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Oak Tree Tavern
By Mike Floyd In a bold and long-awaited move, the beautiful Oak Tree Tavern at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) has been completely reinvented into an affordable yet elegant full-time gourmet dining facility. The new marketing plan had been “in the works” for over a year according to co-owner, Connie Nyholm. A sneak preview was staged in January, with a combination happy hour/ three course tasting featuring all new items from their expansive menu. Bon appetite, for sure! There were over 60 people in attendance. Mostly longtime friends of the track and both resort and restaurant staffs were present to celebrate the new culinary path. Previously, the Oak Tree Tavern had been open only on Thursday through Sunday afternoon, serving a limited menu. Bringing in the general public wasn’t its main focus. That’s all changed now. “We needed to overcome our image of being a private and exclusive club. We have always been open to the public but really couldn’t shake that image of being private,” stated VIR co-owner, Connie Nyholm. She was hosting the Happy Hour in her namesake bar, “Connie’s Pub,” which contains an authentic bar from Dublin, Ireland, that Nyholm had shipped over, piece meal, and reassembled in the west end of the tavern. With a full ABC license, the tavern features mixed drinks, a wonderful wine list, and ice cold draft beer selections on tap. “We made these changes in direct response to the request of our customers. We’re now open seven days a week, we will be having monthly promotions for things like Valentine’s Day and we will change the menu monthly. That way, we can take advantage of the local and seasonal farm produce that exists right around us. If you’re hungry and in the area, come on in and enjoy our great food,” stated the excited Nyholm. “The kitchen, the chefs, our resort staff, and our customers will all have input and the menu will be spontaneous. We like to call it, ‘Casual Gourmet Dining,’ and we want some feedback from all of our guests tonight too, you included,” laughed the personable Nyholm, an active and competitive race car driver, herself. Well, soon thereafter, the seating was selected and the guests were spread out at various tables decorated with soft pastel colored plates on brown table clothes. The wait staff then fully launched into delivering the first wave of appetizers. Our table was served four different, mouth-watering items; a delicious cream of peanut soup, Cajun Garlic Buffalo Chicken Wings, a chorizo and shrimp quesadilla, and homemade yeast rolls sprinkled with black pepper and lightly brushed with a butter/olive oil dressing and shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Waves of appreciation were coming from all three tables in our room as we were all given the green flag to start the judging and eating.
After our salad course, served family style with fresh greens and balsamic vinaigrette, the carts rolled out with our sizzling entrees. It was nice to be spoiled. My VIR dinner partner, to my right, Jo Morris commented, “It really must be a great job to be a food writer and reviewer!” I had to agree as I watched my wine glass being re-filled with a California merlot. Our entrée selections were a Double Cut Grilled Pork Chop in a Burgundy Cherry Reduction with Scalloped Potatoes, a succulent Veal and Mushroom meat loaf with Garlic Smashed potatoes, a perfectly grilled Angus New York Strip Steak and Shrimp, Mushrooms, Bacon and Cheese Grits, low-country style. My O’My was it great to share all of the different tastes and exchange the comments across the table. I think we all agreed that we liked the tender Angus steak and mouth-watering pork chop although my meat loaf was light, juicy, and very lightly spiced. I thought about recommending and did, that it be served with either sautéed fresh kale or Swiss chard with garlic and vinegar to let the richness of the greens compliment the savory taste of the meat. The steamed squash was too light for contrast and didn’t quite marry the tastes of the whole plate. . For dessert, we really scored and scored big with: a heavenly light Crème Brulee, a Bailey’s Cream and Kahlua cheese cake, a flowerless, dense Chocolate Pate and a very unique Italian Rice Pudding with sun dried cherries and hazelnuts. Now, this was absolutely enough to swoon over and the Crème Brulee was the best I’d ever eaten, so terribly light and with a subtle butterscotch undertone...I kept it within hand’s reach and neglected to remember to pass it on. Moments after the meal was finished and the tables cleared, resort director Sandie Marshall showed up at our table with Jonathon Miller, the new food and beverage manager. Marshall looked at me with raised eyebrows and said, “How was everything?” Never one to hold back in the presence of greatness, I told her I would have no problem writing a glowing article for my paper about the new, fabulous and innovative food they were now serving at VIR. The presentation, the eclectic selection, the quality ingredients and the wide spectrum of tastes and flavors were an absolute hit with our table. There was excitement at every table as the night wound down and coffee was served. It was a very, very impressive evening of upscale dining in a relaxed and comfortable setting. Go on out there, any day of the week, and see for yourself. I think you’ll be very surprised and glad you did. For reservations and more information, dial 434-822-7700, ext. 121 or 434-822-8605. Their website is www.virnow.com. And the directions out there (near Milton, NC) are a little tricky but are available on page 18. Enjoy!