The Tennessee property does wine-and-culinary excellence with wellness in mind. Plus, the Voltaggio brothers open a Chesapeake Bay–inspired restaurant in D.C., and chef Gabriel Kreuther takes on a new gig
Photo by: Ingalls Photography
The dining rooms at Blackberry Mountain have views of the Smoky Mountains.
Grand Award Winner Blackberry Farm Opens New Property in Smoky Mountains
The team behind Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn., has opened a new hotel that focuses on nature and wellness. Blackberry Mountain, located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, about 20 minutes away from Blackberry Farm, is a 5,200-acre property where guests can mountain bike, rock climb and camp.
“There is so much to explore and so many things to see, from waterfalls and overlooks to rolling pastures and spanning vistas,” said owner Mary Celeste Beall. “We want our guests to take time to discover something new about this place and themselves along the way.”
Photos by Bonjwing Lee
The wellness theme carries over to the hotel’s two restaurants, which are run by the same team as Blackberry Farm. “We started by creating the idea that the list at Blackberry Mountain would showcase wineries and vignerons that had a naturally sustainable and generational approach to making wine,” said director of food and beverage Andy Chabot.
Firetower, the more casual concept, is open for breakfast and lunch, with a snack and drink menu in the evening, including nearly 30 wine selections with a dozen available by the glass. The Whippoorwill Lounge serves light bites and drinks throughout the day.
The fine-dining concept, Three Sisters, opened with a 115-selection wine list offering global picks from California, Italy, France, Spain and beyond, with benchmark producers and several older vintages. It’s a condensed version of Blackberry Farm’s list, which will grow once the hotel’s wine cellar is completed in the spring. “We wrote an appendix to our list that tells a story about each producer showcased,” said Chabot. “I think the list is exciting, fun and offers great selections for all levels of wine drinkers.”
The food is locally sourced with a focus on healthy fare and vegetables, like a black-eyed pea hummus with crudités, as well as meat and seafood options, such as a wood-grilled beef rib eye with celery root puree.—B.G.
D.C. Area’s Voltaggio Brothers Open Close-to-Home Concept
Courtesy of Conrad Washington D.C.
Estuary is located on the third floor of the Conrad Hotel.
Bryan and Michael Voltaggio, the chef brothers behind Best of Award of Excellence winner Voltaggio Brothers Steak House in National Harbor, Md., will open Estuary March 6 in the Conrad Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The Voltaggios grew up in Frederick, Md., and drew inspiration from their upbringing in Maryland to craft a seafood-focused menu at Estuary, with locally sourced ingredients and some whimsical twists. They were also influenced by their joint travels around the world and other cities they’ve called home, including Los Angeles.
“We’re having fun with it,” Michael said. “We want to figure out ways to repackage, re-present, repurpose ideas that have been around for a long time.” Creative takes on familiar dishes include crab rangoons in the shape of whole crabs served with Old Bay cream cheese, as well as “pan con tunate,” a play on pan con tomate made with concentrated tomato and raw tuna.
Beverage director Nick Hellberg highlights international selections that show a distinct sense of place. There are more than 400 wines on the opening by-the-bottle list, with 28 available by the glass, representing a wide range of styles and wine-producing regions, including producers from nearby Virginia like Veritas and Barboursville. The program balances familiar names with more esoteric options to complement the diverse food menu. “We want to be able to be playful,” said Hellberg, who also wants to emphasize good value on the list.—J.H.
Gabriel Kreuther Is Named Culinary Director of New York’s Baccarat Hotel
Courtesy of Baccarat Hotel New York
Spaetzle, now on the menu at Baccarat, is a dish from chef Kreuther’s native Alsace.
Chef Gabriel Kreuther now oversees all culinary programs for New York City’s Baccarat Hotel, including the on-site restaurant, the Grand Salon. Kreuther created exclusive dishes for the venue, like crispy shrimp lollipops, and saffron spaetzle with cider-braised rabbit. The new menu also features some signature items from his namesake Best of Award of Excellence winner, such as tarte flambée, house-made country sausage and kugelhopf, a Bundt-like cake. While the wine program, overseen by wine director Matthieu Yamoum, is always evolving, there is no immediate plan to make changes. He will continue operating his Gabriel Kreuther restaurant at Bryant Park.—J.H.
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