On March 1, the Historic Cavalier Hotel & Beach Club hosted the third iteration of a four-part dinner series dubbed Great Chefs of Virginia. Series’ host and renowned food historian Patrick Evans-Hylton personally selected the leading chefs and invited them to share their greatest creations in the hotel’s prestigious dining space, Becca.
The March 1 dinner showcased several protein-centered plates by Chef Travis Brust of Williamsburg Inn. Now one of the most notable chefs in the region, Brust’s journey to the kitchen is somewhat unconventional. As a teenager, he began work as a dishwasher in a New York restaurant. When the restaurant’s appetizer chef broke his leg, however, Brust was asked to abandon his post behind the sink and assume position on the line. Brust has since served as a chef for 24 years and has cooked for the Williamsburg Inn since 2004 where he developed a deep seeded passion for Virginia cuisine.
To kick off the Cavalier dinner, Brust presented guests with a tasty amuse-bouche—an equally crunchy and tender beef tartare. The Seven Hills deep-aged beef was served atop an ash cracker with yolk jam and paired with a bubbly Saint Hilaire Brut. The remaining courses were served as followed:
Course One: Smoked Ham Hock Consommé with Trout Ballotine, Egg Royale, Celery and Enoki Relish; paired with a glass of Monmousseau Vouvray
Course Two: Black Radish “Bacon” Carbonara with Radish Top Campanelle; paired with a glass of Albert Bichot VV Bourgogne
Course Three: Roast Lamb with Merguez, Warmed Grain Salad, Caramelized Eggplant, Yogurt; paired with a glass of Château Haut-La Péreyre Bordeaux
Course Four: Toffee Pudding with Date Custard, English Toffee; paired with a glass of Taylor Fladgate 2014 Port
The final and sold-out dinner of the Great Chefs of Virginia Series is scheduled for Sunday, April 5 and will feature Chef Tom Power of Williamsburg’s Fat Canary.
Grace Silipigni
Grace Silipigni is an elementary school Spanish immersion teacher based in Virginia Beach and a regular contributor to Coastal Virginia Magazine, covering a wide range of topics such as health and wellness, education and learning, food and drink, happenings and events, travel and getaways and more.
