Virginia Magazine....

RICHMOND'S LINDEN ROW INN:

AN URBAN RETREAT

I love big and luxurious hotels. The Homestead and The Jefferson Hotel come to mind. I also love small and quaint bed-and-breakfasts. The Old Dominion abounds in B&Bs, each with their own charm and personality.

Richmond's Linden Row Inn gives me the best of both of the lodging worlds I love. It's a medium-sized luxurious hotel, with all of the personal touches of a B&B.

This urban retreat has become a Richmond landmark in the historic and modern sense. The fascinating history of this row of connected houses was lovingly augmented by restoration and a new life in 1988, when it opened as the 73-room Linden Row Inn.

The block on which the Linden Row Inn sits was originally the site of a beautiful garden, known for its beautiful roses, jasmine, and lindens (providing the name to come later). It was in these gardens that Edgar Allan Poe played as a child, giving him the inspiration and setting for the 'enchanted garden' in his love poem, "To Helen."

Ten houses were built between 1839 and 1853 and the structures were used as residences and a variety of girls' schools well into the 20th century. In 1922, two of the original buildings were razed to make room for the Medical Arts Building.

The late Mary Wingfield Scott, Richmond's pioneer preservationist, saved the remaining buildings from being destroyed in 1950. She later gave them to the Historic Richmond Foundation, which spent years finding a suitable and historically sound use.

The foundation and the Richmond community embraced the idea of turning the buildings into an inn. This restoration project ensured the retention of a majority of exterior and interior features and gave Richmond an urban retreat.

The Linden Row Inn officially opened in 1988 and has become a unique and popular place to stay, dine, and meet. My recent stay confirmed that it is the perfect combination of a hotel and B&B.

Guests are given the personal attention of a B&B, along with the amenities and services of a large hotel. Check-in is low-key, as is the evening wine and cheese reception (and on-going bar service) in the quiet parlor.

The property is situated around a large courtyard area, with a wide variety of rooms overlooking the pretty brick-walled gardens, patio, and streets. It's a true lodging haven for those tired of cookie-cutter hotels.

There are original fireplaces, marble mantles, and chandeliers throughout. A superb collection of gasoliers, pier mirrors, and mantel mirrors that Miss Scott had assembled for Linden Row can be seen in the seven double-parlour suites and in some of the stair halls.

Most of the rooms are situated in the four floors of the original row houses. They are entered from the wide porch at the back of the property, providing the residential feel that is present throughout Linden Row Inn. Other unique rooms overlook the garden courtyard and patio, completing the sense of a small B&B that just happens to have many more rooms than most.

But the rooms are just a part of an unusual stay. Along with afternoon tea and the wine and cheese reception, guests can also enjoy regular bar service in the parlor throughout the evening. It's like having a drink at the mansion of a millionaire friend.

The Linden Row Inn's restaurant is quickly becoming a culinary treat for locals, as well as guests. The setting is fitting for a fine meal, with a small and subdued dining room just off the lobby and the courtyard.

Chef Alain Vincey, formerly the owner and chef at Richmond's famed La Maisonette, is the new attraction in the dining room. He recently brought Virginia fare, with European flair, to the Linden Row Inn.

The new and everchanging menu is a refreshing respite on the Richmond dining scene. Chef Vincey adds Virginia touches to many favorite dishes, providing unique versions of crabcakes, shrimp, fresh fish, ham, poultry, and beef. Each night may mean different interpretations of Old Dominion dishes.

A colorful continental (or full) breakfast in the dining room completes a stay at the Linden Row Inn. At check-out, you'll feel you're saying good-bye to old friends and that you'll be back for a visit to their "house" soon.

Linden Row Inn

100 East Franklin St.

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 783-7000

Rooms: $74-152, with continental breakfast

VIRGINIA GENTLEMAN BOURBON PECAN PIE

WITH CREAM CUSTARD

(6 servings)

Pecan Pie:

1--Sprinkle 1 tsp brown sugar over 8" pre-baked tart shell.

2--Mix 1 cup toasted pecans with 2 oz melted bitter sweet chocolate. Set aside and cool.

3--Warm 1/4 cup heavy cream and t tsp gelatin in saucepan.

4--In a bowl, mix 1 oz softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 4 tbsp Virginia Gentleman Bourbon. Add to the mixture from step 3 and stir over low simmer.

5--Cool mixture from step 4 over ice until it is almost set.

6--Fold in 1/2 cup of sour cream into mixture from step 2.

7--Whip 2 egg whites and 1 tsp powdered sugar until stiff.

8--Fold into custard gently.

9--Fill shell and chill. Slice as desired.

Cream Custard (to be placed on bottom of plate):

1--Bring 4 tbsp water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup cream, and 1 oz unsalted butter to boil and stir constantly. After a few minutes, add 1/2 oz Virginia Gentleman Bourbon.

SOFT SHELL CRAB WITH HANOVER TOMATOES STEW

(2 servings)

1--Blanch 2 large Hanover tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove and cool, then remove the skins.

2--Dice tomatoes and set aside.

3--Dice 1/4 cup onions and reserve.

4--Chop 1 oz of available fresh herbs (e.g., basil, cilantro).

5--Saute onions to a light brown color. Add tomatoes and seasoning (e.g., Old Bay). Simmer for 30 minutes and then add the fresh herbs.

6--Clean soft shell crab.

7--Dredge crab with flour, shaking off any excess.

8--Heat 3 oz olive oil or butter in a large sturdy skillet.

9--Add soft shell crab when hot.

10--Cook over medium to high heat for about 5 minutes on each side.

11--Place the cooked crab on your serving plate.

12--Put the stew over the soft shell crab.