Jump to content

Recommended Posts

The Ashby Inn just posted on their FB page that Neal and Star Wavra are leaving the Ashby. There was no mention of where they're going. This is a huge loss -- Neal is a fantastic GM and Sommelier and they are both lovely people. They will be greatly missed. Wishing them well wherever their path takes them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From their Facebook page:

Dear Guests, Friends, and Colleagues,

After four plus years at the Ashby, our time has come to an end. We remain committed to all of you and regret not having the opportunity to say goodbye in person. Know you have our sincerest gratitude for the many wonderful experiences we shared and the memories we will cherish. We look forward to what the future may hold and hope it includes connecting with all of you again soon. 

Fondly,

Neal & Star

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I cannot tell you how much we loved the Ashby Inn.  Because of Neal.  Just an incredible loss:  this was a Great restaurant and a Great Inn.  And, for me, he was the primary reason. He drove it, he made it, he made our nights when we visited.  He was also a huge champion of the Virginia countryside and Virginia wine.  He directed the Ashby Inn into becoming one of the best restaurants in the mid Atlantic.

And, he was managing partner.  Their note says  they "regret not having the opportunity to say goodbye in person."  

Neal, please let us know wherever you are going.

I will toast you tomorrow night with a bottle of Granite Heights Humility '10.  If you read this I have two bottles left and would love to share one with you.  I even know where....

I'd also throw in a bottle of something from Walla Walla.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neal, please let us know wherever you are going.

Yes, please, Neal. You were the greatest GM / innkeeper / whatever-the-term-is that I can think of. Your name is not mentioned on the Ashby Inn voice mail. I have such respect for you that you simply cannot believe.

One thing people may not realize is the depth with which Neal knew Virginia wines. He is perhaps the only person to know more about them than Dave MacIntyre - Neal is a world-class expert, and his loss is devastating, just at the sommelier level, to The Ashby Inn.

I'm so sorry, but honestly? I'm sorry for myself.

My blessings, my kindest regards, and my support and very best wishes for whatever you do. Even though I've never seen you outside of The Ashby Inn, Neal, I am your close friend whether you know it or not - someone you and Star can call on first whenever you need them. I promise you I'll always be there for you.

Your friend,

Don

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don and Friends,



Star and I are very moved by your sentiments.  We cannot thank you enough for the support.  We are gratified beyond words to know that our efforts at The Ashby were so well received. The Ashby will forever be a special place for us.  After four plus years of spending nearly every waking hour with The Ashby, we will be taking some time to tip the scales in the favor of family and some r & r. We have a couple of projects that we intend on devoting some time and attention to and will share them in due course.  I remain committed and very interested in promoting the VA wine industry and will continue to seek a role in this arena.  I will also be joining John Shields and Karen Urie for their monthly restaurant, Riverstead, located in Chilhowie, VA, which is set to debut in May.  John, Karen and I worked together at Charlie Trotters years ago and I look forward to working with them again.



We love this site and will keep you updated here.  You can also find us on facebook and twitter.



neal & star


  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My last meal at Ashby was very good. The dinner was extraordinary. Neal Wavra was the reason our dinner was far greater than what we merely ate and drank.

he setting was lovely. The dinner was impeccably prepared. The wines were well sourced and interesting. But Neal tied it all together and made it truly special.

Best of luck to them both (not that people this talented need luck).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This news makes me terribly sad.  Thank you to the Wavra's for their tremendous hospitality over the last few years.  Thank you Neal for opening my eyes to wines I never would have tried.  I always looked forward to pleasant chats with you in our visits to the restaurant.  Your wine dinners were always entertaining and something we were very much looking forward to this spring and summer.  I trust the staff you leave behind will carry on your good work.  Best of luck to both of you in your new ventures.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don and Friends,

Star and I are very moved by your sentiments.  We cannot thank you enough for the support.  We are gratified beyond words to know that our efforts at The Ashby were so well received. The Ashby will forever be a special place for us.  After four plus years of spending nearly every waking hour with The Ashby, we will be taking some time to tip the scales in the favor of family and some r & r. We have a couple of projects that we intend on devoting some time and attention to and will share them in due course.  I remain committed and very interested in promoting the VA wine industry and will continue to seek a role in this arena.  I will also be joining John Shields and Karen Urie for their monthly restaurant, Riverstead, located in Chilhowie, VA, which is set to debut in May.  John, Karen and I worked together at Charlie Trotters years ago and I look forward to working with them again.

We love this site and will keep you updated here.  You can also find us on facebook and twitter.

neal & star

I sincerely believe it will literally be a life's memory to visit you and the Shields at Riverstead.  Neal, for us, an experience to talk about in the nursing home!  An incredible, dream partnership that I hope someone reading this will appreciate, understand and consider bringing to D. C.

There is nowhere else on earth than I would like to be except in Chilhowie this spring or summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When planning to dine out our way, there used to be a very simple solution "“ just walk down to the Ashby. However, since the recent shift at the Inn, we have been much more reluctant to head over, mostly because friends of ours are no longer there. That said, the Inn is still within walking distance, and we still want to support our friends who remain, so we headed over Thursday night.

There have been some changes to the menu at the Inn "“ now the "snacks" that were once available on the ala carte menu are only available with the tasting menu. We always enjoyed starting our meals at the Inn with a few of the snacks and a drink before ordering the rest of our meal "“ oh well.

The ala carte menu now consists of first and second courses, with a dessert menu presented after second courses, and there are new menu covers. Fortunately, the wine list has not changed substantively in our two visits since Neal and Star's departure.

We both started with the octopus carpaccio, which we first had on Chef Dunlap's tasting menu back in March. I think that this is a great dish, with the octopus benefitting from a spicy chorizo vinaigrette which punched up the flavor profile considerably.

For mains, we had a roast duck with green curry risotto (me), and a "roast" (sous vide, then crisped?) chicken with ramp pasta for my wife. We enjoyed both our entrees "“ the duck was perfectly cooked and the green curry risotto was a good accompaniment, albeit less intense in curry flavor than I expected. I didn't get a chance to try any of my wife's chicken, but she enjoyed the ramp pasta most of all. One quibble "“ both dishes were somewhat lukewarm "“ I expect the meat to have rested and therefore not be piping hot, but this did stick out to me.

Since it was my wife's birthday she had two desserts "“ a basil semifreddo, which she loved, and a chocolate cake which she was less enamored of. I had the cheese course, which was fine.

All in all, an enjoyable meal.  Certainly not the same as when Neal and Star were there "“ they are irreplaceable, and their departure is a huge loss for both the Inn and the village as a whole. However, what may have been lost in the transitions is that Chef Dunlap is still turning out excellent food in a beautiful setting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to the Ashby Inn for dinner with my fiancee this past weekend.  This was our first time there, so I can't compare it to how it was when Tarver King was there.  The inn is beautiful and they have a dozen or so tables out back under a tent, which was perfect for an 80 degree June day without much humidity.

After some confusion, we each ordered the tasting menu.  My fiancee is pescatarian and so, 99% of the time the kitchen will just replace the two or three meat dishes with veggie or fish/seafood dishes.  The server was caught off-guard by the pescatarian/vegetarian request.  I called to inform them but nobody answered during normal business hours and I guess they didn't listen to the voicemail.  If I recall correctly, they only had one entree without meat on the entire menu.  However, they had a few appetizers which would have worked fine.  The server told us that the kitchen said we would be better off ordering a la carte since it would be too difficult to substitute the two dishes.  And, since they require the entire table to order the tasting menu, that I wouldn't be able to order it since my fiancee couldn't.  Well, we came to Ashby Inn to try the tasting menu.  After seeing my disappointment, the server went back to the kitchen for the third time and it turns out they would be able to accommodate us.  It was a odd situation that I haven't encountered before.  We've probably done this at 20+ restaurants and none of them ever had an issue.

On to the food.  In short, the food received a passing grade but I won't go back again.  Not because it was terrible but it was underwhelming and there are too many other good restaurants -- including several that offer a much better value than their $99 tasting menu.  Each element of each dish was cooked and/or prepared properly but the food combinations seemed somewhat random, rather than complementary and well-thought out.

The tasting menu began with snacks - three pastries served on a slate board.  One was a parmesan reggiano donut, another I think was a blue cheese fritter and I think the third was a puff pastry with a milder cheese.  They were pretty good, although it felt strange starting a tasting menu off with these very heavy and rich snacks.

Next was a radish, cucumber, grape and juniper salad.  The radishes were very fresh.  My fiancee's radishes were mild and pretty tasty.  Mine were very pungent and bitter.  I guess if you like really strong radishes, they'd be great but they needed the edge taken off them in my opinion.

Next was a dish I'm still trying to wrap my head around.  If you love broccoli, you might like their broccoli variations dish.  It was cooked broccoli, pickled broccoli, broccoli tempura, and pureed brocolli and what I think was dehydrated crumbled broccoli.  That's it.  No seasoning, no sauce, just broccoli.  If it was up to me, they would take this off the menu and never mention it again.

Next up was chicken liver mousse with pine nut, raisin and honey.  There wasn't anything noteworthy about it.  It tasted like every other good chicken liver mousse I've had.  I didn't think the pine nut, raisin and honey added much to it but I can see how some people might.  I think it could have used a little more salt.

Next up was a grilled quail leg, served with what they called an herb sauce (which was similar to a green chutney) and an incredibly sweet strawberry whipped cream-like concoction that would have been delicious by itself.  I didn't think either of the sauces paired well with the quail.  The quail was fine, but it definitely needed some more flavor.

Next up was salmon with quinoa.  Probably the best thing we had.  The salmon was well cooked and had a nice crispy skin.  It was served with the best quinoa I've ever had.  I've viewed quinoa as one of those things that's good for you but doesn't taste like much and has too dry a texture.  I'd love to know their secret to cooking it, because it was genuinely good.  It was soft and fluffy and had a good flavor to it.

Next up was pork with bbq sauce and corn bread gnocchi.  The pork was well-cooked.  The bbq sauce was quite good but I might not have included something so powerful with the dish.  The corn bread gnocchi was just fine, but a bit dry and didn't have much flavor to it.

The blueberry sorbet was good but I generally prefer something less sweet and more acidic as a palate cleanser.

Dessert was quite good.  Pineapple upside down cake with sassafras ice cream.  It didn't blow me away but it was good.

The service was very good but the food didn't wow either of us.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bottom line up front:  The Ashby Inn is as good as it ever was and there's no reason you shouldn't eat there tonight!!  As onetime food critic Homer Simpson once said, "Seven thumbs up!"

Background:  For the last 5 years or so in early August, my wife and I have had a midweek dinner at the Ashby Inn and we always get the tasting meal.  This was our first visit under the new chef (David Dunlap) and you'd never know there was a change in the kitchen.  The menu was every bit as inventive and special (and tasty) as in any of our previous visits.  The only thing we noticed that was different was the service.  There was nothing wrong with it, but it wasn't quite as polished and it didn't rise to the exquisite heights of "The Neal Years".  That said, it was a perfect meal and a great night.

Setting:  Like I said before, we've been coming here in early August for the last 5 years or so and we always sit outside on the porch.  This may be the most beautiful setting in all of Virginia, if not the entire US!  You look out onto a beautiful flower garden to a field beyond that is dotted with grazing cows and flying birds.  You can't help feeling relaxed and tranquil here as the only sounds you hear are birds and (later) crickets.

 

post-3390-0-83355300-1407875607_thumb.jp

 

Food:  We did the tasting menu ($99) and it was as good (possibly better) as any one we had under Tarver King.  We skipped the wine pairings ($60) and ordered bottles instead.  We started with a wonderful dry rosé and then switched to a red Bordeaux.  For the red, we couldn't decide between two different wines and the sommelier actually advised us to pick the cheaper one!  Yeah!

Here's what we had:

 

Assorted Doughnuts "“ Sort of a bread and cheese course.   There were three little "doughnuts" with three different cheeses.  One looked like a tiny glazed doughnut that was dusted with parmesan cheese.  The next was shaped like a tiny éclair (no frosting on top) and was filled with bleu cheese which was very light and airy, almost like a mousse.  This was my favorite.  And the third was a sort of fluffy cheese puff.

 

Chilled Watermelon Soup, Smoked Pork Tongue, Feta, Marjoram "“ This was one of those dishes where there is a bunch of "stuff" in the bottom of the bowl and they pour the soup over it at the table.  Very nice presentation and lots of interesting flavors.  In fact, that could be said about every dish "“ beautiful to look at, and layers and layers of flavor.  (Best dish so far)

Tomato and Grilled Tomatillo Salad, Tequila, Cilantro "“ good, no strong memory

Crudo of Yellow Fin Tuna, Sweet Corn, Lime, Serrano Ham "“ lots of great flavors in addition to the fish.  I could have eaten 3 or 4 more of this.  (Best dish so far)

post-3390-0-37226600-1407875639_thumb.jp

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossom, Heirloom Tomato, Tarragon, Lemon, Cucumber "“ good, no strong memory

Branzini, Dashi, Pickled Maitake Mushrooms "“ this was another dish where all the "stuff" was in the bowl and they poured the dashi over and around it at the table.  Wow!  The fish and "˜shrooms were great, but the dashi really elevated this dish.  Amazing flavor. "Can I get a gallon to go, please?"  (Best dish so far)

Pekin Farm Duck Breast, Green Curry Risotto, Carrots, Turnips "“ another dish with lots of interesting things happening.  I'm not a huge fan of curry (read: avoid it when possible) and turnips and carrots are not my favorite vegetables but they all worked as a wonderful bed for the duck breast which was the real star of the dish.  It had it all:  crispy golden skin, a nearly liquid fatty layer and a succulent piece of meat.  My only complaint is that it wasn't 5 times as big!  (Tied with the Branzini for the best dish of the night)

Next was a sort of sorbet (???) popsicle that wasn't listed on the menu which transitioned into the desserts. 

Basil Semi Freddo, Poached Rhubarb, Elderflower, Meringue "“ that's what the menu said, but the photo shows some thinly sliced peaches in there too.  A fine dessert (but I'd rather have another piece of duck!)

Mignardises "“ not sure what that means, but we got a couple small meringue puffs and a couple small bites of cake topped with blueberries and strawberries.  (edit "“ I used the google and found out that it means mini desserts"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦..very true!)

I'm obviously not great at evocative descriptions of the food, so I'll close by saying it was a wonderfully serene meal that was every bit as good as any Ashby meal we've had.  I've spent a lot of time over the last week thinking about it and going, "ahhhhh".  If you're looking for a beautiful dinner in a beautiful setting, head to Paris immediately!   

PS "“ I just checked this week's menu and it looks to be 50-60% different from the one we had (which makes me want to go back ASAP!)

(Retweet this please.)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had not been back to the Ashby since our last visit in July 2013, prior to the departures of Tarver and Neal.  Today we went there for brunch and it was just incredible!  This was a level of cooking that you simply don't expect at brunch.  It was more like a dinner than brunch in terms of the menu, quality and execution.  The meal was so good that I was prompted to ask our server if Chef Dunlap was actually cooking in the kitchen "“ which I think would be rather unusual for brunch.  He replied that Chef Dunlap was on the premises, in the office, but not cooking in the kitchen and that the kitchen staff was very well-trained.  I'll say!  Based on this meal, I'd say that the Ashby's kitchen is in extremely good hands with Chef David Dunlap. 

For brunch they offer a 3 course menu for $45/person which includes a complimentary Ashby Imperial or Bloody Mary per guest.  I asked if I might substitute a 2nd starter in place of dessert and permission was granted.  Here's what we had:

Starters:

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with gala apple, and cardamom crème fraiche: This was a pureed soup poured into the bowl containing the tiny chopped apple and other ingredients.  This soup was exquisite.  A Tom Power level soup.  Autumn in a bowl.  We both had to restrain ourselves from licking the bottom of the bowl.

Broccoli Variations, puree, marinated, tempura, bay leaf.  This was my second starter and I liked it a lot.  The tempura was very light and delicate and when all of the different variations were combined in one bite, the result was quite tasty.

Entrees:

Seared Branzini, pickled maitake, charred scallions, Dashi: The flavors in this dish were just sublime.  The fish was perfectly cooked, the mushrooms provided a wonderful earthy component, and that dashi!  Wow!  This chef knows how to make an exquisite broth.  Honestly, if I were told that from now on my only sustenance was this broth, I'd be fine with that. 

Grilled Beef Cap, roasted sunchokes, golden raisins, wilted arugula, Sauce Choron: This was MrB's entrée and it was perfectly executed.  The beef was cooked medium-rare to rare and incredibly tender.  All of the other ingredients combined to form a perfect flavor combination that MrB could not stop raving about. 

Dessert:

Vanilla Bean Cake, bourbon caramel, vanilla ice cream: This was MrB's dessert and he loved every bite of it "“ said it was on par with the previous courses as top-notch. 

 

The service was not quite as smooth as what we've experienced in the past under Neal's management, but it did not detract from our enjoyment of the experience.  The Ashby was the perfect setting for a meal on a really cold and windy day in the Virginia countryside.  And that meal will stay with us in memory quite awhile.  Absolutely wonderful.  

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like David Dunlap is leaving too.  This is a real blow as I enjoyed my last meal there as much (and maybe more) than when Tarver King was there.

I'd heard this a few weeks ago (not much goes unreported in Paris), and agree - what a crushing blow for the inn. I think Chef Dunlap is highly underrated, and enjoyed my meals at the inn under his tenure more than I did during Chef King's - solely considering the food. In fact, I've had lunch at the inn twice in the past two weeks and it was firing on all cylinders. Here's hoping the Leopold's find someone equally skilled to step in quickly. I am concerned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nick Forlano will be taking over the kitchen from Chef Dunlap. Nick previously owned Forlano's in the plains, and worked at the Ashby under the prior owners. Nick has a solid local following, but his food is much, much different than Inn patrons have been used to. Much more rustic in favors/ presentation.

Ashby implies with this tweet that Nick is only in for a month - this probably eases the burden of searching while giving them a solid kitchen professional in the meantime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess it's not very relevant in light of the news, but we were there today and it was lovely. The star in my opinion was the braised pork with kimchi and polenta. Beet salad was beautifully put together, with tiny slices of orange and crumbles of a robust bleu cheese. It paired exceptionally well with my (complimentary) gin bloody mary, and I do not ordinarily have liquor with meals. Wife and daughter loved their chicken and waffles. My tarragon cake with lemon curd was glorious!

It was my first time there and I am looking forward to returning.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last Friday night my wife and I celebrated our anniversary (one day late) at the Ashby Inn. For the last few years we've been doing my birthday in August there, so this was a different menu (fall vs. summer) a different seating (inside vs. outside) and probably most importantly, a different chef (David Dunlap (who served maybe our best meal we ever had there) vs. Patrick Robinson, Executive Chef and Chad Crumley, Sous Chef).

We did the Chef's Tasting Menu on both visits. Last August it was 10 courses for $99, this time it was 6 courses for $85. This meal didn't reach the heights of last year either creatively or in presentation, but what we were given was perfectly prepared and delicious. Put another way, this was much more of a standard meal that you could get a lot of places, but it was done very well. Last year was a one-of-a-kind wow-fest.

The service was fine, but still not up to the Neal and Star Warva standard. There was nothing really wrong with it, it just lacked a little polish or maybe some situational awareness. For instance, for the soup dish, they place a bowl in front of you that's partially filled with veggies and other goodies and they pour the soup in on top from another container. I was taking a photo of the contents of the bowl and the server went right on pouring as if I wasn't there. Hardly a crisis, but he blocked the light so the photo is nothing but shadows. Later someone put down the scallop dish and explained as, ""¦"¦.and the scallops are from off the coast of New"¦..(pause)"¦...Cape Cod". Again, it didn't ruin the night or anything, it just didn't attain the previous levels of perfection.

They have a large wine list and a huge amount of Virginia wines at very good prices. The online menu (which we found out is out of date) lists RdV's "Lost Mountain" at $119. The price at the vineyard is $95!! We mentioned how great of a price that was to the sommelier and he was surprised it was still online and told us the current price of $179 was due to a change in distributor who jacked up the prices. The good news is the vineyard dumped that guy for someone cheaper so the prices should come back down, but he has to get rid of the high dollar RdV first. That's a long way of saying, there are a lot of very reasonably priced wines on their list from Virginia and beyond with a small mark up.

We started with a bottle of Chardonnay from Granite Heights in Warrenton, Virginia. I'd never heard of the place before but he recommended it as a nice mix between my wife's love of oaky buttery Chards, and my hatred of them. It was listed as $41 on the menu, $22 at the vineyard. Unfortunately they were out of this one and he returned with another Virginia wine that I also hadn't heard of called Cave Ridge in Mt. Jackson, VA (west of Rt. 81 near Woodstock, VA). This was $59 on the menu (and not listed on their website, so I don't know the markup). I assumed we were just he victims of and $18 bait and switch upsell, but when we got the bill, Cave Ridge was listed, but were charged the Granite Hill price! Nice touch, but I wish he mentioned to us at the time. We really enjoyed this bottle and it was definitely NOT a California style Chardonnay.

The first "course" was an amuse bouche of a thinly sliced raw beet wrapped around a mousse of shrimp. A good first bite, but there needed to be a little more shrimp in the middle because it got lost in all the beet flavor.

The first full course was Butternut Squash Soup Sweet Peppers, Blue Cheese Mousse. The soup was poured into the bowl containing the peppers, blue cheese, nasturtium leaves and something bacon-like (crunchy). The soup itself was very thick and rich, but the real star was the blue cheese. It was a great addition and really took it to the next level. My wife later added some blue cheese to some leftover butternut squash soup that we had at home and it really improved it. This will now be a regular addition to the soup when we make it at home

Next was Seared Foie Gras Grape Compote, Hazelnut Crumble. There were also some sliced figs and arugula included. Great dish. Foie Gras"¦.what's not to love!

Next was Scallops Lemon Verbena Risotto, Mussels, Celery. The mussel (only one) was huge and tasty. The scallops were only seared on one side, but were cooked perfectly all the way through in a way I've never been able to come close to at home. The dish was topped with ribbons of celery, micro greens and chopped chives. It was resting on a bed of risotto. We really enjoyed this dish. Everything was cooked perfectly and was all very tasty.

If there was one complaint so far, it was the pacing of the meal"¦"¦.too fast, not too slow! Believe me, I'd rather the pacing issue be in this direction, but we could have used an extra few minutes between courses to sit, sip wine and reflect. It wasn't as if they were bringing the next course before we finished the last, but we had a momentary moment of panic when we realized we were about to the final course, duck, and we hadn't yet ordered any red wine. Such problems!

We ordered the 2011 Gonet-Medeville, Cru Monplaisir Bordeaux Superior for no particular reason other than it said "Cru", "Superior" and was $42 bucks! I see it online for between $15 and $20 so maybe this wasn't bargain that I thought it was, but we really liked it and took at least half the bottle home.

The final main course was Duck Roasted Duck Breast, Braised Lentils, Baby Carrot, Choi. Another perfectly prepared dish. The duck was tender and juicy and the rest of the dish was a nice compliment.

The dessert had a lot going on and was probably about twice the size of a typical dessert dish. The menu description is: Dessert Flourless Brownie, Ganache, Poached Pear, Mango Sorbet. Lots of stuff going on here and it was kind of a messy presentation, but it tasted better than it looked. Nice capper to the meal.

All in all, a very enjoyable meal. Like I said before, it didn't hit the heights of creativity as our last meal under a different chef (an unfair comparison perhaps), but we loved everything we had.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow - hard to believe more than a year since the last post in this thread!

Patrick Robinson had been doing an excellent job at the Ashby - our last meal there was excellent, and my wife is dining there tonight. I say that Patrick HAD been doing an excellent job because effective 1/5/17 Patrick Whitaker will be taking over the kitchen, coming from Fearrington House Inn & Restaurant in North Carolina.

Well worth a trip out to catch Chef Robinson in his last few weeks - the rabbit en croute is particularly good.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow - hard to believe more than a year since the last post in this thread!

Patrick Robinson had been doing an excellent job at the Ashby - our last meal there was excellent, and my wife is dining there tonight. I say that Patrick HAD been doing an excellent job because effective 1/5/17 Patrick Whitaker will be taking over the kitchen, coming from Fearrington House Inn & Restaurant in North Carolina.

Well worth a trip out to catch Chef Robinson in his last few weeks - the rabbit en croute is particularly good.

I used to pass by Fearrington House on my way to see relatives in NC.  I remember the community had a paved lot for a farmer's market right near the road and there was a sign posted that all the farmers needed to be gone by 5:00 p.m.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a very nice meal at the Ashby Inn last night and seems like Chef Whitaker (Tom, not Patrick as I incorrectly stated above) is settling in well. The majority of the menu hasn't turned over yet, as he just started four days ago, but Chef Whitaker has high ambitions for the restaurant. Dinner will largely remain the same with a tasting menu option alongside typical a la carte menus, but lunch service will see the Inn adopting more of a Pub fare menu. Given how awful our meal was at Hunter's Head this Friday the pub menu will be a most welcome addition.

Started off the meal with the rabbit en croute - basically a rabbit pot pie. As I've mentioned before, this is a standout appetizer and perfect for the winter months. While I know this is Patrick Robinson's dish it would be great if it stuck around on the menu for a while.This is a very generously portioned appetizer - one member of our group had it for an entree.

Main course was a venison loin with potato puree and mushrooms in a red wine sauce. The venison was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the sauce was a great match for the venison and the earthiness of the mushrooms. I'd have liked one more slice of venison loin for the price, but a very well executed dish. My sense is that the entrees will gain some complexity as Chef Whitaker gets his bearings, but this was an excellent first impression.

We finished by sharing apple beignets alongside popcorn ice cream. The beignets were excellent, however I now know why popcorn ice cream isn't available in every grocer's freezer section.

The wine list remains strong - we had a couple bottles of '09 Donkey and Goat Syrah which paired well with the rabbit and venison.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick update, as a year has elapsed. Chef Whitaker has indeed settled in well at the Ashby and is turning out some fantastic food. This won't be a full write-up since its been  a few weeks, but I was in three times last month (tasting menu, a la carte dinner, and brunch) and can confidently say that the Ashby should certainly be on your radar if it has slipped off.

Granted, I'm in frequently because I (mostly) live close by, but for those traveling out a wonderful weekend could be made of a dinner at the Ashby one night then Field and Main, staying either at the Inn or in Marshall at The Rooms Up There (theroomsupthere.com), or one night a piece.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another brief check in. Unfortunately, Tom Whitaker and his family have left for Florida, where Tom now heads up the culinary program at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. We really miss the Whitaker's and look forward to visiting them down south.Tom is extremely talented and the food/ service at the Inn were much improved from his predecessor - I could probably write a multi-part post on the chefs at the Ashby and their culinary styles/ ups and downs. 

Brad Spates has taken over for Tom, effective a few weeks ago. The menu has turned over, and is a bit more rustic than in the past.  Appetizers were a round of oysters, tomato soup, and veal meatballs (x3). Mains last night in our group included a crabcake entree (x2), venison stew, and filet. Portions were large, to the point that I was unable to finish my venison stew. Rave reviews were given to the crabcakes, and I really enjoyed the venison, which was presented in a cast iron pot, set up similarly to shepherd's pie in that pureed potatoes covered the stew. Our group also had a few bottles of the '09 Peay Les Titans, which is in an excellent place right now, and paired well with the venison and filet. No so much with the crabcakes, as you'd expect. We had a great time and everyone loved their meal. The place was absolutely packed as well, which was a nice surprise. I'm a fan of the Ashby so take this review as you will from someone whose name is (literally) on the wall there, but seems like things are going well thus far. Now let's hope Chef Spates stays the course and is given the freedom he needs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another quick check in. Had an enjoyable meal at the Ashby last friday, however the restaurant does seem in a bit of flux. Chef Spates is still there, but the longtime sommelier Stuart Brennan has left, and the wine list has been sharply curtailed - it's now two pages, front and back - one red and one white. Apparently the rationale is that the prior wine list was "too intimidating" or something. Whatever. The old wine list is still available upon request. I should note that the wines currently on the "list" represent excellent values. While not my usual bag, we enjoyed an '07 Araujo Eisele Vineyard for $212, which is below current retail.

The menu has changed as well - now organized into appetizers, "Steaks & Chops", and "Land, Sea and Air". Side orders are now available, as are a la carte sauces. Everything we ordered was well-prepared and tasty, if a bit unexciting relative to prior meals - up to and including our first meal with Chef Spates in the kitchen. I'm hopeful that Chef Spates will be given more room to create and develop the menu further as spring rolls around.

There's apparently still a  tasting menu available, but we weren't offered it this time around.

I continue to root for the Inn and enjoy my meals there. Hope that the longer-tenured staff and Chef Spates continue to persevere.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

.....And Brad Spates is OUT at the Ashby. A Chef named Jonathan Leonard has taken over the kitchen. Reserving judgement for now.

Relatively few people on here may have had his food, but man do I miss Tom Whitaker. He did an incredible job and was criminally underrated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jonathan Leonard remains at the Ashby, where we had an actual restaurant meal last night. The patio seats are very well-spaced apart, and significant precautions were taken to ensure safety, IMO. Our visit was more about supporting a restaurant than the food itself, but our food was excellent.

Asparagus Bisque X2: Well prepared - sour cream and a bit of truffle salt here.

Garden Salad: Our Daughter enjoyed the salad, which featured blackberries, radish, and an onion vinaigrette

Filet X2: Well prepared filet from Martin's in the plains. Served with demi-glace (not specified beef or veal but assume beef), caramelized onions and potato puree

Mushroom Risotto: Great dish. Fried shiitake mushrooms in a risotto with grana padano, spinach, and egg. Wasn't mine, but tried to steal what I could.

Ny Strip: Also from Martin's, with an excellent gratin dauphinois and brussels sprouts. All meats were cooked to a perfect medium rare.

I skipped dessert, but enjoyed a tranquil night on the patio with some excellent and fairly priced wines. Worth noting that the current patio capacity closely matches the Inn's room capacity, so on weekends may be tough to secure seating if the Inn is full and only the patio is accessible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, dracisk said:

Any recent reviews? Thinking about this place for a milestone birthday dinner this summer.

I typically head there once a month, so a LOT since the last post! Chef is still named Jonathan, but Jonathan Martin, coming from Goodstone Inn. Believe he has been in place for a year and a half or so. Food remains solid, though lunch is offered only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and is a three course prix-fixe. Dinner retains a la carte and tasting menu options. We have enjoyed our meals there over Jonathan's tenure. The the fare skewed more straight ahead farm to table new American over the winter - the spring menus have shown some more asian/ mediterranean influences, though still farm to table.

Stephen Elhafdi is the sommelier, also coming from Goodstone, has been there about a year. List now skews more old-world, and is comprehensive - especially deep in Champagne.

Wouldn't hesitate to celebrate there. Please drive slowly in the village.

  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...