Hot off the grill after opening its new modern-American taphouse, Tavern 19, Independence Golf Club is poised to hit Midlothian with a fine dining follow-up later this month. The deciding blow of the culinary one-two will be the club’s new restaurant, Fall Line.
Defined by Executive Chef Josh Loeb as “high-end fine dining,” Fall Line will be open to the public starting Wednesday, Feb. 25, following months of renovations at Independence. “Hopefully, [Fall Line] will become a dinner destination for those nearby,” Loeb says.
Sharing a residence with the more casual Tavern 19, the two restaurants, while separate, will make use of the same kitchen but sport their own distinct menus. Comparing Fall Line with its more relaxed neighbor, Loeb says the new establishment will be “much more refined as a food- and wine-driven restaurant” and will not feature a bar, though patrons may order cocktails.
Attached to the dining area, however, is the wine room. At about two-thirds the size of the main restaurant and sporting one wall that's entirely floor-to-ceiling wine rack, it will offer a more intimate reprieve for future guests. The room, Loeb says, can accommodate patrons in the event that the main restaurant fills up, though it may also be reserved for parties of up to 20, or additionally be used to host wine dinners.
Photo by Jocelyn McCool
The Fall Line wine room
When it comes to the menu, Loeb — the former executive chef of Casa Del Barco who has also worked with chef J. Frank at The Berkeley Hotel — has several selections he’s eager to present for Fall Line’s debut. In the way of appetizers, there will be smoked bluefish served on baguette with mustard cream and pickled vegetables. For those seeking less surf and more turf, barbecued quail with local stone-ground grits, bacon and onions may do the trick.
Making use of a newly installed 6,000-pound pizza oven, Loeb will also offer a Fall Line flatbread with an onion sauce base that's layered beneath smoked salmon, caviar, arugula and chives.
“I want to change the menu four or five times a year and feature seasonal entrées,” the chef says.
Photo by Jocelyn McCool
One of Fall Line's dining rooms
For a slice of the upcoming main courses, Loeb cites the striped bass with roasted potatoes and preserved lemon sauce. Or, for a vegetarian option, the chef recommends the assortment of winter vegetables made with a variety of preparations, including barley cooked in soy milk and pear mustard, then garnished with rye crumbs. A selection of salads will also make their way onto the Fall Line menu.
The produce options at will not only be seasonal, but grown as locally as possible. So local, in fact, it's grown on the premises. Through a partnership with Tricycle Gardens, the restaurant is able to grow part of its produce on the very grounds of Independence Golf Course. The builders of five community gardens throughout Richmond, Tricycle Gardens also began growing on Independence property late last summer, Loeb says, after receiving a grant from Bon Secours.
Photo by Josh Loeb
A view of Fall Line's main dining room
As part of Tricycle Gardens’ “Healthy Corner Store Initiative,” a portion of what’s grown at Independence is taken by the group and delivered to corner stores in food deserts around the city. The rest, Loeb says, goes straight to the kitchen. “It remains to be seen if all of Fall Line’s produce will be grown here,” the chef says, “though we do currently grow all of our herbs in the garden.”
Fall Line will be open Tuesday through Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m., serving dinner only, at least for the first few weeks. “Though eventually we may serve brunch as well,” Loeb says.
Fall Line is located at Independence Golf Club, at 600 Founders Bridge Blvd., and opens on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
