615316 Mon Apr 27 09:35:01 -0700 2009 9 11 South 0 4632344 I was in Durham for a visit two weeks ago, and made it a point to set aside time for dinner at Town House, taking my wife with me this time. We had the nine course tasting with wine pairings. As was the case on my first visit in December, (my post is on this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/571280?tag=boards;topic-571280 ) the experience was phenomenal, and unforgettably so. We were there for over 4 hours, and the time just flew by. Sommelier Charlie Berg was our very gracious host, and, as was the case last time, he provided perfect wine pairings for each course. We also had some great conversation with Chef Shields, Chef Urie, and owner Kyra Bishop. The relaxed environment almost seems incongruous with the caliber of cuisine we enjoyed, and that is part of the great appeal of this restaurant for me. Being with my enchanting wife, I wasn’t paying close attention to the course descriptions provided by Charlie and two of the sous chefs, but I did take pictures. Charlie also wrote down all the wine pairings. Briefly, this is what I remember of this superb spring tasting menu: Start – Piper-Heidsieck NV Brut Amuse 1 – black olive and parmesan cookie sandwich with olive oil and lemon confit jam rolled in parmigiano shreds, a holdover from the winter menu. Great flavor. Amuse 2 – cotton candy sprinkled with togarashi and bonito flakes on a yuba stick with a shiso leaf inside. Nice contrast between sweet, spicy, salty, and the ocean. Course 1 – vegetable minestrone consisting of chilled vegetable slices rolled into cylinders over which is poured a chilled fruit and vegetable broth. Accompanied by a Domaine de Pajot Vin de Pays des Cotes de Gascogne Les Quatres Cepage. Bright spring flavors enhanced by the fruity wine. Course 2 – parfait of smoked char roe, pineapple, bottarga, green curry foam, and avocado, topped with wafers of sugar. Accompanied by a von Hovel Riesling. Great harmony of flavors when you go to the bottom of the glass with each spoonful so it contains a little of each ingredient. Course 3 – fresh spring peas, leaves of spring greens, with Benton bacon ice cream and a marinated oyster in the center. Accompanied by an Egon Muller Kabinett Riesling. One of the night’s best dishes. Bright, intense flavor of young peas, incredible bacon ice cream (could have eaten a pint by itself), with the oyster as pearl in the center of the dish. Course 4 – white asparagus with pulled honey, razor clam slices, lavender, brown butter and served with a brioche “muffin”. Accompanied by a Louis Latour Chablis. The brioche was there to mop up any leftover sauce, and we wiped our plates clean. Course 5 – tea smoked loup de mer, shrimp consommé, water chestnut, shiso leaf; accompanied by a mutsu ken junmai sake. Nice shift to Asian flavors. Course 6 – chorizo bouillon, sherry gel, manchego & egg yolk "gnocchi", cuttlefish ink ball. Accompanied by a Hidalgo Manzanilla sherry. Absolutely wonderful dish and pairing. Glad it’s on the spring menu. Course 7 – squash seed risotto, maple syrup vinaigrette, parmigiano foam. Accompanied by Sori Paitin dolcetto d’Alba. Parmigiano not quite assertive enough. Dish was a little acidic for me. Course 8 – cured lamb belly, cumin seeds, (I can’t remember the rest of the dish), accompanied by a tempranillo. I only remember that it was one of the night’s best dishes. Course 9 – sous vide squab topped with a leek stuffed with liquid foie gras with a perfectly balanced sauce. Accompanied by an Au Bon Climat pinot noir. Also one of the night’s best dishes. Course 10 – purple mountains of yogurt mounds, anise seed, sesame seed, latte. Flavorful and almost savory. Accompanied by sparkling water. Course 11 – smoked chocolate with carrot puree, curry, coriander. Truffles made of frozen buttermilk, one each of peppermint, pistachio, and red wine. Excellent desserts. Finale: Warres LBV tawny port…perfect ending. Looking back on this summary, I see how we could have been there for over 4 hours. I absolutely love the vibe of this restaurant. It feels like “…everybody knows your name…”, but at the same time like you’re a part of something special, from the moment you walk in the door. My wife also felt that hard-to-put-your-finger-on sense of specialness throughout the evening. Almost forgot --- the drive through this part of Virginia in April is spectacular. We probably won’t be going back to Durham until Thanksgiving, and, unless there’s a blizzard or ice storm, Town House will be a must-do. Pix of most of these courses are on the Town House blog; the ones I took are on this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33398586@N06/sets/72157617283123011/ Mon Apr 27 09:35:01 -0700 2009 155914 beantowntitletown 1 4737086 I notice that the largest menu on their website is an "8-course tasting." Did you specifically request (in advance or in the restaurant) an off-the-menu option? Trying to plan this out for a target date two weeks from now... Tue Jun 02 16:12:36 -0700 2009 4632344 15293 mikeh 2 4737336 No. I made a reservation for a 7 course tasting in advance, and when Charlie confirmed it by phone the day we were supposed to be there, he told me that the menu that night was a 9 course tasting. I'd say they're really flexible and will put together any arrangement you want in advance. Hope you have a great experience. Tue Jun 02 18:01:09 -0700 2009 4737086 155914 beantowntitletown 2 4740021 We finally went a month ago - the trip was extremely worth the drive.Just an FYI, but I did find that the prices were a little more than what was indicated on- line for the tasting menu and for the wine pairing... We had made on line reservations and asked if the tasting could be tweaked in two areas. They confirmed the reservation by phone and said the tweaks were fine and got more info from us regarding a food allergy. When we arrived they let us look at the menu a final time to confirm. I really enjoyed the wine pairings, the choices stood on their own well and kicked the flavor experience of each course up another notch. Wed Jun 03 14:32:48 -0700 2009 4737086 111267 meatn3 3 4740217 I have been waiting and drooling to make it to this restaurant. Looking on line for places to stay, would the closest town be Marion? Can anyone recommend a nice place to stay close by? I think it is also fairly close to Damascus and the railroad trail you can ride bikes on? Any suggestions for hotels, other restos, cafes, etc would be greatly appreciated. And, I seem to recall from another post they close most of July? Thanks! Wed Jun 03 15:34:04 -0700 2009 4740021 94656 winedine 4 4741755 They will be closed quite a bit in July (the chefs are getting married), though I'm not certain of the dates. Marion is the closest town (10-15 minutes) with lodging; I recommend the General Francis Marion Hotel: http://www.gfmhotel.com/ Abingdon is about 20 minutes away (south on I-81), where you'll find the Martha Washington Inn; more reasonably-priced lodging is also available there. I live in Damascus, which is 25 minutes away. We have numerous inns from which to choose: http://www.damascus.org/bandbs.html I recommend the Lazy Fox Inn (heard they have a FABULOUS breakfast) or Dancing Bear Inn (they do not provide breakfast). If you'd like to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail (http://www.vacreepertrail.com/ -- SO much fun!), I recommend Adventure Damascus/Sundog Outfitters or JC's Outdoors for your shuttle service: http://adventuredamascus.com/ http://www.jcsoutdoors.com/ Damascus's dining options are all casual. Mojoe's Trailside Cafe has good coffee, light menu options, and a nice atmosphere. If you're in town for lunch, Fattie's has fantastic burgers, and Quincey's has good sandwiches and decent pizza. Stay away from In The Country. In Abingdon: -Ellis Soda Shoppe: A refurbished pharmacy that offers a varied menu, I think it's the best place in town for a casual lunch. I've never had a bad experience, though service can be slow if they're busy. Don't miss the soups and the butterscotch pie, if it's available. -Willa Jacks: Fine dining. I had a fantastic brunch there a few weeks ago and a good--though overpriced--dinner recently. http://www.willajacks.com/ -The Tavern: Fine dining in the oldest building in town. I love this place so much I got married there. Not open for lunch. http://www.abingdontavern.com/ Also in Abingdon, the Wildflour Cafe is a good lunch spot, with great soups and baked goods. They are open for dinner as well. Zazzy'z has great coffee. Cannot recommend Withers Hardware or The Peppermill. Nothing, however, compares to Town House. My most recent meal there was the PHENOMENAL Sean Brock/Allan Benton dinner. I feel fortunate to live so close and wish I could go more often. Have a wonderful trip! Please let me know if you have any additional questions. -Tori Thu Jun 04 07:44:35 -0700 2009 4740217 286868 ToriB 5 4741976 I need to print out Tori's excellent list. Only thing she didn't mention was that Abington is the home of the Barter Theater. http://www.bartertheatre.com We've been trying to find an afternoon play we want to see at the Barter and finish the day at Town House. The Francis Marion Hotel is really nice. And just a short drive down the Interstate or US 11 from Town House. We spent New Years Eve there after dinner at Town House. (We leave long drives on New Years Eve to the amateurs on the road.) Thu Jun 04 08:49:54 -0700 2009 4741755 79896 shallots 6 4742595 Oh, yes, the Barter has been doing great work lately! I should also mention Bella's Pizza, which is the best in the area, and Wines of Distinction, our local wine shop (Katbird's Coffeehouse is inside). Both are in Abingdon. Thu Jun 04 11:48:33 -0700 2009 4741976 286868 ToriB 2 4748405 mikeh, I'm sure you've already seen this, but the nine course tasting is now posted on Town House's website. It's very reasonably priced. If you can work it in, the spring peas with marinated oyster would be a great addition. The wine pairings for our nine course tasting were $65 per person, but they were well worth it. Charlie did a terrific job of pairing the wines with each course. As meatn3 said, each wine stood well on its own. Sat Jun 06 12:19:54 -0700 2009 4737086 155914 beantowntitletown 1 4784130 Town House was just written up in the New York Times. Link from the Town House newsletter: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/dining/17town.html?ref=dining Thu Jun 18 08:14:52 -0700 2009 4632344 155914 beantowntitletown