ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 TAG: 9601310006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SERIES: Taste of Virginia
SOURCE: JANN MALONE RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Chef Jay Frank likes to poke around Indian and Asian markets for new ideas to take back to The Dining Room at The Berkeley Hotel in the city's Shockoe Slip area.
Occasionally, he'll find some exotic food no one in the kitchen - including himself - has ever seen.
``I bring things in all the time,'' he says, ``and they ask, `What is that for?' I don't know. Eventually, it will come into play.
``Knowing that somewhere I'm going to use it, that, to me, is the exciting part of cooking.''
Like most chefs, Frank understands the importance of using fresh and seasonal ingredients. For him, though, there has to be the added element of excitement.
That's where the Indian and Asian influences come into play: ``If we limit ourselves to Western cuisines, it's boring.''
He may mix Asian and Southern flavors, as he does by flavoring pork tenderloin with hoisin barbecue sauce and serving it with homemade applesauce and braised kale.
``I love home cooking, ethnic foods and everything in between,'' he says. ``I try to implement some of all that here.''
Frank has been chef at the Berkeley since 1991. A Richmond native, he got his start in the kitchen at age 15 as a dishwasher at the Salisbury Country Club. Learning on the job, he flipped burgers and made sandwiches.
Eventually, he cooked in Austria, Germany and England. Back in the States, he worked in Miami, New York City and in Virginia at the Inn at Little Washington and the Urbanna Inn.
At the Berkeley, Frank changes the menu twice a year, in April and September. Nightly specials give him more room to be creative. ``We create food for the season with the ingredients that are available,'' he says. ``Each new menu is a little more adventuresome.''
When he writes a new menu, he tries to visualize how a dish will look on the plate and taste on the fork. ``It's food that I enjoy eating, food that excites me.''
Exciting does not mean off-the-wall weird.
``I don't want to be known as an innovator of food,'' he says. ``On the other hand, I want to create food that will broaden horizons.''
For instance, his restaurant sells a lot of beef. ``I try to put it together in a way besides a baked potato and a salad.'' That could mean pairing grilled tenderloin with an African-influenced horseradish relish containing coconut and tomatoes.
Or it could mean serving a sirloin with local spinach, portabella mushrooms and barley, a starch that surprises diners expecting a baked potato.
Or maybe the potatoes will be blue: ``That really opens the eyes up.''
Even with the changing menu, one item is constant: a salad of apples, endive, roasted walnuts and Stilton cheese that goes back to Frank's Urbanna days. ``It's just a great composition of ingredients,'' he says.
Another constant is the serenity of the dining room, which has a European feel: small and intimate, with dark wood paneling. Window tables give an insulated view of the bustle outside in Shockoe Slip.
The atmosphere makes it a place for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. ``We have people tell us, `You're our favorite restaurant. We come here two or three times a year.'
``You don't have to dress up, but The Dining Room creates that feeling. You want to dress up.''
In a way, the celebration aspect fits right into Frank's philosophy of food: ``When you sit down at dinner, many people feel it's just eating, but, for me, it's entertainment.''
Recipe for: Rockfish with Shiitakes, Capers and Jumbo Lump Crab
Name:
The Dining Room at The Berkeley Hotel
Address: 12th and Cary Streets, downtown Richmond. Phone: 804-780-1300. Specialty: American Regional Cuisine specializing in different selections of beef and seafood utilizing many Virginia products. Price range: Dinner $15.95-$24.95. Hours: Breakfast 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.; Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner 6-10 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations: Preferred but not required. Dress: Coat and tie preferred but not required. Payment: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Discover. Alcoholic beverages: Full service bar and lounge area will extensive wine list. Non-smoking section: Yes. Handicapped accessible: Yes. Additional information: Special events include wine tastings and guest chef dinners
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Chef Jay Frank likes to use exotic foods in hisby CNBrecipes at the Dining Room at The Berkely Hotel. color. 2. Rockfish
with Shitakes, Capers and Jumbo Shrimp as prepared from a recipe
provided by The Dining Room at The Berkeley Hotel.