Nothing goes unnoticed at Blackberry Farm

By By Robert St. John / food columnist
Feb. 12, 2003
Robert St. John is the executive chef/owner of New South Restaurant Group www.nsrg.com. His weekly food column appears in various newspapers throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. If you have any questions or comments he can be reached at robert@nsrg.com or (601) 264-0672.
When I die and go to heaven, I imagine it will look a lot like Blackberry Farm.
In the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, about 30 miles as the crow flies from Gatlinburg, sits Blackberry Farm a 1,800-acre slice of heaven in the foothills. It might be 30 miles from Gatlinburg and its ilk, but it is truly a world away.
My wife and I recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. For 10 years she has tolerated my eccentricities, laziness, quirky music, odd hours, spontaneity and sloth. I, in turn, have endured her cooking. Three days at Blackberry Farm was our gift to each other.
The owners of Blackberry Farm, Sandy and Kreis Beall, have fostered a corporate environment in which the sole purpose of the organization's existence is to cater to the guest's every whim.
Nothing goes unnoticed at Blackberry Farm. Congress should pass a law: before anyone opens a service-oriented business they should be required to spend a week at Blackberry Farm.
The Zagat survey lists Blackberry Farm as one of the top four small resorts in America. Conde Naste Traveler ranks Blackberry Farm as having the No. 1 service in the United States (No. 3 in the world). I would agree on both counts.
Blackberry Farm has the refined and civilized quaintness of the Little Nell, the personal-service standards of Windsor Court, food service to rival The Mansion on Turtle Creek or any Ritz Carlton, the majesty of the Plaza and a uniqueness all its own.
Throw in the Smoky Mountains and tastefully decorated cottages nestled among Tennessee hardwoods and you have one of the premiere resort experiences in America.
Blackberry Farm's rates are quoted on the American plan, which means all meals are included (which means Robert is a happy guest).
We ate and ate and then ate some more. And what meals we enjoyed. Chef John Fleer, a 10-year veteran of the Blackberry kitchens, is the father of Foothills Cuisine. He uses fresh local ingredients to create some of the most innovative food I have tasted.
Breakfasts were amazing. As a part-time food writer, career-long restaurateur and full-time eater, I have dined at some of the best brunch spots in the country.
But never have I eaten breakfasts as memorable as the ones we enjoyed at Blackberry Farm. Other than the morning we were seated next to a shrill Ohio couple who spent their meal obsessing about game show host Bob Barker's prostate operation, breakfasts were flawless.
A picnic lunch is delivered to each guest's room at noon. Lunch can be eaten in-room or taken to one of the many peaceful and relaxing settings on the 1,800 acre grounds. We did both.
We enjoyed a six-course candlelit dinner each night. Highlights included a candied shallot-crusted sea scallop on a sweet potato puree with a fennel leek cream; an amazing field salad surrounding a sesame-cheddar wafer dressed with spiced pecans and a blackberry vinaigrette; a pan-seared lamb T-bone in a garlic jus with an unbelievable grits-and-garlic custard and a savory bread pudding made with asparagus and a hearty mushroom broth.
The asparagus bread pudding was the best of the lot.
There are plenty of activities available to Blackberry guests: float trips, horseback riding, fly fishing, mountain biking, hot-air balloon rides, white-water rafting, swimming, tennis, hiking and plenty of rocking chairs on the veranda with a majestic view of the Smoky Mountains. We opted for rocking and eating. Eating, as we eat, is a strenuous activity.
The farm also has a world-class spa and a fitness center. Although I can't tell you what the fitness center looks like (I was too busy eating), I am sure it is nice. We did, however, go for a hike in the Smoky Mountains, so our gluttony wouldn't kill us directly.
It snowed on the last day of our visit, which gave the resort an entirely different feel, and us, a legitimate excuse not to exercise.
As we were driving through the gates heading to our next destination, Jill noticed two small boxes on the floorboard of the backseat.
The staff at Blackberry had surreptitiously packed a gourmet-picnic lunch for our drive home. The devotion to detail, service and fine dining continued even after we checked out.
We regretfully left Blackberry Farm with renewed souls, overflowing hearts and overstuffed stomachs.
Blackberry Twists
3 tablespoons cake crumbs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, slightly thawed
4 tablespoons blackberry jam, seedless
1 egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the cake crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. On a lightly floured flat surface, roll puff pastry to half its original thickness (about 1/8-inch thick and 1 inch-by-1 inch). Trim edges.
Spread the blackberry jam over the bottom horizontal half of the puff pastry. Sprinkle the cake crumbs-brown sugar mix over jam.
Fold the top of the puff pastry over the coated bottom layer. Roll lightly with the rolling pin to flatten slightly and create a better stick of puff pastry.
Whisk egg and heavy cream together. Brush egg wash over the puff pastry. Cut the dough from top to bottom into 1 inch wide strips using a knife or a dough cutter. Holding onto both ends of each strip, twist twice, lay on a parchment-lined sheet tray with about 1 inch space in between each one, and bake in a 425-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Remove from parchment and serve.
Culinary Tip: Plain bread crumbs can be substituted for the cake crumbs.
Recipe courtesy of Blackberry Farm Chef John Fleer.