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Keswick Hall

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By Michael Hepworth

Keswick Hall in Charlottesville is a country club/resort/golf club that just happens to have a restaurant called Fossett’s that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson’s (1734-1826) personal chef Edith Fossett (1787-1845) during his retirement years at Monticello. This African American women must have been really good, because her creations are still available at the classy restaurant, and her portrait adorns the dining room looming over the proceedings. She learned the art of French cooking from Honore Julien, the Head Chef in the White House during Jefferson’s presidential years.  

Reminding me a lot of an English Country House Hotel, Keswick Hall is about a 20 minute taxi ride from Charlottesville, but a must visit if you are in the area. It is a favorite spot for the celebrities that live in the area such as Sissy Spaceck, John Grisham and Howie Long, as well as visiting entertainers and luminaries to the Charlottesville area. The three sided floor to ceiling windows offer an expansive view of the Virginia landscape, including the Arnold Palmer designed championship golf course.

We started out with a Green Fried Tomato topped with spring garlic prawns, a very popular morsel in this part of the world, and no doubt a staple at the Jefferson dining table. By all accounts the president was a great fan of macaroni, so next up came a dish of  macaroni & cheese topped with soft shell crabs. 

What made this an interesting tasting experience was the addition of a wild leek or onion known as ramps’ giving a touch of tartness and bitterness to the meal. This is a vegetable in high demand with chefs everywhere, and with only one farm in the world growing it in West Virginia; chefs in the immediate area also have to rely on foragers who roam the local forests. 

The Monticello Salad dating back to Edith Fossett is a local bibb tossed with pecan oil and fleur de sil grilled apples, pecans and Caramont chevre apple vinaigrette.

One of the main signature dishes at Keswick is the Rack of Lamb, crusted with the estates own herbs and cracked mustard boulangere potatoes and a spring spinach smoked tomato glace. An exquisite presentation by chef Craig Hartman who is adamant about using local farms and suppliers and really has no desire to move his skills to a bigger environment.

Follett’s is a classy and elegant restaurant with a multitude of interesting and unique food pairings, and the knowledge of the servers and waiters is very impressive. Next visit I will have to go for either the Pan Fried Rainbow Trout and Candied Pork Belly or the Ramp Butter Basted Chop of Polyface Farms Pork.

Virginia is the birthplace of the American wine industry thanks to Jefferson, and it is still thriving. Follett’s is a strong supporter of the wineries, that usually are restricted to between 4,000-8,000 cases a year. We tried a 2007 Petit Verdot from the Jefferson Winery, which in a way is a substitute for Pinot-Noir, which unfortunately does not grow in Virginia, and found it a perfect complement for the gamy taste of the lamb. This is a strong and powerful fruity wine with heavy tannins that is making a slight comeback amongst wine producers.  Thomas Jefferson would no doubt enjoy the fact that his namesake winery is cultivating the grape in its experimental plantings.
The restaurant also features signature cocktails including the spectacular Lighthouse, (Mandarin Vodka, Cointreau, lime juice and blood orange).

Monticello itself is the major tourist attraction in the area, and even on a rainy midweek day it was pretty crowded with a 2 hour wait to get onto the tour of the house and grounds. There is enough to see in the main museum area however, starting out with a 20 minute film describing Jefferson’s luxurious but extremely productive lifestyle at his house.

Jefferson was an architect amongst his many other accomplishments, and designed and built the house over a 40 year period based on the drawings of famed Italian architect Andrea Palladio.The house remains one of the top 25 tourist attractions in America, and for a more comprehensive view of the nations third president this is the place to go.

701 Club Drive, Keswick, Virginia 22947
434-979-3440
www.keswick.com
By Michael Hepworth

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What exactly is GRAND BRULOT I thought to myself as I opened the bottle for the first time just around the time this lockdown took effect. Well, Grand Brulot is listed as a VSOP Cognac Café and it can be used in Bloody Mary’s, Manhattans, Negronis, Martinis, spritzes and sidecars , just for starters. It is a blend of Ugni Blanc & Colombard that is crafted into 80 proof VSOP. Then 100% Robusta Ecuadorian coffee bean essence is extracted and blended with brandy to meld for a few months and finally, it is blended with the VSOP Cognac. There is also a whiff of peppermint, nutmeg and hot cocoa in the drink. The retail price is $42.99.

The idea for the drink was instigated in 2015 by John Bernbach who asked for the help of industry veteran Francisco Tonarely to investigate the potential of a cognac/brandy drink blended with coffee. Three year later in August 2018 Grand Brulot was launched. This cognac comes from the Tardy Cognac Group and the grapes come from its single estate. Grand Brulot also plays homage to a New Orleans specialty of the same name that is still served around town.  The name Grand Brulot was inspired by the famous French pirate Jean Lafite who helped New Orleans repel the British invaders in 1812. He would order coffee, pour cognac in the saucer, set it alight and mix it with the coffee.
Recipes:

THE RISE AND SHINE
2 oz Grand Brulot
Orange Twist

Just pour Grand Brulot over ice and the orange will highlight the flavors
of the spirit.

BRULOT BLACK MANHATTAN
1 oz Grand Brulot
1 oz Bourbon
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Orange Bitters

Bartender Todd Smith created this one. Stir all the ingredients together in
a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass with ice and garnish

with orange wheel.

FRENCH NEGRONI
1 oz Grand Brulot
1 oz  Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Campari

Build in a rocks glass over ice and garnish w/orange wheel.

GRAND BRULOT CAFÉ HOLIDAY
1 oz Grand Brulot
0.5 oz Crème de Cacao
3 oz Porter Beer or Stout
3 dashes of bitters

Throw cocktail ingredients between two cups a couple of times to mix
And ignite the foam from the beer. Pour into a highball glass over ice
And garnish with nutmeg.



www.grandbrulot.com
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