Chow Down with John Batchelor at Double Oaks

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Double Oaks is a significant historic property, honored by placement on the National Register in 1985. It was designed by North Carolina’s first registered architect, William G. Armfield. Construction began in 1906 as a home for Harden Thomas Martin, a Reidsville merchant who had it built for his retirement residence. The house was completed three years later. Only a few examples of this Colonial Revival style remain in Greensboro.

The property is named for two huge oak trees in the front yard, each over 200 years old. The entryway is dominated by a split-run staircase with molded handrails and turned balusters. The interior includes eight fireplaces and mantels and multiple pocket doors, all intact from the original building.

James and Amanda Keith acquired Double Oaks in 2016. They originally moved to Greensboro ten years earlier to complete graduate school at UNC-G. Although the building was in good condition when they bought it, they undertook considerable improvements in order to facilitate utilization as an inn and restaurant. James did the cooking himself during the early years. Austin Jeffries is the Inn Manager. (The Keiths are also in the process of restoring another landmark, North Carolina’s oldest hotel, the NuWray, in Burnsville, nuwray. com.)

A large Willow Oak and a row of Hemlock Cedars provide shade in the backyard. Weather permitting, the wrap-around front porch, side porch, and large multi-level deck provide ample space for outdoor seating.

The website earns special praise for the level of information it provides about the property and its history. This is an elegant inn, and a very good restaurant, but it offers an unusually rich range of experiences. For example, you can rent from a classic car collection. For mid-week, Wine Wednesdays are the standard fare. That menu features several pizzas. On most occasions, a representative from an area distributor provides the wine presentation. Live jazz creates great ambiance. Full-service dinner is provided on Thursdays and Fridays.

My wife and I started one evening with Fritto Misto — tempura fried cauliflower, red peppers, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus, enhanced with “glory sauce,” a highly flavorful spicy mustard variation on remoulade. The vegetables themselves were all fresh, cooked al dente. As enjoyable as they were, however, this kitchen’s rendition of Mussels ranks even higher, right up there in the most elite category. A pound of Prince Edward Island mussels are sautéed with garlic, onion, and tomatoes, then bathed in white wine, grain mustard, herbs de Provence, and heavy cream. This is served with a sliced baguette. Dip the bread in the sauce. Exquisite, for balance as well as overall lush flavor.

We stuck with seafoods for a couple of entrees that night. Carolina Coast Pasta joins tender Gulf shrimp with soft bay scallops, sautéed in an herbed mushroom cream sauce with chicken sausage, English peas, asparagus, red onion, and cherry tomatoes, enhanced with fresh basil and wide, shaved parmesan cheese. Clips of green onions lend a little more bite. Diver Scallops — large, perfectly browned — are presented in a sweet potato risotto, flavored with roasted shallots, figs, and onions, in a beurre rouge sauce. Frankly, I would never have conceived of combining figs with scallops, and nobody else in my experience ever has, either. But the natural sweetness of both ingredients marries beautifully.

On another evening, I selected fowl fare — Pecan-Crusted Chicken, two slices of breast meat coated with crushed pecans and breadcrumbs, with Boursin cheese melted in between, sauteed mushrooms on top. This was served with roasted potatoes and grilled, slightly smoky-tasting asparagus. Solid, fresh flavors all around, the chicken appropriately moist. My wife opted for red meat that night — Short Ribs, tender enough to be pulled with a fork, emitting solid depth of beef flavor, extended with house-made pierogies (fried dumplings), mushroom confit, and beef jus, plus asparagus. The mushroom flavor in particular just blends right in with the beef juices, all soaked up by the dumplings. Killer! We skipped desserts, but you might devote special attention to the ice creams — all made in-house.

The dinner menu is under the helm of Chef Stephen Mekita, who took over in December. He started out cooking at Café Pasta and fell in love with the professional kitchen while he was there. Nicole Ramsey manages the front of the house.

Sunday Brunch is available as well. I’m looking forward to returning mid-week and on a weekend! !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@ gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

WANNA go?

Hours:

Appetizers: $12-$25

Salads: $10

Entrees: $25-$32

Desserts: $5-$8

Most recent visit: February 9