by Jordan Wright

Shrimp and Grits at High Cotton - photo by Jordan Wright

Greenville's Reedy River as seen from High Cotton Restaurant - photo by Jordan Wright

Brunch at High Cotton with Executive Chef Anthony Gray: Elderflower Mojitos;Shrimp and Grits with Fried Green Tomatoes, Braised Beef Benedict, slathered in pimento cheese and Carolina sweet onion gravy; Plum Cobbler with peach ice cream. Chef Gray is a font of information about local farmers and growers and proudly turns locally produced Spanish heritage Ossabaw hogs from Caw Caw Creek farm into his own charcuterie.

Rejunvenated at: The Spa at West End with a Volcanic Earth Clay Ritual, Sea Salt Body Scrub and a totally addictive Vichy Shower. In case you’ve not had one yet it is a long horizontal wand with seven large showerheads attached. You lie on a soft shallow bed while a steady stream of warm water pours over your entire body. It is sheer bliss… like a tropical rain forest during a downpour but without the bugs! As soon as it started I hoped it would never stop.

Calamari Salad at The Lazy Goat in Greenville - photo by Jordan Wright

Roasted Banana Pudding at The Lazy Goat - photo by Jordan Wright

Fried Branzino stuffed with crabmeat and preserved lemons - photo by Jordan Wright

Dinner at The Lazy Goat with Chef Vicki Moore: Fresh Blackberry Mojitos; Grilled Calamari with ahi dolce and pickled pepper salad; Fattoush Salad; Roasted Mussels and Chorizo; Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank with plantain chips; Whole Crispy Branzino, with charmoula and shaved fennel; Pan-Roasted Grouper with lobster and rapini risotto, and saffron vanilla sauce; Roasted Banana Pudding; Pecan Pie with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Last fall Moore was chosen by Esquire Magazine’s food writer, John Mariani, as one of four “Breakout Chefs to Watch”. In September she will create dishes with DC chefs, Bryan Voltaggio of Volt and David Guas, author of “Dam, Good, Sweet” for the city’s “Euphoria” festival, where nationally known chefs pair with local chefs to prepare exquisite gourmet dinners in the town’s finest restaurants. In recent years this food and music extravaganza has featured such top chefs as Thomas Keller and Bobby Flay and artists like Chris Isaak. Check www.euphoriagreenville.com to get this year’s schedule.

Beef Tartare with compressed cucumber and scallion wings at Deveraux's - photo by Jordan Wright

Rare seared tuna, pearl pasta, Honshimeiji, Edamame, sake black beans at Deveraux's - photo by Jordan Wright

Devereaux's in the old tobacco factory - photo by Jordan Wright

Dinner the following evening at Deveraux’s with Executive Chef and Partner Spencer Thomson: Beef Tartare with Japanese mustard; Bison Carpaccio; Hudson Valley Foie Gras with ice wine cherries, marcona almonds and vanilla sunchoke; Sashimi of Japanese Snapper with cucumber, cilantro and peanuts; Charred Beef Filet with portabello-potato hash; Black Grouper with summer succotash, shaved turnip, tomato concassé and truffled corn broth; Pekin Duck on white corn polenta, with duck sausage; Strawberry Shortcake in a white chocolate orb.

Chef Thomson will stage with Guy Savoy in Paris this October, where he will no doubt continue his love of reinventing the classics.

On our road trip across the state we visited owner and grower, Glenn Roberts, at Anson Mills where we learned firsthand the history of rice and its legacy in America.

Mid-State Latta – Quaint with a Touch of the British

Breakfast at Abingdon Manor - photo by Jordan Wright

Italian Breakfast BLT at the Manor - photo by Jordan Wright

The drawing room at Abingdon Manor - photo by Jordan Wright

Abingdon Manor, an exquisite former private estate and gardens made us feel we were at home in England. We loved that it’s a mere five-mile hop off I-95 to be coddled by owners Michael and Patty Griffin. Patty is an accomplished chef who hosts her own local cable TV show and conducts monthly cooking classes for guests in the Manor’s spacious kitchen. The inn’s china and silver grace the damask-draped tables beautifully showing off her dishes.

Dinner by Chef Griffin: Shiitake Mushrooms with Hoisin-chili glaze, Dilled Carrot Soup; Home-grown Tomato Stack; Hypnotiq Sorbet; Seafood in Parchment; Poached Pear with amaretto cream.

Breakfast by Chef Griffin: Italian Breakfast BLT; Fresh fruits; Herbed Biscuits.

Pawley’s Island Coastal Charm

Sunset over Pawley's Island - photo by Jordan Wright

Pawley's Island Firefighters - photo by Jordan Wright

Daybreak at Litchfield Plantation - photo by Jordan Wright

Litchfield Plantation, a quintessentially Southern Lowcountry inn, set on six hundred acres of a former rice plantation, channeled my inner Southern belle. Its balconies overlook an avenue of ancient live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

Trio of Ice creams at Bistro 217 on Pawley's Island - photo by Jordan Wright

Chef Adam Kirby at Bistro 217 - photo by Jordan Wright

Asian Salad with SC Pink Shrimp at Bistro 217 - photo by Jordan Wright

Lunch at Bistro 217 with Chef Adam Kirby: Tomato, Crab and Jalapeno Soup; Pan Sautéed Vermillion Snapper with lobster sauce; Trio of Homemade Ice Creams, Mint Chocolate Chip, Strawberry and Pistachio. Chef Kirby grew up on the Island and has a strong relationship with its watermen who provide him with the freshest seafood in the area.

Eminence blueberry detox facial preparations at Stox & Co. - photo by Jordan Wright

Rejuvenated at: Stox & Co. A beautiful salon and day spa in Litchfield Beach with a stunning yoga and Pilates studio. I enjoyed a Blueberry Detox Firming Peel using Eminence skin care products, a line of natural organic skin care developed in Hungary and made from fresh fruit extracts. It was almost good enough to eat!

Blackberry Cobbler at Frank's - photo by Jordan Wright

Softshell Crab at Frank's on Pawley's Island - photo by Jordan Wright

Chef Pierce Culliton of Frank's - photo by Jordan Wright

Dinner at Frank’s with Chef Pierce Culliton: Tomato Pie with Four Cheeses; Grilled Watermelon Salad with balsamic vinegar, goat cheese and arugula; Soft Shell Crab with whole grain mustard sauce; Sautéed Flounder with Shrimp and yellow stone ground grits; Blackberry Cobbler.

Charleston – Le Grande Bouffe in the Lowcountry

Wentworth Mansion in Charleston - photo by Jordan Wright

Charleston street scene - photo by Jordan Wright

Tiffany glass windows at the Wentworth Mansion in Charleston - photo by Jordan Wright

We had posh digs in the Wentworth Mansion, a glorious property and one of the nation’s premier historic hotels. Built in 1886 as a private home for a local cotton baron, we found elegance, distinction, luxurious appointments and deluxe service.

Charleston Chews, Lemon Chess Bars and Sweet Potato Cornbread from Dixie Bakery - photo by Jordan Wright

Breakfast snacks on the run from Dixie Bakery and Café: Charleston Chews; Lemon Chess bars; Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Sous Chef, Jill Mathias, in the kitchen at Carolina's - photo by Jordan Wright

Chef Don Drake of Magnolia's - photo by Jordan Wright

Magnolia Plantation - photo by Jordan Wright

Nibbles and Sips: At Magnolia’s with Chef Don Drake, Pimento Cheese; Shrimp and Grits; at Carolina’s we quaffed Carolina Sweet Tea; at Cypress with Chef de Cuisine Garrett Hutchinson, in-house patés and dry cured charcuterie; at Tristan with Chef Jesse Sutton, House-made Mozzarella.

Pork, Pine, Morels and Green Garlic at McCrady's in Charleston - photo by Jordan Wright

SC Crawfish, Sweetbreads, Sweet Onions and Artichokes at McCrady's

Seared Grouper with Courgettes, Cucumber and Bonito at McCrady's

Dinner at McCrady’s with recent James Beard award-winning Chef Sean Brock: Stone Crab with orange, coconut and sour mix; Seared Grouper with courgettes, cucumber and bonito; Crawfish, sweetbreads and artichokes; Pork Pine, morels and green garlic; Beef Marrow and carrots four ways; Banana Puddin’; Chocolate Hazelnut, Chewy Caramel and Malt.

Chef Frank Lee of S.N.O.B. - photo by Jordan Wright

Fried Chicken Livers with Cheese Corn Grits - photo by Jordan Wright

S.N.O.B. Restaurant - photo by Jordan Wright

Lunch at S.N.O.B. with Executive Chef Frank Lee: Gazpacho; Corn Bread; Fried Chicken Livers with Cheese Corn Grits; Southern Crab Salad with fresh fruits; Shrimp and Black Beans. The charming and self-effacing Lee is a mentor and guru to many nationally known chefs who cook in the Lowcountry style.

Countertop pies at the Carolina Cider Company - photo by Jordan Wright

Tasting room at Firefly Distillery and WInery - photo by Jordan Wright

Third generation tea grower and taster, William Barclay Hall at Charleston Tea Plantation on Wadmalaw Island - photo by Jordan Wright

Breakfast at the Wentworth: Fresh orange juice, Rabbit Sausage, Waffles with piles of fresh berries, and Eggs Benedict.

Rejuvenated at: The Spa at Charleston Place with a relaxing Swedish massage and dip in the saltwater pool overlooking old Charleston.

Nilgai Antelope Filet with lentil and foie gras stew, heart of palm, crispy leeks and baby carrots at Circa 1886 - photo by Jordan Wright

Jelly Doughnuts, house made strawberry and peach jellies, John's Island honey and peanut butter milkshake at Circa 1886 - photo by Jordan Wright

Carolina Flounder with crab and shrimp pilau, grapefruit sabayon, candy striped beets and basil lacquer - photo by Jordan Wright

Dinner at Circa 1886 at the Wentworth Mansion with Executive Chef Marc Collins: Vichysoisse with toasted haricots verts; Crab Cake Soufflé with mango purée, pineapple relish and sweet potato frills; Foie Gras “Cherry Coke Float”; Nilgai Antelope Filet with lentil and foie gras stew, crispy leeks and baby carrots; Country Ham-wrapped Angler Fish with black-eyed pea “baked beans”, fennel pollen onion ring and apple cheddar slaw; Carolina Flounder with crab and shrimp pilau, grapefruit sabayon, candy striped beets and basil lacquer; Jelly Doughnuts with house made strawberry and peach jellies, John’s Island honey and peanut butter milkshake (Oh yes, he did!); Pan Fried Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake with fresh berries and honeysuckle ice cream. The notoriously shy Collins never peeked his head out of the kitchen to accept kudos or give up his honeysuckle ice cream recipe. One can only swoon with the memory.

After dinner: Port, sherry and an assortment of liqueurs are offered to guests of the Wentworth, and taken on the veranda.

Beaufort – The Sea Islands

Beaufort Inn in the Sea Islands - photo by Jordan Wright

Beaufort - photo by Jordan Wright

Beaufort in the Lowcountry - photo by Jordan Wright

On our final evening we lodged at the charming Beaufort Inn, a pink and white Victorian home built in 1897 in one of the most beautiful towns in America.

Pink Shrimp at Gay Fish Company - photo by Jordan Wright

Stone Crab at Gay Fish Company in Beaufort - photo by Jordan Wright

Gay Fish Company in Beaufort - photo by Jordan Wright

Here in the Lowcountry, where Daufuskie Island Gullahs still speak their West-African patois, we found a thriving seafood industry with Bulls Bay oysters, stone crab, pink and brown shrimp and restaurants that reflected the local catch.

Brick oven Spinach and Sausage Pizza at Paninis Grill - photo by Jordan Wright

Cinnamon Pillows with Creme Anglaise at Paninis Grill - photo by Jordan Wright

Chef/Owner Nick Borreggine at Paninis Grill in Beaufort - photo by Jordan Wright

Lunch at Panini’s Grill with Chef/Owner Nick Borreggine: Buttered “Coosaw River” little neck clams; Italian Sausage Panini; Almond Crusted Calamari with spicy aioli and burnt honey; Rosemary-infused Crème Brulée and Cinnamon Pillows with crème Anglaise. Borreggine was the former pastry chef at The Inn at Little Washington under chef/owner Patrick O’Connell.

Saltus River Grill - photo by Jordan Wright

Fricasseed lobster tails with creamed corn - photo by Jordan Wright

Executive Chef Brian Waters at Saltus River Grill - photo by Jordan Wrigh

Dinner at the Saltus Grill with Executive Chef Brian Waters: Raw Bulls Bay Oysters; Seviche of Dorado; Crispy Fried Lobster tails with cream corn and pea tendrils; Pommes Frites with truffle butter; Braised Pork Belly with soy glaze, bok choy salad and pineapple sambal; Pecan pie.

During our madcap epicurean escape we relished sweet potato butter on biscuits, tomato pies, and Hoppin’ John salad with country ham at a small private luncheon cooked by Lena Mae Jackson whose Carolina Plantation Gold Rice Pudding with blueberries sent us into a chorus of hallelujahs. We fell hard for fried peanuts, pork BBQ at Mama Jean’s, blackberry cider, rice grits (pronounced as one word) and cowpeas, real pimento cheese, and “Charleston Chews” from the Dixie Bakery and Café. To hold our memories close, we slowly made our way back north with treasured family recipes, Low Country Winery’s Blueberry Wine, Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon, the Mast Store’s Toasted Pecan Syrup, Breakfast Tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation, and sacks and sacks of Carolina Plantation Gold Rice, without which no self-respecting Southern hostess would dare serve her guests.

Sweet Potato Butter from Lowcountry Produce - photo by Jordan Wright

Soda pop for sale - photo by Jordan Wright

The road less traveled - photo by Jordan Wright

Already we hear the clarion call to revisit the chefs, watermen, tea and rice growers, dairymen, farmers and innkeepers of South Carolina whose generosity of spirit and indomitable passion to share their journey have inspired us to further explore America’s culinary roots. I hope you’ve been inspired too. May your travels be as delicious and memorable as ours!

For questions or comments about this article or to tell of your best experiences in the Palmetto State, contact [email protected]. Visit us on Facebook to see more photos of our stay.

Great Epicurean Escapes Begin!

Beautiful South Carolina - photo by Janine Schoonover

Dear Friends and Followers,

Jordan’s Great Epicurean Escapes will be making a culinary sweep of South Carolina this month and tweeting you updates from our adventure.

We will be staying at four historical properties – Litchfield Plantation, a spectacular retreat set on a 1750’s former rice plantation and dripping with Southern legend; Wentworth Mansion, a splendidly elegant hotel built in the Gilded Age; Abingdon Manor Country Inn, a Greek Revival Bed and Breakfast whose chef/owner holds monthly cooking classes for its guests; and Beaufort Inn, a pink wedding cake Victorian in the low-country fishing village of Beaufort, where I’ll learn from the shrimpers and oystermen, pick my own strawberries from the fruit and vegetable farmers at Dempsey Farms on Saint Helena Island and dine at the Saltus River Grill on sustainable seafood.

There will be kitchen tours and interviews with leading area chefs and visits to restaurants throughout the Palmetto State. High Cotton, The Lazy Goat and Devereaux’s in Greenville, McCrady’s, Snob, Bistro 213 and Circa 1886 in Charleston. We’ll also dine at Frank’s on beautiful Pawley’s Island and meet with the owners of Firefly Vodka, Happy Cow Creamery, Anson Mills, the Charleston Tea Plantation, and the Carolina Rice Plantation along the way.

We’re excited to experience the great Southern hospitality of our friends in South Carolina. Follow us as we make our way along the highways and byways.

Jordan Wright
June 2010

Old Town Boutiques Gather at the Lorien Hotel to Launch “Shop Local Alexandria”

Jordan Wright, Nibbles and Sips, June 2010

The Sugar Cube sweets - photo by Eileen Campbell

Photo by Eileen Cambell - starting left: Jordan Wright, Marie Coleman, Kristina Hopper

From left: Jordan Wright, fashion reporter for Washington Examiner Marie Coleman, photographer Kristina Hopper - photo by Eileen Campbell

This week the luxe Lorien Hotel played host to Alexandria’s Old Town Boutique District’s get-together and campaign for “Shop Local Alexandria”. Darling girls in darling dresses from the best boutiques in town gathered to bond over nibbles and sips.

Brabo Tasting Room in the hotel’s complex served “Napa”tizers and delicious charcuterie to compliment the wine and fresh lemonade. Alexandria confectionary, The Sugar Cube, brought their Red Velvet Devil Dogs, Lemon Almond and Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies, that were downed faster than you can say, “Let’s shop!”

Photo by Eileen Cambell - Brabo's charcuterie expertly displayed

Brabo Tasting Room's crudetés beautifully displayed - photo by Eileen Campbell

Luxury Hotels and Dining Home Away from Home for the Holidays