Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa

Herons at The Umstead Hotel & Spa Restaurant Review:

With its displays of pottery and art by prominent North Carolina artists and craftsmen, this dining room is the perfect setting for chef Steven Devereaux Greene’s culinary creations. The menu relies on pure flavors and inspired presentations. Breakfast and brunch feature the same locavore sense of dining that governs the restaurant’s other menus, but allow room for the complimentary blueberry bread before ordering the likes of pancakes studded with Georgia pecans or smoked salmon rösti with horseradish cream and soft-poached eggs. Dinner here is always a treat, so dress up and celebrate a special occasion or just the joy of living. For a big splurge, choose a three-, four- or eight-course chef’s tasting dinner with wine pairings. Seasonally inspired first courses may include fresh chestnut soup garnished with quince, white chocolate, bacon and crème fraîche, or grilled squab with black barley risotto and red currant jus. Main courses include such delicacies as grass-fed steak with onion pudding, venison filet dusted with cocoa and a twice-baked espresso potato, or sea bass with littleneck clams and a vadouvan curry sauce. For dessert, expect the unusual, perhaps a roasted pear with maple-parsnip ice cream, but an artisanal cheese plate would be a good pick, too. The extensive wine list ranges throughout the globe, so should you find it overwhelming, allow the experienced wine steward to recommend a match with each course.