Cookbook Review: Dishing Up Virginia

When in Virginia, do as the Virginians do, right? When it comes to food, that means taking home a Virginia cookbook so you can replicate some of the best recipes at home, wherever that may be. Our choice was Dishing Up® Virginia: 145 Recipes That …

When in Virginia, do as the Virginians do, right? When it comes to food, that means taking home a Virginia cookbook so you can replicate some of the best recipes at home, wherever that may be.

Our choice was  Dishing Up® Virginia: 145 Recipes That Celebrate Colonial Traditions and Contemporary Flavors by  Patrick Evans-Hylton  (Author), Edwin Remsberg  (Photographer).

One of the things we liked about this cookbook was its knowledge of Virginia’s history. It divides the food by regions, so you get some of the Shenandoah Valley area that we have focused on in a series off stories, and you also get the Chesapeake Bay, Wine Country, and more.

You get not only the author’s recipes, but a compilation of some of the recipes from noted Virrginia restaurants, such as the Willliamsburg Lodge, which offers its Fried Green Tomato Salad. You also get a taste of Thomas Jefferson’s love of food, with dishes such as Monticello Apple Cake.

The book offers sample menus, unusual seafood recipes, a maple syrup-inspired Chicken Wings recipe perfect for this time of year, and, well, a whole state’s worth of delectable appetizers, entrees and desserts.

Check it out, whether you  are in Virginia or not, both for its recipes and for its travel hints and places to see when you go East.

About The Virginia Series

The Shenandoah Valley is nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in historic and scenic west-central Virginia. It has the transportation infrastructure and connection to markets in every direction. One of their major areas of focus is the food processing taking place in the region. The Food Channel recently had the opportunity to work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to tour some of the up and coming places, and to talk with entrepreneurs as well as established business people eager to tell the Virginia story.

 

 

 

Comfort Food & Serenity Farm

Sometimes you just need the comforts of home, even when you aren’t anywhere near home. That’s when local places such as Serenity Farms come into play. We found this mostly-bakery shop along one of those winding back roads of Arkansas. It was off the …

Sometimes you just need the comforts of home, even when you aren’t anywhere near home. That’s when local places such as Serenity Farms come into play.

We found this mostly-bakery shop along one of those winding back roads of Arkansas. It was off the beaten path a bit, but we discovered there is a second location not far away, on Main Street in Leslie, Ark. Still, this tiny version had everything we needed on a drizzly day.

The lunch menu was limited to just a couple of things: one sandwich and/or potato soup. We chose the French dipped sandwich, made with luscious roast beef, cheese, and a flavorful gravy and served on one of their ever-so-slightly-crusty bakery rolls. We grabbed a couple of the speciality sodas from their refrigerator case and relaxed at one of the two tables. Other items for sale included a wide variety of organic products and farm-to-table items, as well as local pottery and crafts.

The Arkansas cycling brochure on the table gives a hint as to their clientele–and the road is ideal for outdoor exploration. The shop is reportedly near one of the natural wonders of the world, literally called Natural Bridge.

As we ate, a constant stream of people came through the door, some regulars and some tourists, like us, looking for a bakery break. Many walked away with coffee, and the Mayan roast that is French-pressed and “a little spicy” seemed to be the flavor of the day.

The operator told us there are more choices at the main location, but we were happy with the simplicity and flavors. She said, “All of the pastries have butter, cream, and sugar and are made right here, in the back of the store.”

Trust me, you’ll want to go to the Serenity Farm website to drool over the fresh breads and pastries. We snagged a chocolate croissant for the road, along with a loaf of sourdough bread.

Perfect, when you need the comforts of home.

How Pizza Has Changed

Pizza by the slice at Pennington Pizza in Pennington, New Jersey, paired with a regional Stewart’s root beer. Pizza used to be regional. If you were in New York, you just got New York pizza. If you were anywhere else in the country, there was a …

Pizza by the slice at Pennington Pizza in Pennington, New Jersey, paired with a regional Stewart’s root beer.

Pizza used to be regional. If you were in New York, you just got New York pizza. If you were anywhere else in the country, there was a different style.

New Jersey pizza can be folded and the oil runs down your arm. It’s sold by the slice, and paired with a Stewart’s root beer or maybe a birch beer. At one time, there was a neighborhood pizza pie place for everyone, run by somebody’s Italian uncle.

New York-style is pretty much the same, until you bring coal-fired into the picture. Some swear by the char.

Midwest pizza is all over the board. There was the cracker-thin crust that places like Ken’s popularized in the 70s. More recently, there are attempts at New York-style pizza, without the Italian uncle. It depends on your part of middle America.

The fun thing about Chicago pizza is arguing about it—all friendly, of course. Deep-dish is what they are known for, but Chicagoans beg to differ about which pizza maker is best. Giordano’s? Nancy’s? Lou Malnati’s? Pizzeria Uno? Do you want cheese in your crust? What’s worth standing in line for…because that’s a likely scenario.

Detroit-style pizza is square or rectangular, and often eaten with a fork. Otherwise it’s closely aligned to Chicago pizza.

California pizza—oh, now there’s a different pizza. Describe California toppings to someone from New Jersey and they won’t believe you are talking about pizza. These pizzas arguably started the trend toward fresh spinach, pineapple, artichokes, roast red pepper, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese.

All this regionality made pizza distinctive. You knew where you were when you ate it. Times have changed.

Now you go to New Jersey and everyone raves about the wood-fired pizzas, thin crust and all. You go to Chicago and the deep-dish rivalry continues, sure, but they’ve branched out to skinny versions to appeal to the masses.

Pizza, in all its forms, has become ubiquitous. Want deep dish in Alabama? Go to Tortugas in Birmingham. Want Detroit-style on the West Coast? Try Purgatory Pizza in Los Angeles. Want New York-style in Missouri? Try The Big Slice in Springfield.

Understand, this is not a complaint, but rather a commentary on the melding of flavors and tastes that has taken place. As our world gets smaller, our access to the finer things in life—like our choice of pizza—is getting larger.

On a personal note, when I was transplanted from the East Coast to middle America, I missed “real pizza” terribly. What I could find was mostly described as cardboard covered in ketchup. Now, budget notwithstanding, I could use Goldbelly to get Pequod’s or John’s of Bleecker Street or a dozen others. But I don’t even have to do that. Pizza is offered in all its various forms at many local restaurants. It may not be the stuff of memories, but it usually satisfies the craving.

We are an amalgamation of tastes. And now, good or bad, we can access what we want. Without a road trip. Without necessarily packing it in dry ice to mail. Without using your imagination.

When it comes to pizza, it may no longer be regional. But it’s almost always good, in all its permutations. Go grab a slice.

The opinions of the author are just that—opinions. Feel free to nicely express your own.










Blue Mountain Brewery – Destination: Virginia

A tasting at Blue Mountain Brewery in Nelson County, Virginia, is about more than the beer. It’s about comfort, relaxing, ensuring you have the right fit for your dining and drinking pleasure. It’s more like a lesson in how to do life right. Not to …

 

A tasting at Blue Mountain Brewery in Nelson County, Virginia, is about more than the beer. It’s about comfort, relaxing, ensuring you have the right fit for your dining and drinking pleasure. It’s more like a lesson in how to do life right.


Not to build up hopes or anything, but that’s the kind of experience we had while touring the brewing company, which is in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Credit goes to President and Brewmaster Taylor Smack for setting the tone. He, along with partner Matt Nucci, founded what’s been dubbed just “Mountain” back in 2007—making them a pioneer of Virginia’s rural brewery scene.


They set the example well, since there are now several more breweries, plus distributors, gathered in Virginia’s “Alcohol Alley.” Smack says, “All of us have banded together to do charity work and so on,” meaning it’s not about competition. Each is distinctive. So, back to Mountain, now in its 16th year.

“Basically, I had a dream I shared with my wife and my business partner Matt,” says Smack. “I had gotten into the corporate world and hated it. I started skipping work and visiting [surprise!] a brewery. I threw myself into it and went to brewing school in Chicago.”


He soon decided to take his new knowledge and skills back to his home state. He says, “I love Virginia and wanted to come back and be part of the craft renewal that was happening.” They established themselves in a place “where life is a little slower and a lot more fun.”

Smack adds, “The whole idea we had was to create traditional or experimental beers using great ingredients.” They focus on working with suppliers who have mission-oriented stories—grown organically, grown privately, locally-based.

“We aren’t sponsoring the Super Bowl so we can concentrate on trying new things,” he says. “We wanted to bring all that excitement back to Virginia and get craft beer out of the urban environment and mindset.” He adds, “After all, when you think wine, you think beautiful orchids and land. Why not the same for beer?”


As he thinks back to the early days, he says, “I just happen to like beer more than wine. Beer is really an agricultural product, and I thought, “why couldn’t we do the same thing with beer.” They started with what he describes as, “a tiny kitchen in a hayfield in the middle of Nelson County. It seemed cool to me!”

It grew, as dreams do. They continued to innovate, becoming the “first crafter to can in the state in 2009.” The facilities now include not only multiple breweries but a restaurant and an inn which is booked solid on weekends. Pre-pandemic, they had about 200 employed, and while it’s a bit lower now, it continues to build back. Smack grins as he says, “It’s been a ride and now we have so many good people in place it’s easier. There were high schoolers making more than I made in our first few years!”


At the time, laws were unformed around offering tastings, and Smack says, “We, by force, became a restaurant. Locals gave us a shot and it evolved—and now the restaurant is booked more often than the brewery!”

Then, in 2012, “our brewers guild helped change the law and it allowed for the explosion of breweries in Virginia.” There are now more than 300 in the state. “Now you don’t have to be a restaurant and can just serve beer,” he explains. Across three brewery locations they brew and bottle for on-site and what he calls “a little bit of distribution.”


The most popular beer at Blue Mountain is called the “Full Nelson,” and it’s become known throughout the state. As for the restaurant menu, it’s the “Date Night Pizza,” which really has to be tasted to be understood—and is definitely craveable. Since the menu changes periodically, also watch for the Apple Bratwurst Pizza, the Hummus Wrap, or the popular Fish Tacos served on Tuesdays.


Thinking back to the bent toward agriculture, it should be noted that they grow hops on site, keeping products close to their original dream.


Flights are served lightest to darkest, all the way from a Classic Lager to a Dark Hollow Ale (100 days in a bourbon barrel). On that, Smack says, “we are reinventing barrel-aged beer to get the flavor from the barrel.”


It takes a lot of energy to run a brewery, a restaurant, and an inn—all while continuing to innovate. Good thing Smack exudes energy, along with the love of brewing craft beer that brought him back to Virginia, gave him enthusiasm for work, and opened up an area that delights the locals. It’s doing life right.


About This Series

The Shenandoah Valley is nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in historic and scenic west-central Virginia. It has the transportation infrastructure and connection to markets in every direction. One of their major areas of focus is the food processing taking place in the region. The Food Channel recently had the opportunity to work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to tour some of the up and coming places, and to talk with entrepreneurs as well as established business people eager to tell the Virginia story.

Some accommodations for these stories were provided by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).


About the Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in historic and scenic west-central Virginia. Interstates 81 and 64 traverse the region, providing an excellent transportation infrastructure and connection to markets in every direction. The area is plentiful in natural resources and boasts a powerful cluster of employers rooted in manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics. Food and beverage production is at the heart of the manufacturing sector, representing four times the national average and employing more than 5% of the Valley’s labor force of over 175,000 people at major companies. The Shenandoah Valley is also the No.1 region in Virginia for the total value of agricultural products sold.


Photos by Paul K. Logsdon



Destination: 14 Mill Market

14 Mill Market is a new food hall opened in a small town-but making a big impact. It’s a place for morning meetings and evening kickback-and-relax time. You have multiple choices for food and drink, entertainment or peace, and everything you’d …

14 Mill Market is a new food hall opened in a small town–but making a big impact.

It’s a place for morning meetings and evening kickback-and-relax time. You have multiple choices for food and drink, entertainment or peace, and everything you’d imagine in the food hall concept come-to-life.

14 Mill Market is billed as Southwest Missouri’s first food hall, but you’d never know they hadn’t been at it for years. The former mill has a long lineage and is likely quite thrilled with its current iteration. As are its patrons.

The Market, which is host to ten different food concepts, has been developed by Rich and Leah Callahan, “with inspiration from their urban roots and love of travel, combined with what they feel the Ozarks offers best–community hospitality.” The Market is located in, of all places, Nixa, Missouri: population 25,605.

It’s not just dependent on locals, though. The region is both growth-oriented and tourism-focused—after all, nearby Springfield is the original home of Bass Pro Shops, and owner Johnny Morris has invested considerably to bringing new food concepts and culture to the area. Nixa is also within close proximity to both St. Louis and Kansas City, and Springfield is a hub for medical, transportation, and culture.

The outdoor spaces, which include artificial turf for games and this fire pit, are available to rent, as well.

The Market is definitely the place to be, not just for the food options, but also for its full-service bar and outdoor entertainment area, complete with artificial turf and cornhole boards and, in another side area, a bocce ball lane.

You can even rent the space around the fire pit or the full entertainment area for your own party. The food will be right there, from—as for now—the list of places below. Several of them operate in other spaces as well, including offering online sales and catering:

Abby’s Acai Co

D’Vine Deli / Pie Paradiso (pizza)

Liege Love Waffle

Lindsay’s Kitchen

Nacho Ordinary Taco

Mo Slider

Queen City Soul Kitchen

Sno Biz

Fresh Poke

Plus, there is the full Wisner Bar featuring products by 4×4 Brewing.

As for the atmosphere, it’s what you’d expect from a food hall—which is sort of a cross between a mall food court and a cafeteria, where you order from individual storefronts and meet in the middle to eat, all under one roof.

A view down the center of the food hall doesn’t really do it justice–it branches out and covers 12,000 sq. ft. plus the outdoor space.

There are TVs hanging from strategic locations, and fresh flowers at the tables, which are plentiful and well-spaced. Seating inside is a mix of wood-topped tables and comfortable metal chairs with the occasional padded love seat and coffee table arrangement; outside it’s the same with the addition of Adirondack chairs and strands of lights. The soda fountains are centrally located for self-service once you buy a cup.

Workers with “CREW” in white letters visible on the back of their black t-shirts busily wipe down the tables and chairs, ensuring they are ready for the next users. However, no one is hurrying you. There is no one needing to turn the table, no one concerned when you bring food from more than one place to the table. The CREW will even rearrange tables to accommodate your group.

Patrons are a mix of business people coming in and out of meetings (with sides rooms available), work teams with computers in front of them, solo workers huddled over their laptops and tablets, and couples enjoying a leisurely meal with plenty from which to choose. Of course, it’s perfectly OK to wander to each stand and check out what they offer before making your selections and getting down to business!

Through it all is a nice background music vibe, fitting with the concrete floor and open landscape ceiling. Thought has gone into the new buildin, giving it a farmers market feel but with the structure of ordering at a restaurant’s front counter.

A worker at Leige Love Waffle prepares for the growing mid-day crowd.

While it is a newly constructed facility, they’ve paid tribute to the location’s origins, incorporating pieces of the mill into the landscaping.

We can’t leave out the smells. In the early morning there’s fresh orange being sliced, waffles baking, and the beginnings of a spicy scent emanating from the taco stand. Later, the scents mingle more, leaving you with the feeling of a comfortable and cozy kitchen.

This is the Original from Abby’s Açaí Co, with strawberry, banana, and blueberry, but you can also design your own açaí cup ingredients. The coffee and delicious homemade Everything Bagel are from Lindsay’s Kitchen.

There’s no drive through or typical fast food; this is more likely to be local and artisan in nature. Take, for example, Abby’s Acai Co. The star here is the creamy acai covered with your choice of fruit and granola, with a scattering of chia seeds. You feel good eating it, knowing those high levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals are going into your body, but it also tastes amazing.

This one is the Mango from Abby’s Açaí Co, with mango, pineapple, blueberry, granola, and coconut.

Do your tastes run more to the traditional? Get the oatmeal, which is served hot or cold, and full of flavor that is hard to recreate at home. Abby/s Açaí started as a weekend farmers market stand, and the Market location gives it a chance to be found on a daily basis.

Try the oatmeal from Abby’s Açaí Co, with your choice of fruit.

Or try Lindsay’s Kitchen, complete with bagels and breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and scones, and lots more. By lunchtime they’ve traded out the breakfast sandwiches for sandwiches and salads, and it’s all good. The coffee is bottomless and fresh, too!


In these days of remote work, 14 Mill Market a place to come and stay the day—with more options than coffee and sweet pastries. It’s got an energy that reminds you that life is interesting and that there are still new things to see and do. It’s a call to tourists and to locals alike.

It’s also collaborative. All of these businesses are sharing space, pooling their advertising resources, and working social media to benefit all of the building tenants. It works for the way consumers eat, drink, and socialize in today’s culture.

If this incarnation of the food hall idea is what is happening across the nation, there are a lot more good things to come. For a look at comparison food halls, check out the two below:

8th Street Market in Bentonville, Ark.

And, the largest food hall in the country:
Fifth + Broadway in Nashville, Tenn.


Most photos by Paul K. Logsdon

Route 11 Chips – Destination: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Can we change up the old adage to say, “Get your chips on. . .Route 11”? OK, so it may not evoke the same memories as the old Route 66 song, but the statement is true. If you have the chance, pick up a bag or two (or ten) of Route 11 Kettle-Cooked …

Can we change up the old adage to say, “Get your chips on. . .Route 11”?

OK, so it may not evoke the same memories as the old Route 66 song, but the statement is true. If you have the chance, pick up a bag or two (or ten) of Route 11 Kettle-Cooked Chips.

Here’s the story: Sarah Cohen (pictured above) and a partner started producing small batch potato chips in 1992. They went with the old-fashioned way of cooking them, and built their way up to a 25,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility located on—what else—Route 11 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. While they still work in small batches, they now cook up between 15,000-30,000 pounds of potatoes a day. 

Cohen is understandably proud of their 31st anniversary this year. “It started with me and one other person,” she says. “Now we have 50 employees.”

As for selling the product, she points out that the company’s namesake, Route 11, makes a difference. “When I started the business, I had to beg people to deliver. Now people are driving by and they stop. We are within 500 miles of 60 percent of the U.S. population.”

Cohen, who grew up working in a family-owned hotel and restaurant in D.C., says she chose potato chips “because they have velocity—they move off the shelves quickly.” It also taught her the value of good working relationships. She says, “I knew I didn’t want a lot of employee turnover, so I really bend over backwards to make sure my staff is happy. Now 75 percent of them have been working here between 10 and 15 years.”

Of course, it all starts with selecting quality potatoes, sourcing locally when they can. In fact, they buy a million pounds of potatoes from one local farmer alone per season. Then it’s a matter of patiently working through the process. It takes two full days to cook 50,000 pounds of potatoes.

“Since day one we’ve encouraged people to come in and see the process,” Cohen says. The lobby of the plant is testament to that, with windows open to see the potatoes through each step.

Those steps are:

Step One: The potatoes arrive, then are seasoned and weighed.

Step Two: Peeling, which sounds daunting until you realize they have a machine that does 50 pounds in 20 seconds.

Step Three: Slicing. In just 8 minutes 100 pounds of potatoes turns into 25 pounds of chips.

Step Four: Cooking—in sunflower oil.

Step Five: Chip inspection for quality control. (And, for the record, the cows down the road get all the chip rejects!)

Step Six: Package, distribute, eat, repeat.

Route 11 Chips in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia–warm and right off the production line.

While they have high tech conveyors and scales, this is still small batch, with people at every stage. “We’ve kept jobs that could be automated,” says Cohen. “We only have two production lines. The equipment requires someone to stand there anyway.” She adds, with a grin, “They are like chefs on steroids!”

As for their customers, Cohen says they are primarily mom and pop stores, with some regional grocery and a pick-up from Costco for their region only. While the big business is nice, Cohen points out, “When we are this small we can’t sell to everybody.” She says that makes them “very selective about our customers. We want low maintenance and high margins.”

Then she brings out warm potato chips, fresh from the production line. “People are dedicated to their potato chip brand,” she warns. “It’s a comfort food. It can be hard to get them to switch.” In spite of her words, we are immediately hooked. The bag of warm chips is soon gone, replaced by a huge bag of packaged variety flavors.                                                                     “We were the first ones ever to invent the dill pickle flavor on chips,” says Cohen, who is wearing a green t-shirt with the saying, “Dill Pickles Are a Big Dill.”

She adds, “We are certified kosher. The rabbi shows up every two months for an extensive inspection process.” (And, we suspect, for some chips.)

The chips run the gamut from the traditional flavors such as Barbeque and Salt N Vinegar, to the traditional with a twist: a seasonal Yukon Gold “which tastes like butter,” and a seasonal Sweet Potato. They have Chesapeake Crab, and a hot variety called Mama Zuma’s Revenge. You can get a bag of Lightly Salted, or Sour Cream N Chive, or Salt and Pepper, or even No Salt.

Then, if you still want to carry some Route 11 with you, check out the earrings made from recycled chip bags. It’s a sign of the commitment to local, to sustainability, and, yes, to a little bit of quirky. So, if you find yourself on Route 11, be sure to stop. For a real kick, try the Dill Pickle.

About This Series

The Shenandoah Valley is nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in historic and scenic west-central Virginia. It has the transportation infrastructure and connection to markets in every direction. One of their major areas of focus is the food processing taking place in the region. The Food Channel recently had the opportunity to work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to tour some of the up and coming places, and to talk with entrepreneurs as well as established business people eager to tell the Virginia story.

Some accommodations for these stories were provided by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).

About the Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains in historic and scenic west-central Virginia. Interstates 81 and 64 traverse the region, providing an excellent transportation infrastructure and connection to markets in every direction. The area is plentiful in natural resources and boasts a powerful cluster of employers rooted in manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics. Food and beverage production is at the heart of the manufacturing sector, representing four times the national average and employing more than 5% of the Valley’s labor force of over 175,000 people at major companies. The Shenandoah Valley is also the No.1 region in Virginia for the total value of agricultural products sold.

Photos by Paul K. Logsdon

 

Destination: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Estate offers a beautiful view of the Valley. More about the Winery to come in a future story. Economic development is on every community’s agenda right now. The impacts of the Covid lockdown on the food industry were …

Pippin Hill Winery
Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Estate offers a beautiful view of the Valley. More about the Winery to come in a future story.

Economic development is on every community’s agenda right now. The impacts of the Covid lockdown on the food industry were massive, and many are just starting to peek out from the past and check the waters when it comes to growth and expansion.

Then there are places like the Shenandoah Valley, located in Virginia, that are bursting to tell their news. One of their major areas of focus is the food processing taking place in the region. From wine to potato chips, from major behind-the-scenes food producers, to on-trend restaurants, coffee shops and “locally grown” gaining steam—well, you take all that and you begin to see economic recovery and more.

The Food Channel recently had the opportunity to work with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to investigate one of the areas showing success in attracting food industry and business. They toured us around scenic Shenandoah Valley to visit what they call their “world-class food and beverage industry assets.” It’s a phrase aptly used. We visited some of the up and coming places, and talked with entrepreneurs as well as established business people, both eager to tell the Virginia story.

Tucked into the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains are a number of food and beverage processing businesses—the food behind the food, if you will. Some are start-ups, and their excitement is palpable. Others are global food brands that have chosen to expand in the area, in part because of its accessibility to everything from farmland to a solid workforce.

Everywhere you look the views remind you of the beauty of nature and the resilient nature of those with a great idea.

Here are a few facts:

• More than 150 food and beverage processing companies chose to locate or expand in Virginia over the last decade, creating over 7,300 new jobs and representing capital investments totaling $2.3 billion.
• Virginia’s food and beverage processing industry employs more than 42,000 people, accounts for over 17% of Virginia’s total manufacturing employment, and is the Commonwealth’s second-largest manufacturing sector and one of its fastest-growing industries.
• Employment in the food and beverage processing sector has grown by 15% over the past five years—the second-highest rate in the Southeast.
• Virginia offers a diverse ecosystem of partners and suppliers for food and beverage processors, including dozens of packagers and bottlers, 100+ transporters and warehouses (including expansive cold storage options), and 43,000 farms.

With all that said, we’ll be presenting a series of stories highlighting food businesses such as Common Wealth Crush, one of the newest winemakers in Virginia, Route 11 Potato Chips, making and distributing addictive kettle-cooked chips, and Kerry Group, a long-established company that most of our audience won’t recognize by name but, however, consumes its products.

It all makes an interesting tale, as you’ll see from the series of stories that will be appearing here over the next few weeks. We’ll include a few restaurant reviews and tourism destinations, too.

Food people are resilient. They have ideas, and are ready to unleash innovation across the industry. That’s why we’ve chosen to showcase Virginia as one area of the country that is focusing its economic development efforts on FOOD.

Some accommodations for these stories were provided by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).

Photos by Paul K. Logsdon


Destination: Rehoboth Beach, DE – Fin’s Ale House

Fin’s Ale House comes complete with outdoor dining and spacious seating inside. Ask around for a good restaurant in Lewes, Delaware, and the name Fin’s Ale House & Raw Bar is almost sure to come up. When it does, run, don’t walk. It doesn’t matter …

Fin's Ale House in Lewes, DE
Fin’s Ale House comes complete with outdoor dining and spacious seating inside.

Ask around for a good restaurant in Lewes, Delaware, and the name Fin’s Ale House & Raw Bar is almost sure to come up.


When it does, run, don’t walk. It doesn’t matter if you want to sit and the bar and shuck oysters, or if you want to sit on the dining side. Just go and enjoy being a bit pampered while you enjoy fresh seafood.

In our experience, the service was great, especially for a place where shorts and ball caps are not questioned. It’s tourist-town-casual-dine, but up a notch.

We spent time asking a few of our usual questions of the server. What is your favorite? What is most popular? Anything we should avoid?

Fin's Ale House Seafood BakeThe Seafood Bake is the perfect sampler if you want to taste it all.


He quietly warned us that the chefs often have a heavy hand with the white wine on the Seafood Bake, making it watery, not better. We dared it anyway, and it must have been a good night—the flavor combination was delicious. Shrimp, scallops, flounder, crab cake, and a light sauce with Florentine butter, which is a mix of cultured butter, olive oil, and lemon, often with other seasonings or a bit of brandy thrown in.

Fin's Ale House Crab CakesThe Crab Cakes were full of fresh crab, not filler.


He made sure we knew that the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes weren’t your ordinary fried circles. No, they are pure crab, broiled and delicious. Hint: Ask for them to be delivered piping hot, as there appeared to be a tendency to let them sit just a little too long.

Fin's Ale House pastaThe Seafood Pasta from Fin’s Ale House.


We also took his recommendation and ordered the FINS’ Shellfish Pasta. It proved that you can take some of the same seafood and make it taste totally different. This dish had the shrimp, scallops, and lump crab meat, but was mixed with a delectable lobster cream sauce and served over penne pasta.

Specials when our party of three was there included a lobster roll made with “FINS’ famous lobster salad,” and a Spicy Grouper Scampi, using one of the daily fish selections. As good as it sounded—pan seared fillet, linguini, sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, garlic white wine, butter, capers, and crushed pepper—we stuck with the regular menu. We could also have gotten Pecan Encrusted Mahi or Horseradish Encrusted Halibut. All for another time.

Fin's Ale House Fin’s Ale House has a choose your own fish dish.


Fins is also known for its Build Your Own Fresh Fish aboard. The instructions are simple:

1. Select a fish from the daily rotating selection
2. Select a preparation (e.g. broiled, grilled, blackened, or even stuffed with crab imperial)
3. Select a sauce—citrus hollandaise, lobster sauce, lemon shallot cream, Creole sauce, and more


Just like that you can have the seafood dish of your dreams.


Oh, and if your tastes spin to the more exotic, they offered a Spanish Seafood Paella that sounded amazing. It was made with all the standards, including scallops, mussels, shrimp, clams, fish, lump crab meat, calamari, Andouille sausage, and saffron rice. This alone proves both the versatility of the restaurant and its commitment to fresh seafood.

We did feel the need for a crusty bread basket to sop up our sauces, but didn’t see it on the menu and one wasn’t automatically offered. Next time we’ll ask.

Because there will be a next time.


Photos by Paul K. Logsdon

Of Picnics & Turnpike Food

A story for summer road trippers… We recently made a trip down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, something we’d managed to avoid for years. It seems the turnpike is always under construction, and the tolls get higher. But it reminded me of the numerous …

 

A story for summer road trippers…

We recently made a trip down the Pennsylvania Turnpike, something we’d managed to avoid for years. It seems the turnpike is always under construction, and the tolls get higher. But it reminded me of the numerous trips we made as a family over the years, traveling from one point to the other.

As we drove, we watched for one of the old stone hospitality stations. Here’s why:

When the kids were little we’d do roadside picnics. They became a tradition—one born of budget constraints.

If we had a long road trip, we’d go to the farmer’s market and get deli meat and cheese, fresh bread, and chips. We’d pack the cooler with cans of soda, the deli food, fresh chocolate chip cookies, and plenty of ice to keep things cold.

Then, when it was time for a break, we’d find a roadside park or rest stop and pull it all out.

Gradually the budget increased and so did the kid’s appetite. Sandwiches no longer satisfied; they wanted fast food. That’s when we found Roy Rogers chicken along the Pennsylvania turnpike, and it became our go to place. We loved the crunchy breading and the always-hot and tender chicken inside.

You all probably have those types of places, those memories, in your mind. Your own family likely found a way to stretch the budget, a way to make travel doable, and a way to change your habits as needs changed. Food is what marks many of those moments of your life. Food brings back the scents, the tastes, and the happy faces enjoying themselves.

And that’s why, as we traveled the PA Turnpike recently, we stopped at a Roy Rogers and shared a two-piece box of chicken…and a memory or two.

Photo by Paul K. Logsdon 

Destination: Joplin, Missouri

Looking for a weekend visit to a place with good food and a few historic sites? Check out Joplin, Missouri.

Jefferson's Pickle Burger in Joplin, Missouri.Joplin, Missouri is known for a few things, including a few notable restaurants. Historically, it is probably best known as the place where Bonnie and Clyde holed up in a residential garage, leading to a shoot-out that left two police officers dead. In more recent years, sadly, it was the location of the EF5 tornado that killed more than 150 people and injured more than a thousand more in 2011.

And, for those who love the Mother Road, it is a stop along old Route 66. Because of that, and its location sort of central to everywhere, Joplin has invested heavily into creating a city worth visiting, with interesting restaurants and close proximity to a few historic sites.

If you are heading that direction, here are some places to think about. First, the notable sites, with food to follow:

Grand Falls
It’s a small, but pretty, waterfall just outside of Joplin. Nice for photos or even a picnic.

George Washington Carver Park
If you think he was a peanut farmer, this place will enhance your knowledge of this agricultural scientist and inventor. It’s interesting to walk through the small museum and do the short hike to see the stream, and it’s all free.

Cunningham Park is where the City has established a memorial for the tornado victims. It’s both sobering and peaceful, and serves as a reminder that life is fragile.

Bonnie & Clyde’s hide-out: Note that you can’t go in, so it’s really just a drive-by, but still interesting history. Read more about their escape and the camera left behind that led to their eventual arrest.

And, as mentioned, Route 66 runs through there – check out possible routes/intersections at the link.

As for restaurants, Red Onion Cafe is on the list because consistently good. It’s a Joplin staple and is the one restaurant locals seem to recommend.

When you are in Joplin, it’s one of those must-have experiences to eat at Fred and Red’s. They are known for their Spaghetti Red (spaghetti noodles with chili), but we can recommend the chili dog.

Students consider Babe’s a staple for hamburgers and onion rings. If you eat at both Fred & Red’s and Babe’s on the same day, don’t hold us accountable!

Then, there is Chicken Annie’s and/or Chicken Mary’s. These two places, about 20 miles outside of Joplin in Pittsburg, Kansas, are worth the extra drive if you love fried chicken. The story goes that these two (sisters or cousins, depending on who’s telling the story) had a falling out at the original restaurant, and Mary opened the second one to compete. Turns out there are enough chicken lovers to keep them both known for their lines-out-the-door.

We also found that Granny Shaffer’s Restaurant right in Joplin has some good home cookin’, as they say, complete with friend chicken that might hold its own with Annie’s or Mary’s if you don’t want to drive the extra miles.

One more, if you’ll forgive a small chain being on the list. Jefferson’s has some pretty good burgers. If you like battered and fried pickles, the pickle burger (pictured) will be a pleasant surprise.

That’s enough for a nice weekend’s visit, or at least a drive-through on your way across country. Here’s a helpful website if you are looking for more about Joplin, Missouri, as your next destination.