Category Archives: Chef’s Tables

Triadfoodies Chef’s Table Recap: Cille & Scoe

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As the sun set on a popular restaurant in downtown Greensboro, a new concept emerged. Forged from a childhood spent with grandparents on an urban farm. a dream was being woven and a little boy learned how to grow his own food each season, harvest it, and prepare it for dinner. That lifelong love and learning of a true farm to table experience has brought to life a restaurant, that calls itself “Southern, redefined.”

Roscoe and Lucille Reaves

Lucille and Roscoe Reaves taught Chef Sean Reaves so much of everything that he knows, that the namesakes and their passion for growing their own food are at the heart of ‘Cille & ‘Scoe, affectionately adopting the nicknames of the two people who’ve impacted him the most.

I usually don’t inundate (haha) a new restaurant with one of our events so soon, but to know Sean and his wife, Tara, is to love them, and I couldn’t wait to show them off a little bit. I strongly encourage you to listen to my podcast as we interviewed this beautiful couple about their life, Sean’s career, their family and this new “baby” they’re nurturing.  Speaking of babies, the Reaves already have two very little “littles” and another one on the way. Yes. They’ve been busy. 

Open for about a month in the location that once was 1618 Downtown, we enjoyed a November Chef’s Table at ‘Cille & ‘Scoe where our sold out “small group” of 25 shared multiple courses family-style. The place was jumping, no question about that and what goodness it was to our eyes to see this early on.  Let’s take a look at the courses, shall we? 

Course One: Charcuterie

Course 2: Shrimp & Grit Cakes

Course 3: 4-Day Chicken (this chicken has been brined, dry rubbed over then coure of 4 days, then roasted)

Course 4: The R & R, Rabbit Ravioli

Course 5:

Beef & Beet (Beef with homemade spaetzle and beet consomme)

It was so nice to meet Sean and Tara and I know our guests enjoyed talking to him toward the conclusion of the evening.

We think ‘Cille & ‘Scoe have a successful road ahead. As many restaurants that are new and young, the Reaves are working out some of those early kinks with execution and getting things to the table quickly. And some dishes are so popular, they’ve sold out of them on some nights. The love affair with local is real and you can see the passion in Sean’s and Tara’s eyes. If you attended our Chef’s Table, we thank you so much for supporting our local chefs. We’ll see you again at the table in the new year!

Wanna go?
‘Cille & ‘Scoe is located at 312 S. Elm Street, Greensboro
336-522-6592
cilleandscoe.com

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A Look Back at Our Chef’s Table at Sixth and Vine with Chef Ebony Warfield

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A Chef’s Table is an experience. What started five years ago as a handful of people letting the chef surprise us has transcended into a gathering of friends that seem to extend beyond itself as we see new faces each month. When we sat together at 6th and Vine to get to know Chef Ebony Warfield, there was an unmistakable magic in the air and by the end of the evening, Chef Ebony felt the magic and the love.

Ebony Warfield is the new executive chef at 6th and Vine, a restaurant located on 6th Street that has become somewhat of a Winston-Salem icon. Ebony is the first Black Executive Chef in Winston-Salem. It’s even more special because the restaurant is also woman-owned as Kathleen Barnes has remained an integral part of WSNC food scene for a number of years. You can learn more about Ebony and Kathleen in my podcast on the Triad Podcast Network. With a military background and a number of years working locally in some of our top dining establishments, this wife and mother’s dedication to her profession is inspiring. I knew I NEEDED to feature Ebony at a Chef’s Table. She and Kathleen promptly said “yes,” and once we went live, the event sold out in just a few hours.

Ebony introduced the evening that was about to commence as “…dinner at your grandma’s house, if your grandma went to culinary school.” Soul-filling and nourishing dishes that inspired by her upbringing and training were nudged into creative iterations that dazzled our eyes and palates. The attention to flavor and detail was remarkable. At the end of the evening, Ebony received a well-deserved standing ovation, which led to her tears and our tears. She felt it! It was special. If you were there, thank you for being a part of it. Thank you for showing this talented chef all the admiration she’s due. If you missed it, fear not, foodie. She’s in the kitchen of 6th and Vine dazzling diners 5 days a week including Saturday/Sunday brunch.

Let’s take a look at our four course Chef’s Table with Chef Ebony Warfield.

Course 1: Southern Charcuterie with homemade cornbread, pimento cheese, pickled collards, homemade jam, homemade toasted & caramelized pecans

Course 2: Pureed White Bean Soup, Ham Cup, Parley Oil

Course 3: Roasted Chicken with Local Seasonal Vegetables

Course 4: Lemon Blueberry Upside Down Cake

We hope you get a chance to visit 6th & Vine and see what Ebony and her team are churning out. While the menu has stayed the same in many ways, because Ebony didn’t want to mess with what was working, her touches are evident and the specials always look amazing.

Tears of joy with a standing ovation

Chef Ebony Warfield, 6th & Vine owner Kathleen Barnes, Mary Haglund

Our next Chef’s Table is September 15 at Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen and Bar featuring Chef Tim Grandinetti. It’s SOLD OUT but stay tuned for more Chef’s Tables in the coming months.

Triadfoodies Chef’s Table with Chefs Swing & Andrews at Young Cardinal Cafe & Co.

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Breakfast for dinner anyone? If that’s one of your favorite things, you would’ve loved our latest Chef’s Table at Young Cardinal Cafe & Co featuring Chefs David Swing and owner and chef Adam Andrews. You probably know Chef Adam as owner of Jeffrey Adams on 4th, The Trophy Room, Dogwood Hops & Crops and Twisted Pine Catering. Though no longer an owner, he helped Fourth Street Filling Station become what it is today. And as if he’s got any time on his hands, he also has a farm which supplies produce to his restaurants. David Swing was a featured chef back in October 2019 and we were excited to work with him again at his new digs in a completely new way.

Young Cardinal opened its doors at 424 4th Street, Winston-Salem, in February 2020 just before the Covid pandemic hit. No one could’ve seen what was coming as the dining public waited anxiously for downtown’s newest breakfast and lunch spot to open. YC barely skipped a beat once restrictions were handed down. They pivoted and offered a to-go menu and even had a little market set up for downtown residents to quickly grab a few grocery items. In fact, Young Cardinal was busy during those lockdown days and more and more people enjoyed the deliciousness and were happily sharing their experiences with their friends on social media.

At June’s Chef’s Table, I wasn’t quite sure if there would be a July event as staffing issues still were projected to be a factor and many restaurants are not back to either capacity or normal hours. But I reached out to Chef Swing and he and Adam Andrews gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. Twenty-four hours after the tickets went live, we had a sold out event.

This spread was amazing. The Scotch eggs were so tasty.

Young Cardinal is all about breakfast and lunch items, but fun and creative additions to your typical breakfast fare, along with the soul-soothing favorites like eggs, bacon and waffles. Our Chef’s Table was no different. No only were we greeted at the bar with a huge board of delectable snacky and brunchy type items from scotch eggs (OMG sooooo good), pimento cheese, bacon to biscuits, ham and cinnamon rolls, we had four huge courses of breakfast with a twist.

Course 1: Avocado Toast with Tuna Poke

Course 2: “Huevos Rancheros with Pork Belly, Mole Sauce

Course 3: Nashville Hot Honey Chicken & Grits

Course 4: Ube Waffles w/ Duck & Pickled Blueberry Syrup, Matcha Whipped Cream

To say we were stuffed after basically four full brunch courses is an understatement. Good thing we all went home and hopefully to bed because the brunch nap was a felt need after this dinner. But it was delicious and we are so happy Adam opened his doors to us!

We were also so pleased to have Sixth and Vine’s Executive Chef, the stunning Ebony Warfield, with us. She’s featured next month at our next Chef’s Table, which sold out in just a few hours. We are super excited about that!

If you’d like to know more about Chef Swing and Chef Andrews and the Adams restaurant group and everything they’ve got going on (which is a lot), check out my podcast with them here. You can also find the Triad Podcast Network and “At the Table with Triadfoodies” wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you missed out on this Chef’s Table, the good news is Young Cardinal Cafe & Co is waiting for you right on 4th Street in downtown Winston-Salem. You can get your breakfast fix 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday 8am-3pm. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for specials and their schedule. Chef Swing did tell me they will be closed the week of July 24-30. Annnnnnd….drop me a note in the comment section. Where would you love to see a Chef’s Table in the Triad? Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point? Would love to hear from you.

Young Cardinal Cafe
424 4th Street, NW
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
youngcardinalws.com

A Chef’s Table is Back! Meridian Restaurant w/ Mark Grohman

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It’s been a loooooonnng 16 months since our last Chef’s Table. We had a great launch in 2020, but things went downhill fast after everything was shut down in March last year due to the pandemic. Staying open with takeout was one thing. Reopening to dine-in was another. From staffing issues to supply problems, we weren’t quite sure when we might be able to offer events again.

But one day, mr. foodie traveled for business in the beautiful city of Winston-Salem, stayed at the Brookstown Inn and walked over to his favorite, Meridian Restaurant, for dinner and cocktails and my Mark and Chef Mark resurrected the Chef’s Table.

Meridian Restaurant is located at 411 Marshall Street SW, in the beautiful Brookstown area of downtown Winston-Salem. To say Meridian is one of our top restaurants in the Triad is an understatement. From tapas to a delicious steak, excellent wine pairings and cocktails, Meridian has never disappointed. It’s modern, beautiful and elegant but unpretentious. You can have dinner in your jeans and still feel comfortable. And Chef Mark Grohman knows how to treat his guests.

Chef & owner of Meridan, Mark Grohman, always brings his best game.

Once the ticket sales for the Chef’s Table went live, it sold out in about six hours. In keeping with the spirit of distancing, we kept the event as close to 30 as we could. And on June 15, 36 happy faces greeted one another with hugs and excitement. This is meaningful because after 5 years of Chef’s Tables and it’s evolution over the years, many of our returning patrons have become friends with me and with each other! Each month, it’s like a reunion with veterans and newbies. It was so great to see everyone again. We are back!

Before I show you the courses, I’d like to invite you to take a listen to my podcast, “At The Table With Triadfoodies” on Triad Podcast Network on Apple and here on the web. I talked with Chef Mark about navigating the last 16 months, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic, and what that was like as a business owner. What he had to say was really insightful from a business owner and employer’s perspective and I think you’d enjoy it.

Chef Mark wanted to simply give us a “Taste of Meridian,” five courses that represent the flavors of the restaurant. A little something different along with traditional fare we might be accustomed to seeing at this gleaming restaurant. Let’s take a look at the courses.

The menu

Course 1:
Tete de Porc with ruby port shallot marmalata & strong mustard

Course 2:
House made gnudi w/lemon cream & herbs 

Course 3
Seared yellow fin tuna with Shore Farms spring onion red pepper couscous & Gnomestead Hollow mushroom relish

Course 4
Steak au poivre garlic mashed potatoes fire roasted vegetables wild mushroom cognac sauce

Dessert course
Corsican style lemon cheesecake with caramel sauce

Beautiful Meridian Restaurant
Guests arriving and enjoying cocktails and fellowship

Stay tuned for a new Chef’s Table announcement, coming soon! You’re going to love it!

Get your tickets to our Chef’s Table at Sophie’s Cork & Ale

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Hi, foodies…

We’ve been on a bit of a reunion tour of sorts with our 2020 Chef’s Tables. We’ve been going back to some of our favorites by popular demand. January-Meridian Restaurant; February-Vin 205 Wine Bar and next month-Sophie’s Cork &  Ale!

Read about Chef John Wilson and get details on our event here. 

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Chef John is one of the most creative and talented chefs in the Triad and he’s truly doing his thing at Sophie’s and getting that restaurant all kinds of recognition.

Join us on Monday, March 16 at 6:30 at Sophie’s in Lexington.