Out of the Oven Article from Curio Magazine

THEVALLEYMAGAZINE V olume 34, 2011

a s atisfying s lice Staunton Pizzeria Dishes Up the Perfect Pie

A Glimpse Inside K eswicK H all

a canine Who cares

A Service Dog Aids Children in Reading

Peace corPs at JMU

school of rock A Look into One Professor’s Life as a Former Rock Star

Four Peace Corps Volunteers Share Their Experiences from Around the World

{4} Out of the Oven

S ta f f THEVALLEYMAGAZINE V olume 34, SPRING 2011 E ditors -I n -C hief Colleen Hayes Jordan Garegnani A rticles E ditor | Chloe Mulliner C opy E ditor | Megan Reichart P hoto E ditor | Robert Boag C reative D irector | Amy Gwaltney W riters Katie George Nora McLeese Brittany Keenan Allison Killam Emily Weidie Molly Rossberg Molly Haas Alexandra Conroy Alex Van Rees

Contents

Staunton pizzeria serving up slices of heaven.

{7} Teacher’s Pet

A four-legged friend helps Marianne Baker inspire reading in the Valley.

{10} Classroom Rock

Former rocker hopes to inspire young musicians through teaching.

{14} Peace Corps Chronicles

Volunteers share their stories of success and hardships while serving in the Peace Corp.

P hotographers Amy Gwaltney Jordan Garegnani Mary Becker Katie George C ontributing P hotographers Ryan Freeland D esigners Jeff Darling Mary Claire Jones A dvisor Dave Wendelken

ABOUT CURIO: Curio is a regional general-interest feature magazine published each year by students in the School of Media Arts & Design at James Madison University. Curio is a nonprofit organization supported by the College of Arts and Letters and the School of Media Arts & Design.

Subscriptions are not available.

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{20} The Story of Keswick

{38} A Hidden Lotus Temple

Discover the history and luxury of Keswick Hall.

25 - From Monticello to the Table

An ashram in Virginia continues the ancient tradition of the yogi lifestyle.

The Executive Chef of Fossett’s Restaurant reveals his historic inspirations

for the exquisite food at Keswick.

{42} 75 Years Young

{28} Finding Truth | Seeking Truth | Sharing Truth

{46} Pins and (knitting) Needles

A young church grows exponentially by making worship an informal affair in Harrisonburg.

{32} The Valley Above An aerial photo essay of the Shenandoah Valley.

A park 75 years in the making gets a celebration it deserves.

Three JMU students sell their handmade creations through their self-run business called The Mason Jar.

On The Cover: A misty morning at Keswick Hall.

Photo courtesy of Keswick Hall.

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Out Oven of the

{A Slice of Staunton’s Dining Delights}

Story by Katie George | Photos by Katie George and Mary Becker

“Johnnie, Johnnie,

we need you up here, the kitchen is going crazy.”

The desperate calls from the kitchen send John “Johnnie” Huggins rushing to his chefs. It’s the peak of the Saturday night rush at Shenandoah Pizza in downtown Staunton, and as the restaurant’s owner, Huggins’s presence is required in five places at once.

As the band sets up in the front of the restaurant, the line of waiting customers quickly extends outside the front door. Hot, steaming pizzas emerge from the kitchen in constant succession, and two new orders replace each completed one.

Prep Work It’s hard to imagine that only five years ago this bustling restaurant was simply a longstanding idea.

“I’ve always wanted to do a pizza shop since I was in college,” Huggins said. “I mean, what American doesn’t like pizza? It’s sort of a natural thing.”

Taking on the challenge to try something new, Huggins and his wife, Cheryl, left their home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and moved to Staunton to start up their dream.

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Huggins’s determination, however, was not enough to turn out an instant victory; his idea required close to a year of preparation.

“We never ran a restaurant, so we had to learn by doing, and we’re still learning,” he says.

Together, the couple traveled around the country visiting famous pizzerias from Maine to Mississippi.

After collecting ideas and developing recipes, they were ready to prove they could make it work.

The Hugginses began by churning out pizzas in the kitchen of their Staunton home, but with some help from a friend, they moved the business into a small establishment downtown.

Here their success quickly escalated, allowing for the move into the current premises.

“What made us really popular is the networking and being really involved in the city,” Huggins says.

Now, three years later, Shenandoah Pizza has risen in fame, providing those weekend nights that keep Huggins so busy.

“There’s a lot of hours involved, but we’ve got a pretty good reputation,” he says.

The Upper Crust Huggins selectively chooses the ingredients, prepares all six sauces and pestos from scratch, and in the summer months, tops the pizzas with fresh, local vegetables. However, he takes most pride in his crust.

“We make our dough in small batches so it’s constantly fresh,” he explains. “That’s what really keeps us going.”

Each batch uses Wade’s Mill organic flour, which is grown and ground in the Shenandoah Valley. Extra virgin olive oil and kosher sea salt heighten the crust’s wholesome flavor and customers can choose from four styles: regular, whole-wheat, sunflower-parmesan and gluten-free.

Each crispy bite gives way to the lightest of interiors, a pillow-like mass

of moist and delicate bread — crunchy and chewy, yet meltingly soft.

Huggins’s pizzas are also distinguished by their quirky names – every one commemorating the town that he has come to love.

“We pick institutions, hotspots, schools and places to eat around Staunton, and name the pizza after them,” Huggins says.

Furthermore, the toppings reflect something significant about each place.

“I thought it would be extra special to do that,” he says.

The Dairy-Rite Pizza, topped with ground beef, onion, bacon and cheddar, recognizes the town’s historic 50s-style diner.

The Mary Baldwin features the favorite toppings of regular customers from the school: roasted red pepper pesto, broccoli, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Students from the Umbau Architecture School in Staunton constructed their namesake pizza in an ingredient contest. The winning selections were artichokes, garlic, red onion, roasted red peppers, black olives, mozzarella and feta.

The sophisticated aspects of these gourmet pizzas, however, certainly don’t detract from business. Newcomers and long-term customers alike enjoy the menu’s refreshing take on the standard pie.

Liz and David Royer are previous Staunton locals who now live in Lynch-

burg. Yet their appreciation for the food’s all-natural quality and unique taste still brings them to Shenandoah Pizza at least four times a year.

“The pizzas and ingredients are so inventive, things that I wouldn’t have thought of,” Liz says, as she takes a bite of the avocado, feta and sunflower topped Gypsy Hill. “And I love the crust, something about it just makes the pizza seem healthier.”

The rest of the customers seem to silently agree, their faces exposing unified satisfaction as they savor their cheesy slices.

Extra Toppings Judging by the menu alone, Shenandoah Pizza already exceeds the typical pizzeria provisions, but their special touches make the restaurant truly exceptional.

In five years, the restaurant progressed from offering 10 varieties of beer to over 200.

“It seems like every six months we add 50 more,” Huggins says with a chuckle, still surprised of the growth.

The menu includes local options like Blue Mountain Brewery beers to specialty brews from Colorado and California.

Also, since day one, Huggins has hosted jazz and blues musicians who, along with the aroma of fresh pizza, permeate the air with eclectic ambience.

“It brings this 50s jazz lounge feel,” David Royer says.

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Huggins started with hosting Staunton’s local musicians, but as the restaurant’s name grew, so did the variety of performers. Players showcase their music almost every night and many musicians from out of state add Shenandoah Pizza into their tours.

“I’ve gotten myself involved with concerts and music festivals around the area too,” Huggins says.

Included in the list of events sponsored by the Hugginses are the Wine and Jazz Festival on June 18 and Shenandoah Summer Blues Fest on Aug. 27.

Slicing it Right The restaurant’s astonishing flavors, unique menu and added bonuses of beer and music come together to provide the ultimate pizza experience.

Compared to other Staunton dining

locations, Shenandoah Pizza’s casual atmosphere and reasonably-priced fare makes the restaurant appealing for anyone.

“It’s a great, energetic and fun place to hang out. John’s a great guy and makes you feel at home or like you’re at a friend’s house for dinner,” says frequent diner David Ferreira.

But despite Huggins’s pride in the restaurant’s constant success, he is most satisfied when using it to give back.

“Cheryl and I definitely have a sense of community and we give a lot; we’re involved with a lot of charities, school fundraisers and the arts,” he says.

Huggins hopes that his commitment to the arts and effort to showcase musical talent in the restaurant and Staunton serves to make a difference and bring the community together.

{BESTSELLERS} S henandoah :

Everything is special in the Shenandoah Valley: Ham, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, and mozzarella on red sauce V alley :

A center for the performing arts and home to extraordinary musicians and artists: spinach, mozzarella, red onion, and tomatoes on white sauce S hakespearean : See Shakespeare come alive at Blackfriars Playhouse: artichoke hearts, mozzarella, and tomatoes on basil pesto sauce W oodrow : In honor of Staunton’s own Woodrow Wilson: pepperoni, sausage, and mozzarella on red sauce

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John’s Favorite:

I sland G irl : Our native OBX daughter’s favorite pie: ham, bacon, pineapple, and mozzarella on red sauce

Author’s Favorite:

T he V irginia V ineyard : The Blue Ridge is home to award-winning wines with grapes harvested from our local vineyards: grapes, Gorgonzola cheese, and rosemary (a surprisingly unique blend of sweet and savory that transported me into a momentary Tuscan countryside. A uniquely refreshing option and a definite must for venturous eaters.)

It is this generosity and involvement, along with the personalized menu and the restaurant’s name, that proves Huggins will forever give his community the first slice. Whether a friend of Huggins’s or a first-time customer, all diners receive superior attention and entertainment in a setting fit for continuing the community’s vitality.

“I hope the customers have a good, enjoyable meal and people will come here and not just think they’re at their average pizza place, but that we have something a little extra special,” he says.

K atie G eorg e is a junior media arts & design major and studio art minor from Leesburg, Va. She is the art editor for 22807 Magazine. She keeps an independent food blog and plans to pursue a career that combines her interests in food and cooking with media, photography, and graphic design.