I was recently invited to Southern Season in Richmond, VA to view their new store. I previously had visited their Chapel Hill, NC store and was excited to see their newest venture. My day long experience was a great food adventure. I was greated by Aaron Brooks, General Manager and the leadership team from the store. The first stop was a gourmet experience. We were treated to some of their newest and interesting dishes to try from their restaurant. From roasted beets with a curried banana foam and elderflower goat cheese, grilled chicken with grilled freese(curly endive) and beet pur̩e, and pork tenderloin with a potato shell, wild mushroom ragu and candied carrots, the food adventure began. Every bite was a taste experience and one I will not forget soon. After our tasting, the store tour began. One thing I learned is Southern Season features small food producers and highlights many local and regional products. Many of their cheeses are from local farms that produce seasonal cheeses when the dairy cows are grass fed. Dany Schutte, Southern Season, corporate cheese buyer, was a wealth of knowledge and I learned an enormous amount about various cheeses and brines used in cheese making during her presentation. Then we were off to one of my favorite areas, wine and beer. Sergio Pinzon, resident wine and beer manager, described how they are closer to a private wine boutique than a large store wine department and you can special-order anything. Needless to say, I left with a few new bottles of wine and a new friend in the wine industry. We then headed to the endless shelves of gourmet products, cooking supplies and did I mention the largest assortment of Jelly Belly jelly beans I have ever seen. One thing not to be missed is their Cooking School, they have classes available for almost any cooking adventure. They did mention that Biscuits 101 is one of their most popular classes. I too think this class looks very interesting -check out this menu featured for this class -Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Creamy Girls and Plum Rum Jam Рsounds like a winner to me! A few more areas not to miss is their coffee bar that features an oversized Yama cold drip coffee maker and their coffee creations menu, and an all inclusive cookware and gift section. I am always interested in the newest and greatest in the food industry and Southern Season is hitting the mark in all areas. Definitely worth a trip. Check out their website http://www.southernseason.com/our-stores/richmond/ for more store information.
Here I am with Dany Schutte, Cheese Buyer and Aaron Brooks, General Manager
. Delicious food samples
Southern Season Cooking School