DI NI NG
Brian Jupiter photo by Heather Talbert
Guest Chef Series
Matt Weinstein photo by Molly Harris
Oak Steakhouse’s Under the Stars, On the Rocks series’ July 5 entr y features a f ivecourse dinner by Chef Brian Jupiter and the Oak culinar y team, exquisite wines, and the sublime delights of a cool mountain evening. Cost is $150 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. To reser ve, call (828) 482-4720 or book on Open Table experiences.
T
he opening of Skyline Lodge last summer, following the renovation of the long-neglected property originally designed by a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, was welcome news to area resident and visitors.
dinner was Owen McGlynn of Asheville Proper; Travis Milton, Chef of Virginia’s Inn at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards was featured in April; and in May it was Todd Ginsberg of Atlanta’s Rye Restaurants.
Now rejuvenated and restored, the property is a refined, luxurious oasis that seamlessly blends into its idyllic setting amidst the mountains and greenery of its surroundings – at last fulfilling what must have been the vision of the original architect. Equally thrilling was the opening of the lodge’s restaurant – Oak Steakhouse, the seventh location of the steakhouse chain owned by the Indigo Road Hospitality Group – who also own the Lodge.
Upcoming on July 5 is a dinner with Brian Jupiter, chef/ owner of The Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern in Chicago. A New Orleans native and a believer that “Southern comfort food is a true art form”, Jupiter spent his childhood cooking next to his grandmother in her kitchen.
More good news arrived with the launch last year of a guest chef series entitled Under the Stars, On the Rocks. Boasting “dining al fresco amidst a backdrop of sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains,” the evening features exciting guest chefs from around the country working in collaboration with the chef team at Oak Steakhouse, including Matt Weinstein, Jeremiah Bacon, and Anne White. So far this year, March’s 136 J ul y 202 2 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M
He got his start in the kitchens at New Orleans famed steakhouse Aurora, before going on to culinary school in Florida. In 2003 he moved to Chicago initially as Chef de Cuisine, eventually rising to the Executive Chef position, at Narcisse Champagne and Caviar. He joined The Frontier team in 2010. In the summer of 2018, he and his partner at The Frontier opened Ina Mae Tavern, named in honor of Jupiter’s great-grandmother, Ina, who passed down the recipes he learned to cook with his grandmother. The food at Ina Mae is inspired by his background, growing up, and cooking in
