Mouthwatering meal – Williamsburg, Virginia
Posted in Family Fun, Food, Historic | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Recipe, US Domestic Travel
(This week, we continue our review of Williamsburg, Virginia…)
Brunswick Stew at Chowning’s Tavern
When my family visited Williamsburg while I was a child, we ate at Chowning’s Tavern and I vividly remember eating Brunswick stew. I don’t know why they call it Brunswick stew, but I recall the savory chicken stew and couldn’t wait to try it again when I returned as an adult. A melding of many flavors and rich colors, it was still terrific! (Recipe follows.)
Chowning's Tavern - Photo provided by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg has several restaurants with different menus and styles of cuisine. All of the restaurants have servers in Colonial-style period costumes who “fit the part.”
Sometimes, you may even have a chance to banter with a figure from the past. Often, entertainers will stroll about playing an appropriate musical instrument. It is certainly a special occasion even at the humblest restaurants or serving stations in Williamsburg.
Back in the Colonial era, taverns were gathering houses, but each had its own adherents. Much as he believed in equality, Thomas Jefferson would not likely mingle with the hoi polloi!
During the holidays, the restaurants are decked out in garlands and have an especially festive air. At any time of year, I recommend visiting at least one area restaurant to share the flavor – literal and figurative – of the Colonial era. Today, sanitation is much better, but the authentically created food has a charm that our modern era lacks.
Restaurant Choices
Nowadays, the Colonial Williamsburg restaurants are egalitarian. The leveler is price. Depending on what you fancy, you might go to Christiana Campbell’s for seafood, Shields Tavern (with a lower level and space for big crowds) for “Southern comfort foods,” King’s Arms Tavern for upscale cooking to match the former clientele and pricing, and the more homey Chowning’s Tavern.
Shield's Tavern - Photo provided by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
For the more upscale restaurants, reservations are a good idea. There are also some excellent restaurants in the hotels andMerchant Square nearby, adjacent to the Colonial Williamsburg historic area.
Some informal places, such as the bakery, where you can purchase cookies and other era-correct goodies and other stands, provide hungry travelers with a quick snack (not for free, of course!). Near the Visitor Center, the unadventurous can still get their fix of hamburgers and other 21st century cuisine.
RECIPE (continued)Brunswick Stew
(recipe courtesy of The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook, by John R. Gonzales. The cookbook notes that chicken has replaced squirrel as the meat in the recipe!)
2 chickens (about 3 pounds each, but into 6-8 pieces)
4-5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped OR
2 (16 oz) cans, drained, seeded, chopped
4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
In a large pot, place the chickens and add enough water to cover, 2-3 quarts (about 2-3 liters)
Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is falling off the bones and the broth is well flavored.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl and cool.
Skim the broth. Add the tomatoes, corn, potatoes, onions, lima beans and okra.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, pull the chicken of the bones.
Add the chicken to the vegetables and taste the stew and adjust the seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, sugar as desired.
Serve hot in warm bowls. Serves 4-8, depending on appetite.
Note: The writers of this blog have not been compensated for these reviews and are independent of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Tags: Recipe, US Domestic Travel