Chef at Goodstone Inn Creates Blog
To Engage Guests and Share Details of the Food and Menus
MIDDLEBURG, VA, February 4, 2009 - From the moment he joined Goodstone Inn & Estate in Middleburg, Virginia, Chef Tarver King had sought an ongoing means of engaging his customers in his culinary mission at the historic property. Chef King took over the culinary operation of the Goodstone last October, embracing his role in furthering sustainable agriculture on estate, and embodying the seasonal bounty of Goodstone's fields and farm in the cuisine he serves. Since then, his culinary creations have presented Goodstone's guests with an experience that brings them closer to the land that has provided the ingredients for their meal.
Chef King's cuisine is receiving rave reviews from guests - not surprising given his pedigree ... he was previously the chef at the Five Star, Five Diamond Woodlands Resort, has cooked at the Inn at Little Washington, The French Laundry, at prestigious restaurants in Europe, and for Julia Child. Guests at Goodstone have been so enthusiastic about his cuisine that they've asked to be kept current on what's new in the kitchen and in the dining room.
Tarver King's blog enables him to personally build a relationship with his guests, sharing details of the menus he's creating, discussing special dishes he's particularly enthralled with, and informing guests on what's in season in Goodstone's kitchen gardens. Equally intriguing are the occasional updates King provides on the lambs in the pasture and the gorgeous flock of European chickens in the hen house, which supply the estate with fresh eggs each morning.
Tarver King's blog is highly informative yet it's also immensely personal. The blog is written entirely by Chef King, who serves as the photographer for the images that appear in the blog. The blog is also an instant hit, receiving over 4000 visits in the first month.
"I love to share what makes cuisine exceptional as much as I love to cook great food," said Mr. King, "and I never want to be far from our guests. That's why I launched my blog - to actively engage with our guests and share intimate details of what goes into developing the food they enjoy when they visit, including the wines we recommend, and why everything about Goodstone Inn is completely unique to our property."
Chef Kings concludes with, "Our cuisine is rooted in the terroir of the land making up our 265-acre estate. The minerals in Goodstone's soil influence the flavor of the vegetables, herbs and fruit grown here, and produce nutritious grasses that our lambs and other livestock graze on. The superb wineries nearby produce wine from grapes grown in similar soil conditions -- making a dining experience at Goodstone seamless when paired with some of Virginia's finest varietals.
Chef King's blog can be accessed through Goodstone's website, www.goodstone.com, and by www.goodstoneblog.blogspot.com.
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