Field & Main Restaurant
8369 W Main St.
Marshall, VA 20115
(540) 364-8166
http://www.fieldandmainrestaurant.com/

American | $$

The restaurant is in a nearly 200-year-old home that owners Star and Neal Wavra painstakingly renovated for more than a year. Star and Neal Wavra are not new to the restaurant business. They previously ran the Ashby Inn in Paris, VA where then Chef Tarver King was at the forefront of the local farm-to-table movement.

The setting and service are first rate.

Our first appetizer was the Dirty Rice with Carolina Gold Rice, Andouille Sausage, Whiffletree Farm Chicken Liver, and Cherry Tomato. A nice refreshing summertime dish.

For our second appetizer we chose the Hearth Roasted Beet with Pecan Butter Dust, Sorghum Syrup, Frisee, Charred Cherry and Pecans. The roasted beet was exceptional.

For my entrée, I chose the Middleburg Montessori Pork Chop with Miso Mustard and Golden Raisin Mostarda. The pork chop is from the Middleburg Montessori School where students raise Duroc and Berkshire breeds of pig. It was tender and moist with a full flavor. Mostarda is an Italian condiment like what Americans know as chutney. The sweet Golden Raisin Mostarda paired nicely with the Miso Mustard for a wonderful balance.

My wife had the Seared Scallops with Cucumber Gazpacho, Cucumber-Fennel-Heirloom Salad with a Magnolia Vinaigrette. The picture says it all.

As a side my wife ordered Braised Collard Greens with Hocks. I wasn’t born in the South so I’m not a collards kind of person. My wife and a friend who joined us both raved about them.

Great coffee from the roaster Black Dog Coffee in Shenandoah Junction, WV.

Dessert couldn’t come fast enough for us. My wife ordered the Hearth Roasted Peaches with Candied Bacon, Bourbon Caramel Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream. At home, we grill peaches then serve with smoked brown sugar, so I knew these done with Candied Bacon would be awesome. The dish did not disappoint. The soft warm peaches paired with (everything is better with) bacon was wonderful.

My curiosity would not let me order anything other than the Corn Pudding Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache, Toasted Meringue and Corn Ice Cream. My wife makes a mean corn pudding so I was intrigued with corn pudding cake. I liked it but my brain had issues with pieces of corn in my cake. I usually pick a chocolate cake so a cake with something chewy in it was very different. The flavor was spot on, I just spent a lot of time thinking about the corn. The ganache was great, especially over the crunchy toasted meringue.

Culinary Institute of America trained Chef Anthony Nelson has done a great job with the menu, using locally grown ingredients from sustainably raised farms he has quickly gained a following with locals. Marshall, VA has become quite the foodie destination. Across from Field & Main is upscale grocery and sandwich shop Gentle Harvest, next door is the well-known Red Truck Bakery, and just up the street is the wonderful Whole Ox Butcher which recently re-located from The Plains. Marshall is near the wealthy communities of Middleburg and The Plains, home to discriminating diners who eat out often. During dinner, more than half of the customers coming or going were known to the staff by name. Reservations are a must.

Dinner is served Thursday to Monday from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. They are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are looking for a nice drive in the country brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Find your way to Marshall soon, you won’t be disappointed.