easter dinner at the ivy inn! jealous?

i was fortunate enough to enjoy my easter dinner at The Ivy Inn in Charlottesville yesterday.  we had spectacular weather: blue skies, a little bit of a breeze, and a toasty temperature (too hot for me, but still nice).  the restaurant is a little converted house off of ivy road and had beautiful gardens and prime picture-taking spots.

as for the food?  well it was divine.  we started out with some mediocre amuse bouche (so i didn't bother taking pictures), but the rest of the meal was so delicious.

it was a set easter menu that provided a few choices for the appetizer and the entree, with a salad course in between.  i chose the asparagus soup with lump crab meat, a sprinkle of bacon, and chervil.  it was silky smooth, smoky from the bacon (which i don't generally care for at all, but it was just perfect in this context!), and the chervil was a bright note at the end.

Asparagus Soup

the next course was the salad course.  it was fresh greens with paper thin radishes and cucumbers, in a light basil vinaigrette.  it was served with two pieces of bread: one was a rosemary french bread and the other was an almond brioche.  the salad was topped with a huge slice of parmigiano cheese and fresh cracks of black pepper.  yummm!

Mixed Local Green Salad

now for the main course-- and by far my favorite course.  i chose the grilled canadian chinook salmon filet which was delightfully pink in the center and seared with a crispy top.  it was served on top of a bright green pea puree and sauteed spinach.  the show stopper for me were the scalloped potatoes: nearly fifty layers of potatoes cut thinner than a potato chip, with cream and sharp cheese to hold everything together.  the potatoes were on top of a whole grain mustard sauce which was tangy and a perfect complement to the delicate salmon.  i almost licked my plate clean!

Grilled Chinook Salmon and Scalloped Potatoes

dessert was one of the richest things i've ever eaten. it was a duo of sweets.  the first was a "torta ciocolatta", or a really fudgy chocolate cake, with cappucino semi-freddo on top (which is really just soft ice cream), and a caramel and creme creme anglaise.  the second was marinated strawberries in an almond cookie "bowl", with a mascarpone zabaglione drizzled over the top.  it was sinful.  (sorry for the poor photos-- the light was coming in strangely on the table by the time dessert arrived!)

the whole meal was delightful and a perfect easter treat.  hope you enjoyed your meal as much as i did mine!  a big thanks to the Kijewskis for their generosity and easter cheer :)