tabletalk

December 2007

New Room at the Inn
by Kirsten Parmer/dining@eightyone.info

The last time I visited the Belle Grae Inn in Staunton was for a friend’s 30th birthday several years ago. We stayed and dined at the bed and breakfast and consequently felt like we should’ve been celebrating a bigger birthday—like 80, maybe. It was sort of stuffy and old, and the food was nothing to speak of, but they had a nice package with the Blackfriars Playhouse, which is what brought us there in the first place. Despite an otherwise great weekend of shopping, theater, horseback riding and loads of laughter, I was in no hurry to return to the inn.

All that’s changing with this fall’s arrival of new innkeepers Elizabeth and Rod Bennett and their addition of a chic new lounge called Shakespeare’s. The old breakfast buffet area and sunroom have been completely transformed into a fantastic little martini and tapas bar. The deep mossy walls, wood flooring and oriental rugs make it elegant. The black bistro tables and retro tunes make it trendy. The fireplace and upholstered furniture make it cozy and intimate. And the feather boas and pearls to wear if the mood strikes make it over-the-top fun. They’ll even move a table or two if anyone wants to dance. What’s not to love?

Shakespeare’s is spacious—with room for two dozen at tables and another handful at the bar, then several other comfortable seating arrangements with vintage couches and chairs—making it a perfect place to gather a group of friends after work or for an evening out. Then again, curling up in front of the fireplace with one special person works there, too. The menu lists nearly 40 martinis from classics such as a French 75 to unique creations like the Astropop and the Drunken Monkey. The martinis seem expensive—$12 to $17—but each comes in its own shaker that will fill your glass at least twice. Also on the libations list are a dozen champagne cocktails served up in tall cool test tube-y glasses for $8 each.

Their new young chef, Josh Naber, has created a nice list of “little bites” to complement the drink menu and will change it “whenever the mood strikes or about every two weeks,” say the Bennetts. We sampled Chesapeake crab hushpuppies with lemon butter, chunks of seared beef with three sauces, and a creamy cheese fondue with baguettes and broccoli to dunk. All were good.

Other options included gourmet hot dogs wrapped in puff pastry with Dijon mayo, a fruit and cheese board, coconut fried zucchini with mint sauce, mussels, and dim sum. Tip is automatically included, which is a nice feature because, as we all know, trying to figure out 20 percent of $67.32 after a few cocktails is the hardest math we’ve done since high school calculus.

Aside from this great new addition, they’ve made other changes at the inn, too. The old sitting room—where you seriously just sat—is now a billiards room. They welcome children. Fine dining is still offered Thursday–Saturday as well as a Sunday buffet brunch. Shakespeare’s is open Wednesday–Saturday from 4 to 8:30 pm, but will stay open longer for those who just can’t seem to leave. The Bennetts are full of energy and dreams for the Belle Grae, and I get the idea that it will continue to evolve well under their management. Because of that, I’ll be back—maybe to stay overnight with my family for a quick getaway, but most definitely with a dozen friends in tow for tapas, drinks and one damn fine evening. Until then—as Shakespeare’s Juliet said, “parting is such sweet sorrow.”