Top Chefs Dinner Series with Heirloom Tomatoes, Virginia Wines and Duke’s Mayonnaise

Village Garden RVA grows over 300 varieties of heirloom tomatoes on a vaunted acre in County of Hanoverlong famous for Virginia ‘mothers. Instead of high production, farm and life partners David Hunsaker and Barbara Hollingworth cultivate quality and diversity. They founded Village Garden in 2011 and specialize in forgotten nuggets (Mikado, named after the opera), wild color variants (El von phuket, a pink Easter egg tomato) and Oxhearts — “my all-time favorite,” Hunsaker said. “The tomato filet mignon.”

“They are so stunning and delicious,” said the chef Brittany Andersona double time James Beard Award semi-finalist, Top Chef contestant and owner of Metzger Bar & Butchery and Brenner Pass. “We’ve been using Village Garden for years. At first it was just word of mouth to get them.” Last season, Anderson and others created eleven Tomato Dinners around richmond and Charlotteville. For 2022, the series returns with an expanded lineup: twenty-one day-trip-worthy local events across the state with additional stops in Northern Virginia and washington d.c..

Events are curated by an award-winning sommelier and photojournalist Jason Tesaurowith knowledge about tomato and plants delivered by the farmers themselves.

Each chef establishes his own menu, price and format. Some are casual, some are refined, all are differently delicious. It’s a celebration of eating + drinking + edutainment + harvesting. To satisfy tomato lovers, #SSS22 events vary the social calendar and the spectrum of chefs: modern Latin at Cocodrilo (6/28), Afro-Jewish fusion at JewFro (7/27), fine Southern at Lemaire (7/ 22), French countryside at L’Auberge Chez François (8/11), and even a trendy Tomato Bowl at the River City Roll (7/6)!

Accompanied by the best tomatoes, the wines of Barboursville Vineyards, from Virginia most honored wine estate, owned and managed by Italians since its founding in 1976. Estate Director Luca Paschinanamed one of the “20 most admired winemakers in North Americaby Vineyards & Winery Management Magazine is itself nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award. Diners will enjoy highlights from the portfolio of Barboursville including crisp Vermentino, refined Fiano and blends rated over 95 points like Nascent (white) and Octagon (red). Barboursville’s Palladio’s own restaurant is hosting an Italian Festa del Pomodoro on 8/5 with varieties like the Piennolo del Vesuvio and Costoluto Fiorentino that promise to crush.

Collaborating on the series is one of the most iconic brands in Southern cuisine: Duke’s Mayo. Each event features tomato facts, merchandise, prizes and surprises.

FULL SCHEDULE AND EVENT INFORMATION HERE

SOURCE Duke’s Mayonnaise