The Jack Kerouac cocktail was made with a local vineyard’s dessert wine.
Silver linings abound. Here in Charlottesville, we’ve had one unusual, massive snowstorm after another. For some, that may mean being cooped up indoors against his or her will or having to begrudgingly shovel driveways day in and day out. For me, and for many others who were vying to participate in Charlottesville’s recent Restaurant Week, the snowstorms just meant more—and better—reservations. Stupidly, I had waited until the Wednesday of the week of to call our local restaurants for a dinner space for two. How simple of me, to think that there would be even one chair remaining at such highly demanded dining events! But then, the weather forecasts came and, calling for loads and loads of snow, many cautious individuals decided to stay home rather than venture out into the darkness and potentially dangerous roads. But not me! HA. Come sleet or snow, my silly, locavore self saw an opportunity and took it! And that is how I ended up getting a perfect, though perhaps risky, reservation at Fossett’s of Keswick Hall on that Friday night of Restaurant Week.
As always, the goods and services provided at Keswick were astounding. A brief detour to the bar (for, even with the impending doom of the snowstorm, Fossett’s was still packed and running a tad behind,) led to a chance encounter with Jack. Kerouac. The cocktail. Made with a proportionate splash of the local Barboursville Malvaxia and then some more of Cointreau, Hangar One, and lemon juice, the adult beverage took the road less travelled. Then, it led me back to the dining room, where glorious prixe fixe menus were waiting for me and my date. That night, dinner consisted of Wild Mushroom Beignets (with sweet Shenandoah onions), Hushpuppy-crusted Blue Ridge Mountain Trout (straight from the range’s streams, I’m sure), and a Pate of Three Chocolates with “Virginia wine jelly marron anglaise.” Chef Hartman must also be an alchemist, because he has a way of turning local, high-end ingredients to gold.
-Serena
The main course was centered around a just-right slice of regionally caught trout.
Tags: buy local, charlottesville, eat local, local foods, locavore, virginia