Big news in getaway dining this morning. A forum on donrockwell.com has it that Tarver King—the lauded toque at the Ashby Inn—will be decamping for the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville. The departure is confirmed by a Facebook posting from the Paris, Virginia, inn.
Meanwhile, Patowmack Farm’s Chris Edwards has joined forces with the Salamander Resort, a long-planned luxury getaway in Middleburg that tapped Equinox’s Todd Gray as its culinary director. Edwards will serve as chef de cuisine under Sean McKee, Tom Sietsema first reported in late July.
King’s inventive fare at the Ashby created a modern contrast to the gorgeous but rustic inn. Some of his memorable dishes include a soup presented under a smoke-filled cloche, a “snack” of puffed rockfish with kale mayo, and a chocolate torte with hickory syrup, grilled mochi, whiskey gelée, and peanut ice cream. These challenging creations were consistently augmented by on-point by-the-glass pairings from sommelier Neal Wavra—part of the fun of an Ashby meal was to experience the inspiring collaboration between chef and somm.
We will follow up with the Ashby Inn on its plans going forward.
