Century Kitchen is nestled in Flint Hill Vineyards. This land has been owned by the family of Tim and Brenda Doub for more than 100 years — the source of the restaurant's name. The house, with wood walls and floors, was originally built around 1870.
Since this is a winery restaurant, no alcohol other than Flint Hill wines (and maybe something from another Yadkin Valley neighbor) is sold. If you want to bring your own, a very reasonable $10 corkage is charged. I considered the Flint Hill unoaked Chardonnay ($7/glass, $24/bottle) food friendly. I would hypothesize that strengths for N.C. wineries eventually will be unearthed in varietals less often emphasized elsewhere. I am especially fond of Chambourcin ($7.50/glass, $27/bottle, FH) and Syrah ($7.50/glass, $26/bottle, FH), which I think N.C.'s tobacco-laden soils find especially harmonious.
Good olive oil with fresh rosemary and cracked pepper accompanies excellent hot bread, with an almost nutty crust.
My party devoted our initial visit to the regular menu. Butternut Squash Bisque ($6/bowl) exudes the natural flavor of the main ingredient, sharpened by bits of green apple, accented by nutmeg, cumin and clove. Large Fried Oysters ($9) perch over spinach chiffonade, spread with a smoked Gouda cheese cream sauce. Julienne Romaine Caesar salad produces a unique texture, hosting Pan Fried Crab Cake ($9) with Cajun beurre blanc sauce.
Pan Seared Duck Breast ($24) is unusually tender, undergirded with smoky influences, enhanced by crushed cherry compote. Celery risotto and braised red cabbage are a perfect match for the duck. A huge, meaty, lushly flavored Braised Lamb Shank ($24) rests in a parsley and chive veloute, flanked by buttermilk-whipped red potatoes and grilled asparagus, nicely trimmed.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin ($23) bears a beautiful crust that gives way to a moist, tender interior, graced with a chardonnay cream sauce. Buttery tagliatelle pasta with Prosciutto and sage soak up the sauce as well as lending additional flavor. Crawfish etouffe and rice pilaf frame Pan Seared Flounder ($24). Zucchini, yellow squash, and green peas accompany both these dishes.
Desserts cost $6. Blueberry Crepe included strawberries, studded in whipped cream. Lemon Cake is topped with sliced kiwi fruit, flanked by raspberries and blueberries, and swirled with lemon cream and raspberry sauce.
If you are an extrovert, or if you are an introvert and want to convert, consider Thursday night at the Community Table ($35, including one glass of wine). I crashed a party of teachers and spouses from Moore Magnet School, loosely organized by Suzanne Krebs.
This seating is served family style, circulating bowls and copper pots as they are delivered from the kitchen. I savored tender jumbo shrimp in creamy polenta with red and yellow peppers and red onions, followed by a salad of green leaf lettuce, julienne carrot, and seeded and peeled cucumbers dressed in a Champagne vinaigrette.
Bowls of vegetables followed: sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, and red peppers; braised cabbage, and buttermilk-mashed red bliss potatoes.
Three meats honored Southern tradition. Meatloaf with roasted garlic sauce displayed solid depth of flavor. Bay scallops and crawfish tails etouffe bore a mild peppery kick. The staff makes a roux from the pan drippings under roasted chicken, then they blend parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme into a pan gravy. The result is tender and richly flavored.
Peach cobbler with crème anglaise completed the meal.
Chef Sean Wehr emerges from the kitchen to assess guest satisfaction in person. He apprenticed at Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and cooked at the Windsor Court in New Orleans and Roaring Gap Club and Wolf's Lair in N.C. before taking the helm at Century Kitchen. With recorded Harry Connick singing in the background, you can taste New Orleans in his creations.
I stepped from the Century Kitchen porch into pristine Yadkin Valley nights. The land, the vineyards, the oaks, and especially the sky, make this setting quite special. These are the best meals I have had since I began reviewing for the Journal.
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