Tag: Boar’s Head Resort

Categories
Arts Culture

Pick: Winter Wander

Winter Wander at Boar's Head Resort. Supplied photo

Starry night: Festive cheer fills the air and twinkling lights blanket the landscape at Winter Wander, an illuminated stroll around Heritage Lake. Walk through a 35-foot holiday tree to begin your journey, and be transported to a world of wonder at Big Boar Ridge, where a massive mama boar is looking for her babies, Sun Kissed Meadow, Firefly Grove, and more. A market awaits you after the walk with merry gifts, warm drinks, and a variety of food. The nearly half-mile trail has an “easy” rating and takes approximately 30-45 minutes to walk.

Through 1/30. $10-20, times vary. Boar’s Head Resort, 200 Ednam Dr. boarsheadresort.com/wander

Categories
Living

Thank you very much: Celebrate Thanksgiving—and then some—with 12 days of food, fun, and philanthropy

Michael's Bistro owner Bo Stockton (left) tends to business in the kitchen with chef Matt Lechmanski. Photo: Amy and Jackson Smith

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It means a four-day break from work for many of us, and gluttonous consumption of food is encouraged. And then there’s the Macy’s parade, which we should all be thankful to watch on TV, because it’s a kick to see the hosts (Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker) try to come up with clever commentary about high school marching bands, cartoon-character balloons, and spectacles like Ronald McDonald (he’s not creepy at all, right?) in the Big Red Shoe Car, which, if it were a real shoe, would be a men’s size 266.

Anyway, be glad you’re here instead of New York, not just because you’re avoiding the crowds but also because Turkey Day in and around Charlottesville offers so much to do, eat, drink, and see—none of which involves Savannah Guthrie, alas. In fact, we think the four-day weekend isn’t sufficient to partake of the local Thanksgiving goodness, so we’re starting today and won’t stop until December 1, at which time we’ll take a deep breath and brace for the arrival of the Solstice (December 21), Christmas, Kwanzaa (December 26-January 1), and Hanukkah (December 22-30).

Wednesday, November 20

Sign up today for the popular Boar’s Head Turkey Trot, a 5K run/walk benefiting the UVA Children’s Hospital. Registration is limited to 1,400 participants, and fewer than 100 spots remained 10 days before Thanksgiving. $60 (kids 5-12 $40), 9am. Thursday, November 28, 200 Ednam Dr., bit.ly/run-turkey-run

Thursday, November 21

Market Street Wine and Oakhart Social team up to showcase holiday wines in the restaurant’s private dining room. Snacks from Oakhart’s kitchen will be served, and wines will be available to order at 20 percent off. $50, 7-9pm, reservations required. 995-5449, bit.ly/oakhart-wine

Drop by the Spice Diva to get your kitchen knives sharpened and ready to prepare the holiday goodness! $7 per blade, 10am-1pm (store closes at 6pm). Main Street Market, 218-3482, thespicediva.com

Friday, November 22

Un dîner pour deux? Gordonsville’s cozy French fine-dining spot, Restaurant Rochambeau, celebrates the release of this year’s Beaujolais nouveau with a $75 prix fixe meal. 5:30-9pm. (540) 832-0130, reservations highly recommended, bit.ly/beaujolais-va

Saturday, November 23

Don’t cut class—go to this one to sharpen your knife skills. Chef Antwon Brinson’s Culinary Concepts AB teaches you how to slice, dice, and julienne without losing a finger. $55.25 (sign up by Nov. 21), 4-6pm. 2041 Barracks Rd., 218-2637, bit.ly/cut-veggies

Sunday, November 24

Grab a movie and a meal at Violet Crown. How about Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, followed by some Japanese-influenced food at Kama? You don’t even have to leave the building! Evening screenings at 5:10 and 7:50pm; Kama 5-10pm. 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall, Kama 529-3015, Violet Crown 529-3000.

Monday, November 25

The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative’s Give & Take event turns “the gallery space into a swap shop meets free store meets surplus redistribution meets ‘curb alert.’” Drop off a gift, and if you see something you’d like for yourself or someone else, pick it up. Free, 5-7pm through November 27. 209 Monticello Rd., 218-2060, bit.ly/bridge-swap

Tuesday, November 26

Call in sick from work. Read a book. Stay in your pajamas. Binge-watch “The Crown” on Netflix.

Wednesday, November 27

Get in the true spirit of Thanksgiving by learning about the indigenous people whose land you now occupy. The interactive Native People map will enlighten and humble you. native-land.ca

Thursday, November 28

​The 91st annual Blessing of the Hounds at Grace Episcopal Church provides a glimpse into another world right in your backyard. Mounted riders in blazing red coats stand by while the dogs are blessed, and then the hunt commences. Arrive early to beat the mob and enjoy doughnuts and coffee in the parish hall. Free, 10am. 5607 Gordonsville Rd., Keswick, 293-3549, bit.ly/grace-hounds

Let someone else do the cooking and cleaning up: Many restaurants that offer special Thanksgiving meals are booked weeks in advance (The Ivy Inn, 1799 at The Clifton, The Mill Room, Prospect Hill Plantation…), but at press time, these spots still had some room.

Blue Ridge Café & Catering, $12 kids 5-12, $24-37 adults and 65+ seniors, seatings at 11am and 1:30pm. 8315 Seminole Tr., Ruckersville, 985-3633, bit.ly/gobble-blue

Al Carbon, regular menu served 9am-6pm; $75 pre-order 10-12 pound roasted turkey (takeout only; call to reserve). 1875 Seminole Tr. 964-1052, alcarbonchicken.com

Restoration Restaurant, turkey and all the sides, plus pecan pie! $30, $15 kids 6-12, free for tykes 5 and under, noon-5pm. 5494 Golf Dr., Crozet, 823-8100, bit.ly/crozet-turkey

Michael’s Bistro owner Bo Stockton is offering a turkey-and-all-the-fixins feast at no charge. “I want to give back to the community,” he says. “Anyone who needs a solid meal and people to share it with is welcome.” Free, 1-3pm. 1427 University Ave., 977-3696, michaelsbistro.com

Friday, November 29

Get ready for Christmas by cutting your own tree at 12 Ridges Vineyard, in Vesuvius. Formerly Skylark Christmas Tree Farm, the new winery has 5,000 Fraser firs growing on the scenic mountain site. 10am-4pm, $40-80 for trees (wine and small plates priced accordingly). 996-4252, 12ridges.com

Saturday, November 30

Step back in time at the community tree lighting in Scottsville, with hot cocoa, caroling, and a visit by Santa (go ahead, pull on the beard). Free, 5:45-6:45pm. Canal Street Basin, 286-9267, bit.ly/scottsville-tree

Sunday, December 1

Free food distribution by anti-violence activist group Food Not Bombs takes place today and every Sunday in Fifeville’s Tonsler Park. Volunteers collect and store donations from area bakeries, supermarkets, and other sources to give to those in need. Drop by, pitch in, and learn more. 1pm. 500 Cherry Ave., bit.ly/food-not-bombs

Categories
Knife & Fork

New grist: Boar’s Head Resort ups its food game with refreshed Old Mill Room

Upgrading the The Mill Room was part of the Boar’s Head Resort’s 15-month, $15.5 million overall renovation. Photo: Jack Looney

One name has long been absent from discussions of Charlottesville’s great restaurants: The Old Mill Room at the Boar’s Head Resort. Once a local standard bearer for high-end cuisine, the hotel dining room was overtaken during the past decade by a growing collection of top-tier local eateries with a fresher, trendier feel.

The Boar’s Head team hopes to change that with a recent resort-wide renovation featuring significant changes to the lobby restaurant, now known simply as The Mill Room.

Chef Dale Ford’s menu draws heavily from local suppliers, including the student-run gardens at UVA’s Morven Farm. Photo: Jack Looney

The history of the Boar’s Head dates back to 1834, when an advisor of Thomas Jefferson’s built a mill on the banks of the Hardware River. More than 100 years later, the mill would inspire and provide building material for the resort’s flagship restaurant.

Over the years, the Boar’s Head Resort and venerable Old Mill Room became destinations for Charlottesvillians and travelers alike. In 1987, the restaurant earned the AAA Four Diamond rating, and in 2001, the resort was named to the list of Historic Hotels of America.

But according to resort marketing manager Joe Hanning, the Old Mill Room and hotel surrounding it “started to look dated.” Modern travelers found the space wasn’t conducive to their lifestyle and pace, he says. “We have everyone from millennials to senior citizens, and we wanted a space they could enjoy equally,” he says.

The goal of the renovation, started in early 2018, was to maintain the Boar’s Head’s old-world charm while adding modern amenities. The Mill Room still features the massive, hand-hewn, heart-pine beams taken from the Hardware River mill, as well as the original hardwood floors, while new glass walls let in more natural light and provide views of the lakes and hills behind the resort.

“The Old Mill Room was too closed off,” Hanning says. “We still have the same spaces, but they have been reimagined.”

The focus on quality ingredients and Southern cuisine has remained, but the new Mill Room highlights local ingredients as never before. The resort now includes an on-site hydroponic garden in the old Trout House space, from which all greens on the menu are harvested. “We like to say you can skip the farm and go straight to the table,” Hanning says.

Mill Room Chef Dale Ford, who’s anchored the Boar’s Head culinary team since 2016, says he takes pride in caring for and serving produce from the Trout House garden. He and his team spend time every day tending to the plants, of which there are currently 16 varieties—fresh edible flowers, herbs, kale, and nasturtiums.

“We have 300 heads of lettuce ready to harvest,” Ford says. “The space is big enough to totally sustain the Mill Room’s greens.”

The goal of the renovation, started in early 2018, was to maintain the Boar’s Head’s old-world charm while adding modern amenities. In the Mill Room’s informal dining area, the inn’s original hand-hewn pine beams, dating to 1834, add a rustic touch. Photo: Jack Looney

The fish-free Trout House salad, in which every item is taken from the garden, is a regular feature at the Mill Room. Ford says he plans to rotate menus about four times per year and offer a vegan special nightly. In addition to his own hydroponic farm, he’s developed a close relationship with surrounding produce and protein purveyors. For instance, he sources heritage pork from Autumn Olive Farms, near Waynesboro, and organic produce from Rockingham County’s Wayside Farm. A unique partnership with UVA’s Morven Farm, where students cultivate an acre of vegetables, also provides Ford with such items as pickling cucumbers, fiery peppers for his housemade hot sauce, and fleeting seasonal ingredients like garlic scaps. “At no other time in my career has a farmer come to me and said, ‘Chef, what do you want me to plant for you?’” Ford says.

Paired with the Mill Room’s seasonal flavors are 14 beer taps—a collaboration with Three Notch’d Brewing Company will soon flow from one—classic cocktails, and a thorough wine list of local favorites, value picks, and high-end Napa and Bordeaux varietals.

The Boar’s Head and Mill Room renovation hasn’t been without flare ups. Construction took longer than management anticipated, and early reviews and online commentary haven’t all been kind. Folks longing for the resort’s classic nostalgia have been a noisy group, while others complained the new menu plays it safe. But Ford and Hanning are optimistic about the Mill Room’s future.

“We are a Four Diamond restaurant, and we’ll continue to offer Four Diamond quality and service,” Hanning says. “It’s all about good American fare.”

Categories
Living

LIVING Picks: Week of August 30- September 5

FAMILY

Beauty and the Beast

Sunday, September 3

Bring a chair or blanket to this movie on the green, and watch the sunset and a Disney classic. Free, 8:30-10:30pm. Boar’s Head Resort, 200 Ednam Dr. (855) 615-7587.

 

NONPROFIT

Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler

Saturday, September 2

Help run breast cancer out of town at the largest all-women’s race in the state. Proceeds benefit UVA Cancer Center’s Breast Care Program. $50, 8am. No race day registration. Foxfield, 1950 Garth Rd. womens4miler.com

 

FOOD & DRINK

Saunders Brothers baking contest

Saturday, September 2

Think you make the best pie in town? Prove it at this ninth annual baking contest, featuring a new 12- and-under category and multiple pie options. Free, 9:30am. Saunders Brothers Farm Market, 2717 Tye Brook Hwy., Piney River. 277-5455.

 

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Mountain bike race

Saturday, September 2

Celebrate the end of summer by tackling a wicked mountain bike race, open to all levels. $39, 10am. Wintergreen, 39 Mountain Inn Loop, Roseland. 325-2200.