DATE: Sunday, July 6, 1997                  TAG: 9707030091

SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: MILES TO GO BEFORE I EAT 

SOURCE: BY STEPHEN HARRIMAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: IRVINGTON, VA.                    LENGTH:  292 lines

THE TIDES INN AT 50 UPSCALE RESORT ON NORTHERN NECK STILL SERVING UP FINE SOUTHERN FOOD IN HIGH STYLE

THE DECISION was arbitrary, almost accidental. I chose a Wednesday for an overnight trip to sample the fare at the Tides Inn, suspecting - rightly so, it turns out - that you can't really experience this place in one sitting . .

It turned out to be a fortunate ``accident'' almost, but not quite, equal to the Tides Inn itself.

That's what the late E.A. Stephens always used to say about the Tides Inn after he and his wife, Ann, opened the place half a century ago. ``It was an accident. . . .''

Pretty remarkable accident, this small, upscale, family-run resort on Virginia's Northern Neck that sprawls along a wooded finger of land on tranquil Carter's Creek, a tributary of the Rappahannock River. The complex is surrounded by flowering shrubbery, manicured lawns, an immaculate par-3 golf course and yacht anchorages.

The American Automobile Association has rated it a four-diamond resort for the last 13 years. Conde Nast Traveler readers, who really know their place, have included the Tides Inn as one of the ``Top 50 Resorts in the Country.''

E.A. and Ann Stephens, both natives of the Northern Neck, bought this then-derelict and overgrown piece of property called the Ashburn Farm in the early 1940s simply because they thought it was attractive. A place on the water they could enjoy.

While they were clearing the site, a friend suggested that they build a hotel. At first they laughed. Then they thought about it. Eventually - with Big Steve, as everyone called E.A., as the contractor and Ann as the decorator - this ``silly idea'' became a reality. They even set off for Europe on a buying spree to furnish the place, buying carpets in Brussels, silver in England, artwork in Paris.

``Two amateurs with much enthusiasm and probably too much energy,'' as Big Steve would say later, opened the Tides Inn on July 15, 1947 - 46 rooms, dining room, a bottle club (this was long before Virginia's laws allowed liquor by the drink) and a dream.

Next week, the Tides Inn, with the third generation of Stephenses now playing hosts, will celebrate its 50th anniversary (see story on page F2). She's aged with style and elegance, this grande dame of Chesapeake Bay resorts.

They opened with the credo ``Treat our guests exactly like they were welcome friends in our own home.'' Returning guests, and they are legion, are regarded as ``Old Friends.'' Bob Lee Stephens, Big Steve's son who has retired from a managerial role, always referred to Old Friends as the Inn's ``Board of Directors'' and that concept has continued.

Today, visiting the Tides Inn is like dropping in on the longest-running family house party in Virginia.

Wednesdays are wonderful at the Tides Inn, although I suspect a strong argument could be made for any day of the week. Most who come here stay for several days or a week or more.

Wednesday is the day that the Inn's classic 127-foot yacht, Miss Ann, makes a lunchtime cruise down the Rappahannock to near where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay for a fish fry at a private beach.

It's not really a fish fry. I mean, you don't have to sit around and wait for lunch to be prepared. Everything is already fried and steamed and baked and waiting - hard crabs piled high on the tables, everything else spread out on a buffet table.

There is baked and fried sea trout with cole slaw and tartar sauce, corn dogs on a stick, hush puppies, potato salad, deviled eggs, tomato and cucumber salad, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and chocolate cake.

I confess with some humility that I am not much for hard crabs. My excuse is that I am an eater, not a cook and not a picker - and picking crabs is messy, time-consuming work. I have roughly the same enthusiasm for picking crabs as I once had for disassembling an M-1 rifle.

And so the crabs just sit there in a pile, looking at me, until Bessie Conkle comes by.

``Don't you want some crabs?'' she asks, her voice expressing a certain amazement.

My brief confession follows.

``Well, goodness, I'll pick 'em for you.''

Bessie pretty much personifies what the Tides Inn is all about. She has been here 40 years, and her sisters Florida and Ellie also work at the Inn. Actually Bessie ``retired'' last year but she still works part-time . . . and she cares about the guests just as much as she ever did.

Here in the very first hours, I have begun to understand the Tides Inn.

``Our most important assets are our staff and our food, in that order,'' Michael Thomas explains. He is the Inn's president and general manager. ``Our staff is perhaps not the best trained'' - he says this as if to imply ``not yet'' - ``but they are the sweetest, with the best attitude. Our most unique asset is the Miss Ann. We use her and our other yacht to take full advantage of the river.''

The Miss Ann is indeed a beautiful piece of old-fashioned craftsmanship, with plenty of deck space for those who seek the sun and a couple of comfortable, air-conditioned, dark-paneled lounges for those who don't.

Built in 1927, she was procured and commissioned by the government in the spring of 1941 as the USS Aquamarine and assigned to the Navy throughout World War II for the development of what is known today as SONAR. She was purchased in 1954 by E.A. Stephens and, by overwhelming vote of Old Friends, renamed Miss Ann in honor of Ann Stephens.

Miss Ann is a busy lady. On Sundays she makes a moonlight cruise, on Mondays and Fridays she makes a bay cruise for a fried chicken luncheon, and on Saturdays she makes what is called the ``whiskey run'' to Urbanna for an hour or so visit to the little town on the Rappahannock's south bank.

Several questions greeted Michael Thomas when he arrived at this family-owned and family-run Inn several years ago.

``Who did you marry?'' was one. Answer: Not a Stephens, but a Virginia girl, nonetheless, from Blacksburg.

``Are the Stephenses letting go?'' Answer: Hardly. That opportunity came in 1989 when a group of Japanese investors offered $20 million to Bob Lee. It was a tough decision because he knew that was more than the Inn was worth. But in the end blood ran thicker than money. It would remain a Stephens family operation. Bob Lee's sons felt a familial loyalty and came home to learn to run the Inn. Lee returned from law practice and Randy from working at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Another son, Scott, operated a boat business just across the creek.

``But why somebody from Miami?'' Ah, the question any Virginia traditionalist might ask. Answer: Thomas is not only a Virginian but an Old Friend. He just happened to be working at the time in Miami - at one of the most exclusive resorts on the planet, the Inn at Fisher Island.

``My father was career Navy and I grew up in Virginia Beach. We came up here every year for two-week vacations during the '50s and '60s. I think many of our Old Friends were relieved when they heard that.''

Bob Lee Stephens approached Thomas for a recommendation when he wanted to retire. He was looking for someone to properly train sons Lee and Randy to take over eventually. Thomas decided he'd like the job himself.

``For me, it's like coming home,'' Thomas says. ``Fisher Island is not the real world. When we decided to come here, my wife told some friends, `It's like leaving Fantasy Island and moving to a Norman Rockwell painting.' ''

I've strayed a bit long from the subject of food. That is not the Tides Inn way. You don't go long without eating something at this place.

Wednesday is particularly nice, as I've said, because that is the day when the Inn has a late-afternoon wine and cheese party for the guests. The Stephenses, Lee and Randy and Scott, are there, along with Michael Thomas, to chat with guests, Old Friends and new.

Afterward comes dinner.

People who are not staying here are welcome if there is room, but resident guests take priority. Therefore, reservations are a must.

People dress for dinner here. A jacket is required of men, and most wear ties as well; women dress accordingly, casually elegant. Men do NOT wear hats. If you have not yet learned that hats are not worn indoors, and particularly not at the table, do not come here.

Richard Hatch, the maitre d'hotel, tells me there are four separate menus that rotate daily, plus a fifth for Sunday dinner. Chef Ken Barber's focus is Southern cooking, particularly Virginia.

``The only thing that is constant is Northern Neck soft-shelled crabs,'' Hatch says. ``That is on every dinner menu, every night. That is our signature entree.''

They're pan-fried in cast-iron skillets. Like proper fried chicken. It's the only way.

For appetizers we sampled bowls of Louisiana gumbo and cream of Virginia peanut soup. The slightly spicy gumbo had huge scallops, shrimp, chicken and delicious smoked sausage. The creamy peanut soup was chunky with bits of crushed peanuts and delightfully flavored with sherry. A lot of places in Virginia serve peanut soup; don't declare your favorite ``the best'' until you've tasted this.

We tried both of the salads offered: Bibb lettuce with pine nuts and peppercorn dressing and strawberries on red leaf romaine with ginger dressing. The ginger dressing was very special. Someday I'd like to make an entire meal of this salad.

We passed on the soft-shell crab entree and chose instead shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and grilled grouper. The shrimp were large and the buttery backfin lump meat was plentiful and succulent.

I couldn't decide whether to have the grouper Bahamian style, mostly because I didn't know exactly what that would be, or with lime butter. Coleen, our waitress, said, ``Why don't you just have it both ways? I'll bring it on the side and you can try each.''

Of course. That's the Tides Inn way.

Bahamian turned out to be a mild brown sauce and was interesting but not inspiring; the lime butter was just the right touch for the tender, flaky fish.

With the entrees came fresh green beans, crispy and lightly cooked to perfection, cauliflower and roasted potatoes.

When I had trouble deciding between lemon and raspberry sorbet, Coleen came to the rescue again. ``Why don't I just bring both?'' she said.

Spared another decision, I found both equally refreshing. The chocolate mousse cake also got an outstanding rating.

Breakfast is a meal that many people take all too lightly. In my opinion. I take it seriously. The Tides Inn does too. The menu is a delight.

On the left side are the ordinary - and not-so-ordinary offerings like fruit and juice, cereals, French toast, omelets, eggs and all sorts of meats and fish-roe cakes. Even mushroom-flavored creamed chipped beef on toast.

On the right are daily chef's specials.

This being Thursday now, the offering was Colonial chicken stew - tiny chunks of stewed chicken - spread over a big piece of stone-ground toasted corn bread. There's an old-fashioned Southern country breakfast for you. What a great departure from the routine.

On other days they offer roast bits of prime beef and potatoes served over thin hot cakes, blueberry pancakes, spicy sausage and cheese souffle, a mixed grill, cheese crepes with hot apple sauce, and, on Sundays, broiled fish topped with a cream sauce and cracker crumbs.

All breakfasts are accompanied by fresh-baked sweet rolls, toasted homemade bread, buttermilk biscuits, spoonbread and an assortment of preserves, jellies and marmalade.

Have I mentioned this? The Tides Inn is NOT a spa.

They do food - and gracious living - and they do it right.

Before I go to the Tides Inn again I think I'll shop around for some pants with an elastic waistband. I seem to have gained four pounds in a little less than 24 hours. Yes . . . but for a good cause, a delicious experience.

And besides, this job comes before any personal considerations. ILLUSTRATION: VP MAP

TIDES INN

THE TIDES INN

Location: 480 King Carter Drive, Irvington, Va. 22480.

Phone: (800) 843-3746.

Open: March through December.

Proprietors: The Stephens family; Michael Thomas is the Inn's

president and general manager.

Dining: Non-resident guests are welcome in the dining rooms if

there is room; resident guests have priority and therefore

reservations are essential. The four-course prix-fixe dinner is $40.

Accommodations: 135 rooms, junior suites and suites in hotel

units and small cottages.

Rates: Summer rates, per person per day, range upward from $140

weekdays and $155 Fridays and Saturdays.

[Color Photo]

PHOTO COURTESY THE TIDES INN

TIDES INN

The Tides Inn offers fine dining overlooking tranquil Carter's

Creek, a tributary of the Rappahannock River.

STEPHEN HARRIMAN

Guests can take a cruise down the Rappahannock for a fish fry at

Tides Inn's private beach pavilion.

STEPHEN HARRIMAN

The fare at the fish fry includes crabs, sea trout, corn dogs, hush

puppies, salads, melons and cake.

STEPHEN HARRIMAN

Children can find plenty to do - including crabbing off the boat

docks - at Tides Inn.

CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES

The Tides has several special celebrations leading up to next

week's official birthday party on July 15:

Saturday - The Inn will take on a New Orleans flavor in the

evening with a Dixieland band on the lawn.

Sunday, July 13 - The festivities move to the water with an

afternoon boat parade on Carter's Creek and a pool and beach party

at the Inn in the early evening.

Monday, July 14 - The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be the

benefactor of a fashion show and luncheon. In addition, there will

be a flower arranging demonstration. In the evening, Bob Lee and

Suzy Stephens will use the traditional antique goblet to offer a

special anniversary toast, commemorating the Monday night toasts

that have occurred throughout the Inn's 50 years.

Tuesday, July 15. The true birthday of the Tides Inn. There will

be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new wing of rooms. When dusk

falls, the celebration will be highlighted by big band music,

celebrity guests, a display of white and gold fireworks and an

elegant black-tie function.

THE TIDES INN

Location: 480 King Carter Drive, Irvington, Va. 22480.

Phone: (800) 843-3746.

Open: March through December.

Proprietors: The Stephens family; Michael Thomas is the Inn's

president and general manager.

Getting there: Take I-64 west and U.S. 17 north to Gloucester,

then Virginia Route 3 north across the Rappahannock River to White

Stone. At the traffic light, take Virginia Route 200 west a couple

of miles to Irvington and follow the signs pointing to the Tides

Inn. Do not be confused by signs pointing to the Tides Lodge; that

is a separate operation across Carter's Creek run since 1969 by

another branch of the Stephens family. It's a little less than two

hours from downtown Norfolk.

Dining: Non-resident guests are welcome in the dining rooms if

there is room; resident guests have priority and therefore

reservations are essential. The four-course prix-fixe dinner is $40.

Accommodations: 135 rooms, junior suites and suites in hotel

units and small cottages.

Rates: Summer rates, per person per day, range upward from $140

weekdays and $155 Fridays and Saturdays. Tides Inn accommodations

are on the modified American plan, which includes a four-course

dinner and a full, traditional breakfast.

Also included in the price are daily yacht cruises, nine-hole

par-3 golf, tennis, pool and beach, bicycles, sailboats, paddle

boats and canoes, fishing (license required), evening music and

dancing, nightly parlor games and movies, game room, Wednesday

evening wine and cheese party, oyster roast in season, putting

green, croquet, playground, shuffleboard and horseshoe pitch. There

are special golf packages for play on the Golden Eagle course, rated

one of the Top 10 in Virginia.

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