Fearrington House

I’ve read the word, “enchanting” used to refer to the menu offerings of Fearrington House chef Colin Bedford more than once. I find myself incapable of finding a term that better describes dining there. A recent renovation has invited an airy luminous quality to the space itself, while the cuisine surprises and captivates. If there is any slight mis-step in Fearrington House service, it is small and made inconsequential by the many shining points of this restaurant.

Fearrington House restaurant sits nestled within acres of gardens and grazing land for the Fearrington Village’s belted cows and goats. While classic in form, newly updated fixtures and fabrics lend a modern simplicity to the spaces inside this 1920’s farm house. I was immediately taken with the choice of steely blue and shades of white decorating the dining room, lending the impression of being situated within the night sky. When the amuse bouche arrived to sit upon a shimmering glass plate, I felt the ambiance complete itself; Chef Bedford providing star after star in his intricately designed offerings.

 

the amuse bouche

First Course:

duck breast with smoked onion puree, marinated cherries, & foie gras.
(One of my favorite selections of the night!)

shrimp ceviche with Cherry Tomato, tapioca, radish, & Yuzu

Second Course: 

seared foie gras with local fig, Anise, Elderberry, & Bayleaf Sauce

house-cured bacon with leeks, smoked tomato jam, & pickled peaches

Main Course:

Panko-crusted Berkshire Pork with honey-mustard sauce, Red Cabbage, Crab Apple, & pear barley. The pork is usually encrusted with Pecans.  Since my dining companion for that night is allergic to tree nuts, the kitchen substituted Panko breadcrumbs for the pecan crust. I Instead of just leaving off a component to the dish, they exceeded our expectations with a thoughtful alternative.

seared Halibut with tomatoes. Pink Peppercorn, Yellow Beets, & Maitake Mushroom

After-Dinner Treats

Mignardises (or Petit Fours)

takeaway chocolates

  

The Sommelier brought us a list of our wine pairings (below) written in caligraphy.

(although for the second selection we had Duck, not Soup: oops)

 

 

 



An interview with Herons' Chef de Cuisine, John Childers

Entering the stone walkway to the Umstead Hotel you are greeted by suited gentleman who courteously open the glass doors and greet you with a smile. Immediately you feel you are somewhere special. Grand floral displays brighten the luxurious fabrics and wood fixtures found throughout the hotel’s public spaces. On the lobby-level and you will find, decorating the walls and table-tops, a vast and varied collection of art that rivals that of a small museum. Relax in the pool; take a stroll in around the property’s lake. Enjoy a massage or manicure in the spa, then end the day on a final high note with dinner at the hotel’s Forbes-rated 5-star restaurant, Herons.

Nestled within Herons’ menu are selections focusing on farm-fresh ingredients sourced from family-owned farms throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. If you order the current Chef’s Tasting Menu, the cooks will plate 5 courses, each showcasing heirloom tomatoes from the hotel’s own 1 acre culinary farm.

Herons' Tasting Menu starts with Ahi Tuna carpaccio served with baby octopus, heirloom tomatoes, and cucumber

Executive Chef Scott Crawford and Chef de Cuisine John Childers have further focused Herons' cuisine throughout the past year on the pure, simple, fresh approach. The cuisine is unadorned with needless components. The offerings are beautiful, and oftentimes surprising, without being fussy or pretentious.  Indulge in the recommendations of the knowledgeable staff and you will find yourself satisfied and delighted by Herons.

I had the pleasure of an interview with John Childers to talk about what it’s like to manage an award winning culinary program alongside Scott Crawford. After speaking with this articulate and dedicated chef, it is not difficult to understand why Herons rates so highly.  Here’s to hoping his favorite ingredients (foie gras and truffles, yum!) make it onto the autumn menu set to premiere towards the end of September.

Chef John Childers prepares garnish sourced from The Umstead Farm

Read the full interview below...

What was your life like before you knew you wanted to be a Chef?

-I think I always knew I wanted to cook. I was raised by my mom, single mother in the Air Force for twenty years. Moved around quite a bit. She raised me, my sister, my two brothers.  Childhood for me was a blur. There’s nothing significant that happened in my childhood that made me want to cook. I just wanted to do it. I think mainly because I like to eat and I like to create.

How did you start cooking?

-I remember coming home when I was in middle school and watching Great Chefs, Great Cities on The Discovery Channel. It was on every day at 4 o’clock. It was before food network. Also me and my sister when we were little would play restaurant. She would take the orders and I would cook.

How did you end up at Herons?

-By chance. I was working at Bloomsbury Bistro in Five Points. I committed there for 12 months, and I learned a lot. When I was done there I was getting ready to relocate, go to Charleston or D.C..  I heard that Chef Crawford was coming here so I did some research, found out about his reputation and came here. But, this place needed a lot of work. I knew that from the first interview; this place needed a lot of work. Almost to the point where I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel when I started here. But, Chef [Crawford’s]  vision has definitely come to fruition and it’s been worth it.

When the Forbes five stars came and AAA five-diamonds came, what did it mean to you?

It was huge. I think it was always in the back of everybody’s minds but I don’t think it was something that we were pursuing avidly. I don’t think we were just out saying, “we’re going to get 5-stars.” I think we were good enough to do that, but everybody still thought we still had a long way to go. The first day we got it, it was awesome.

Were you surprised?

That we got 5-stars? A little, but not really, because I think what we are doing and what we were doing was amazing and I’ve never done anything like it. As refined, and as far as service goes, I’ve never worked anywhere nicer and I’ve never produced a better product.

Do you feel any pressure to keep the stars?

Yes. I think the recognition is great and being the first in the state to do it is good as well. The hardest part about achieving 5-stars is retaining the rating. The sprint is over, but the marathon is on. You have to fight every day, and if you have a day that you’re not fighting it’s going to be detrimental to the overall program or to the retention of the accolade. 

You and Chef Crawford manage a food and beverage program that services a restaurant, bar and lounge, 150 guest rooms and banquet facilities. You must be busy?

It’s a lot, but I think that in the grand scheme of things it’s not a large operation. It’s small enough that we don’t have the need for multiple chefs in multiple different outlets. I think [the operation] is set up for the brigade we have in place now: an executive chef, a chef de cuisine, a couple sous chefs.

What’s your biggest challenge here?

Exceeding guest’s expectations. In a lot of ways guest expectations just come with the accolade and in some ways the amount of money they have to pay to enjoy a meal here or stay here.

What’s your biggest challenge personally?

Maintaining a constant balance. I think anybody who wants to be good at their job lets their job consume them. Anybody who wants to excel in their career is going to put more time in their career than they would in their personal life, and honestly, it’s really probably the only way true way to be successful in your career is if you have a balance outside your work life as well. You’re able to disconnect and find ways to decompress. It’s my biggest challenge. It’s probably every professional’s biggest challenge.

How do you relax?

I don’t really. I try to take one day a week and try to completely disconnect. Cooking at home is honestly relaxing, because I get to cook whatever I want and there’s no criticism. I’m always going to think it’s good and even if I don’t I’m still going to eat it. There’s no pressure when cooking at home. I think that’s one of the most relaxing things I do.

Describe your approach to cooking

Simple, seasonal. I think a lot of chefs say this and use it as a way to be lazy, but with me not so much: I like for my food to be naked or pure. I don’t think it needs a lot of manipulation. If you start with a great product, you’re going to get a great result. Sourcing high quality products and doing very little to them and putting them on the plate; that’s basically it.

Butterfish with local shrimp, purple rice, and basil seeds

What are your favorite ingredients?

Foie Gras, truffles…anything that costs a lot of money…

Why?

Because I’m in the position where I’m fortunate enough to buy those things so while I’m in the position to use them…of course responsibly.

What does your best night of service look like?

When you’re standing on the pass and you’re watching the cooks in action it should look like choreography. It shouldn’t look forced or it shouldn’t feel like they’re struggling like fish out of water. Looking in the kitchen when the guys are on, which is most nights, and it feels smooth, it gives you peace of mind. The kitchen is immaculate. Guys are cooking, other guys are plating. The pass is full of food. Everyone knows what a bad service feels like, so anything that doesn’t [feel like that] feels good. Anything that doesn’t feel like a struggle is going to feel like a success.

Tell me about your worst night of service.

I can’t pinpoint one particular night. I think a terrible night of service is what I usually call “the perfect storm.” You’re short-staffed, cooks don’t have their mis en place, guests are complaining about either food or timing. Perfect storm always makes for a bad night of service. Nobody likes to feel like that way. When you have a bad night of service even the next day it’s hard for you. Even though you try to tell everyone to put it behind you, it’s a new day, it’s still in the air and it’s not something easy to just put behind you.

How would you describe yourself as a manager?

New, which is good and it’s bad. I’ve got a lot to learn and the learning curve is very steep but I think managers always still have things they can learn. I think what’s good is that I’m not that far removed what the guys that I manage do every day. A few that are here have seen me do what they do every day so they know that I can relate to their problems and issues and that a lot of the things that they go through I have been through. I think that gives me an advantage in being a manager.

What inspires you to keep doing this?

Personal satisfaction, mainly. I think this work is gratifying.

Do you consider what you do to be art?

I think a lot of the people that do what we do are artists, and they're talented in other mediums, like music, but I’m not. This is the only thing that I sort of know how to do. But I don’t feel like it’s art.

 crab salad with Nasturtium, radish, mango gelee, and avocado puree

If you had to stop doing this what would you do instead?

I’ve never thought about it. This has been the only thing that I’ve ever thought about doing. I don’t know. I’d probably be…like a sniper or something like that.

Tell me something that’s on your bucket list

I’d love to travel through Europe, just eating.

First Taste at Nana's Disappoints

I was excited to try Nana’s, one of the Triangle Area’s best-known fine-dining restaurants. Scott Howell, Chef and Owner, opened Nana’s in 1992 after stints at Bouley and Campanile in New York.  After seeing items such as grilled local striped bass and cast iron roasted duck breast featured on the restaurant’s web menu, I was hoping for a fantastic dining experience, or at least, some great grub.

Nana’s website lists their hours “Monday through Saturday 5-?” A few days before our date of dining, I reserved a table for 2 at 8:30PM. Due to my habitual tardiness, I phoned on our way to Nana’s letting them know we were about 20 minutes behind schedule. The hostess was courteous and accommodating over the phone. We entered the restaurant at 8:55 and were briskly led to a table with nothing more than a “right this way.” I guessed they had been waiting for us and that we were the last reservation of the evening since the hostess began walking us to the table before I had finished telling her my name.

The hostess led us to a preliminary space separated from the main dining area by a second entryway. She seated us at a corner table that stood quite close to our neighboring diners. We felt more a part of the adjacent bar and lounge area than the dining room, unable to see the “dramatic chandeliers” mentioned on Nana’s web page or any portion of the central area. The ambience felt stale. A set of abstract original paintings hung on the walls of our dining section, offering the only visual stimulation we could find in the room. The water-spotted acoustic ceilings cause the restaurant to feel dated, as does the selection of muddy-melon and brighter-than-brick paint combinations. The banquette across from us had a noticeable build-up of dirt near the base further adding to our overall feeling of; we are somewhere old and tired.

When I asked a member of the staff if Chef Howell designates Nana’s as “fine dining,” the associate told me that Howell prefers to stay away from that label and the pretentiousness it implies, but that the restaurant offers a “nicer” dining experience and suggests (but doesn’t enforce) business casual attire. In my opinion, Howell might better Nana’s by embracing a few more fine-dining standards. Why bother with white tablecloths if no attempt is made to smooth out the creases? Linen napkins look nice, but if they feel like sandpaper, no one feels appreciative. While we found the service prompt and attentive, it would have increased the joy of the overall experience, if the servers hadn’t stacked our plates in front of us and had shown us the back of their arms less when reaching in to service the table. Maybe I’m overly discriminating in my search for a perfect feast, but simple adjustments go a long way in the suspension of reality that exists in any unique and satisfying dining adventure.

While seating us, the hostess placed the paper menus on the table which included an offering of bottles of wines on one page and a separate page listing the dining options and wines available by the glass.  Someone came to offer us “bottle or tap” water, and promptly after, our server for the evening greeted us. He noted a specialty appetizer addition to the menu and offered drinks. Nana’s does not offer a beer or specialty cocktail menu, but the restaurant does feature a fully-stocked bar and a few local draft beer selections. During the course of our dinner we each enjoyed a few rounds of drinks, all of which arrived promptly. My only issue with the beverage service is that I would have preferred my wine to be poured tableside rather than pre-poured at the bar.

Before ordering dinner, we asked our server for recommendations, which he recited promptly and convincingly. Less than 5 minutes passed before our first course arrived: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fried Okra for my dining companion and Chilled Melon Soup with Mint Chantilly for me. The tomatoes were fresh and delicious and the variations in red and golden tomatoes made for a pretty plate. The okra was light and crispy; very tasty. The tomatoes were dressed with a Balsamic-Shallot vinaigrette and local Feta cheese from one of my favorites, Chapel Hill Creamery. This first course was one of the best out of the 7 dishes we ordered throughout the evening.

The melon soup, unfortunately, didn’t impress. I expected fresh, chilled melon broth decorated with a bright splash of mint cream. Howell instead presents a yellowish cream-based puree with a dollop of white Chantilly and 13 mint leaves. After a few bites, I became tired of the textural monotony of the dish and overwhelmed by the strong flavor of the superfluous mint leaves.  The temperature felt wrong also. The soup arrived at the table only a touch colder than room temperature.

For a mid-course I chose the Crab Salad served with Green Asparagus and Steelhead Roe. The dish stood out, a second highlight during our evening at Nana’s. The salty roe was a delicious foil to the sweet crab-meat and along with the crisp asparagus created a lovely diversity of textures within the dish. A garnish of crème fraiche was an unnecessary, but excusable, finishing touch to an otherwise tasty selection.

We also ordered the Lamb Cheek Ravioli with Ricotta Salata and Hans Shimeji Mushrooms. I found the dish neither offensive nor outstanding. The pasta dough felt too firm; the mushrooms too soft; the sauce over-salted. It was edible enough, but no component surprised or impressed. Unfortunately, I must say the same of both entrées we ordered on the server’s recommendation: Roasted Duck Breast and Seared Scallops.

The duck breast arrived to the table slightly overdone, but was otherwise tasty itself with a pleasantly crisp outside and tender inside. The sweet corn cake served alongside the duck was also tasty, although a bit too soft in the middle for my tastes. I couldn’t find harmony, though, in Howell’s other accompaniments to the duck. The choice to plate lentils and baby leeks in what appeared to be a blueberry broth ruined the lentils for me and left a perfume-like taste coating my mouth.

My dining partner’s scallops looked appetizing sitting over a mixture of French Beans and Purple Fingerling Potatoes. Ultimately though, this preparation was another that fell flat. The star of the plate did feature the satisfying crust that a perfectly seared scallop should present. But, the scallops themselves were flavorless. The potatoes, beans, and artichokes offered more taste, but carried a curious, unappetizing aroma

Although unimpressed with our overall experience at Nana’s so far, we pushed onward toward dessert with another round of drinks and hopeful expectation that the sweetest course would shine. We settled on sharing the Vanilla Crème Brulee. The custard was delicious and perfectly cold. Unfortunately, the top had been over-torched. The slightly-burned taste that accompanied each bite didn’t completely destroy our enjoyment of the crème brulee, but it certainly detracted a good deal.

Overall, I’m sad to say Nana’s didn’t deliver on my high expectations. However, their service staff seems educated, accommodating, and anticipatory towards the guests. Throughout the menu Howell offers a few burst of intelligently chosen and well-prepared ingredients and I am hopeful that a future visit might thrill me more.