Dinner with Sylvie….

We finally had our long-anticipated dinner last night at the Inn at Mt. Vernon Farm near Sperryville featuring local celebrity-chef Sylvie Rowand.  We can only say “wow”.

As the local chief of the Daube Police, I can report that she does indeed know what she’s doing.  Of course, it is a distinct advantage if you’re French and it may taste better if you’re French, too.

Sylvie makes her Daube with lamb instead of beef (which is authorized) and she also substituted bacon for salt pork as a base.  That would have the approval of famed British chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  And it took advantage of the pork raised at Mt. Vernon.  All the ingredients were local and most were grown in Sylvie’s own gardens.

We also really enjoyed the appetizer, a rabbit terrine, and the Swiss chard gratin, an a pairing of several cheeses and fruits for a “mini-course” preceding the lemon tart for dessert.  Speaking of pairings,  a pleasant surprise was the excellent wine pairings.  Host Cliff Miller Jr. has some real finds in his cellar, particularly a RdV Vineyards Red Bordeaux blend.

This was the final dinner in a series at the Inn featuring Sylvie.  We will certainly be keeping an eye out for where she appears next.  The best way to do that is to bookmark her website:  www.laughingduckgardens.com.

UPDATE:  (see below comment) This will not be the final dinner after all.  More are scheduled

And by all means keep the Inn at Mt. Vernon Farm in mind when you need a place to recommend to out-of-town guests.  It has exactly the right ambience and “story” that B and B lovers appreciate.  The family home was built in 1827 and played a part in all that happened over the years in this history-rich area.

In just a few short years, the Inn has moved to the forefront of the really outstanding list of lodgings in Rappahannock county.