I stayed in Colonial Williamsburg for two nights, so was able to dine twice on Duke of Gloucester Street, aka the main drag of the historic area. My first evening I chose Chowning's Tavern, which is a 1941 reconstruction of what historians believed to have been here during the 18th Century.
Touted as a less stuffy establishment where reservations are not needed, the interior is colonial also quite informal. A bowl of peanuts greets each diner once they are seated.
Real candlelight versus a faux electric one was a nice touch.
While the lock on the door looks old, I had to remind myself that this building's true history is 1941.
My second night began with cocktails on the back terrace of the Williamsburg Inn.
My friend Harriet who had moved from San Diego to Virginia Beach was able to join me for dinner. What a wonderful surprise!
For my last night in town, I chose King's Arm Tavern, where I had dined back in 1971 and fell in love with their Cream of Peanut Soup. The original restaurant opened in 1772, while the reconstruction where we dined was built in 1949.
The interior was more formal than Chowning's, and a reservation was definitely required here, as the snooty girl in front reminded me. Once we passed her reception area on the porch, all was well.
I repeated history by starting with the Cream of Peanut Soup. Just as good as I remembered.
A tasty Pork Chop followed.
And naturally dessert was required. A slice of Chocolate Pie with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream.
We both had a wonderful time there. I look forward to returning one day!
More Colonial Williamsburg at my main website.
2 comments:
I know when you say "snooty" you're taking the high road and understating it. Still, the mental picture it creates feels correct. That Cream of Peanut soup sounds like the single best thing I've heard of all month.
I remember the cream of peanut soup from my 1981 visit. I also remember I had "colonial game pie," which I think had rabbit, quail, and squirrel in it. I hope it wasn't made of real colonials.
On the same vacation, we ate lunch at Bookbinder's in Philadelphia, where we were served by your snooty hostess' dad. My parents always tip fairly with additional cash for exceptional service, but they were so frustrated by this guy that they nearly left him nothing. That's also where I tried raw oysters for the first time, and one got caught in my braces on the roof of my mouth. It was 14 years before I tried them again.
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