The Trellis restaurant is in Williamsburg. The Trellis is owned by noted dessert chef Marcell Desaulniers (Death by Chocolate). Also there is a wonderful italian restaurant whose name I've forgotten. I'll ask my sister and get back with you on that one. As for driving, I-95 is just that, a major interstate. Plenty of construction, 18-wheelers and major cities. You can drive 75 or more most of the way (careful for those nasty Maryland troopers) and probably get to W'mburg more quickly. The other way is more scenic, costs more $$ (a $10.50 charge to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel one way) and will be slower. Which of those factors are more important is up to you.
Virginia
Looking for good eats in Williamsburg, VA
On 18 Feb 1997, Timothy H. wrote (in part): >My wife and I will be visiting Williamsburg VA this spring. Like you, I >HATE the hit-or-misscrapshoot of local- restaurant scouting, but love >eating. We know how misleading the hotel guides can be. >Personal e-mail (or guides to websites) would be most welcome. Timothy: Check out Colonial Williamsburg's web pages: Home Page: http://www.history.org Dining (with links to contemporary restaurants and colonial taverns): http://www.history.org/twentieth-century/dining.html Also check Williamsburg Online's dining page: http://www.williamsburg.com/rest/rest.html Hopes this helps! Jim
Spent Christmas in Willamsburg this past year, what a delight! Two on grounds restaurants that are a must are the Willamsburg Inn, a Mobil 5*, and Shields Tavern. Shields was impressive because most of the items on the menu were not the modern processed dishes. Example - One meal I had wild game sausage were the meat was in chunks and not mush as you find today. A side dish of rough ground oats was outstanding. This from a southern boy who "HATES" oatmeal!
Joe C. wrote: >Spent Christmas in Willamsburg this past year, what a delight! Two on >grounds restaurants that are a must are the Willamsburg Inn, a Mobil 5*, >and Shields Tavern. Shields was impressive because most of the items >on the menu were not the modern processed dishes. Example - One meal I had >wild game sausage were the meat was in chunks and not mush as you find >today. A side dish of rough ground oats was outstanding. This from a >southern boy who "HATES" oatmeal! I remember **loving** a brunch at the Williamsburg Inn when I was 16 (1964), but when I had dinner there a couple of years ago I was very disappointed. The 5 stars must be for ambience or something. It's very pretty, but there were six of us there and we all thought the food was mediocre. I ordered a filet mignon very rare, and it was cooked medium and was dry and tasteless. A friend's salmon was also very overcooked. Etc... Chris
Since Williamsburg is a college town, it's likely there are some exciting restaurants as well as tourist fodder. We were there last May, ate once at the Trellis and once at one of the taverns in the historic district. The Trellis was not remarkable, but certainly quite good. The tavern (can't remember which one) was also not remarkable, but then, I think the problem is that I live in one of the country's most food and restaurant-conscious locations, and can't help comparing to what I'd find at home. The problem is, I don't think you can compare the historic area restaurants to the best of San Francisco or Boston or New York. If compared to other tourist-oriented areas, it stacked up very well. Certainly better than most places in Ghirardelli Square, or that great market area in Boston. My husband was there for meetings, so I was on my own for breakfast; I went to the Williamsburg Inn twice. The food was not fabulous, but the setting is absolutely beautiful, elegant. The service so good I felt sort of swept off into another century. Sometimes the ambiance is just as important as the grub.. I wish we'd had a chance to explore outlying areas; college towns usually have interesting, exciting restaurants; I'd love to know about some for our next trip. I'd also like to know if it is possible to find a decent meal in Yorktown. A couple of years ago my husband had the second or third worst meal of his life there. Last year we drove down early one morning--sure that we'd find a great place for breakfast, and found the cupboard really bare. Ate in the dining room of a hotel which was so terrible they served greasey, badly cooked grits. What's better for breakfast than good grits or worse than bad ones?! [email removed]
On Wed, 26 Feb 1997, Chris B. wrote: > I remember **loving** a brunch at the Williamsburg Inn when I was 16 > (1964), but when I had dinner there a couple of years ago I was very > disappointed. The 5 stars must be for ambience or something. It's > very pretty, but there were six of us there and we all thought the > food was mediocre. I ordered a filet mignon very rare, and it was > cooked medium and was dry and tasteless. A friend's salmon was also > very overcooked. Etc... > > Chris I, too, remember how wonderful the inn was in the early 60's; they had a "hunt" breakfast buffet that was outstanding (probably same thing as the brunch you mention). I didn't go back til the late 70's, and the inn had changed dramatically. For one thing, they had done a major renovation/ addition on the dining room, so it is now MUCH bigger. Though a lovely room, the whole idea of an itimate dining experience is gone; the menu, for whatever reason, was also dramatically changed. When I asked what happened to the hunt breakfasts, I was told that they couldn't possibly continue to serve that kind of buffet "anymore." A real shame. We have stayed in the inn several times since, and though I will always like it, due to its ambience, service and setting, the food is just not anything to write home about - really just average in all respects. But this must be a story that has been repeated in so many of those favorite old places all over the country, I fear. sgregg