The Tomato King

David with slicers and heirlooms.

"If you can't grow tomatoes in August, well, you should just give up on them." - overheard at the Shendandoah Valley Produce Auction in Dayton.

Just as that farmer said at the auction, at this time of year, just about everybody who grows tomatoes is probably enjoying the bounty of their efforts.  But during my agribusiness internship, I'm seeing something that is really boggling my mind at Public House Produce.  Here's a photo of David with a partial harvest from last week. 

He added a clarification on Facebook about the quantities that are coming out of the farm just now:

Several lots of Public House tomatoes at auction.

"...since last Thursday, four of us have picked tomatoes five different times, and as of today, we have harvested 3,200 pounds of tomatoes! Mel and Andi picked 1,200 pounds today (Wednesday) alone."

Mel added that there were still two rows to pick, and they were loaded. 

It's pretty amazing to think about all those tomatoes, and to know that there are a lot more than this coming to market just now - not to mention what goes on in the imagination about where this produce will end up in the market - downtown restaurants, Wegmans supermarkets, etc. - not to mention local Page County establishments such as West Main Market, Circa '31 at the Mimslyn, and the Victorian Inn ("the Vic" as it is known locally).

Some of these institutions are buying other produce as well, and as I mentioned earlier this week, the pasture-raised chickens are making their way into these kitchens (a neighboring farm, "Willow Grove," also a Page County Grown member, raises chickens this way too, also supplying local restaurants.)



Heirloom "Pineapple" tomatoes.



It is already well known around Page County and the larger Shenandoah Valley region, but this heirloom Pineapple variety is worth another mention.  During a tasting at Public House last summer, visitors voted them the best of the varieties that were shown.  The Vic has them as a feature for one of the appetizers - which inspired my neighbor to say, "That's the best tasting tomato I've had in a very long time."

Seriously, 3,200 pounds of tomatoes, though...that's a lot.  And to think, we're not quite halfway through the season. 

Maybe what the farmer really meant was:

"If you can't grow tomatoes in August like Public House Produce... ."  :-)

Update on the GWNF's Storybook Trail

My theme quote for breakfast at New Market's Southern Kitchen is now, "I'm not in it for the bread.  I'm in it for the gravy."  This is because they will substitute the toast that normally comes with the western omelet for biscuits.  Then you can get the side order of sausage gravy to go with it...

That's how we started off our Sunday morning this weekend.  The Southern Kitchen is a favorite I have written about before, and even though they are in New Market, the posts are filed under the "Page County Restaurants" label.

But the real story of this post is that we stopped off on the way back to take a short hike along the Story Book Trail - a little day hike to an overlook just off Crissman Hollow Road in GWNF.  We had a couple of nice treats there:  the view was clear, and the path has had some upgrades done to it recently.  It was a very pleasant short walk.

Mary spotted this little black rat snake - well, a four feet it was little in terms of only being half the size of the one she kept finding in the laundry room two years ago - you can just see its head on the rock near the center of the photo.  No dry heaves for her this time, as she found that she is comfortable encountering snakes in their habitat, but prefers not to find them in the house.

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/04/snake-in-laundry.html

I actually wanted to make the stop and get out for a walk on Sunday because I have some new Vasque VST trail runners from AOA I wanted to break in - more about those later in the week.

Had a great 4th

We celebrated the Fourth of July at Hawksbill Cabin this year.  For a small community, Page County offers a wealth of opportunities to celebrate, including the Town of Stanley "Homecoming" - which features a parade, carnival, and fireworks, the Coors-Miller company picnic at the Hawksbill Pool (a private event, but the fireworks are open to the public and walking distance from the house), and the Town of Luray's event along the Hawksbill Greenway.

Since we were having our neighbors over on the 3rd for a dinner, we missed the Town of Stanley event and went into Luray on the 4th.  We'd heard some friends were gathering at the Victorian Inn (link below), where you can watch the fireworks from the front porch - the photo highlights the view.

There is new management at the "Vic" as it's now being called.  Dave and Val and their family are running the show here and doing a great job.  We've been for dinner a couple of times - on some nights there is full-fare menu service, but so far on the nights we've been there it was buffet style.

On the Fourth, the buffet included BBQ ribs and chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, and corn on the cob.  Mary had the strawberry shortcake for desert (we took a walk down to the town festivities, where my desert was a small cone of butter pecan) - the shortcake was homemade by Val.  Dinner was awesome, as it was the previous time, and it's a great value too.

The big surprise at the Vic was all the friends and neighbors we ended up seeing there - of course there were Micky and Candy, who had told about seeing the fireworks from here, but also the Appalachian Outdoors Adventure gang was there, and Jay and Ryanne from the F-watt group.  We had a nice time visiting, and then when the fireworks began, everybody went out onto the porch and lawn to watch. 

Perfect weather and a wonderful time.  Hope yours was great too!

ADDED November 2010.  The Victorian, under Dave and Val's management, has a new website:  http://www.victorianinnluray.com/

Luray's Main Street Bakery

For a while now, Mary and I have been adding Luray’s Main Street Bakery to our lunch circuit when we’re in town. You’ll always find something good to eat there, and the company is very pleasant, too, whether you’re visiting with the staff or your neighbors.

The fare always includes fresh baked goods, salads are typically available, and we’ve had some good quiches. A mushroom and shallot deal is coming to mind, but I’ve had the spinach one and a ham and cheese variety as well. There’s locally roasted coffee available, too.

Here are some photos of the daily fare card (note the egg count – since 2003, a lotta eggs! – above the menu) and the display cases inside the store. Also, earlier in the spring, we came by on a day when they had a bunch of fresh rhubarb – they were setting to prep in the kitchen getting it ready for pies and other dishes.

Visiting Pagans

We had a very pleasant surprise on Sunday when our friends the Pagans dropped by – they had been in town overnight after a funeral in Winchester, and after a stop at the Caverns they came by to see us at the Hawksbill Cabin. With a hungry 2-year old in tow, we thought a stop by our neighbors at Wisteria Vineyards might be a good idea before we headed into town for lunch at Artisans Café.


Wisteria was featured in the PN&C recently, in an article that highlighted some new vines that Moussa and Sue have planted. We got a glass of Norton and Traminette to share among the adults while we took a stroll around the farm. Since the vineyard is so close to us, Mary and stop by there often, but there were some nice surprises in the barnyard this time.

One of the Romney ewes had a lamb with her, and there were some chicks running around with hens in the barnyard. So we had a big-eyed two-year old fully engaged with the animals – and a full recap of these activities over lunch once we were downtown. We also walked down the little road between the fields to the back of the property, which borders on Upper Hawksbill Creek just down from the Beaver Run confluence (Beaver Run forms one border of our property to the south of the vineyard).

By the way, to my surprise, this section of the Hawksbill definitely looks like it could hold trout, although I didn’t study it long enough to see if there were any. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that some of the fry from downstream stocking have made their way up and naturalized, although that may be a stretch given summer temperatures in these fields.

We ended our visit in town at Artisans, where Mary and I had also lunched the previous day. The little one had the grilled cheese and fries – a lunch that looked pretty good to me too – which she drenched with ketchup. Not a bad outing and I hope we sent her away tired for their drive back to Potomac.

I’ve posted on Wisteria before and I want to say again how much we enjoy Sue and Moussa’s hospitality. Here’s a quick note, referencing the PN&C article, on the two wines we had while we were out this weekend:

• Norton – dry red from a native Virginian grape, spicy aromas, deep ruby color with full finish.
• Traminette – Dry white wine with a rose-petal nose and palate, crisp and light with a delicate finish.

New Pizza in Town

A couple of weeks ago, I finally had the chance to make a stop at the Brick Oven Pizzeria, which recently moved to Main Street in Luray from their old location in Stanley. They enjoyed a good business in Stanley, with a location right next to the skate park and promising delivery far and wide throughout Page County.

Page County has its competing Pizza restaurants: Domino’s, Celio’s, and Anthony’s – these last two Valley-based chains – and Pizza Hut are here. They vary in their delivery range and timing commitment. Given this competition, I wasn’t surprised but I was very disappointed in the fall when we drove by the Stanley location to see the building vacant, even stripped of furnishings.

It wasn’t long before they reopened in this location, which was a local coffee shop (there’s also a lot of disappointment with the closure of that establishment). Besides seating capacity, the previous operator had installed wireless internet, which is available to patrons.

As I mentioned, I finally made a stop here after walking the Greenway a couple of weeks ago. I had a meatball sub…it was a fine sandwich, meeting every expectation.
I took a carryout menu to refer to as I wrote this post. There’s an amusing quote here: “We go where NO pizza has ever gone before!!” I believe this is a reference to their delivery zone, which I was told extends all the way south to the outer reaches of Shenandoah, and north to Rileyville, which is the border of the county. They said it takes about 20 minutes to get to the south end of the area, and less than that to get to the north end.

As I talked to one of the drivers, he asked where we lived. I told him about the Hawksbill Cabin and our address. “Oh yeah, I’ve delivered there before, I know where that is,” he said. I am pretty sure Britt and Lori, the previous owners with teenage kids, ordered from them a few times, and our other neighbors probably do too.

The Brick Oven Pizzeria website is http://www.stanleypizza.com/ – I’m looking forward to seconds. (PS – the phone number on the sign is wrong, they’re changing it for the new location!)

A Little Get-together at the Ranch

Last weekend, my dad and his wife, my sisters and their families, and my brother stayed at River's Bend Ranch in Stanley for the weekend. We had the get-together that we'd been planning since my grandmother passed in February - we'd originally intended to go to the Eden/Stoneville area in NC, but that didn't work out. I think everyone enjoyed the alternative accommodations.

Here are a couple of links - first, to the ranch itself; second, to a previous post from an earlier visit, last October:

http://www.riversbendranch.com/

http://hawksbillcabin.blogspot.com/2008/10/down-on-ranch.html

They booked the bunk house, taking six rooms - there is the capacity for more visitors here or elsewhere on the ranch. The photos scattered throughout this post are of the horses and cows on the ranch, hopefully with the scenery coming through in the background.

After everyone got settled on Friday night we went out to eat at Sonny's Place up in New Market Gap - we arrived late, but our big party was taken good care of, and there were plenty of menu choices to satisfy every taste in the crowd of 13. The live music was good too.

On Saturday, we started out on a busy day. Errands to the Luray Farmers' Market for steaks and vegetables, then to Mill Creek Pottery - a future post on this one to come, and ultimately taking the kids to SNP to hike Dark Hollow Falls (which was very crowded, as shown in the photos).

I should mention the catering for dinner, which supplemented the cookout. We got some barbequed chickens from Mickey, along with cole slaw and potato salad. I'm forgetting some items, I'm sure, but we put together a summer feast.

After dinner, we retired to the firepit and sat around, reminiscing together. A nice evening overall, with thunderstorms rambling on the horizon in several different directions, the deer coming out and mixing in with the horse herd, and the fire crackling away.

It had been a very long time since we tried anything like this, and although dad was hoping his siblings and their families might join us, this was as good a start on a family reunion tradition as you could ask for, and hopefully we'll be able to keep it going in the future.

For my part, I enjoyed being able to show them Page Valley. From a scenery perspective, I was very surprised at how beautiful the little stretch of the South Fork is there along the ranch, just downsteam from Newport - the last photo here.

Culture Night in Luray

We try to take in some cultural activities in the area around Hawksbill Cabin whenever we can. Big City readers may scoff at the idea that there is a genuinely good time to be had in Luray and its environs, but read on and see what you're missing.

On a tip from Howard at Evergreen Outfitters, we learned about a one act play festival planned for last Saturday at the performing arts center downtown - read about it at: http://performingartsluray.org/oneact.html. Five presentations were planned, although eventually the school group who was going to do Spoon River Anthology couldn't make it.

We went to dinner at Artisans (web: http://www.artisansgrill.com/), a place that we more often go to for lunch, but have enjoyed in the evenings for special occasions - we were there on July 4 as a matter of fact. After a nice time at the restaraunt we went over to the One Act Festival.

We arrived for the final three plays, which were, The Open Road, by the Randolph-Macon Academy Theatre Troupe, Mother Figure, by the PAL Players, and Splitting Issues, also by the PAL Players. Turns out that Howard was a cast member in Splitting Issues, an adult-themed comedy - very funny!

We really had a nice time at the event. We're starting to know and recognize friends here, so that contributed to a fun night out. And we'll be keeping an eye out for more things like this in the future.

Luray Holiday Update

Here's another quick post about a couple of the local businesses in Luray, and their holiday decorations.

First shot here is this street scene that I can't get enough of - part of what makes the town special is the ever present backdrop of the Shenandoah National Park. Down Main Street here you can see the decorations. This is taken in front of a new place called West Main Cafe - great deli sandwiches (URL to come, watch for a comment on this entry).

Second, we have the Apple Cottage, which offers organics and therapies. The owner is very knowledgeable. The little organic garden space in front is actually a teaching garden.

Last one is 58 West Cafe - a coffee house that also offers high speed wireless (where I check email in town if I am on a laptop). Nice place, with a very low key (non Starbucks) atmosphere!

As promised, here are the URLs:

http://applecottagefoods.com/

http://www.58westcafe.com/

Here's the West Main Market URL - posting as an update.

http://westmainmarket.com/

Jordan Hollow's Literary Christmas Eve Dinner

Mary and I had a fine evening at Jordan Hollow last year and long ago made plans to return this year, if things turned out that way. We missed being with family this year, but it turned out that we were well taken care of at the inn. We made reservations for 7:30 - I knew I'd be working until noon, at least, so we needed just a little extra time in case of traffic (which there was) and in case we got away later than 3pm (which we did).

We were right on time for the reservation - here is the entry to the farm house inn there on the property. We were greated by a number of barn cats as we walked up. This fuzzy one was quiet, but a few of them were quite vocal in welcoming us.

On the way to the inn, we stopped off quickly at the cabin to drop off the dogs. There was a message from Jordan Hollow, they'd planned to close at 8pm, so if we were going to be late, we wouldn't likely find them open. We later learned that we were the only reservation; however they stayed open for us and we really had a great evening there.

The chef, Jarret, was our server as well as the menu designer and preparer. He'd taken inspiration from a number of sources for this meal - O'Henry, Dickens, Seuss, among them. We sat in the wood paneled room of the original cabin, shown here in these photos.

After we sat down, we started with some beverages; Mary had a peppermint martini, and I had the house red, a cab this evening.

Inspired by "The Gift of the Maggi" - the appetizer was a selection of cheeses. Next up, a Dickensian "cockaleeky soup" - with chicken, root vegetables, and leeks. And the main course - roast goose, Mary's choice, and roast beast, my choice. Finishing up was the choice of rice or figgy pudding - Mary chose the figgy pudding, which was flambe'd at the table!

All in all we were treated well and had a great evening there. I'm sure that any visitor would receive the same hospitality we did, but the sense we got of their commitment really impressed.

Sunday Workday

With the weather and some pressing work deadlines, we delayed our planned trip out last weekend and made a simple work day of it on Sunday. We still got to check in on a couple of favorite things in Luray though, lunch at Brookside and a stop at Evergreen Outfitters for a visit.

The after church rush was on at Brookside and we met up with some nice chatty folk. For some reason they seem to know we are not from here - or they make the assumption that we aren't. Still, the conversation is very pleasant and doesn't really put you on the spot.

Howard's news was good too, he's the new VP of the Chamber (congrats again!), and he and the other outdoors-oriented businesses in Luray are planning for the holidays. Good things to hear, and a conversation with him always reminds me of how lucky we've been that the cabin is located there.

There were a couple of chores before us - one was to stake out where our 6 new Leyland Cypress and two hollies would be planted in in the west side yard. We are putting them in for privacy, and the barely visible stakes here mark where we want them.

When they are mature in a few years - they are famously fast growing - hopefully they will make a screen like this one in our Alexandria yard. It's hard to believe, but our neighbors have a deck over there, less than 25 feet away from where I stood when I took this photo!

The second chore wasn't one I'd planned beforehand but I decided to do once we got there. A lot of leaves had accumulated down in the pool area and on the brick terrace, so I decided to clear them out. Still a few oaks shedding, so we won't have the yard raked until after T-day, but here is the big pile of leaves by the pool. Boy are we glad we got the pool cover!

Also visible down the hill in that photo is the beaver pond, which is still spreading. I took a walk down to see it again, now that a lot of brush has died back. Phone cam quality being what it is, I hope this is a better photo of the construction. Quite a project...and inevitably, this one threatens the road because of how close it is.

We'll keep an eye on that!

Weekday Errands in Luray

I had to run some errands in Luray a couple of weeks ago, and my friend Chris joined me for the day. I know all the neighbors and friends in town had to work, but it was fun to check in on some of them and I appreciated having the chance to say hi.

We decided to head over to the Brookside for breakfast. I know I have posted about the place before, but I’ve been thinking about the little stream behind them for a time. It’s called Pass Run, and it comes down out of the Thornton Gap running west across Page County before it empties into the South Fork. Here is a photo of the stream as it runs behind the little cabins there – including one of the cabin’s decks that overlooks the stream.

Some others here – the owners keep a pair of peacocks in a cage near the stream and parking lot, one of the front of the restaurant, and then one looking at the motor court with the cabins behind. When I took that last one, I suddenly realized that the leaves are really beginning to change around here.

Memorial Day Hike - Hawksbill Summit

On Memorial Day weekend, we set out for our first hike of the year up in the Park. After stopping in to visit some of our friends in town, and breakfast at the Brookside restaurant (right near SNP HQ on 211), we made our way to the Upper Hawksbill trailhead for the short hike to the summit.

Along the way, we bought our annual pass to SNP – a difference this year is that you can buy a pass for this Park only, which we did – in the past we’ve bought passes for all NPS parks. We also made a stop at one of the Skyline Drive overlooks to snap this photo of Old Rag.

Here’s the Hawksbill Summit hike description from http://www.ajheatwole.com/guide/log2/log23.htm
“HIKE: Hawksbill Summit. Round trip 2.1 miles; total climb about 520 feet; time required 2:00. A fairly easy hike on a graded trail and a fire road. Good views from the summit. …The trail goes into the woods from the drinking fountain. After a short steep stretch you have a steady, easy climb through young oak forest….”

The summit is the highest point in SNP, we enjoy going up there several times a year. Also, the peak is directly to the east of us at the Hawksbill Cabin, we see it every time we are driving home.

There is a lesser peak that I have yet to learn the name of – shown in this photo. Clearly this one is about 500 feet shorter than Hawksbill, although from the valley, the perspective makes it appear the same height.

Another photo, this time a gratuitous view of the Valley towards Luray, and one of Mary on the outcroppings with her new sport pack, which we picked up earlier in the day from Evergreen Outfitters. For these short hikes, we travel lightly, mainly only packing water and snacks – so the small pack is just right for us.

On the way back down to the trailhead, we detoured off the main path for a moment to take a look at the Appalachian Trail, which runs along this ridge on the west side here. There is a short detour on the AT here, as an ongoing Hawk restoration project protects some nesting sites on the ridge.

As we reached the trailhead, we encountered a deer foraging through the forest. In this part of the Park they are pretty domesticated, unphased by humans nearby for the most part, unless there are sudden movements or loud noises. You often run into them at this trailhead or just inside the woods at the start of the hike.

There's a reason I still like baseball

While I haven't been able to watch any of the games, while we were on our way back to Alexandria yesterday I noticed that the police league game was going on at the high school athletic field. Apparently this is a semi-pro, below Class A, league out in the Shenandoah Valley more or less along the I-81 corridor into North Carolina.

From what I have seen so far and read in the local paper, many past high school stars, and good athletes from the town police and fire departments, get in the game. In short, these are probably some of the games my great uncle V.T. (Versa T. - I never learned what the "T." stood for) used to scout for the Reds.

And the games look like just the kind of minor league experience that could make for an entertaining summer weekend evening, swatting mosquitoes and waiting for the fireworks (beer - probably not served at these games on these facilities).

Earlier yesterday, Mary and I had lunch at a little Italian joint in Shendandoah - "Mamma Mia."

As we enterred, they sat us near two guys in "Shenandoah Fire Department" t-shirts. While we were waiting to order, one of them received a phone call. The conversation I overheard: "Hi hon. We are having lunch at Mamma Mia's. ... Well, you remember yesterday I came here for lunch before the game and I went 2-for-4. ... So I figured, I'd have lunch here again today before the game and see if I go 2-for-4 again. It might work."

One additional note of interest, I learned that my grandfather (Russ) attended college in Shenandoah on a baseball scholarship in the early 30's. We don't know how far along his baseball or academic career went...but I do know his brother (V.T.) achieved at least a two-year degree and played ball enough to get to the minors, and to scout well into his 80's...very possibly here at that same school and in this league.

Added after receiving comment: Apparently my grandfather played in the leagues around Leaksville, NC after college. And we don't have info that V.T. - T stands for Tankersly, so that is Versa Tankersly...needs to be a topic of research - actually played ball. His two year degree, however, was from Wake Forest, we learn.

Battle of the Species - The Carpenter Bees Return

A few weeks back, as I was sitting on the brick terrace enjoying a morning cup of coffee, I heard the familiar steady buzz that indicates the return of the carpenter bees. I’d seen them among the azaleas earlier in the season, but had yet to spot any active boring or nesting activities. Now here they were, actually beginning to drill into the new siding we’d just installed at the front of the house after the roof replacement.



In beginning my tale, I would like to cite the wisdom of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, part of Texas A&M, which says, “…ordinarily their tunneling is of little or no consequence. However structure repairs may be necessary if colonies are present years after year in the same timber. Effective control includes prevention, persistence in locating the nesting site, and insecticide applications.”


Another point I’ve learned is that the nesting sites serve two purposes, as a place for the larvae to hatch and mature, but also for over winter shelter. Successive generations will return to the same nest, extending the network and the damage, leading to potential structural damage.
All of these thoughts came to mind as I sat there with a cup o’ joe.








Fortunately, my friend Chris was visiting, and although we planned to do a short hike in SNP, he immediately saw the urgency of tackling these pests. So off we went on our project – first step, to acquire supplies to do battle. We figured we needed some heavy duty insecticide, and I knew we’d need a ladder for this – a good one, OSHA Type 1 (load capacity 300 pounds!). Off we went to breakfast at Farmboys, and then to the co-ops for advice on insecticide.




Breakfast did not disappoint, and neither did the advice we received at Southern States (http://www.southernstates.com/) where we learned our friend Kenny is recovering (get well soon, Ken). I was told, “we’ve got one thing, it’s very effective, but it is expensive.” I told the clerk that we were talking about saving a five-figure investment, so I was willing to look at what he had.


Unfortunately, I don’t have the name of this poison handy. But it is highly concentrated stuff – they use it to treat chicken coops throughout the county, where they mix it up in 50 gallon batches! I laughed when the clerk told me that. The square footage coverage told me I’d need only one gallon. Heading for the calculator for some math, we figured that six milliliters were needed per gallon. This package was the 50 gallon size; it cost $40, but it was all they had, and I figured “if it’s good enough for the chicken farms, it’s good enough for the Hawksbill Cabin.”

We shopped for a ladder, next step. I wanted one like the one I borrowed from some neighbors in Alexandria recently to clean my gutters, an extension job that could go up to 16 feet (and OSHA Type 1). Nothing doing in Southern States, the Page Co-op, or Wal-Mart. We were resigned to drive to the Home Depot in H-burg, adding two hours to the adventure.



After a custard stop (Chris recommends this one, near the Wal-Mart in Luray, by the way – especially, say, if you have just gotten stitches at the Luray hospital for a bizarre firewood chopping accident – we’ll leave that for another day) we headed off to follow the GPS to the Home Depot in H-burg.








A note for the record, if you need to go to a Home Depot, this is the one to go to – it is a super deluxe store, and there is plenty of help. Advice and car loading are available. I guess this is where they got the reputation, because you certainly can’t get this kind of service in Alexandria. The ladder selection – awesome, we had three to choose from. Finally, settling on the Gorilla model, we headed for Stanley.


Arriving back at the Hawksbill Cabin at 5:30 pm (thus always with Home Depot projects!), we assembled our gear:
Insecticide: check!
Sprayer: check!
Ladder: check!
Heavy duty latex gloves: check!
Breathing apparatus: check!

The battle was about to begin…

the beer I had for breakfast...

Well, not exactly - but hopefully my readers will join me in a sing-along to finish this line from the Kris Kristofferson song: "...wasn't bad, so I had one more, for dessert."


On Sunday morning we decided to go out for breakfast. We were up early and though we might beat the crowd to the Hawksbill Diner, but by 9:30 it was nothing doing over there. I counted 20 pick-up trucks in their lot, ensuring that every table was taken.


We drove into Luray, where the choices would be Uncle Bucks or the new place - Farmboys - which opened two months ago and has already established itself as stiff competition there.



We remain loyal to Uncle Bucks but enjoy both. However, as we rolled into town Sunday, we hadn't yet made a choice, until we encountered this sign.







It turns out that "Rednick Benedict" is a creative mixture of southern breakfast cuisine: a biscuit layered with a peppary sausage patty, scrambled eggs and gravy. And they dressed up the plate with an orange slice to boot. What's not to like?

Meals Recap

For my consulting colleagues who have traveled with me, here finally is a “knife and fork” post.


For Christmas Eve dinner, we wanted to try one of the local, more upscale places for something special, and decided to visit the neighbors at the Jordan Hollow Farm Inn – website here: http://www.jordanhollow.com/ . The inn is place marked on Google Earth as well. The farm property at Jordan Hollow wraps around our development and borders the lots on the North and West edges. They keep horses there, are developing a spa concept, and have some nice cabins up on a ridge for a nice getaway.


There are real farms in the area, I posted some photos of the stock before. Here are the goats, who happily posed for us on Christmas Eve.


The dinner at Jordan Hollow was good; they work really hard at it to make an enjoyable experience. I had snapper. Generally, I have a rule about ocean fish when the town doesn’t have a seaport, and it probably would have been a good idea to follow it, but we’d had a busy week and I had had too many hamburgers, so I wanted a change. The snapper was overdone, but it was pan fried and there was promise in the approach…probably need to get in there as a regular to coach up that chef.


Mary had rack of lamb – that’s something I’ll try next, because she really enjoyed it, and it looked like they had made it perfectly. They also had steak and pork chops, which probably would make the cut on a future visit, but Mary had made some great pork chops on our first night out and I doubted the chef de cuisine could top them. By the way, the menu is posted at the website above. We’ll go there again.



On Christmas Day, Mary baked a chicken, a specialty of hers. That chicken might have come from this area for all we know – there are broiler farms all around this neck of the woods – it was definitely fresh! She matched it up with stuffing and Brussels sprouts, and made pan gravy. A nice treat, topped off with pumpkin pie to boot!