Considering that very few people reading this actually know who I am, I could probably get away with claiming some fancy-pants background in reviewing fine restaurants and upscale cuisine. In the spirit of integrity, however, I’ll admit that I am in no way qualified to critique the winner of a AAA Four Diamond Award. Actually, given my fondness for making inappropriate jokes in inappropriate places, I’m not sure I was qualified to even go there. But go there I did, along with my wife, sister, brother-in-law, aunt, and parents, who were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Needless to say, it was really good.
For those who haven’t been, Fossett’s was named for Edith Fossett, one of the head chefs at Monticello during Thomas Jefferson’s retirement years. She was trained in both fine French and traditional Virginian cuisines while Jefferson served as President, and that blend of styles has been continued at Fossett’s, and not just in terms of food. Fine white linens draped the dining tables, upon which laid crystal goblets and elaborately decorated china, and one wall displayed two worn farm tools (a shovel and a metal rake) and a crackling stone fireplace.
Like the dining room, the menu borrowed equally from French and American shores. It was described to us as actually four menus, each offering different takes on Jeffersonian cuisine. Of the four, I chose both my first and main courses from the Explorations menu, which was comprised of five dishes Jefferson might have appreciated today.
After placing our orders, we were treated to an amuse-bouche: a salmon and crab galantine with a fresh fennel and slivered carrot salad. Two dots of sweet aged dark vinegar decorated the plate above the galantine. The sweet notes and deep aged flavor of the vinegar married well with the freshness and richness of the seafood, while the salad provided a nice contrasting crunch.
For my first course, though tempted by the deconstructed Caesar salad and its rather ridiculous-sounding “Caesar explosion,” I chose the Kobe-Truffle Ravioli. It wasn’t actually ravioli, in fact there wasn’t so much as a noodle of pasta, but I guess receiving a Four Diamond rating allows a chef to call a dish whatever he wants. As it often is, the Kobe beef was sliced and served very thin and very raw on top of Stoneyman cream, which itself was dotted with small shavings of black truffle. (I could be wrong, but I believe Stoneyman is a nearby farm in either Albemarle or one of the surrounding counties.) The beef was superbly tender, the cream like velvet, and the rosemary, which was resting in warm water on the serving plate beneath the Kobe and truffled cream, was extremely fragrant.
My main course was striped bass with a cauliflower brandade, ratatoille, and grilled baby leeks. The menu described the bass as “‘olive oil sous vide,’” so I don’t know if the quotes meant that it wasn’t actually prepared as a sous vide (French for “under vaccum”), or if it meant something else. Either way, it was damn tasty. The bass was perfectly cooked—flaky, moist, and tender—and all the accoutrements added different complementary tastes. The brandade was very subtle and blended very well with the bass, but I think my favorite combination was the bass and the baby leeks, which were very similar to scallions, though a bit more mild.
After dinner and several more minutes of conversation passed, we were offered dessert menus. As we looked over it, it occurred to me that the pastry chef must have had a sense of humor. Why else, in a proudly Jefferson-inspired restaurant, would one list the Virginia Gentleman Cake just above a dish called Chocolate Exploration? The rest of the menu didn’t seem to be in on the joke, but was I entertained enough—and pleased enough with my earlier, similarly-themed dishes—to order the Exploration. It consisted of four different items: a small cube of blackberry gelée, a blackberry and orchid powder, a chocolate lava cake with freshly clotted cream, and a smear of fudge. I really enjoyed the novelty of the powder, which very much reminded me of Pop Rocks, though without the pop. It was fun to pair the fine crunch of the powder with the other components of dish. As for taste, however, my favorite (just barely) was the cake.
Fossett’s is the only Four Diamond Award-winning restaurant at which I’ve ever eaten, so it’s difficult to compare my experience there with anything else. Simply put, however, it was great. Being the gourmand that he was, I think Jefferson would have also approved. Hopefully one of next year’s Restaurant Weeks (or perhaps my own upcoming 5th wedding anniversary?) will offer me another reason to return.
(Reviewer’s notes: We arrived at 6:30pm with reservations and were seated immediately. I have to thank my parents for treating us to a wonderful evening. Congratulations Mom and Dad, and here’s to another 40!)
Related posts:
Tagged as: fossett's, John M., keswick, Restaurant Review
Forgive me for asking, but where is this restaurant located? I have never even heard of it. That’s always helpful information. Also helpful: general idea on price per plate.
LOVE Fossett’s.
It’s in the Keswick Main Hall, B-yo.
oh and the bar next door has great muddled drinks if you get there early
Sorry, I guess I just made an ass out of u and me.
As RWO said, it’s in the main hall at Keswick, and I made the menu downloadable in the review (check the 3rd paragraph). Suffice it to say that everything is very pricey.
catching it at Restaurant Week is an excellent suggestion. There should be another RW in January.
I’ve keeping tabs on the RW website, http://www.cvilleyum.com, every week or so for details. Hopefully we should be hearing (reading) something soon.
That first palte with all the rosemary…WTF. And that last plate. Ugh. Let’s all try to be Schwa, Chicago why don’t we? Remember when food looked like food?
I thought the rosemary was pretty cool, actually. Trendy, yes, but cool. And it really was quite fragrant.
As for the last plate, I think the point was to mix and match different tastes and textures. The gelée was cool, smooth, and refreshing; the fudge thick and rich; the powder dry and crunchy; and the cake warm, decadent, and moist. I had fun with it.
it was still a direct ripoff of schwa
I don’t think it’s quite that specific. foams, gelee, powders, etc. can’t really be pegged to one place. Tons of restaurants do it. Not tons in Charlottesville, but I’ve seen it at many other fine establishments in SF, Chicago, NYC, and even in the Old Dominion at Inn at Little Washington. Restaurants rip off other restaurants because it’s style.
it’s just a thing.
i find it a bit avant garde and kinda silly. I think maybe it’s more fun for the chefs.
I watch Top Chef and know all that shit. Problem is when I try and cook it, it tastes like an unwashed cock.*SIGH*
yeah remember Marcel and his foams and gelees. how annoying.
And his bad hair. Don’t forget that.
Having eaten there once this summer, I find it remarkable that you didn’t mention the incredible service there! I was made to feel very much at home despite it being a very elegant and expensive place- the epitome of class!
An oversight on my part. I guess I was too enthralled by the food. You’re right though, the service was excellent. I even saw the head chef, Craig Hartman, out and about for a few minutes talking to diners, though he didn’t stop at my table.
I hear the waiters are very handsome young men
John,
Well done, old chap! Did you have a glass of brandy in the billiard room? Play the Arnold Palmer designed golf course? If not, so sorry . Though my budget won’t allow frequent visits, it’s well worth it when I have a couple of large to drop on dinner. Seriously good, old world service and fare.
Unfortunately no. No brandy, no golf. But I did wander down to the lower level and find a wedding dance party in full swing. I saw some pretty hot girls dancing together, so I guess that was a bonus.
That was no wedding party. That was Cafe a Go Go, the old world strip club at Keswick Hall.
In that case I left much, much too soon.
I thought the food alone warranted a trip, and now I learn THIS?
Let’s book a limo, and live it up @ Fossett’s.
If you’re buying, I’m game. Old world booby show, here we come!
What is “old world service”?
a happy ending is included
“Old world” refers to European customs, culture, etc. “Old world service” means service from professionals who have devoted themselves to hospitality and service not as a means to an end (e.g., I’m only waiting tables until I get my graduate degree in Sociology), but as an end unto itself.
If you think the waitstaff at Fossett’s, or anywhere for that matter, are not being “hospitable” to you as a means to an end then you are kidding yourself. They may do their job well, but it’s still a job. 20% on a $150+ a plate dinner? Shit, I’d pretend to be “devoted” too. I am sorry if this destroys the illusion of them caring about your happiness, but it doesn’t make it any less true. In the kitchen, they are making fun of your clothes.
You know what? Forget I said anything. Enjoy your meal, sir or ma’am. More water?
/we used to have dreams, now we have jobs.
I still want to be Doc Brown when I grow up.
/1,21 GIGAWATTS?
I didn’t intend to imply that it wasn’t a job or that the goal of the waitstaff was something other than receiving a big fat tip. After all, we all work for a tip of some sort, no matter what our jobs. I’ve waited tables and bartended, so I know that there is a large degree of BS that goes along with “caring for the customer.” What I intended to say was that the service appears to come from professionals who take their jobs seriously as a full time career, not from someone who is working part time (nothing wrong with that) as a means to get to another job/career/goal.
Why are they making fun of my clothes? I’m not the best dresser, but I think I do okay. Maybe you could write a post and give me some advice?
Anyway, I was trying to give my impression of the service, not get into a class warfare debate. Sorry.
You can combine the two.
Hey B’yo- A means to an end, correctly done= satisfaction for both…There’s no illusion here!
Restaurant Week is returning in January and July….Fossett’s at Keswick Hall will be participating again so please take advantage of the opportunity to try it then, if not before. Look for the full list of January Restaurant Week participants in The HOOK or on cvilleyum.com by mid-December.