Thanks for adding this. The Sean Elder piece I linked to talks about their running out on their partners but I had no idea they had behaved so badly to the people who worked for them. Shameful!
The Joyce Chen scissors work really well for lobster and king crab. Instead of nut crackers, I give each guest a pair of these little scissors to deal with the shells (or if more formal, I would cut pre-cut all the shells before service). These scissors are little however and to me, they are not a superior substitute for a good beefy set of poultry shears if you are trying to cut bones. These are small sharp scissors without a whole lot of leverage compared to a bigger set of poultry shears.
My guess is the problem is with my use and not the implement. I probably just don't know how to properly de-bone poultry using the Shen shears. Thanks for kindly ignoring the more obvious answer.
Vernon was an amazing talent at finding wine - like the Bordeaux he got from Chez Denis in 1973 + sold at heart-breaking "low" prices (1945 Lafite @ 145 a bottle in 74-75 now goes for close to $20k...)- or advertising fresh truffles from Perigord in the New Yorker by the ounce + 1/2, with FedEx delivery. A true showman and an entrepreneur of the first order. Sad endings, however, for both Booneville and Sammy's. A good friend, and a great hustler!
We knew Vernon and his partner Victoria pretty well in the early 70's thanks to Jeremiah, Alice and some other friends. When he bought part of Chez Denis' wine cellar - just the Bordeaux up to 1955 (and this was in 73!) - it was an amazing collection of some 10k bottles. I don't know how he got the money together, but he did, and it provided me and my friends with many a good time through the end of 1976. We had 4 bottles of 45 Lafite from 74 onwards, and a lot of other great ones like Vieux Chateau Certan and some Montrose back to the 1920's at "bargain basement" prices. Alas, those days are gone, but the current market for 2nd and 3rd labels of Bordeaux chateaus from first to fifth growths is still affordable (if I can keep away from Latour's 2nd, or Pichon-Baron's or Margaux's Pavillion Rouge...). All good stuff.
I have always loved the way you described The New Boonville Hotel in Comfort Me with Apples, and was so thankful to see pictures and the full article here this morning! I've tried to make my little world in Illinois like that, with a huge garden I cook from everyday. Thankful for your excellent writing, Ruth.
Your article in Met Home sent me to the New Boonville Hotel and it was wonderful. I have such a vivid memory of walking through their gardens, and then dining on the bounty! Boonville became my ideal of what a restaurant should be.
Best warm spinach salad EVER. I still remember yes the drive with a best friend, the anticipation, the sweet welcoming space and the food of course. Thanks Ruth for bringing up a delectable food dining memory for me.
Thank you for the memory of The New Booneville Hotel and The Apple Farm ! Both very special places. I remember meeting Sally at The Apple Farm soon after they sold The French Laundry. She walked us around the property and we stood in that kitchen where she shared her plans.
I give everyone I know a pair of Joyce Chen scissors. They look at me like, um, thanks, scissors. Invariably, they return to me later with a comment that they love those scissors more than life itself. Haha.
I ate lunch at New Boonville on July 4, 1983, and still remember the strawberry shortcake. Almost crossed paths with the Rollinses after they split for France; Charlene was cooking at Anne Willan’s chateau in the Morvan just a couple of years later — they had left about a week earlier than we got there. Finally wrote about New Sammy’s in a roundup I did for Bon Appetit on Ashland in the late 90s. Early on, it was a mind-blowing restaurant for southern Oregon, and they started a bakery too. Vern had an amazing wine list and actually down-sold me on a small appellation burgundy that was the epitome of Pinot noir. When I said I was a journalist they were very reluctant to talk at all, but a restaurant like that doesn’t stay secret for long. Unfortunately it got very tired towards the end, but they had their moment.
What memories I have of the New Boonville Hotel! My boyfriend (now husband) and I were students at UC Davis when the restaurant opened. Anderson Valley being a perfect weekend getaway with inexpensive lodging, we made dinner reservations for a Saturday night and headed up. It was a rainy winter, that I can remember, as we barely made it up the steep driveway to our Boonville lodging. We hoped we could make it back up again after dinner. The dish that stood out for us were the crispiest potatoes we had ever eaten. Cooked with apples and garlic, it was incredible. I never was successful in recreating it. I’d love the recipe if anyone has it. What made our meal memorable, however, was the “pacing.” We were warned by several people waiting for their tables that the seating and food service were slow. Quite the understatement. If memory serves me the two of us were there for 4 hours, and it was likely that we ordered only two courses, being poor college students. Nevertheless we have fond memories of the Rollins’s food and I wish I had known they had a restaurant in Oregon.
Hard to believe we did the Booneville story almost 40 years ago....I can still taste that food, and I remember taking a break, sitting in the Adirondack chairs in the sun-filled garden as you scribbled notes. John Vaughan shot it, probably one of his first food shoots; he was such a special person, incredibly gifted with both light and composition, inviting the reader to share the wonderful flavors. I miss those early Met Home days, such a sense of discovery.
Bill & I had just moved to Philo (town just west of Boonville) when the original Boonville Hotel operation folded. There's more to the story (see Christa's note, below) and that the Schmitts were able to pull it back from the depths was a miracle. When they still owned the French Laundry in Youngville, I took a friend there for dinner one day. Don Schmitt refused to present us with a bill. That's in contrast to what the Rollins would have done. So long as the Schmitt family is involved with the Boonville Hotel, they will always have my total support.
You post says nothing of what happened when they snuck off in the middle of the night. Leaving staff and suppliers unpaid and It is part of this story you should not omit. link to article https://www.theava.com/archives/63602 and https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-30-mn-8528-story.html#:~:text=The%20New%20Boonville%20Hotel%20restaurant,legions%20of%20creditors%20to%20fume.
Thanks for adding this. The Sean Elder piece I linked to talks about their running out on their partners but I had no idea they had behaved so badly to the people who worked for them. Shameful!
You’re right; this is the essential postscript. Thank you for providing this info.
Sounds like some of the story from Bel Campo Meats.
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-19/after-a-summer-sourcing-scandal-belcampo-meat-co-abruptly-closes-it
The Joyce Chen scissors work really well for lobster and king crab. Instead of nut crackers, I give each guest a pair of these little scissors to deal with the shells (or if more formal, I would cut pre-cut all the shells before service). These scissors are little however and to me, they are not a superior substitute for a good beefy set of poultry shears if you are trying to cut bones. These are small sharp scissors without a whole lot of leverage compared to a bigger set of poultry shears.
I obviously have inferior poultry shears. Will have to look into that!
My guess is the problem is with my use and not the implement. I probably just don't know how to properly de-bone poultry using the Shen shears. Thanks for kindly ignoring the more obvious answer.
Vernon was an amazing talent at finding wine - like the Bordeaux he got from Chez Denis in 1973 + sold at heart-breaking "low" prices (1945 Lafite @ 145 a bottle in 74-75 now goes for close to $20k...)- or advertising fresh truffles from Perigord in the New Yorker by the ounce + 1/2, with FedEx delivery. A true showman and an entrepreneur of the first order. Sad endings, however, for both Booneville and Sammy's. A good friend, and a great hustler!
Incredible wine collection and incredible prices.
We knew Vernon and his partner Victoria pretty well in the early 70's thanks to Jeremiah, Alice and some other friends. When he bought part of Chez Denis' wine cellar - just the Bordeaux up to 1955 (and this was in 73!) - it was an amazing collection of some 10k bottles. I don't know how he got the money together, but he did, and it provided me and my friends with many a good time through the end of 1976. We had 4 bottles of 45 Lafite from 74 onwards, and a lot of other great ones like Vieux Chateau Certan and some Montrose back to the 1920's at "bargain basement" prices. Alas, those days are gone, but the current market for 2nd and 3rd labels of Bordeaux chateaus from first to fifth growths is still affordable (if I can keep away from Latour's 2nd, or Pichon-Baron's or Margaux's Pavillion Rouge...). All good stuff.
I have always loved the way you described The New Boonville Hotel in Comfort Me with Apples, and was so thankful to see pictures and the full article here this morning! I've tried to make my little world in Illinois like that, with a huge garden I cook from everyday. Thankful for your excellent writing, Ruth.
Your article in Met Home sent me to the New Boonville Hotel and it was wonderful. I have such a vivid memory of walking through their gardens, and then dining on the bounty! Boonville became my ideal of what a restaurant should be.
Note to self: Buy Joyce Chen's kitchen scissors 😊
Just did!
Best warm spinach salad EVER. I still remember yes the drive with a best friend, the anticipation, the sweet welcoming space and the food of course. Thanks Ruth for bringing up a delectable food dining memory for me.
Thank you for the memory of The New Booneville Hotel and The Apple Farm ! Both very special places. I remember meeting Sally at The Apple Farm soon after they sold The French Laundry. She walked us around the property and we stood in that kitchen where she shared her plans.
I give everyone I know a pair of Joyce Chen scissors. They look at me like, um, thanks, scissors. Invariably, they return to me later with a comment that they love those scissors more than life itself. Haha.
PS. I clicked your amazon link and see I've purchased these scissors 14 times before. LOL!
I ate lunch at New Boonville on July 4, 1983, and still remember the strawberry shortcake. Almost crossed paths with the Rollinses after they split for France; Charlene was cooking at Anne Willan’s chateau in the Morvan just a couple of years later — they had left about a week earlier than we got there. Finally wrote about New Sammy’s in a roundup I did for Bon Appetit on Ashland in the late 90s. Early on, it was a mind-blowing restaurant for southern Oregon, and they started a bakery too. Vern had an amazing wine list and actually down-sold me on a small appellation burgundy that was the epitome of Pinot noir. When I said I was a journalist they were very reluctant to talk at all, but a restaurant like that doesn’t stay secret for long. Unfortunately it got very tired towards the end, but they had their moment.
What memories I have of the New Boonville Hotel! My boyfriend (now husband) and I were students at UC Davis when the restaurant opened. Anderson Valley being a perfect weekend getaway with inexpensive lodging, we made dinner reservations for a Saturday night and headed up. It was a rainy winter, that I can remember, as we barely made it up the steep driveway to our Boonville lodging. We hoped we could make it back up again after dinner. The dish that stood out for us were the crispiest potatoes we had ever eaten. Cooked with apples and garlic, it was incredible. I never was successful in recreating it. I’d love the recipe if anyone has it. What made our meal memorable, however, was the “pacing.” We were warned by several people waiting for their tables that the seating and food service were slow. Quite the understatement. If memory serves me the two of us were there for 4 hours, and it was likely that we ordered only two courses, being poor college students. Nevertheless we have fond memories of the Rollins’s food and I wish I had known they had a restaurant in Oregon.
New Sammy’s was my favorite restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of dining at. Incredible food, incredible wine at equally amazing prices.
I miss Charlene’s food so much.
Thank you for your memories on the New Boonville Hotel! I remember it well
Hard to believe we did the Booneville story almost 40 years ago....I can still taste that food, and I remember taking a break, sitting in the Adirondack chairs in the sun-filled garden as you scribbled notes. John Vaughan shot it, probably one of his first food shoots; he was such a special person, incredibly gifted with both light and composition, inviting the reader to share the wonderful flavors. I miss those early Met Home days, such a sense of discovery.
Bill & I had just moved to Philo (town just west of Boonville) when the original Boonville Hotel operation folded. There's more to the story (see Christa's note, below) and that the Schmitts were able to pull it back from the depths was a miracle. When they still owned the French Laundry in Youngville, I took a friend there for dinner one day. Don Schmitt refused to present us with a bill. That's in contrast to what the Rollins would have done. So long as the Schmitt family is involved with the Boonville Hotel, they will always have my total support.