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Ashby Inn Welcomes New Hospitality Team
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
The next chapter in the storied history of Paris’ Ashby Inn is set to be written by chef Tarver King and co-managing partner Neal Wavra–a dynamic duo of fine dining who last turned heads during their (brief) tenure at the neighboring Goodstone Inn.
After parting ways with the Goodstone last summer, Wavra said he quietly resolved to pursue his own farm-to-table dining venture (“The next step for me will be my own place,” he said of his dare-to-fly-solo mindset).
The entrepreneurial bug led him to begin scouting local farms–which, in a very roundabout way, culminated in a surprise introduction to Ashby Inn owners Chuck and Jackie Leopold.
When all was said and done, Neal and his wife, Star, had carved out a partnership deal for themselves. And journeyman chefs King (executive) and Nathan Shapiro (sous) found themselves working together once more.
Although he’s now officially an “innkeeper,” Wavra said he’s very much looking forward to revamping the Ashby’s wine and beverage program (think: visiting winemaker dinners and more local pours) and mixing things up in the kitchen with King.
“I’m working every day in the restaurant,” Wavra said of his hands-on management style.
King said he is pleased to be back behind the burners, but stressed that he’s still formulating a plan that melds Ashby’s longstanding traditions with his passion for progressive cuisine.
“A lot of that is definitely on hold,” he said when pressed about resurrecting the elaborate foams and eyebrow-raising proteins (self-cooking steak, anyone?) that obliged people to hike out to Middleburg.
In the meantime, King says he’ll delve even deeper into locally-sourced everything–”It’s not just bright points. We are seeking to do the whole menu locally,” Wavra stated–floating plans for potential farm-to-fork dinners showcasing specific producers or a grand scale “meat-the-farmers” tasting featuring a variety of agricultural artisans and their wholesome wares.
“We’re going to have a LOT of farmer dinners,” he predicted.
Till then, King plans to busy himself by fine-tuning his a la carte selections–latest offerings include: rabbit stew with cider and chestnuts, roast pork with kale and sherry vinegar, and scallop dumplings with tomato confit and fennel–and tinkering with some tasting menu options (he’s currently considering a “spontaneous tasting menu” for adventurous guests as well as a traditional degustation format).
But don’t expect any sweeping changes before January.
–Warren
Tags: Ashby Inn, farm-to-fork dining, food, Goodstone Inn, Gut Check, hospitality, Middleburg, Neal Wavra, Northern Virginia Magazine, Paris, restaurants, Tarver King, Warren Rojas
2 Responses
s_neafsey Says:
December 7th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
December 7th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Good luck to Neal and Star and those of you on the team whom our family has not met. We are boomers and my spouse’s Cardiologist told him to eat red meat only once a year, including pork. We like to dine in places that know how to make good tasting meals without too much fat. But where your restaurant is might be different so good luck to you. First you need to do a survey to find out what they really want and then provide it for them. Our daughter says the nearby monks enjoy eating beef. But probably never dine out.
Our daughter-in-law has never eaten any meat in her lifetime. But she lives in the Boston area.
She does eat fish and eggs.
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December 9th, 2010 at 7:23 am
The Ashby Inn is truly a jewel…thanks to Chef King and his heavenly culinary creations that must be blessed by angels indeed. Neal and Star have brought divine customer service as well to the Inn. If you have not been to Paris recently it is well worth the journey as there have been many changes fortunately and not just at the Ashby Inn. First off all, Rt. 17 is now a Wine Trail and a wonderful tourist destination and a wonderful way to spend a romantic weekend touring vineyards, hiking SkyMeadow State Park’s heavenly views, dining at the Ashby Inn and now that fabulous old barn at the intersection of Rt. 50 & Rt. 17 has agri-tourism galore! Finally! It’s about time…real agritourism instead of those gimicky pumpkin patches or pick your own apples…this beautiful old historic barn in Paris (called “Boneta Reserve” although it is owned by “Piedmont Agriculture Academy”) offers tours including Stonewall Jackson’s encampment in the farm’s Oak Grove prior to the Battle of Manassas, the old civil war grave (amazing!!!), atv and gator tours of the entire property, the historic barn complex…plus farm experiences, harvest your own veggies and there is a livestock rescue as well…year round classes and you can purchase and make your own goat’s milk soaps and alpaca fibers! There are many interactive farming experiences for the whole family and we are thrilled to finally have such a wonderful farm so close to DC! Chef King really supports the local farming community and all of the cuisine at the Ashby Inn comes from the local farms including the Farm in Paris! Enjoy!