An alumnus of heritage breed-haven Ayrshire Farm, Luhowiak took local dining on the road a few years back with his winery-roving food cart, Local Sixfortyseven. But when Hollywood–okay, Canadian television–came a-callin’ last summer, Luhowiak shunned the spotlight, took his mobile kitchen out of rotation and spent some time reflecting on exactly what he wanted to do with his time and talents.

I’m happy to report that he’s back in action–having taken control of the kitchen at Millwood’s Locke Store this past fall–and already hard at work “preserving” his culinary legacy.

WR: Salt. Pepper. What other spices/herbs could you not live without?

DL: Dried chili’s [sic]. Grow them every year and dry them in the Virginia sunshine. Sneak them into all my curries, pastas and greens.

WR: What’s the very first dish you ever mastered? How long did it take? Do you still make it today?

DL: Properly cooking al dente pasta. I was the young kid at a well known Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh, PA and worked with all old Italian guys who would not even speak English to me. But boy I learned to cook a proper toothsome al dente pasta.

WR: What seasonal ingredient(s) get your creative juices flowing?

DL: There are so many, but venison. Fauquier County has some of the best venison I have ever had. They graze right along side of the cows. We make jerky, smoke sausages, roasts you name it. It just really feels like fall and winter to tuck into a bowl of venison stew and a stout.

WR: My latest cookbook obsession is …

DL: My seed catalogs. I get crazy excited about planting. I know its not a cookbook per se but I cant wait to harvest for new dishes. I have green radishes on my mind this year.

WR: What’s the most challenging dish you’ve ever attempted? Would you make it again?

DL: Turducken. HATE THEM! Had to make them for a holiday season and not that they are overly hard but they look like Frankenstein’s baby when your done! Try making that look appealing. No offense to all you turducken fans. A big no to making them again!!!!

WR: If I could the spend the day working alongside any local chef, I’d love to collaborate with …

DL: I would love to get Tarver King of the Ashby [Inn], Rob Townsend of Ayrshire and myself together for a informal, backyard whole-hog cook-off!!!!! Let the beer and pork flow!!

WR: What’s the easiest/quickest–but still wholly satisfying–meal you make for yourself?

DL: Greens and beans.

WR: In the next six months you won’t want to miss my …

DL: We have been working on a partnership with the Locke Store and I have been slowly introducing a fresh meat case with local lamb, beef and pork, as well as my own sausage creations (Merguez, sweet fennel and orange, many others). Local Sixfortyseven is going to launch a small batch artisanal line of pickles and preserves of all sorts made from what we are growing in our gardens, so they will be in small supply. They will be available at the Locke Store as well as [by] contacting us directly. Check us out on Facebook for all our info.

WR: It’s quitting time. I’m pouring myself …

DL: Right now, winter time, totally digging on Stone Brewery’s Old Guardian barley wine.

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A hearty bowl of venison stew and snifter of barley wine sounds like the perfect prescription for weathering today’s foul climate. Thanks for the idea, chef Luhowiak!

Come back next Tuesday for another helping of Red Meat.

–WR

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

King’s departure caps a string of high-profile defections from the tumultuous property, including general manager Simon Smith (left September 1) and sommelier Neal Wavra (decamped in July). And many online gawkers had nervously been waiting for the final shoe to drop.

A Goodstone spokesperson said William J. Walden–a French cooking vet who spent several years at L’Auberge Chez Francois before branching out on his own with La Fleur de Lis (now defunct) in Lovettsville–will slide behind the burners effective immediately.

The spokesperson added that Goodstone owner Mark Betts is hoping to broaden the restaurant’s base by adopting a la carte offerings (Goodstone had adhered to a tasting menu format under King and his predecessor, the Wine Kitchen’s Christopher Carey) and instituting a Sunday brunch option.

“I think he [Betts] thinks locals think it’s too expensive,” the Goodstone spokesperson said of the latest dining overhaul.

No word on whether King plans to remain in the area.

–Warren

Image: Goodstone Inn

Goodstone Inn toque Tarver King seems somewhat conflicted about the approaching slaughter season, confessing on his blog that he has bonded with the estate’s Yorkshire-Duroc hogs:

His momentary waver is understandable, considering staff have cared for this particular herd going on five months now.

King, perhaps better than anyone, understands the swine was always destined to grace the Goodstone’s china–and ultimately resolves to pay his respects the best way a chef knows how: offering up a farewell feast.

I’d love to hear from other local chefs/career farmers who’ve had to wrestle with the burden of dutifully shepherding a four-legged friend to the killing floor.

I imagine it’s a task that weighs heavily on our food purveyors–and is taken all too lightly by the average consumer.

–Warren