Lucullan, exquisite dining at Charlottesville’s Clifton Inn

Folks in Baltimore, it’s a nice roadtrip down to Charlottesville and well worth the drive for the Lucullan delights at The Clifton Inn. Here’s a relaxed place that’s all about the food, not about you as centerpiece: dress is dressy-casual and there are fun porch tables to look out on the Blue Ridge Mountains. The colors of the décor are cool, minty greens and creams. The background music was international interesting folk/pop/acoustic.

I like to think of the creations – even the sous-chefs are marvelously creative – as classic Alice in Wonderland. In classic Alice in Wonderland, it’s not necessarily psychedelic, but it’s out of this world and turns traditional motifs on their heads. I was very happy to try their chef’s tasting menu! The courses are brought out in jewel-like tasting portions. The tasting menu does include several items from the regular menu, which is formatted into five categories: delicate, light, full bodied, robust and dessert. With the regular menu, you can order courses from any or all categories.

By special reservations if you’re having the tasting menu, you can sit at a counter and interact with the kitchen staff. That sounds like it’d be right up my alley! I’m sure that’s a fascinating way to learn. . . not to mention tasty.

You first realize that every detail is meticulously planned when a server offers a silver tray of lemon and lime slices for your water. An amuse bouche was brought out: on a granite slab, a crab cracker was garnished with Old Bay remoulade and basil flowers. The crab flavor was intense on a light as air chip.

Tomatoes from the garden were served with kimchee ketchup. The snappiness of the kimchee was subtle, yet made for fresh tasting ketchup.

Next came a beet greens beignet with Dijon mustard powder. The Dijon was just enough kick to enhance the inherent hot-bitter flavor. With your eyes, you imagine beignets to be sweet, like in New Orleans, but your mouth tastes savory and warming spice.

The next course was a diaphanous creation of summer squash noodles, lima beans and corn jelly flavored with black pepper and bacon.  Think of the hearty, denseness of these ingredients in their natural state. Then, imagine the flavors being converted into a morsel of taste that melts in your mouth. Your mind has to rethink Fall.

When I was contemplating whether to order off the menu or to do the chef’s tasting menu, I must sadly admit that salad was never on my radar. I mean, let’s face it: salads can be tasty or refreshing. Who thought of them as a source of epicurean amazement? The Clifton Inn’s salad is, hands down, the best salad I have ever eaten. Here’s what it was: salad of seasonal vegetables with Piedmont cheese (sheep from Everona Dairy: tangy, nutty with floral accents), black cocoa mixed with chicory and garden herbs. Piedmont cheese is one of those local farmer’s cheeses that doesn’t fall into the format of a traditional cheese with a known name, but it does have some nuttiness and creamy-saltiness, like a Manchego aged in oil, perhaps.  The salad was garnished with edible nasturnium flowers. The veggies were baby root veggies and there were veggie purees, too. Are you picturing what this was composed as? An edible garden! Masterful! The cocoa-chicory was an edible “soil” and everything else was like a Mr. MacGregor’s garden. It wasn’t merely the most clever presentation that puts this salad over the top. Each baby herb and veggie is hand-selected for its unblemished appearance and succulent flavor.

The next dish was house made tofu with sweet potatoes, black sesame and pickled ginger. It was a soft, creamy tofu, not the gelatinous stuff from the grocery store salad bar. The accompanying ginger was spicy! The dish was a fusion of American and Asian flavors, showing the global view of the chef and sous-chefs.

Then came a dish that was interesting and earthy, fun to eat: slow cooked egg with caramelized mushroom duxelle, crispy maitake, Appalachian cheese and Parmesan onion broth. The savory umami flavors were highlighted.

Soon followed seared salmon with roasted tomatillo gazpacho, candy onions and Kafir lime. Kafir lime is common in Southeast Asia, with a lime-herbal leaf used in seasoning.  The gazpacho had tomato, lychee and ginger. It was also presented with wax beans, for another Asian-American fusion. The salmon itself was some of the most perfectly prepared salmon I’ve eaten: crispy outside and tender inside.

Later came roasted sweetbreads with hazelnut granola, Roma beans and molasses glaze. This was a different take on sweetbreads than commonly found in those restaurants that serve them.  Roasting them – opposed to pan-fried – gives them a different taste and texture. They were more tender, yet more intense in flavor. The granola of hazelnuts also incorporated beef fat and mint leaves. The sweet molasses and nuts together was a combination that’s more indicative of fois gras presentations than the mushroomy presentations that are more usual. It was rich without being heavy.

The next dish was roasted rabbit saddle with wild grapes, roasted beets and lion’s mane mushrooms. Now, rabbit can go one of two ways. Many times, it can be gamy and tough. Only in the most expert of chef’s hands, with access to the best rabbits, is it tender and delicious. Trust me on this one! I’ve been the judge of the International Roadkill Cookoff twice and I’ve experienced the extremes. This rabbit was tender, meaty, and very, very mild. Nobody wants to hear, “tastes like chicken” as a description, but this was true!

And then, one of the dessert courses. Yes, dessert on the tasting menu comes in waves. The main dessert was soft chocolate with chocolate caramel, Thai basil, curry, lime and ginger with spiced ice cream. I like to think of it as a decadent, deconstructed chocolate Chai dessert. It had Silk Road hints, which seems to be a new restaurant trend coming on. All the flavors were standout and yet, complemented each other. The little dabs of sauces and seasonings were fun to push together and experience.

Another dessert course was Red Row cow cheese from Caromont Farm (creamy and subtle). It was served with chopped hazelnuts.

That was followed by caramel apple, vanilla panna cotta, donut holes and brown butter ice cream.  The caramel was one dab and an intense flavored and colored red apple caramel/sauce was another. The donut holes are the exact right size after this feast and the Fall flavors are so right now.

Then (!), a course of house made caramels and macarons were served. The French crispy cookie should not be confused with the kinda nasty “macaroons” that come out of a can for Passover. These are air-light, with creamy and flavorful centers.

I know I’ve left out a couple of courses; it was just such a sensual experience, it was hard to write down all the notes! I was going out of my mind. Check out the slide show for all the offerings.

The inn – being a traditional inn – does have 17 rooms and suites for overnight accommodations.

Here’s something even more unique to add to your dinner enjoyment: eating with a President! Encounter with James Monroe: $595. Spend up to 4 hours with President James Monroe (AKA Actor Dennis Bigelow as you share a meal with the former president (food & beverages are additional). Encounter with Thomas Jefferson: $995. Mr. Jefferson (portrayed at the age of 33 by Historical Interpretor Steve Edenbo) will spend up to 4 hours with you, sharing a conversation over a cup of tea or dinner at Clifton (this enhancement must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance; food & beverages are additional). I wonder if anyone ever books both Presidents, as they often broke bread together at Monticello.