Bruce Hornsby and Saracen ice cream

December 13

I took a brief trip to Williamsburg, Va., and mostly ate the food of Bob Kinkead, chef-owner of Kinkead’s in Washington, D.C., Colvin Run Tavern in McLean, Va., and Sibling Rivalry in Boston. He was in Williamsburg with his friend Marcel Desaulniers, who owns The Trellis in Williamsburg and was helping Bob promote his new book — or newish, since it was published in 2004 — "Kinkead’s Cookbook: Recipes from Washington D.C.'s Premier Seafood Restaurant."
Marcel held a lunch at his test kitchen and studio, Ganache Hill, for various local food editors. Since I was in town, I was invited too, and I stayed later to interview Marcel and Bob. We chatted about the evolution of restaurant food in America. Marcel recalled working at the Pierre hotel in New York in the 1970s and opening cans of white asparagus and chanterelles.
The lunch featured items from Bob's cookbook.
Then we had dinner at The Trellis, featuring more items from Bob's cookbook. The dinner also featured the art of local painter and photographer Kathy Hornsby, wife of famous musician Bruce Hornsby. I sat across from Kathy and next to her mother, Ann Yankovich. Bruce was farther down the table, which seated 12 people, so we didn't get a chance to chat much. He was about to leave when dessert arrived, and he gleefully sat back down. He's the second guy I've seen in the past two months to be stopped dead in his tracks by dessert. The first guy was a representative from Wild American Shrimp who was actually unable to speak when the dessert cart rolled by at Gottlieb's in Savannah, Ga. I think it's an endearing quality, being enamored of dessert.
Bob sat in the middle of the table, busily signing copies of the cookbook with a sharpie with the same color as the cover of his cookbook. He was very proud of that.

What I ate for lunch:
Arugula Salad with Haricots Verts, Roasted Beets, and Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
Lobster and Macaroni Gratin
Mustard-Glazed Salmon with Crabmeat and Tomato-Basil Butter
Saracen Ice Cream with a Compote of Dried Figs, Prunes, and Apricots

What I ate for dinner:
Strudel of wild mushrooms and country ham
Minnesota wild rice soup with pheasant
Walnut-crusted rockfish with sherry-beet sauce and cauliflower flan
Salad of bibb and soft lettuces with radishes, Gruyère and mustard-chervil vinaigrette
Prime sirloin au poivre with madeira mushrooms and fried zucchini
Chocolate dacquoise with cappuccino sauce and more Saracen ice cream