"We just made MTV News and the LA Times," Arcadia owner John Van Peppen said smilingly to his lunch staff, the telephone receiver pressed to his chest.
Add those publications to a long list of Lincoln-watching press, including The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and the Richmond-Times Dispatch, to name only a few of the dozens of editors obsessed with what academy award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis looks like sporting Lincoln whiskers.
Mr. Day-Lewis, in town for the filming of Steven Spielberg’s "Lincoln," was caught in the camera crosshairs of @UVAMichael lunching at Shockoe Bottom’s newest steakhouse, Arcadia.
According to John Van Peppen, Day-Lewis noshed on their featured meat, a Braveheart filet mignon served with Brussels sprouts and broccoli rabe. The rumored to be standoffish Day-Lewis spoke with Van Peppen, complimenting his lunch and the restaurant’s "beautiful" dining room, saying, according to Van Peppen, "I love the space. I expect you’ll be seeing me a lot."
Daniel Day-Lewis is brother to noted food writer and British television producer, Tamasin Day-Lewis, a woman known for buying whole Longhorn steers to cook at home.
But you won’t find Longhorns, a heritage breed, served at Arcadia. They specialize in corn-fed, Braveheart Black Angus beef from the Midwest, cooked at 1,600 degrees in a Montague broiler. The 600-pound broiling behemoth uses searing heat to caramelize a steak’s marbling while keeping its juices inside.
Chef Matthew Tlusty chose Braveheart beef after a taste test that included boutique butcheries, such as Harris Ranch.
"The boutique butcheries, they are just so damn expensive. This (Braveheart beef) offers superior taste but runs in line with everything else (pricing structure)." Tlusty said.
In addition to beef, Arcadia serves house-cured duck bacon, Ashley Farms Poulet Rouge chicken thighs and Rappahannock River Olde Salt oysters.
Oh yes, and Brussels sprouts and broccoli rabe.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement