New Restaurant Feature:
Eastville Inn: Made from Scratch Culinary Mantra
By Donna Bozza
Photo Credit Jim Baugh
Dining is an experience to
savor.
It’s communing with
companions over carefully prepared foods, taking the time to taste, celebrating
the interplay of humble or exotic ingredients. It’s filling the moment rather
than just our stomachs.
So why eat, when one can
dine?
And dining is what Jim and I
relished on a recent visit to The Eastville
Inn, where we rediscovered in the hands of chef/owner Brent "Uncey" Schmidt how flavorful it is to
find a made from scratch restaurant.
During a hectic week, Jim
was happy to abandon his skillet and we welcomed a chance to change it up a bit.
The Eastville Inn’s promise of a melting pot of culinary influences
French, Japanese, Italian, and Cajun lured us out. Its causal atmosphere of
fine dining without the fuss got us in.
Set in the pretty, little town
of Eastville , the Inn is located on the southern
end of Virginia ’s Eastern
Shore . The historic 300 hundred year old building with broad porch
shares the same genteel nature as the vintage courthouse green next door.
The lovely interior pays
homage to its history with warm oak floors and stately white columns
intersecting the main dining room, along with its tasteful showcases of local
artifacts. Bold, modern touches infuse energy with abstract paintings, a deep
yellow surround, and a glass wall that encloses a smaller dining area perfect
for private parties. In addition, there is an intimate bar set off by itself.
With 20 years of restaurant
experience Schmidt came to the Eastern Shore from his previous restaurant Brent’s in Hampton, Virginia Hampton
 |
| Lobster |
“Whatever kitchen Brent was
in –we knew the food would blow us away,” recalled Jim who was curious to see
what Schmidt was up to on this side of the Pond.
Our server greeted us warmly
and was very knowledgeable on the menu offerings, a must when you bring Foodie
Jim Baugh along.
The opening act of thyme and
rosemary bread, made with fresh rosemary picked from the inn’s garden, set the
stage for our entire dining experience. It’s a rarity even in restaurants that
pride themselves on hands-on food prep to make their own breads. However, made
in-house, from scratch is Schmidt’s culinary mantra from the salad dressings on
up.
His restaurant serves made to
order meals prepared with local and fresh ingredients. Considering that most chain
restaurants regularly serve us such things as vacuum-packed meat products
swimming in preservatives, we appreciate even more that Schmidt hand cuts his premium
steaks and is involved in all culinary details.
The menu is varied and
playfully written. At our visit under “Liquid Concoctions and Rabbit Food” were
two soups, Creamy Crimini Mushroom soup at $5, and Chicken Noodle Soup at $5, along
with two salads, a House Salad that didn’t skimp on ingredients at $5 and a $9 Spinach
Salad.
We ordered the Smoked Salmon
on Potato Crepes with red onions, cucumbers, capers, and sour cream; a flavorful
start I would order again.
We also tried the Crawfish
Etoufee on a bed of garlic mashers that the menu confirmed is spicy as it authentic
Cajun pedigree would demand. For those like me who don’t like 4-alarm fiery
dishes but do appreciate some heat; this hearty stew is perfect with plump and
tender crawfish and crisp celery, onions, and peppers that stand up to the mix.
 |
| Etoufee |
Schmidt said his menu will
always include some of his standard dishes but he leaves room for improv to
accommodate what is locally available and allow loyal patrons to experiment.
Hence my entrée choice of
fresh, local flounder delivered by a waterman to the inn’s door that morning. I
like flounder but this rich tasting rendition I loved. It was oven baked on a
bed of creamy, mascarpone cheese-laced polenta with asparagus and a Compound
Creole Butter.
 |
| Fresh Flounder with Compound Butter |
Jim selected a Filet Mignon
to round out our surf and turf meal. The Smokey grilled Filet Mignon wrapped in
Applewood Smoked Bacon is served with an intensely flavorful demi-glace sauce
using a light Andouille sausage base. I
had to remind Jim that we were sharing.
 |
| Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped FIlet Mignon with Mashers Marchand de Vin and Brussel Sprous |
The night’s menu gave a
choice of five entrees ranging from $15 to $35 that included a vegetarian pasta
dish chuck full of veggies in an almond-basil pesto. Both vegetarian and gluten
free offerings are mainstays on The Eastville Inn’s menu.
Also available are the three
course dinner selections for $30 plus tax that includes the also made from
scratch desserts: Pineapple and White Chocolate Bread Pudding and NY Style
Cheesecake.
Certainly, The Eastville Inn is a fabulous choice
for special occasions –hint, hint, Valentine’s Day is upon us. [See note below]
But it would be a waste of great dining to limit visits. With its welcoming ambience it makes a great place to rendezvous with friends weekly, perhaps for
Tapas Tuesday with its adventurous assortment of reasonably priced offerings. [Other
midweek, budget-friendly options are Wine Wednesday and Martini Thursday.] A
“no boys allowed” lunch with the girls would be fun here too. Sorry Jim
And DINE.
The Eastville Inn, 16422 Courthouse Road ,
Eastville , VA
Ambience:
A fun fusion of fine dining with a casual Eastern Shore
vibe. Hand holders will especially like the smaller dining room.
Service:
Attentive with the expected Southern Hospitality
Libations:
Being the new kid on the block the Inn is
still testing the local watering hole scene. Currently offers a full bar, a sexy
Martini Menu, 5 bottled beers, and a solid selection of white and red wines by
the glass or bottle including offerings from the nearby winery Chatham Vineyards.
Hours:
Lunch: Tue-Fri
11am-2pm
Dinner:
Tue-Sat starting at 5pm
The Inn
is also available for private parties and events.
Reservations:
Accepted
Coastal Tripping Tip: Not just for locals make The Eastville Inn the heart of your next weekend getaway. The Inn
is exclusively a restaurant but accommodations in the historic bayside town of Cape Charles Chatham Vineyards http://www.chathamvineyards.net/
an award-winning vineyard just north of the
Inn, along with an intriguing look at local history at The Barrier
Islands Center
Valentines Day: Romance your partner with a Four Course Dinner for $50 plus tax,
includes champagne toast. For more info: http://theeastvilleinn.com/menus
Directions:
From the South:
Eastville is about 15 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The town is to the left (west) of US Highway 13 as you travel north. Signs will point you into the village. Three roads lead into the center of town at the intersection ofWillow Oak Road Courthouse Road
Eastville is about 15 miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The town is to the left (west) of US Highway 13 as you travel north. Signs will point you into the village. Three roads lead into the center of town at the intersection of
From the North:
From theMaryland Courthouse Road Willow Oak Road Inn .
From the
