Dining Review: Castle Hill Inn's Guest Chef Dinner

Dining Review: Castle Hill Inn's Guest Chef Dinner

Rhode Island’s culinary event of the year may have just taken place. I was lucky enough to get a seat at Castle Hill’s very intimate (about 40 guests) Guest Chef Dinner on November 18th. Those in the food-know would be rapturous to hear that joining the well-seasoned chefs at Castle Hill was a team of consummate Rhode Island culinarians. How often do you get Jonathan Cambra of the Boat House, Champe Speidel of Persimmon in Bristol, and  from Providence, Matt Jennings of Farmstead & La Laiterie, Beau Vestal of New Rivers and Derek Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway, in the same kitchen with Castle Hill's top-flight team?

Unforgettable evening

I arrived with my date at Castle Hill on a crisp late-fall night to enjoy what was sure to be an unforgettable evening of culinary talent and wine pairings. Only steps in the door I received my favorite greeting of all, a flute of Brut from Espernay. Chef Cambra created an array of thoughtful hors d’oeuvres to satiate the wanting troupe of eager diners. A clear crowd favorite was the Baked Matunuck Oyster.  A classic seafood shooter with Maine crab, spinach and a rich Mornay sauce.  My favorite bite came by way of the Cochon. Fatty Pork belly rested on a crumbly biscuit morsel before receiving a treatment of candied squash and goat cheese. Yes!

Foie gras + charcuterie

Plated service started out with an intriguing amuse-bouche, a foie gras pop with gooseberry preserves and pop rocks. This dish was reminiscent of a new and exciting PB&J (I guess that is how you turn your kid into the

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

next Escoffier?)  Next up was a plate of assorted charcuterie prepared by New Rivers’ Chef Vestal.  The various pork dishes were each great in their own way – especially when paired with a homemade mustard – but I particularly enjoyed the torchon of rabbit and cranberry. Faintly sweet and very delicate, this was the star of the course for me.

Nuance

The most nuanced dish of the evening was conceived by Chef Jennings of Farmstead. Fatty and flavorful pieces of swordfish belly were cold smoked and plated with a salad of sweet green apples and pickled pumpkin.  Really punching this dish up was an octopus mosaic (think a flat sheet of sliced tentacle) this provided a great chewy texture but the small pieces that Jennings used ensured you didn’t need to spend the entire evening chewing. A memorable note was the use of a spicy Andouille spread on a crostini, especially the priceless look of this heat setting in on all of the diner’s faces in unison.

Allure

The use of rabbit sausage continued with the alluring cold soup created by Chef Speidel of Persimmon. A soft rabbit boudin blanc was center stage for a creamed sweet soup of orchard fruits. This thought-provoking course was garlanded with pickled apples shaped with a Parisian scoop. A truly beautiful dish with meticulous simplicity.

Destiny

The main course, and my favorite of the evening was the dry aged Blackbird Farms beef prepared by Chef Wagner of Nick’s on Broadway. This dish was telltale of Wagner’s culinary style. Everything belonged on this plate as if the ingredients were destined for each other. Thoughtfully toasted purple, white and green cauliflower florets embellished the rich and dynamic flavors of the expertly prepared dish. Even after a string of wonderful recipes this one stood out at first bite as a truly exceptional preparation.

As my evening of gastronomic prodigy came to a close I was impressed one more time by the Castle Hill tiramisu served with black garlic ice cream and Samuel Smith oatmeal stout. The roasted garlic and coffee traits of this noteworthy ice cream left me hoping that all Rhode Islanders take the opportunity to enjoy a jewel of the culinary scene right in our own state. Keep an eye out for the next time Castle Hill offers this incredible culinary journey.