Farm-to-Plate Commitment

By Rowena Morrel
June 2007

I met young Chef Ian Boden a year ago while teaching a cooking class at Harvest Thyme Herb Farm. He was visiting area farms from which he planned to source local ingredients for his restaurant. It seemed too good to be true – so many restaurants simply give lip service to the use of fresh, locally grown produce and meats. Here was a chef actually visiting local farms – I kept running into him at the farmers market, Gryffon’s Aerie, food festivals and such – places where I shop for food.

In February, Chef Boden opened Staunton Grocery, his own restaurant on Beverley Street in Staunton, serving a modern interpretation of southern cuisine. A dream since early childhood, at age eleven he apprenticed himself to Chef Marc Fusilier, Master of French Cuisine (MCF). This no-frills apprenticeship was in the classic French tradition. Now, at Staunton Grocery, cream is whipped by hand as needed because, as he explained, “that’s the way I learned to do it and that’s the way we do it here!” He attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont; from there he went to New York, honing his skills in competitive, fine restaurants where they were earning the “stars”: Payard Patisserie & Bistro, Judson Grill and Home Restaurant in Greenwich Village. All the while he was creating menus from his developing love of fresh, local, and seasonal foods; building relationships with farmers; and becoming more aware of the relationship between his interest in local foods and a sustainable agrarian economy. He perpetuates his food philosophy by naming his restaurant Staunton Grocery – the grocery store was formerly the place where the best of local foods could be found.

In the front of Staunton Grocery, over the bar, is a chalk board where local food producers on the current menu are listed. As the growing season progresses, Chef Boden will obviously need a bigger board – now filled with eleven names. Reading through the menu I could identify local food producers with which we are familiar (and you will be too): Seafood @ West Main, Everona Cheese, Gryffon’s Aerie grass-fed pork, Wheatland’s grass-fed beef, vegetables from Janet’s Garden, herbs and greens from Harvest Thyme Herb Farm and more. “I had one farmer in midwinter bring me a seed catalogue and ask what I wanted her to plant for the restaurant. Two people have already approached me about raising quail, and I’m searching for someone who raises ducks. The producers’ board will change constantly as we add more local products to the menus.”

The chef is passionate about food preparation, equally as important as the ingredients. “Everything is made in-house: pasta, cured meats, pancetta, sausages, pickles, gravlox and delicious fruit sodas, to name a few. As the season progresses, we will can and preserve items we want to have beyond the growing season. All of our menus are based on what is local and in season. I have developed the 11th menu for spring and, as summer comes on, the menu will change more often. There have been 16 Sunday prix fixe menus since February. Developing new recipes and menus wake me up in the middle of the night – I love it. I like to keep recipes simple to allow the fresh ingredients to dominate the taste – five carefully chosen ingredients is about the limit for an absolutely perfect dish.”

The restaurant is simple yet elegant. Double white-clothed tables line the walls – one natural brick, another painted a rich sage and a third, deep paprika. The front of the restaurant has large store windows, each filled with a banquette. The impeccable wait staff, so delighted to assist and answer questions, wears beautiful yet understated gray broadcloth shirts and black skirts our trousers. The cook staff dons black striped trousers and caps with pristine white coats – a mark of their exacting preparation skills and devotion to good taste. Chef Boden, 28, is already a seasoned executive chef; he imparts his talents and self-discipline to his staff: “I established my kitchen with pride and instill that same pride in my staff, not just in the food we prepare but in all of the healthy aspects of preparing and serving food.” The back wall is windowed into this pristine kitchen, where diners can enjoy an almost choreographed performance. “Commensurate with my philosophy, my kitchen staff comprises local people. I look for those with good attitudes – far more important than experience. I want the kitchen to be a harmonious place – when things are going just right, you can hear it humming and feel the beat.”

Kyle Boatright manages the front of the house. “As wine director, I developed a fascinating wine list that focuses on quality and good value” – with wines that reflect their terroir (though he does not like to use that word). His straightforward descriptions remove the mystery but not the magic. The wine list groups bottles into tasting categories; sparkling, vibrant, bold, sumptuous and profound.

Ron and I chose to dine on Sunday evening when a prix fixe menu is featured – three courses and a wine paring with each course. Other nights, there is always a four-course tasting menu and a regular menu consisting of cold and hot first courses and about 10 main courses. Ron chose the halibut ceviche served on a bed of peppergrass and laced with thinly sliced red chili and kumquat. This perfectly balanced, absolute palate pleaser was followed by seared sea scallops served on a bed of spring vegetables and oyster mushrooms. I was curious to taste the chef’s interpretation of a southern classic – grits. In his Creamy Heirloom Scallion Grits with Porcini Mushrooms, the grits were light and green with flavorful spring scallions and a generous addition of porcini – somewhat reminiscent of creamy grits with sautéed morels that we’d have in the spring at the farm long ago. My main course, the crispy friend chicken breast, was succulent, delicately browned and nested on a bed of creamy white beans seasoned with house-smoked ham. Patty pan squash added some crunch – a far cry from fried chicken with mashed potatoes. His take on southern cuisine is delicious and leaves you wondering about some other menu items. I must return soon to taste the Southern Fried Quail and Vinegar Braised Greens. I would look forward to Glazed Sweetbreads with Poached Quince – that surely puts a twist on another of my southern favorites. Ron could not resist the Chocolate Caramel Tart with Amaretto and Fresh Cream, a treat to be sure, but, chocolate lover that I am, I still chose the more seasonal Rhubarb Plumb Crumble with whipped cream and a chiffonade of fresh mint.

I asked Ian what he likes to cook for himself and what he likes to do in his off time. “There is no off time now. I never, ever cook for myself. I am an avid reader and I like to walk my greyhound. I have just set up my drums in the basement but have not had time to play.” His self-discipline and good taste are reflected in every aspect of the restaurant. “I want people to have a great meal and to develop an affinity for the local food community – to come to Staunton Grocery not only for the taste but also for the sustainability of the local farming community."