rappahannock

Anyone see Emeril at the Whole Foods in Fair Lakes yesterday? He is filming a show for the Discovery Channel there once a month for the next 9 months or so.

There's a great interview with Il Fornaio president Mike Beatrice in this month's Pizza Today (#1 magazine of the pizza industry!) that includes the following...

I think it's also fair to note that the awards received by Il Fornaio by Wine Spectator are their "Award of Excellence", also held by all Morton's and Ruth's Chris steakhouses and awarded without a site visit. They haven't received any accolades from the New Yorker - they were only mentioned in a fascinating Malcolm Gladwell article on an industrial food r&d company.

Dammit. The secret is out. This is our destination for sushi as there is none in B.F. VA. Cheap, fresh and quick.

FWIW, I just got an email from the folks at Great Country Farms about this weekend's opening of their vineyard in Bluemont:http://www.bluemontvineyard.com/

A few seats left for the Linden Vineyards dinner. Even if you can't come to the dinner on the 17th, treat yourself by going to the winery. There are truly amazing wines being made there.

Winemaker's Dinner with Jim Law of Linden Vineyards. Saturday, November 17th @ 6:30. Details to follow...

The menu:

Six Courses

Trio of Kumamoto Oysters

cedar smoked with kumquat relish

on the half shell with cucumber mignonette

blue cornmeal fried with chipotle butter

Seyval 2006

Foie Gras & Wild Mushroom Tourchon

with duck fat brioche & a fried quail egg

Chardonnay Hardscrabble 2005

Green Papaya Salad

with sea scallops & sambal-citrus vinaigrette

Vidal-Riesling 2005

Waygu Beef “Saku Block”

with chimichurri aioli & fried shallot strings

Claret 2003

Cardamom Spiced Lamb Shoulder

with sous vide plums & cocoa nibs

BitterSweet 2004

Toasted Hazelnut Bread Pudding

with tangerine confit

Late Harvest Vidal 2006

Price is $89. per person (includes tax and gratuity). Dinners with Jim usually sell out pretty quick, so if anyone is interested, give us a call at 540-675-1700

Hope you can join us!

It's Edward's Ham from Surry, VA. We do a Virginia Ham and Brie Sandwich at lunch. People seem to dig it...

As someone whose good friend used to work for US Food Service, trust me, I know the range of stuff that Sysco and their ilk provide (and how important the service they provide is to some restaurants). I still am put off by seeing the Sysco-mobile pulling out from a fine-dining establishment. It simply does not give me a good first impression. Period.

One guilty pleasure I have with Sysco... They make (have made for them) a fine hot dog, packed under their label. (If I may stray off topic)

That's kind of what I thought... You are right. They are much more than that.

Our first impression was made by the Sysco truck pulling out from the Inn...sigh.

I just purchased the first (unpasteurized) apple cider of the year from my neighbors at William's Orchard in Flint Hill. It's pressed and bottled on site. It is the most amazing cider I have ever tasted.

You have to buy it there, no where else. Get it while it lasts!!

Winemaker's Dinner with Jim Law of Linden Vineyards. Saturday, November 10th @ 6:30. Details to follow...

For me :

1966 Dom Perignon Oenotheque

1989 Petrus

1989 Chateau Beaucastel Hommage de Perrin

1987 Hill of Grace

2001 Colin Deleger Montrachet

each supremely delightful!!! Yet to be wowed by any of the 90's yet, besides maybe a 90 Clos st Hune, or 96 Mouton, or 98 Cheval Blanc

ready for an update for The Inn @ L.W. again.. looks to be a few months and no new news. seems that so far it has all been rather negative and dull. both times i went to The Inn, the experiences were great. More about your evening, and hw you are involved in it, and the company. Why do you have to ineract with the server, unless that is needed, or something you are into. making friends, or paying for them? every time i have been to an exaggeratedly priced restaurant, be it Trotter', Alinea, TRU, PEr Se, Laundry, White Barn, etc... i always take the tastng menu, but pick my own wines... pairings are fun, but are more than always built around a price cap in mind (of the establishment) and there to make money.. always more value doing half bottles, fill in glasses, and bottles. to really explore what, and why these places are GRAND AWARD winners, and have lists that are 60+pages long... there are always hidden gems. ask, and use the sommelier, voice your opinion, and voice your desires instantly. the only time that the wine pairing was worth while , was at Charlie Trotters, where they poured my favorite champagne to start (Billiot), and one of the best aussie's ever (Henschke Hill of Grace 94)... the staff is one of the most informed and educated, and attentive, only problem of the night (NO MUSIC WAS GOING ALL NIGHT).. the inn,, great old burgundys bought when they were cheap, though aggreed that the staffcan sometimes be a little rehearsed, but that is all in good training, and informed natures,, they should and can break script and wow you in the end.. try again,, ask for the wine directors little secrets

I heard from a bird today that Nick (chef) was let go this weekend. If true, that sucks... He's talented.

Hunters Head is an option....But after your drive head on over to The Plains Virginia. It is a short but beautiful drive from Middleburg. Make reservations at The Rail Stop. The food is more than good, the wine list sometimes surprises. The Plains is a great little destination in and of itself. They have little shops also, and great characters! You might even run into Duval himself! (It is his favorite resto.)

Hunter's Head is a fun little spot...

for sure.. didnt you all do a dinner featuring araujo? back to like 92? or was it farther? the 93 is my favorite. how about the Syrah.. that is a smoker of a wine. best part about araujo is that they dont paly the CULT alcohol bit. WTF, 14.5% pushes the bar for me,, i have found afew pinots recently and have for sure been looking to find ones under 14% ,, so far only two have ben succesful. how about the rest of you

If anyone needs any Araujo, I have plenty... Pick a vintage, any vintage.

It would be a telling stat. My guess is not many.

Though not every account of Restaurant Week experiences are negative, it seems the bulk are. I think it's time to put a fork in it... Either that or maybe lower your expectations a little when you eat "expensive for cheap".

Then again, I'm just a country bumpkin.

As a teenager in California we used to frequent the Knollwood Restaurant Home of the "World's Best Hamburger" stand outside Anaheim at the corner of LaPalma and Imperial Hwy. It used to be in the middle of nowhere with a strawberry field right across the street. Damn fine burger. Thick onion, crunchy lettuce and the tomato slice was like it was out of your garden. Always thought it was as good as burgers got. Moved away to Wisconsin and hadn't been back since 1977. Went last summer and was (almost) as good as I remembered. Same stand, now crammed in a strip mall and the strawberry field is long gone.

I was glad to see it was still a fine hamburger. Ah the memories of youth!

Dogs were once welcomed on our outdoor deck, that is until someones well behaved pooch decided to bite the leg of the waiter. Actually took four stitches to close the wound. The kicker was the people didn't even apologize. Made it sound as if the waiter had it coming. As much as I love dogs it was an easy decision to make. No more dogs.

When I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin, it was Huber. There was a fishing/outdoor show where the host would say at the end, "and don't forget your Huber Beer". They made a bunch of other labels like Rhinelander. It was cheap and not bad cold, and it didn't matter what it tasted like, especially when the fish were biting. Ah youth.

I agree. If you live by the review, you must accept death by review. With one exception... If there is a mistake or mistruth printed and it is in fact an error. If that is the case, the critic has a responsiblilty to print a retraction. OR get slapped with a lawsuit if he (or she) doesn't step up and admit they messed up. In which case, every review they have ever written would be suspect, and that persons professional career might be over.

Tricky subject...