206 S. Royal
Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-9293
http://jsgourmet.com/element

American | $$

My wife and I joined a friend in Front Royal for a wonderful dinner at Element recently. We have eaten several times at Element’s sister restaurant Apartment 2g upstairs above Element. Chefs David and Stacy Gedney opened Apartment 2g in 2003 after meeting and working at the venerable Inn at Little Washington. Dining at Apartment 2g was always a treat. The food was great and the funky setting of a few small tables in each room of the apartment was unique and fun. The kitchen was down the hall and open if you wanted to wander in and see your food being prepared. Those not wanting to leave their seat were able to watch the kitchen through a closed circuit TV in each room. Today Apartment 2g is on a limited schedule with the focus on Element.

We started with a delightful carrot ginger soup. The perfect consistency and great taste was not over powered by ginger.

Our friend had the Pork Saltimbocca a Pork Loin stuffed with Sautéed Spinach, Provolone, Ham, & Parmesan with Roasted Potatoes and Sautéed Squash.

My wife had the Mignonettes of Beef Au Poivre with Loaded Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli. The beef is a heavily peppered French dish with a strong but not overwhelming pepper crust. The waiter warned us she would need a fondness for pepper flavor to enjoy the dish. It was a tender choice cut with a fine peppery coating making each bite mouthwatering.

For my dinner I ordered the Pan Seared Scallops over Egg Noodles with Roasted Fennel, Apples, and Butternut Squash with a Pumpkin Butter Cream Sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly, not overdone or burnt. The Pumpkin Butter Cream Sauce was amazing. The aroma was heavenly. Its consistency was closer to butter than cream, yet it had a creamy smooth texture with incredible flavor. With only six scallops I would have finished within a minute had it not been for the noodles and apples. Often I see this dish with simple linguine, rice, or a green vegetable like asparagus. The wider egg noodles were a nice choice, giving the dish more body.

We ate early and watched the small restaurant fill quickly. Use of the patio is limited as we head into colder weather so I would strongly recommend reservations. Two guys took our order and brought the food. I hesitate to call them waiters only because they pulled duty as bartenders and Maître d. They knew the menu inside and out and were happy to answer all our questions. We don’t drink so I can’t speak to the quality of their wine selection only to say it looked large.

They offer several great looking sandwiches for lunch so I think our next trip to Element will be in the afternoon. If you are anywhere near Front Royal it is worth a call to see if they have room for you to enjoy dinner. You won’t be disappointed.

Inn at Kelly´s Ford
16589 Edwards Shop Road
Remington, VA 22734
(540) 399-1779
http://www.innatkellysford.com/

American | $$

Not far from Culpeper, VA adjacent to the Rappahannock River and across from the C.F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area is the picturesque Inn at Kelly’s Ford. Set on a 500 acre estate the Inn overlooks the Kelly’s Ford Civil War Battlefield. We had a wonderful time meeting friends for brunch and talking with Chef Jean Paul Pessaint.

The Inn is surrounded by rolling hills and manicured horse paddocks.

The 30 seat main dining room is furnished in a style reminiscent of the civil war time period.

The salad was a nice mix of fresh locally grown greens.

My wife began brunch with the Soup du Jour a delightful Roasted Red Pepper.

One friend chose the Eggs Benedict, a Toasted English Muffin topped with Poached Eggs, Canadian Bacon covered in a Hollandaise sauce.

The Belgium Waffle was made perfectly with a great flavor and an ever so light crust.

I decided on the Chef’s special of Veal Chop with Mustard Gravy. This bone-in veal loin chop was an excellent tender cut with a pleasant taste. The mustard gravy was amazing. I was concerned the mustard taste would overwhelm but it was perfect. A delicate balance of a spiced mild mustard in a smooth gravy.

All the dishes except the Belgium Waffle arrived with the same potatoes and corn. My first observation is always visual. The dish looked bland because all 3 items were nearly the same color. You don’t realize how important color is to the culinary experience until you’re stuck by its absence. Fortunately we came to eat not just look and everything was great.

My wife ordered a crab omelet she said was the best she has had. The photo I took was not usable but it looked splendid.

Blueberry Crème Brûlée.

Raspberry Chocolate Cake.

Bread Pudding

Almost every time I’m asked what I would like for dessert I request a double order of Butterscotch Pudding only to be disappointed when I am told it’s not on the menu. I was happy to see this Butterscotch Chiffon Pie with Walnuts and a Sweet Carmel Sauce. The butterscotch pudding base was topped with a light airy butterscotch chiffon. The flavor was a perfect rich classic butterscotch. I couldn’t finish the Carmel sauce, it was very sweet and a little goes a long way.

Casual dining is available downstairs in Pelham’s Pub with access to an outside patio when the weather is nice. During the summer the Inn hosts many weddings so reservations are recommended.