The Charlottesville 29

12/29/2023

Five Finds on Friday: Rachel Gendreau

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Rachel Gendreau, of Crush Pad, Luce, and Bizou. A Certified Sommelier, Gendreau these days is most often at Crush Pad, where if you walk in and ask her to choose a glass, a bottle, or even a case, you will walk out happy. “I am blessed to eat and drink exceptionally well in my line of work with Vincent & Co., and so this was a major challenge,” said Gendreau. “I went with the dishes I returned to most often this past year, the things that make my heart happy and were always enjoyed in beloved company.” Gendreau’s picks:

1) Skip Burger at Blue Moon Diner. “Somehow both tragically hip yet endlessly welcoming, everything about the Blue Moon vibe is immaculate, and Laura is truly the coolest. I’ve been coming religiously for the Skip Burger since I was in college, a slightly runny egg, perfectly medium rare patty, crisp LTO, bacon, melty cheddar, side of fries (dipped in mayo, because I’m a monster), and invariably accompanied by a bottle of the house bubbles to share. THE breakfast burger to cure anything that ails ya.”

2) Boat Noodles at Thai Cuisine & Noodle House. “Thai Cuisine is my go-to Thai spot for sure, and while Jay and his crew always deliver exceptional pho and curries, I’m a Boat Noodle girl for life. Something about that dark, rich broth and the chew of the noodles, tons of cilantro and scallions, bulked up with an extra portion of Gai Lai. Oh baby.”

3) Celery Salad at Birdhouse. “I am lucky to live in a killer food neighborhood, and having this gem within walking distance is a beautiful and dangerous thing. Liz’s expertly curated low-intervention wine list is a major draw, as is the achingly perfect chicken and sides the kitchen turns out, but nothing has my heart quite like the celery salad – a light, refreshing, texturally perfect foil to all of the schmaltzy goodness on the table.”

4) French Onion Croissant at Cou Cou Rachou. “Another neighborhood delight, and one with which I share a name. My daughters and I allow ourselves carte blanche and always leave much poorer, but with a box full of sweet and savory masterpieces. We are fond of the quiche-lets, the caneles, the sourdough, the giant cookies, and whatever mousse is in the fridge upon arrival, but the French Onion Croissant rocks our world every single time. Get two, trust us.”

5) Lobster Roll and Oysters at Public Fish & Oyster. “Nobody does happy hour quite like Public – snag a couple of early barstools, and let John make you a pristine Negroni. Order a dozen dealer’s choice bivalves, always expertly shucked, and work your way through them while waiting for a generously portioned lobster roll (Maine-style or bust, fight me). Add a glass of sharp, saline Muscadet, and you’ll probably hear me purring from West Main Street.”

12/28/2023

2023 Dish of the Year: Gazpacho at Smyrna

In retrospect, the praise should have caught my attention more than it did. Especially given its source. Culinary director of Joël Robuchon for more than a decade, Christophe Bellanca has been Executive Chef of some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants — not just Joël Robuchon, but L’Orangerie, Le Cirque and BLT Group. Kitchens like those are loaded with talented chefs. And yet, of Tarik Sengul, Bellanca said: “one of the best chefs I’ve ever worked with.”

The context was the June 2022 launch of Smyrna restaurant, which Sengul had moved from Charlottesville to New York to open with his friend Orhun Dikmen. For research for a preview article, I tracked down Bellanca, for whom Sengul worked at Joël Robuchon. Maybe I thought Bellanca’s words were hyperbole — or a kindness extended to a former employee. But, he lit up about Sengul – praising his technique, knowledge, and what Bellanca called “cooking sensibility.”

Eighteen months later, I understand what Bellanca meant. From my meals at Smyrna, Sengul’s talent has been unmistakable. The refinement and precision of his food reward close attention. And, Charlottesville has noticed — fellow chefs in particular.

No dish better captures this than Sengul’s gazpacho. Wait, gazpacho? Cold tomato soup? Plenty of home cooks make a decent one just by combining some vegetables in a blender. Voila. But, the cooking sensibility that caught Bellanca’s eye, Sengul elevates a humble cold soup into a dish that has captured the attention of Charlottesville.

Anatomy of a Soup

Like many chefs, Sengul changes his menu with the season. When Smyrna first opened in June 2022, for example, it offered a spring pea soup, served hot. But as the heat of a Virginia summer arrived, Sengul felt nature pressuring him to switch to something more refreshing. A gazpacho, he thought.

But, this is no ordinary gazpacho. When I asked Sengul for what inspired it, he cited research, restaurant experience, and his own palate memory. But, Sengul stressed, inspiration is just part of the process. Also vital, perhaps even more so, is proper execution, which Sengul says requires what he calls “structure.” That need for structure has prompted Sengul over the years to develop a checklist of “desirables and must-haves” for a new dish:

First, the ingredients must be appropriate for the season.
Second, the various flavors much complement each other.
Third, the dish must match the concept of the restaurant, yet at the same time possess a degree of uniqueness.
Lastly, the dish must be simple enough to be executed consistently and on a regular basis.

Tarik Sengul

For the gazpacho, Sengul followed his checklist. Once satisfied that he had a concept meeting all four requirements, he consulted his team — Nadim Mukaddem and Drew Kuechler — for further refinement. Only then did the soup reach the menu.

For an item listed simply as “Gazpacho,” the steps required for its preparation may reveal why even our best home cooking can fall short of great restaurant dishes. Sengul’s team deseeds, peels, and quarters heirloom tomatoes. They deseed, peel, and dice cucumbers. They deseed, peel, and dice red peppers. They peel and roughly chop celery. They remove the germ from red onion. They remove the germ from garlic. They mix these ingredients all together, in Sengul’s precise proportions, add sherry vinegar and hot sauce, and marinate overnight.

The next day, they blitz it all in a blender, and pass it through a chinois for enhanced smoothness. Finally, for service, they garnish the soup with Caromont goat cheese, black pepper mignonette, cilantro, Fresno peppers and olive oil.

The result is far greater than its parts, a harmony of flavors that commands attention. While all four items on Sengul’s checklist are necessities, the one where great chefs often distinguish themselves is the second: combining ingredients and flavors that complement each other well. “Like music, food is a composition,” says Sengul. “It requires combining many different elements, prepared with the utmost respect, and focus on the task at hand to produce a sum greater than its parts.”

The reactions I’ve seen from diners tasting Sengul’s gazpacho suggest it does just that. They do that double-take people do when caught off guard and taken back by how delicious something is. When I went with a group of friends for a manly meat dinner, it was gazpacho that stole the show. And chefs swoon, too. “The tartness of the cherry with fresh heirloom tomatoes and the creamy Caromont goat cheese was put together wonderfully,” Bell’s John Shanesy said. “Three textures, each very important, and in harmony together.”

If you want to try the soup, you will have to wait. December now, it will be months for the soup’s season to come. But don’t worry. There’s plenty of stuff that reflects Sengul’s cooking sensibility in the meantime. And, it’s worth the wait.

The 2023 Dish of the Year is Gazpacho at Smyrna.