Commonwealth Restaurant and Skybar is getting a makeover. And, it’s bringing in some industry experts: restaurateur Will Richey and chef Harrison Keevil. Co-founder of Ten Course Hospitality, Richey has to his name The Alley Light, The Bebedero, Brasserie Saison, The Pie Chest, Revolutionary Soup and The Whiskey Jar. Keevil meanwhile co-owned Brookville restaurant with his wife before closing last year and opening Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen in Belmont. Richey and Keevil have helped the Commonwealth kitchen team revamp the menu, while Ten Course Hospitality will take over management of the restaurant. Commonwealth’s kitchen team, led by chef Reggie Calhoun, will remain.
The result is what Richey calls “modern Virginia cuisine,” food grounded in Virginia’s culinary traditions but also drawing on cultures that have shaped what Virginia is today. A devout pork lover, Keevil is particularly excited about the pork rinds with pork dip and the smoked trout dip. The new Commonwealth launches Monday, September 4.
For more details and the story behind the changes, see the full preview by C-VILLE food writer Simon Davidson at The Charlottesville 29.