One of my favorite weekend adventures is to explore the
wine trails of Virginia.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine recently named Virginia one of
the 10 best wine-travel destinations. Not even California can match
Virginia�s historic venue of plush, rolling landscapes that surround our 230
wineries, and many Virginia wineries are nestled close to estates dating to
the 1700s.
Corollary to the wine-tasting experience is good food,
and this is where the Stonefire Kitchen has earned in its relatively short
history an artful reputation in the craft of the casual meal. Stonefire is
located in the old firehouse in Barboursville, along Route 33, near two of
Virginia�s best-known wineries, Horton Cellars and Barboursville Vineyards.
In fact, there are more than 10 wineries within 20 miles of the Stonefire
Kitchen.
Stonefire Kitchen is the creation of Carl and Tori
Tremaglio, a husband-and-wife team who met at Cornell School of Hotel
Administration in Ithaca, N.Y. Carl says many wine-trail travelers use
Stonefire Kitchen as a rendezvous point to meet friends, enjoy a glass of
wine and a sandwich, salad, or soup, and plan which winery to visit next. He
adds that many of Stonefire�s best customers are local residents who often
design their own sandwiches.
Carl and
Tori Tremaglio, owners of Stonefire Kitchen,
are shown flanking the restaurant's talented
chef, Jeremy Butterfield.
Jeremy Butterfield, Stonefire�s chef, says his goal is
to create casual meals that are a treat to both the eye and the taste buds.
He believes Stonefire�s success is due largely to its seasonal creations
that feature local meats and vegetables. Carl notes that there is something
special about a fresh egg that is only �a short time from the nest.� Farmers
and meat producers within a 10-mile radius supply most of Stonefire�s
ingredients.
Selecting from the menu was difficult because each
sandwich had more ingredients than you would find in many full-course meals.
For example, one sandwich included prosciutto, Genoa salami, rosemary ham,
provolone cheese, sweet and spicy red peppers, red onion, baby lettuce, oil
and vinegar, served on an 8-inch Italian roll. If you have not tried
rosemary ham, it is very good and the aroma is wonderful!
I tried several sandwiches and liked them all,
especially the Stonefire Cuban, which was served hot. The Cuban featured
Jeremy�s special roasted pork loin along with rosemary ham, mayonnaise,
yellow mustard and Swiss cheese. Another sandwich I tried was the curried
chicken salad with green apple and sesame-carrot slaw. This was very
refreshing and would be a great summer selection. With 12 custom sandwiches,
it was impossible to try them all; however, I was certainly tempted. There
were a couple of creations that I made a mental note to try next time, such
as the meatloaf sandwich and a meatless selection featuring Brie, fig
preserves, and green apple on grilled sourdough bread.
In addition to the above selections, Jeremy will craft
your own creation from a selection of more than 50 different meats, cheeses,
veggies, sauces, and breads.
�We work very hard to provide the best customer service
possible. If you can describe it, I will fix it,� says Jeremy.
For those who want an entr�e, Jeremy has prepared
meatloaf or roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables, or a special
seasonal dish. In winter, Stonefire serves at least two soups daily,
including a vegetarian selection and a house special. In the summer, one
will be a chilled soup.
The Stonefire Kitchen also offers a spacious facility
for special events such as weddings, charity dances, and parties, for which
it provides catering.
I select restaurants to write about from
recommendations made by Cooperative Living readers. Email me your
suggestions to [email protected].
Correction: In the February issue of Cooperative
Living, the review of Relish restaurant reported Relish was planning to
relocate to 115 Main St., Warsaw, Va., by Feb. 1. That move was delayed.
However, the new Relish restaurant is now open in the Warsaw location,
serving dinner on Thursday and Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Friday and
Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.
