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Charlottesville Uncorked– A Fall Week-end Sampling Blue Ridge Mountain Area Wines

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Just before Thanksgiving we had an opportunity to take a week-end off  and decided to make a quick trip  to Charlottesville, VA.   Located at the foot of the  beautiful Blue Ridge mountain range, it’s only about a three and a half hour drive from the Eastern Shore of Virginia and it’s a drive through some of  Virginia’s prettiest countryside,  ever gorgeous in the fall.  We started out by heading south over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, deep blue waters of the  Bay glistening in the sun,  picking up Rt 64 west to Williamsburg, which is a lovely tree lined drive through slightly hilly terain,  a quick stop at the Williamsburg Outlet Mall for a pair of boaters at Bass Shoes,  lunch at the  Cheese Shop in Merchant’s Square in the Colonial historic area,  one of their delicious Virginia country ham sandwiches accompanied by a  little glass of chilled white wine.  Back on the road again, by-passing Richmond, heading  into even more rolling terrain until suddenly, from the top of  a  hill,  the  peaks in the distance now reveal themselves in varying shades of blue, the Blue Ridge Mountains,  a lovely sight, and then we’re  quickly in Charlottesville.

Charlottesville, C-ville, as residents call her,  is best known for  three things.  1.)  It is the home of  UVA,  the University of  Virginia, which in 2011 once again maintained its top rating,  tied with UCLA  as the 2nd best public university in the entire nation.  2.) It is the location of  Monticello, the exquisute mountain-top estate of the 3rd president of the United States,  Thomas Jefferson, and a named UNESCO World Heritage site and 3.) It is home to Ash Lawn, home of James Monroe, 5th president of the Uunited States.  And as if that were not enough,  among others,  it is also the  home of  author John Grisham and  Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band !

 

A word, or 2, about UVA.   Its  gorgeous campass,  with mostly classically styled  buildings nestled into a rolling terrain,  is sited on 800 acres of  land which had been part of a 3000 acre parcel owed by James Monroe.   The original concept of the University came from Thomas Jefferson, who rated his work in designing and establishing it as the primary achievement of his life,  more important even than his presidency.  The most revered building at UVA is its first building,  the Rotunda, designed by Thomas Jefferson himself,  a beautiful classical design modeled after Rome’s  Pantheon.  Fully completed only after Jefferson’s death, the Rotunda became the academic village that Jefferson had envisioned, containing the library, classrooms, faculty offices and student rooms.  Now, of course, the University is a huge affair, with an enrollment of  over 21,000 students  and a faculty of  nearly 1400– I’m sure that Jefferson would be tremendously  proud of all that has been accomplished by his successors in the last nearly 200 years.

Sunday morning,  after a relaxing brunch at Maya’s on Main Street in the C-ville’s quaint little downtown ( highly recommend the potato cakes with smoked salmon ), we set off for a day of exploration and wine tasting.  As it turned out, there was more exploration and less wine tasting.   Having driven by Ash Lawn, the home of president James Monroe, many times we decided that the time had finally come  to stop and take the tour– and so we did.  ( A little trivia on US presidents– 8 were born in the state of Virginia and 7 are buried in Virginia including  both Jefferson and Monroe.) Monroe purchased  an estate of over 3500 acres ( including the 800 that went to UVA)  adjacent  to Monticello  where his close friend Jefferson lived.  Jefferson helped Monroe select the exact location to site his future home which Monroe named Ash Lawn-Highland when it was completed about 1800. Although Monticello is a very grand home,  Monroe went in the opposite direction and built a very tasteful but much smaller home which he referred to as his “cabin castle” in the country.

The property is a now a museum owned and operated by the College of William and Mary, with house and grounds very much as they were in Monroe’s day– formal flower gardens,  a large working veggie and herb garden, numerous out buildings including the barn, icehouse, smokehouse, etc., pastures with cattle grazing, all overlooking the beautiful mountains.  It was a most interesting tour with a few bits of  great trivia: back in the day wallpaper was extremely expensive and so was not actually glued to the wall as it would be today but rather attached by tacks so that if the owner moved the wallpaper could be packed up along with the other household furnishings.  Also, Monroe was the very first president to commission his own presidential china for use during his term in the White House- prior to that  presidents  were  expected to bring their own china  Washington with them. And of course since that time ever subsequent president has commissioned his own china pattern for official White House use.  But the most interesting couple bits  of Monroe triva offered by the tour guide were  that in the very famous painting  of General George Washington crossing the Delaware, then Lieutenant Monroe is shown in the boat standing  just behind  Washington, holding the flag.  However,  at the time  Monroe had actually already reached the New Jersey shore in an entirely different boat from Washington.   And talk about making a fashion statement, a replica of the deep rose colored wedding gown worn by Monroe’s glamourous wife, Elizebeth, stands in the drawing room,  made notable by the fact that has no buttons, snaps or fasteners of any kind whatsoever — she was literally sewen into the dress for the ceremony after which the dress was taken off by re-opening the seams !

From Ash Lawn we were off to the new winery acquisition by  “The Donald”.  The former Kluge Estates Vineyard is now  called Trump  Winery, no surprise there although the primary  wines for sale are  ’07,  ’08, ’09 and  ’10  bottlings  which still carry the Kluge label.   The tasting room is very much the same, still  attractive warm woods but an additional large outdoor seating area has been added in the back and a large screen TV in the main room offers a beautiful slideshow of the vineyard through the seasons. Sparkling wines were very much the signature wines of Kluge and I’m sure will be of Trump as well.  We ordered a small cheese plate and tastings of  all 3 of the sparklings, a Blanc de  Blanc,  Blanc  de Noir and the Rose’,  favorite hands down being the elegant  and beautifully colored  Blanc de Noir.

From Trump it was on to the only other vineyard we had time for, Jefferson Vineyard,  just a few minutes away from Monticello. It is well-known that Jefferson became a great connoisseur of wine  from the substantial amount of time he spent in France  when he succeded Franklin as the  American ambassador.

Jefferson was eager to establish vineyards on this side of the Atlantic and the land on which Jefferson Vineyards stands was at one time owned by by an Italian viticulturist who was prompted by Jefferson to try his luck in Virginia.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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The Exciting Sights And Sounds To Be Savored When Crossing The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

A few  weeks ago,  David Kabler, broker for Blue Heron Realty Co.’s Cape Charles, VA branch office,  wrote an  interesting post about an unusual tour he and other members of the Cape Charles Coast Guard Auxillery were priviledged to be able to take of the inner workings of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel complex which connects the Eastern Shore to the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area of mainland Virginia.   Dave’s post was primarily about the interesting things the group learned about the history, construction and operation of this amazing structure, known far and wide as one of the great engineering marvels of the modern world.   Like Dave,  I too have traveled  “The Bridge”  countless times, on the old single lane span and the new double lane span,  in good weather and bad,  during the day and in the middle of the night,   “going across the Bay”,  the old Eastern Shore colloquialism,  a throw-back to the days when traveling  for several hours by ferry was the only way to cross these wide waters, a significant trip for sure.  People didn’t say they “were going to Virginia Beach”,  they said “I’m going across the Bay” and that native phrase is as alive and well today as it was 50 years ago.  I love traveling on this Bridge, for reasons too numerous to count, but let me give it a try.

My family and I have lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia  for over 25 years.  We love it, wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,  we treasure the Shore’s beautiful lands, the relaxed pace of life,  its friendly people.  But I also love the shopping malls,  the numerous special events,  the art  institutions like Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall and Harrison Opera House as well as the numerous restaurants featuring cuisines from all over the world,  all  to be found less than an hour away  in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.  And then there are the  points further west but still within a 2-4 hour’s  drive of the Eastern Shore,  fabulous and historic cities  like  Williamsburg,  Richmond,  Charlottesville and Washington DC,  all of which  which we visit for one occasion or another at least several times a year.  In fact,  we  just got back from a week-end trip to D.C. and Richmond last month and are planning to make our annual fall   “apple trek”   to Carter’s  Mountain in Charlottesville later this month.   So the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel  is our easy, fast,  safe and truly beautiful connection from our splendid low-key, relaxed cocoon here on the Eastern Shore to the wider, faster, ultra busy-busy  world on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay, our tether to a metropolitan lifestyle but  “on-demand”,  our demand.   It’s  a lifeline from one set of  interests to another,  a  way we Eastern Shore residents  have found to have  our cake and eat it too,  a time machine,  enabling the traveler to emerge  smiling from one type of world into another —-  in less than an hour !

Not only does the Bridge allow the practical physical connection of our slender peninsula to the Mother Ship of mainland Virginia,  from an aesthetic point of view,  the Bridge itself  is a beautiful sight to see  and the sights and sounds of a trip on the Bridge are extraordinary.   The 17 mile crossing point is placed approximately where the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic  Ocean merge so it’s like traveling over a water wonderland,  seabirds  swooping and calling overhead,  flocks of pelicans skimming over the waves,  that little flock of cormorants usually perched on the railing outside the second tunnel or  what seem to be billions of chattering gulls, diving madly into the water to take advantage of a passing school of  menhaden.   In summer sometimes we’ ll be lucky enough to see a school of dolphins jumping — this area is the nursery ground for  the bottlenose dolphin.  The Eastern Shore is a critical part of the Atlantic Flyway and autumn brings sights of  large bands of migrating songbirds and raptors  swooping gaily through the skies or taking a break in the sanctuary of Fisherman’s Island ( seen  just as one gets on ( or off)  the main span ).  In winter we keep our eyes peeled for the small number of  humpback whales that  migrate through between December and March but  have never been fortunate  enough to see one,  still hoping though.

 

Large tankers traveling the Baltimore Channel on the horizon,  sailboats and power boats  crusing along, doing their fishing or crusing thing are a common but nevertheless, interesting sight.  Sometimes, if you’re lucky,  near the south tunnel you’ll see  one of the  destroyers  or a submarine, maybe even a huge hovercraft,  from Naval Station Norfolk,  one of the Navy’s largest  U.S. bases, traveling through the  open navigation channel for large ships at  Thimble Shoal Tunnel, the south tunnel.  Once we happened to be traveling on that section of the Bridge just as the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise  passed through,  deploying for the Middle East.  She is quite an impressive  sight.   And a couple of months ago,  for the first time ever,  I saw a helicopter carrier ship which had just passed  through the channel,  going east– I pulled over at the special viewing area on the tunnel’s 5 acre manmade  island to watch for a few minutes and saw flying out,  one by one,  to land on her deck,  about  8 helicopters, no doubt deploying to some faraway part of the world,  leaving home and family behind in Virginia Beach.   And  quite frequently we see  huge cargo ships up close,  loaded with containers to be off-loaded at Norfolk Terminals.  From time to time we’ve seen ocean liners  passing through the channel over the tunnel,  headed to the  Cruise Ship Terminal next to  Nauticus Museum in Norfolk,   these ships passing in the night  are especially pretty,  lights blazing from long rows of  portholes.  There’s  always,  always something interesting going on as one travels  “across the Bay”.

                     

When you first get on the Bridge  you cannot see  the land on the other side,  you are just suspended above  what seems to be an endless expanse of  water,  blue and glistening on a sunny day,  deep pinks and violets when traveling at sunset,  very, very  special  on full moon nights,  the  golden-white moonbeams casting a long trail across dark  waters,  a perfect  illustration for the nursery poem  ” Winken,  Blinken and Nod”,  as they sailed  off into a river of crystal light with the glorious stars above,  one of the most beautiful times to be on the Bridge.   And in my estimation, one of the prettiest sights you’ll see on the Shore is the  gracefully curved shoreline of  Fisherman’s Island Wildlife Refuge on a sunny day as viewed  from the top of the homeward bound north span’s  high level bridge,  the sparkling blue waters,  waves breaking on  the shore,  lacy white sea foam,  the  glistening  white sands,  green beach grass,  the infinite waters of the Atlantic beyond, ….. well,  ” mid  pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home !”   And the Bridge is our faithful conduit from pleasures and palaces b

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

ack to our Eastern Shore home, sweet, sweet  home.

 

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Even More Delicious Regional Foods and Wine At The 2011 Harvest Festival On Virginia’s Eastern Shore

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

A week before the 19th Annual Harvest Festival, an Eastern Shore of Virginia annual festival celebrating our regional foods and wines,  held just south of Cape Charles, VA,  I decided it was time to start getting ready…. by that, I mean cutting down on a few calories all week  so as not to feel guilty about definitely tucking in on “the day.”   Tucking in at the Harvest Festival  is part of the fun,  sampling everything at least once and one’s favorites twice,  truth be told, maybe even thrice.   And there are so many favorites to choose from, where to even start ?

Eastern Shore Harvest Fest On The Sparkling Sand Shores Of The Chesapeake Bay

As you hand in your admission ticket  you’re handed back a broad yellow tray,  the better to stack and tote the little plates of  scrumptious goodies you are going to choose.  Sort of  like a tapas bar concept except that you stroll through several acres of  grounds which overlook the Chesapeake Bay and beach and  feature  dozens of  tents,  each preparing one particular and delicious food.   Sponsored by the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce,  the original concept of the Harvest Fest at its debut 15 years ago was that it would be held at harvest time (duh) and would feature  traditional Southern and Eastern Shore  dishes.  Remaining  true to its mission,  held the first Wednesday of October each year from noon to 4pm,  showcasing   the delicious seafood and other regional foods popular on the Eastern Shore, Harvest Fest is always a sold-out event,  the  3000 tickets offered first to Chamber members and then to the general public.  The Chamber always has tons of  folks calling the week  before,  requesting tickets, which of course are already sold.  Their advice and mine– get your tickets early !

Juicy And Crisp- Delicious Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches With Tarter Sauce

Yellow trays  in hand, we set off on a leisurely stroll to survey this year’s offerings, “we”  being moi, hubby, Eldest Daughter,  Middle Daughter and friend.  I always like to make a circuit,  peek at everything and then start making my choices.  Not everyone likes to do that– the sight of a couple of  plump soft shell crabs nestled on a bun, just waiting for a big dollop of tarter sauce,  slowed some of our group down to a halt,  the better to swoop up a plate of these crustacean delicacies.  (For those not familiar with eating  “soft shells”, when a crab molts,  for a few hours until its new shell hardens, it is a “soft shell”, plucked out of the water so that the shell hardening process is suspended and ready to be battered, friend and eaten whole , legs and all,  accompanied by a squeeze of  lemon or tarter sauce.  For the watermen who process “busters”,  those with cracks in their shell and about to molt,  it is a process of constant vigilance  because the newly molted crab has to be plucked out of the water virtually immediately or else the shell will get hard or  the other crabs will eat it themselves,  not being shy about cannibalism.  The intensive labor to produce them explains why soft shells are not commonly on menus and why they are expensive when they are.)

Standing In Line For The Ever Popular And Totally Scrumptious Shrimp

So we proceeded on, the day sunny and bright, soft  breezes wafting in from the Chesapeake Bay, temperatures in the mid-70’s, a perfect Indian Summer’s day.  After completing one full circuit,  pausing at the Holly Grove Winery station,( one of our three excellent local wineries ),  to pick up a refreshing  glass of  cold chardonnay,  I headed around to the shrimp station while my husband headed across the green for the crabcake tent.  I am pretty picky about fried shrimp-  they need to be dipped in a very light, silky tempura type batter which clings as a diaphanous coating to the shrimp so that when they are fried the result is a thin, crispy crust encasing a juicy, plump shrimp. (  Highly recommend the soft shell crab batter recipe in John Schield’s  excellent cookbook, “Chesapeake Bay Cooking”  as a great  batter for shrimp.)   I’m delighted to say that these were delicious–  sweet,  pink,  juicy mouthfuls of succulent  shrimp served with an excellent homemade tarter sauce.  And fortunately the french- fry and corn-on-the-cob tents were  almost adjacent !   With my trusty yellow tray loaded with a hefty  helping of shrimp  plus fries, corn plus a cup of Eastern Shore style clam chowder,  I headed back to our chairs.  ( Harvest Fest is a  “bring your own lawn chair”  event unless you want to stand for 3 or 4 hours. )   There I found the rest of the group enjoying crabcakes, softshells and flounder, piping  hot and savory.

          

Johnny Mo, The Eastern Shore’s Singing Chef, With His Luscious Spicy Pork BBQ

Nothing Says Autumn Like Sweet Potato Pie

After savoring my last shrimp,  I decided to sample something from the landlubber side, BBQ, the great Southern favorite.  This year there were two different  BBQ stations,  Mallard Restaurant’s and private caterer Bruce Richardson’s, each quite different, both very flavorful.  Mallard’s  (  in Onancock and home of Johnny Mo, known locally as the “Singing Chef” ) served their well-seasoned chopped pork BBQ  atop a sweet potato biscuit half, topped with a dollop of a delicious, spicy aoli– different and delicious.  I ate two on the theory that two halves equal a whole, right ?   But by then the important thing was to save room for a little slice of pie– sweet potato pie, that old Southern standby, like pumpkin but according to my husband,  much better.  So we did it,  thin slices  of  sweet potato pie, honeyed, toothsome, topped with a generous spoonful of fluffy whipped cream.  And then, like Bugs Bunny, my stomach said, That’s all folks !

Art Work By Well Known Painter, Thelma Peterson

Besides the food, the other fun aspect of Harvest Fest is running into people you know but haven’t seen for a while, maybe even since last Harvest Fest,  and it’s fun to catch up.  And the Artist’s  Tent is always great,  lots of talented  local artisans and artists, a number of mediums presented.  Among the many exhibitors this year was Thelma Peterson, ( www.thelmapeterson.com  ), a very well known local painter showing  mostly her watercolours,  and  Al “Buck” Doughty, ( www.hogislandcreations.com )  his exquisite bronze castings beautifully reflected on the display mirrors  as well as several destinctive decoy carvers.

Dana Simpson, (www.chesapeakeeast.com ) , multi-talented, a writer and  illustrator was there with her children’s books, Eldest Daughter ended up with  her  charming  book entitled “Moon Goes Fishing” , a birthday gift for her neice .  There is always a last minute rush at the Artist Tent about 3:30,  folks making selections or picking up packages on hold for them until closing.

                       

And then all too soon,  it’s 4pm,  time to go, food stations closing,  time having passed on winged feet.   Except for the band.   Yep, down at the beach there was  a band and a lot of folks sitting in lawn chairs amongst the shade trees,  settling in for a few more hours of fun.  Although my music tastes are broad, running  the  gamut  from Mosart  to  Tommy Dorsey, Dave Brubeck to  Sarah Brightman,  MoTown to Willie  Nelson,  Elvis to  Aaron Copeland,  Josh Groban  to Gilbert & Sullivan, etc., etc.,  nevertheless,  I usually can’t tolerate  the mostly overwhelming ear splitting noise that currently  passes for music with most of these bands.  So,  no musical interlude under the oaks for us,  just  a smile for an afternoon well-enjoyed and heading for home,  time to burn up a few calories walking our lively Newfie dogs,  Honey and Pumpkin(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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A Stroll Through The Vineyard, A Wine Tasting, A Pleasant Summer’s Afternoon At Chatham Vineyard

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

Owner Jon Wehner Explains Chatham Vineyard’s European Trellis System

A few weeks ago my daughter, a  friend and I spent a lovely few  hours touring Chatham Vineyards located in Machipongo, VA on the Eastern Shore, learning about the art of growing grapes and  sampling some of  Chatham’s  delicious wines.  Owner Jon Wehner started our afternoon off  with a leisurely stroll through the  vineyard itself,  explaining  the vineyard’s seasonal activities,  which was quite engaging.   I have been fortunate to have done  the  “Tour & Taste”  at a number of wonderful  wineries but this was my first extensive tour through a vineyard and I think everyone in attendence  found it  quite interesting.   Definitely the perfect time of year for it,  the colors were beautiful.  In sharp contrast to the deep green of the leaves, row after row of  compact bunches of  black and purple grapes glistened in the sun,  plump,  juicy, nearly ready for harvest to begin,  no doubt a vintner’s favorite time of year,  the sweet culmination of a great deal of work.

Merlot Grapes Nearly Ready For Harvest

The first thing one notices is that wine grapes are quite small,  much smaller than their kissing cousins, the  “eating grapes”  like Thompson seedless that one buys in a grocery store.   Chatham is currently growing  about 20 acres of grapes,  primarily Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay varieties grown on French rootstock  as well as  a small section of Petit Verdot  produced to provide  extra color and complexity in blendings.  ( Especially in their Cabernet Franc which contains  3 %  Petit Verdot.)  As we walked through the vineyard,  Jon invited everybody to taste the various grape varieties,  including different plantings of the same variety,  all planted in rows which are oriented north- to- south  for a more even ripening of the fruit.  Although I much perfer a Cabernet wine to a  Merlot,  surprisingly,  I that found that I preferred the flavor of the  Merlot grape to that  of the Cabernet grape.  We learned about the “chewiness” of the grape skins,  how to evaluate the ripeness of the grape seeds and how the immature tannins  found in unripe seeds can adversely effect the wine.  We admired the huge wind machine, very tall with long,  tilted blades which can rotate 360 degrees,  a newish  invention which helps  vineyards get through an early frost which could kill the new fruit buds by  pushing  the higher, warmer air down towards the cold air found near the ground, circulating  it so that the coldest air doesn’t settle on the vines.   Jon says  it works very well and has added a second wind machine  to his  official  “Wish List”.

                       

Now For The Real Fun- Wine Tastings and Hor d’oeurves Inside The Winery Building

Part of a historic waterfront estate and started in 1999,  Chatham uses a high density European trellis growing method and is now harvesting about 80 tons of grapes  and  producing about  3000-5000 bottles of wine each year.   The moderate  maritime climate here on  Virginia’s  Eastern Shore is similar to the climate found in Bordeaux, one of France’s  most famous vineyard regions.  Our excellent climate,  combined with the well drained loamy soils here in Northampton County,  creates  a good environment for producing  top quality grapes needed for fine wines.  Chatham Vineyard has received a number of  awards for  various vintages and its wines are found in some of the finest Virginia restaurants and yes, I do know from personal experience that  its wines make a very nice gift.

 

 

                       

After the stroll we all went back to the winery building to look at some of the equipment used there to de-stem the grapes, crush them for the juice, etc., etc.   But the highlights  of the day no doubt were the  barrel tastings and the hors d’oeurves (catered by the North Street Gourmet Market in Onancock)  which included aged Gouda cheeses,  a delicious  spinach dip and a pungent salami rolled with cream cheese and chives,  accompanied by several varieties of olives and a number of other items.   But my favorite  hors d’oeurve  was  a very ripe brie served with  quince paste.  I had never before had quince paste– it looks a little odd,  a very dark brown and is shaped into a small, dense block which is a bit difficult to slice.  But trust me, on a multi-grain cracker, balanced atop the brie,  served with the Cabernet Franc,  that hard dark quice paste tastes  like ambrosia !     The afternoon concluded on a very high note  with a  tasting of  Chatham’s  late harvest red desert wine served with some luscious chocolate truffles, an elegant pairing, truly a treat to remember.   ( P.S.   Try a Chatham wine for yourself,  shop on-line at their website,   www.chathamvineyards.net  )  (Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

 

 

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A Round Of Golf At Bay Creek Golf Resort And Lunch At Aqua’s- Father’s Day 2011

Friday, July 1st, 2011

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus Golf Courses At Bay Creek Golf Resort

Father’s Day at our house is usually a fairly energetic affair, with kids, grand kids and dogs all  around.  A lot of the food is usually grilled-  last year,  beef fajitas,  grilled veggies  and Mexican style grilled corn served with black beans and a huge salad.  Plus a truly luscious  pineapple upside-down cake ( with vanilla Ben and Jerry’s, of course )  for dessert,  one of  the best I’ve ever eaten.  But this year two kids were out of town and one had another event.  So,  as Monty Python would say,  now for something different.  The result was a decision to play the front nine holes of  the spectacular waterfront Arnold Palmer Signature  course at the Bay Creek Golf Resort  community and then have lunch at Aqua restaurant,  which overlooks the Chesapeake Bay at Cape Charles.   This wouldn’t seem too unusual except that my husband doesn’t play golf  and I only play  occasionally anymore so the only people playing golf would be Eldest Daughter and Middle Daughter,  along with their respective  boyfriends.  But this was fine,  we both enjoy the beauty of the course and  watching the kids work on improving  their game.  About a thousand years ago,  before I had any children,  I played golf  several times a week,  had  a single digit handicap and was serious about the game.  Five kids and a real estate business later,  I’m just an old duffer but I still enjoy being out on the course, watching the kids play, zipping around in the golf cart, taking a few photos,  just enjoying the beautiful waterviews,  the amazing Bay Creek landscaping and the fresh salty breezes.

Putting Out On Arnold Palmer Hole # 1

Sunday dawned overcast,  looking suspiciously like rain and riding around in a golf cart in the rain is definitely not my thing.   But the hour- by- hour weather report indicated only a 10% chance of  precipitation  before 3 pm so we decided to go with the forecast  but bring rain jackets and umbrellas,  just in case.  By the 10:45 am tee time the sun seemed trying to peek through, not very hard,  but trying nevertheless.  The Palmer hole # 1 is a spectacular hole, a par 5,  459 yards,  heading straight west, with a green which is nearly right on  the Chesapeake Bay.  It’s my favorite hole, one of the longest and one of the most beautiful,  with a pristine natural feel,  the water,  the sea grasses, the shorebirds overhead and of course its  flower petal shaped massive sand trap,  creatively  designed  pits of deadly sparkling grains of ground rock that can easily cost an extra stroke or two.  And the impressive replica of Old Plantation Light  standing sentry over the green and the Bay, watching for fudgers and sailors.  Or maybe not.

 

Three Balls Sailed Over The Water But The Fourth Went Plop ! I Shall Not Say Whose…

By hole # 3  however,  the sun was definitely shining and the little wavelets along the Bay were shimmering, a lovely sight.  This is a tricky hole because of  its  water features — it’s easy to lose a ball or two here.   It was especially pretty that Sunday, the tall pines on the far side of the green reflected in the waters of the pond,  a flock of pelicans sailing by skimming just above the waves in the Bay.   As for the golfers in the group,  on this par 4,   336 yard hole– let’s just say  that three balls sailed nicely over the pond and onto the green but some body’s ball,  we won’t mention whose,  went plop and promptly sank.    And then on hole #4, overcast again and the beginning of a  sprinkle.   To make a long story short, the weather went wacky,  alternating between periods of sunshine and showers until we wrapped up after the ninth hole,  everybody starving and ready to slip over to Aqua’s for lunch.

A Fine Father’s Feast At Aqua

On holidays and special occasion days,  Aqua  usually has  something out of the ordinary  and for Father’s Day they offered a very nice brunch buffet accompanied by specially priced Mimosas.   Lots of gorgeous fruit,  an omelet station with a wide choice of  ingredients,  some excellent home fried new potatoes with onions and ever so much more  for the breakfast lover.  For those ready for lunch, a carving station with a delicious grilled flank steak  and  a honey ham  accompanied by an especially flavorful mango salsa stood at the ready,  as well as  BBQ  ribs which were exceptional,  slathered with a particularly  tasty sauce,  enlivened with a subtle touch of cumin.  Goodies from nearby trays of relishes and grilled veggies,  including a delicious cold eggplant,  made a pleasing plate together with the ribs and a top notch ceasar salad.  Needless to say,  everyone found more than enough choices they really enjoyed and nobody left hungry, an understatement for sure !   One of the nicest things about eating at Aqua’s,  aside from the food,  is the lovely interior and the great views out to the Chesapeake Bay from the wall of windows which wrap around on three sides.  Sunday was no exception,  cloudy or not, the water was  beautiful as always and  we  enjoyed  watching boats come and go from the marina.   “The Present”,  a special Father’s Day gift that the kids all chip in together to give, was  presented,  especially lovely this year,  then ’twas time to head for home and a little walk with the dogs.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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“Corks & Forks”- The 4th Annual Fundraiser On Eastern Shore Virginia

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

My husband loves to tease me-  he always says that if an event has the word  “Fork”  in it,  I’m sure to be interested.  Well, that’s probably true,  and especially true for the wine tasting fund-raiser which we attended Saturday evening.  Now an annual “foodie” event,  “Corks and Forks”  this year benefited the  truly worthy project  of the Hospice of the Eastern Shore,  the establishment of  the Fragile Heart’s Children’s Camp to help Eastern Shore Virginia children aged 7-14 who are struggling with loss and bereavement, www.hpces.org .

Aqua’s Restaurant in Cape Charles,  with its spacious, open layout  and gorgeous views from the long wall of windows overlooking the Chesapeake Bay,  was the  absolutely perfect venue for this year’s event,  I don’t think there could have been a better choice.    Tables `were beautifully decorated with large candles  and bouquets of yellow tulips.   Aqua’s nearly full-room length bar,  glowing with large bowls of  fiery candles floating above large sea shells,  (a theme which nicely complemented the restaurant’s location along the sandy Chesapeake shoreline ),  served as  the  MicroBrewery  Station as well as the official Cheese Station,  which  included a particularly delicious Danish blue as one of the selections.

 

Picking up a glass and plate at the entrance,  we  swirled along with the crowd towards one of the five Wine Stations  that had been spread out  around the restaurant,  offering  plenty of room for guests to flow among them,  picking up a nibble here and a taste of  another wine over there.  In total,  fourteen different Virginia wines were included in the tastings,  with Chatham Vineyards in Machipongo as the Eastern Shore appellation’s contribution to the evening,  with owner Jon Wehner serving as the event’s wine consultant.   We started at the Cabernet Franc Station, which featured wines from Chatham, Philip Carter Winery and Barren Ridge Winery, enjoying a taste of each and then a half glass of  the Chatham to accompany the food.  Offerings at the Cabernet Station  included beef tenderloin sliders plus one of my three absolute favorites of the evening,  mushrooms stuffed with an intriguing mixture of andouille sausage,  roasted tomatoes, garlic and bread crumbs,  absolutely delectable.  Wandering on to the  Chardonnay Station,  we  tried a lightly oaked vintage from Varitas Winery,  located near Charlottesville, VA ,  served with my second favorite food of the evening,  a  creamy and delicious butternut squash bisque garnished with cinnamon-honey creme’  fraiche.   Quite a delectable  pairing.   Also served at the Chardonnay Station was  smoked whitefish on focaccia,  which my husband particularly enjoyed.

Before continuing on to the Merlot Station,  we stopped to peruse the  many items on the Silent Auction table– a diverse collection of donated services and travel packages as well as many beautiful items  by local artists,  including  a lovely original acrylic, “Water Lilies”   by  Thelma Peterson .   Also by Thelma was an  original watercolor,  sure to enliven any room,  the  very colorful  “Oysters Caribbean”,  a  special  “Corks and Forks”  auction item.  Other interesting art items included a handcrafted leather handbag by well-known local artist,  Miguel Bizzotto,  a  William Turner sculpture entitled “Bronze Otter” and a small table topped with a  marble mosaic  donated by New Revenna.  For sports lovers,  there were several bidding opportunities including  a Sky Suite at Perdue Stadium, large enough for 20 people,  to watch the Delmarva Shorebirds, ( a  Single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team),   a fishing trip for two on board the Miss Jennifer,  plus assorted fishing gear for the trip from Eastern Shore Outfitters and  a  round of  golf and lunch for four  at the Eastern Shore Yacht and Country Club in Melfa, VA.

From there,  we pressed  onward  to the Merlot Station,  where vintages were presented from Chatham,  Rosemont Winery and Veritas Winery.  Merlot is among my husband’s favorite wines,  although not mine,  and he enjoyed a tasting from each winery,  enjoyed them all.  Nearby, a separate carving station for  grilled pork tenderloin served with a fig demi-glaze was doing a brisk business,  the pork was fork  tender and paired well with both the sauce and the wines.  I especially enjoyed the  offering of  asparagus wrapped in puff pastry,  local asparagus  grilled to perfection,  the puff pastry  buttery with just the right crunch,   number three on my top food picks of the evening. For seafood lovers,  the nearby Viognier Station was the place to be,  with plump Virginia’s  Eastern Shore seaside oysters the stars of  that  Station.  Served on the half shell,  deliciously chilled,  nestled into a deep bed of  crushed ice,  these meaty local oysters  are prized for their briny zing,  a perfect balance of sweet meat and salty liquor.  I’m not really a fan of oysters,  my husband prefers them in a rich stew rather than au natural,  but for those who love a freshly opened raw oyster,  these were prime.   Along with the oysters,  the Viognier Station offered pastry cups stuffed with a very tasty shrimp salad and crunchy crostini topped with goat cheese and a chutney of  olive-artichoke-roasted peppers.   The Barboursville  Vineyard Viognier was especially fine,  I’ve bought it several times when I’ve visited their winery outside Charlottesville, VA ,  near the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains.

Definitely not to be missed,  the final station was,  you guessed it,  the Dessert Station.  Featuring a luscious chocolate torte and  a very light angel food cake served with a blueberry liquor sauce,  it was the perfect ending to a wonderful evening.   Both a red and  a white dessert wine were available for pairing- I tried a taste of both,  liked  them both.  Although in general I prefer red wines,  I usually like a very sweet white dessert wine best,  no exception here,  my husband and I both found the Barren Ridge Vineyard’s  offering  quite destinctive and delicious.    Bravo !   Hats off  to Aqua’s  Chef Shelly Cusmina and her talented staff,  the food was delicious,  they really did a superb  job !   And the ambience of the entire evening could not have been as interesting as it was without the delightful live music of the Russell Scarborough Jazz Trio.   I’ve read that the Trio has been voted as  “Jazz Artist of the Year”  by several regional magazines and it’s easy to see why.  Reminiescent of the George Shearing Trio,  their  mellow  music and  elegant piano added so much to the entire event,  helping make the 4th annual  “Corks and Forks”  one of the  most successful  to date .

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Holly Grove Vineyard and Chef Johnny Mo, A Fantastic Combination

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

"Wine and Dine" at Holly Grove Vineyards near Cape Charles, VA

Last Saturday night’s  “Wine and Dine”  at  Holly Grove Vineyards  near Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia  was the most fun I have had at a winery in a very long time.   Johnny Mo,  cooking and singing  Chef Extraordinaire and  Jonathan Best,  proud vineyard owner explaining his wines,  was a fantastic pairing indeed.  Certainly the approximate 40 other attendees were completely enthralled, as were  Eldest Daughter,  my husband and myself.  Held in the winery building,  with Hungarian oak puncheons lining one wall,  lending the cozy warm feel of wood to the candlelit room and gleaming steel fermentation tanks lining the other wall,  the  5 course meal and wine pairing began about 7 pm,  just as the setting sun was painting the fluffy clouds over the vineyard in wine colored shades of rose’ and burgandy.  And things were still going strong at 9:30  when the silky banana creme brulee’  dessert  was served, signaling the near end of a truly delightful evening.

Jonny Mo plays the guitar for the audience.

Johnny Mo, Chef Extraorinaire, song writer and guitar player entertained everyone at the dinner with his new song, "Living on the Eastern Shore."

Chef Johnny had set up a well-equipt cooking station  positioned so that everyone could see him as he presented the  “how-to”  preparation tips for every course on the menu.  As  the wine for the appetizer was being poured,  Holly Grove’s  semi-dry and crisp  “Sunset Rose’,  ”  Chef Johnny, a rather flamboyant yet laid-back personality, started the evening off  by getting out his guitar  ( one of  many from his apparently large collection of classic guitars)  and sang a song from his new CD  album,  written by him and called  “Living on the Eastern Shore”  ( yup,  it’s so great here people even record songs about it ).   From there,  it was on to the demonstration of  preparation of  the appetizer,  Seared Ahi Tuna over Sushi Rice with Seaweed Salad and  Sriracha  Chili Sauce Aioli.   I don’t eat any fish that isn’t fully cooked but my husband is a sushi enthusiast  so the lucky guy ended up with a double portion,  which he pronounced  “delicious”.

Chef plates his tangy roasted red pepper bisque with the goat cheese "secret ingredient".

The tuna was followed by a red pepper bisque.  Chef explained in great detail the time- honored method of roasting peppers over a flame until well charred,  popping them into a paper bag until the skins are soft, slipping the skins off and seeding,  then slicing the peppers.  Then,  smiling  coyly and to the amusement of the audience,  he held up a large jar of commercially prepared roasted peppers and said  ” Or you could just buy them like I do.”    The “secret ingredient”  in his bisque was goat cheese,  which lent an interesting tang to this otherwise creamy and mild soup.  It was served with a wedge of crunchy jalapeno cornbread placed in the middle of the bowl and accompanied by a large dollop of cream.  ( Johnny loves cooking with cream,  unfortunately for my waistline,  so do I. )   Paired with the bisque was  Holly Grove’s 2008 Merlot,  whose unique toastiness Jonathan Best  attributes to the way it is aged in Hungarian oak barrels.  It was perfect with the salty tartness of the goat cheese.

Exhibit of the various dinner courses and the Holly Grove Vineyard wines with which they were paired

A salad of  orange slices came next,  finished with toasted walnuts,  long curls of an excellent parmesan cheese and a citrus vinaigrette.  Chef prefers Cara-Cara oranges for this dish when available as they are seedless with deep colors  and extra vitamin C.  I have been buying Cara-Cara oranges in bulk at Costco for years and was gratified that someone else loves them as much as we do.  He also demonstrated the best way to peel and slice the oranges and then made the vinaigrette. Chef emphasized that when making a dressing with citrus juice,  the proper proportions are 1/3rd juice to 2/3rds olive oil,  plus a good dollop of honey and some sweet herbs.  Served with the salad course was  Holly Grove Vineyard 2010  “Coastal Trio”,  a very smooth blended white wine whose 2009 vintage won the Silver in the Town Point Wine Competition.

Johnny Mo cooks and Jonathan Best discusses his wine

The luscious Lobster Cream Sauce broth bubbles and reduces as Johnathan Best discusses "Genesis", the Holly Grove red wine served with the entree'.

Next on Chef Johnny’s demonstration list was the dish everyone was waiting to learn about- –  his signature  version of  Surf and Turf…. Filet Mignon with Lobster Cream Sauce !  Guaranteed low cal, ha, ha, ha !   Starting with containers already filled with the main ingredients for the sauce, lobster meat, shrimp and clam juice, Chef  sauteed a bit of garlic in a butter-olive oil combination and then added some white wine,  in this case  Holly Grove Chardonay  and  the clam juice and let it simmer until reduced by half  while chopping the lobster meat and the peeled shrimp.  Once reduced,  the seafood chunks were added to the aromatic broth which was then thickened with cornstarch  (which is Chef’s favorite thickner and mine as well,  forget lumpy flour or making a roux).  The very last ingredient was,  of course,  the heavy cream because after all this is a Lobster Cream Sauce.  The filets,  fresh off the Vineyard’s monster-sized grill,  were plated on a nest of sauce and lobster chunks and accompanied by a mushroom couscous and haricots vert.  Absolutely divine and paired with my favorite wine of the evening,  “Genesis”,  a medium bodied  red,   perfect for the filet-lobster combo.  Everybody raved about this entree !   I ended up buying Johnny Mo’s cookbook on sale in the vineyard store to be sure to have the recipe for this luscious  sauce.  ( Plus he wrote a very nice  inscription to Eldest Daughter and included his CD  “Cook with Me”,  which should be fun too.)

Relaxing after dinner at Holly Grove Vineyard

Relaxing At The End Of A Delightful Dinner At Holly Grove Vineyard's "Wine and Dine" event.

All good things must come to an end and the ending to this wonderful meal was a banana creme  brulee’,  rich and creamy,  not too sweet,  with just the right touch of banana and topped,  southern-style,  with some crunchy mini-vanilla wafers  instead of the traditional crispy burnt sugar.  It was Chef’s mother’s and  neice’s birthday so while the rest of us were savoring our creme brulee’,  he sent out a fabulous looking little cake to their table and everybody  joined in to sing an enthusiastic  chorus of   “Happy Birthday,  Mommy-O and Leslie”.  The wine pairing was a very nice sweet white with a bit of acidity,  the well-named 2010 “Celebration”.    A  huge round of applause ended the evening.   Everyone had loved the wines and the food and the absolutely unique Johnny Mo,  that singing,  song-writing,  guitar playing,  joke-cracking  top notch chef !   I’m really looking forward to the next Johnny Mo at  Holly Grove event,  hopefully to be scheduled every quarter from now on,  definitely we will try to be there every time !   

P.S.  Check out Holly Grove  wines at  www.hollygrovevineyards.com .  Johnny Mo is the beloved chef at Mallard’s  Restaurant which overlooks  the water at  the Wharf in Onancock, VA,  www.mallardsllc.com .  Johnny  also sells his spice blends, etc. on-line at  www.chefjohnnymo.com .

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Wearing O’ The Green- Celebrating The Emerald Isle On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

Kelly's Gingernut Pub Cape Charles, Va.

Like so many people, I have really have been saddened for a week by the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. So when March 17th  rolled around it seemed like an opportunity for a welcome respite,  for a wee bit o’  fun even.  Although I am not Irish, I do love many things Irish including a little blarney,  the fantastically funny series,  “Father Ted”,  from BBC  Ireland,  the movie  “Waking Ned Devine”,  the folk tales of Wm. Butler Yeats and  the amazing  stepdancing of  the Riverdance company (www.riverdance.com) whose live performance we enjoyed at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk some years ago,  and lots more.   (  I could definitely enjoy meeting up with a leprechaun or two from time to time,  particularly  if they could reveal the precise location of that wondrous pot of gold to be found at the end of the rainbow,  no doubt cleverly hidden in a fine meadow of  shamrocks. )  But  also welcome,  and considerably easier to come by,  would be an authentic Irish dinner at one of the Eastern Shore of Virginia’s  two excellent Irish Pubs,  Kelly’s Gingernut Pub on Mason Avenue in Cape Charles  and  The Blarney Stone Pub on North Street in Onancock.  

And just for fun,  I shall share here a few interesting bits of trivia about the Emerald Isle which I recently read in  the book,   “Little Known Facts about Well Known Places In Ireland”,   by David Hoffman. 

  1. Although you may think that the most popular drink in Ireland is a “pint”  ( of Guinness, of course ), actually the the most popular drink is tea and Ireland has the world’s highest per capita rate of tea consumption.  Because of this,  every pub in Ireland is required by law to serve hot tea.
  2. There are twice as many cows as people in Ireland and  5% of  its entire milk production is used in the making of Bailey’s Irish Cream,  a noble use indeed !   And  let’s not forget the cream needed for Irish Coffee.
  3. My husband loves  Irish steel cut oatmeal but the Irish apparently eat more corn flakes than oatmeal. In fact, the Irish  are believed to eat more corn flakes per capita than any other country in the world.   I’m sure the Kellogg cereal company is pretty pleased by that, especially as the name Kellogg is an Irish name, a variant on the name Kelly,  which has as one of its meanings  “brave warrior” which may be what it takes to deal with the 250 days per year, on average,  that it is cloudy or rainy in Ireland.
  4. The longest place name in Ireland is Muckanaghederdauhaulia which apparently means  “pig marsh between two saltwater inlets.”  And to think we ever thought Eastern Shore names like Nassawadox,  Chincoteague and Kiptopeake were tongue twisters .
  5. The Irish have a great  saying,   “Ni the’ann cuileog san mebe’al a bhi’os du’nta”.  Or,  for those who don’t read Gaelic,   “A closed mouth catches no flies”.   Truer words were never spoken.
  6. Peter O’Toole,  the famous movie actor and star of   “Lawrence of Arabia”,  was born in County Galway and has worn green sox in honor of the Old Country every day since he was 14 years old, a pretty long time indeed.
  7. Bono,  of the famed Irish rock group U2,  is the only person in the world  ( so far anyway)  to have been nominated for a Grammy,  an Oscar,  a Golden Globe and  a Nobel Peace Prize.  Congratulations, Bono- Is fearr beaga’n cuidithe na’ mo’rdn trua !   And by the by,  the Irish alphabet does not contain the letters J, K ,Q ,V ,V , W , X , Y or Z.
  8. The term “honeymoon”  was derived from an old Irish tradition of giving a bottle of   “honey wine” ,  a type of mead brewed by Irish monks containing honey, water and yeast,  as a traditional wedding gift for the bride and groom, to be shared by them for one full moon after they were married,  the honey moon. 
  9. The ill-fated ship Titanic was built in a shipyard in Belfast.  The chief designer there informed the owners that it would be possible to outfit the ship with 64 lifeboats.  If this had been done it  would have provided enough seats for the 1517  passengers who were on board when it sank on its maiden voyage in April, 1912.  But the legal requirement was only 16.   The Titanic’s  owner,  White Star,  cut the number from 64 to 32 and ultimately to 20 because having too many lifeboats would  “sully the aesthetic beauty of the ship”.
  10. The Garda Si’ocha’na,  the Irish national uniformed police force,  does  not carry firearms.  The 11,000 member police force carries a lightweight, retractable baton which replaced in 2007 the previous wooden truncheons which had been in use since the 1800’s.  ( Amazing what better gun laws can accomplish ! )

At any rate,  on Thursday  I was really looking forward to having a real Irish dinner  at Kelly’s Gingernut Pub in Cape Charles, Virginia.  Kelly’s is a great place anytime,  good food, good people, good music, good fun but on St. Patrick’s Day it really outdoes itself.   I had been envisioning for several days the  first blissful mouthful of some really good Shepherd’s  Pie,  buttery mashed potatoes  piped over  tender bits of  lamb smothered in a silky gravy with the perfect balance of  carrots and onion.   My husband prefers a classic corned beef and cabbage dinner served with carrots and potatoes cooked in the corned beef broth,  all low cal of course.   So Kelly’s  was  the plan  for St. Paddy’s Day dinner….

But,  alas,  it was actually not to be.  My husband and I had a meeting scheduled for Thursday in Virginia Beach which I thought would be over by 4:00 PM,  plenty of time to get back to the Eastern Shore for dinner.  But  the meeting  started late, as meetings often do,  and didn’t break up until nearly 6:30.  Then I had two errands which absolutely had to be run before going back to the Shore.   By  7:45  we  had finished our errands and decided to call Kelly’s to see if they had plenty of our favorite dishes left as it would take at least 45 minutes to an hour from where we were  to get to the Pub.   When Gene Kelly answered the phone I could tell things were really rocking and rolling  because,  although I was just about yelling at the top of my lungs,  Gene kept saying ” I can’t hear you,  I’m not hearing you”.   I’m sure the place was packed to the rafters,  the background laughing and talking  just roared through my cell phone.  Clearly a wee  party was underway at   the Gingernut Pub !

But by then,  sad but totally true,  we  had worn down a bit,  I started mumbling something about low blood sugar  and  we opted for eating  at a little Vietnamese restaurant we love in Virginia Beach,  Vietnam Gardens  near Hilltop, only 5  minutes away.  So,  no Shepherd’s Pie for me,  no corned beef and cabbage  for my husband,  no glass of Guinness for either of us.  But…. there’s always next year.   And the beef  pho was delicious,  as ever,  as was the lemon grass chicken– not what or where I had expected to be eating  that night   but delicious nevertheless.

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Some Valentine’s Day Dining Possibilities On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia…. All You Need Is Love

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Love is all you need, Love is all you need,  according to the Beatles but with February 14th  fast approaching,  I think it’s time  to start making those dinner reservations  (or planning that special meal)  before it’s too late .   With that in mind,  I decided to see which  restaurants here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore are offering  something special and romantic  for Valentine’s Day 2011.  After some calling around,  here are several of my top picks:

In the town of Cape Charles:

  • Aqua’s – Situated right on the Chesapeake Bay overlooking the Bay Creek Marina,  Aqua’s is offering from Friday thru Monday a fantastic Valentine’s Special.   For $50.00 per couple you’ll  receive: a shared appetizer, a soup or salad for each person, an entree for each person and a  shared dessert to be selected from their special Valentine’s menu.  For reservations, call 757-331-8660
  • Kelly’s Gingernut Pub- Located at 133 Mason Avenue in the heart of the Cape Charles Historic District, Kelly’s offers great food in a casual, fun atmosphere.  For Valentine’s,  Kelly’s is planning  Saturday through Monday, a special Valentine’s Menu which includes a Deconstructed Caesar Salad, Mini Crab Cakes with Corn Relish,  Surf & Turf  (6oz. Filet with your choice of Shrimp or Scallops), Tasmin King Salmon or  Blackened Chicken over Penne Pasta tossed with  Alfredo sauce.  For dessert,  Fried Cheesecake and Fresh Strawberries with Fudge Dip,  totally  yummy.  For the full Valentine’s menu and to make reservations,  please call Kelly’s Gingernut Pub @  757-331-3222.

In Eastville– The Eastville Inn–  Historic  and very elegant, the  Eastville Inn, circa 1780,  is located at 16422  Courthouse Road and chef Charles Thain is planning a wonderful Valentine’s  feast.   The Valentine’s special for the Eastville Inn is: your choice of soup or salad, your entree or chef’s  special and for dessert, crepes with chocolate mousse and fresh berries, all for $30.00 per person.   Call 757-678-5745 for full menu details and reservations.

In the town of Onancock:

  • Bizzotto’s Gallery-Caffe – Located at  41  Market Street,  Bizzotto’s offers fine dining in a  unique atmosphere. For reservations call 757-787- 3103  .
  • Charlotte Hotel– Located at 7 North Street in Onanacock, the Charlotte Hotel is a delightful boutique hotel which also serves wonderful food.   A little Flirtation, a helping of  Passion and a touch of Afterglow….. these are just some of the special items you’ll find on the Valentine’s menu at the Charlotte Hotel this year !  For reservations,  call 757-787-7400 or check out the full Valentine’s Menu    at  www.thecharlottehotel.com/restaurant/menu.pdf

Planning to stay home and prepare dinner yourself  but still haven’t decided on a menu ?  A food show  I am particularly fond of  is The Splendid Table on National Public Radio which can be heard here on Sundays  from 12-1 pm.   Splendid Table bills itself as the NPR  show for people who love to eat .  What can I say,  I love to eat and I love the show…..   At any rate, I looked up their Valentine recipes to see what looked good and  up came  a  menu that sounded  delicious,  with an entree that doesn’t seem overly fussy to prepare.  “Roasted Pork  Tenderloin with Black Olives and Orange- A Feast for Lovers” .    Sounds quite good, actually.  And if you need any help with baking,  the Yellow Duck Bakery on Main Street in Exmore,  757-442- 5909   has several yummy Valentine  dessert items you can special order including  a heart shaped eclair for 2,  filled with their superlative pastry cream and frosted with chocolate ganache.    So,  lots and lots of  luscious opportunites for a delightful Valentine’s meal here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.   As the Beatles said,  All you need is love, love, love……

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‘Twas A Crisp December Night For The 15th Annual Cape Charles, Virginia Holiday Tour & Progressive Dinner

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Luminaries light the way to "Willow Lawn"

For the past 14 years,  as a fundraiser to benefit  local organizations,  the Cape Charles -Northampton Chamber of Commerce has hosted this wonderful holiday event of open houses and public buildings with  each one,  in progression,  serving its portion of a very festive dinner. (  Which is why,  duh,  it’s called a  “progressive dinner”,  nothing to do with politics here,   just some good old-fashioned holiday celebration.)  And its always been held in the little coastal town of Cape Charles, Virginia,  home to many gorgeous Victorian historic homes,  always dressed to the nines for the holidays .   As we all know,  incredible Christmas decorating is to Victorian as  gliding on the breeze is  to birds —  about the most fun you can have !   This year, however,  the venue for this iconic dinner tour was changed to Eastville, Virginia,  just a few minutes north of Cape Charles.

1793 Courthouse, Clerk's Office and Debtor's Prison On Courthouse Green, Eastville, Virginia

A slight digression.  I’ve always thought it a bit unfair that very early Virginia history is not better known.   ( If asked about the earliest Colonial settlements,   in my experience,  most people automatically say  Mayflower,  Plymouth Rock,  Pilgrims .   But they would lose their Jeopardy Points because the Pilgrims  didn’t dip  their  smelly little toes  ( think 2  month trip,  no jacuzzi )  into the icy cold waters of  Cape Cod  Bay until the winter of 1620.  But by that time,  the Eastern Shore had already been colonized  by the Virginia Company of London,  folks who  were no doubt enjoying our mild climate and the moderate water temperatures of the Chesapeake Bay.  Unfortunately, we just don’t get widespread credit for our early accomplishments.  )   Eastville  itself plays a very big part in the Shore’s history as it was,  and still is,  the seat of Northampton County.   Repository of the oldest continuous land records in the United States,  dating to 1623,   historians and genealogists from all over the country  have come to the Northampton County Courthouse in Eastville to examine the  old wills,  deeds and records of Court proceedings,  all of  which offer amazing insights into life in those  early Colonial times.   But back to the  2010 Progressive Dinner Tour,  held in this beautifully preserved historic town,  where the Tour even included the Courthouse Green where  appetizers were served  in the 1731 old Courthouse which is next to what was once the Debtor’s Prison.  ( In an interesting twist of logic, apparently the colonists believed that the best solution to debt was to lock up the offender rather than leave him free to try to earn the money to pay the debt !  )

Some crisp salad greens, a little goat cheese, sprinkled with cranberries & pecans- Yum !

Groups gathered  by designated reservation times which started about 5 pm,  last Tour about  8:30.   From there it was shank’s mare,  walking onward and upward,  following the paths laid out by brightly glowing luminaries,   to the  seven different venues,  each one featuring  a new and delicious food item and  new musical entertainment.   A special thanks is owed to the staffs  of the historic Eastville Inn,  built in 1780,   for providing the entree as well as to Kelly’s Gingernut Pub in Cape Charles,  Aqua in Cape Charles,  Don Valerio’s and Yuk and Joe’s,  both of Eastville, and the Exmore Diner,  Exmore,   for all their hard work in preparing  the great food featured at  this event–  guys and gals,  you really pulled it off !   And to all those who played or sang their hearts out,  your  music added so much to the entire evening — bravo !   

Delicious entree, delightful music at the historic Eastville Inn, circa 1780

“Coventon” ,  built in 1795 and owned by the current family for over 100 years,  hosted an  appetizer of taquitos with a very creamy guacamole,  then it was on to “The Little House”,  built in 1882 and renovated in 2005,  where a terrific salad of baby greens  garnished with goat cheese, pecans and  cranberries was served.  A  soup course of butternut squash soup  accompanied by  the traditional southern holiday treat  of  fluffy sweet potato biscuits stuffed with salty country ham were served at the old courthouse complex.  From there to  “Willow Lawn”,   built about 1895 and  named for the  tremendous willow oak tree  standing sentinel on the front lawn,  where a trio of cheeses  were paired with  Chatham Vineyard’s  local crafted wines.  Doubling back  to the beautifully decorated Eastville Inn where  Chef  Charles Thain served a delicious entree of  breast of chicken in a herbed cream sauce  nestled on a bed of Virginia ham with three grain rice and haricots vert on the side.  Onward  to the final stop on the Tour,  “Boxwood”,   built in 1923,  home of the Mayor of Eastville,  named for its lovely boxwood garden.  There a scrumptiously rich dessert  of  triple berry bread pudding  paired  with a lush sweet dessert wine  from local winery,  Holly Grove Vineyards,  and freshly brewed coffee from the Eastern Shore Coffee Company brought this grand dinner celebration to a close.  And so on that crisp December evening,  the 15th Annual Holiday Progressive Dinner Tour proved every bit as  successful as its predecessors,  leaving everyone  who attended looking forward to  the 16th Annual coming next year !

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Posted in Fine and Casual Dining, Historic Homes, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, Regional Foods & Wine | No Comments »

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