RICHMOND – The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences has brought a resort, luxury living and a lineup of outdoor activities to their retreat located on 3,500 acres in Richmond.
Now they are adding cuisine from an acclaimed chef. David Burke will oversee all culinary operations at The Preserve through his restaurant company, David Burke Hospitality Management. He signed a 15-year contract with The Preserve.
On March 1, the centerpiece of the collaboration will be unveiled at the main restaurant, Double Barrel Steak by Chef David Burke. The 7,000-square-foot, 350-seat dining space will be reimagined with Burke’s signature steakhouse cuisine and seafood specialties. It will be open to the public as well as The Preserve’s members and resort guests. This is a change from the former Double Barrel Kitchen which only welcomed the public for special events.
The celebrity chef made his name in steakhouses, working with partners to open brands that bear his name (David Burke Prime at Foxwoods) long after the affiliation was over. He worked with the founder of Smith & Wollensky to open several of the steakhouses. He claims the patent for a Himalayan salt aging process for beef on-site that gives his steaks their flavor and tenderness.
The menu at Double Barrel Steak will feature his dry-aged beef. The restaurant will offer swordfish, halibut and tuna which they will call “ocean steaks.” Burke’s swordfish chops, introduced at New York City’s Park Avenue Café in the early 1990s, will be on the menu as well. Game meats will play a seasonal role on the menu to reflect The Preserve’s sporting experiences.
The restaurant’s design will include original artwork with a wildlife and horse theme as well as a Himalayan salt wall. Joining an extensive wine list will be signature cocktails.
“The Preserve is an intriguing new partnership for us, because, in addition to Double Barrel Steak, we’ll be in charge of two of the most extraordinary private dining venues I have ever seen,” said Burke in a press release.
He’s talking about the Hobbit Houses, which can be rented for photos and until now, limited dining. Sponsored by Maker’s Mark, the Tolkien-inspired spaces offer bourbon-infused
experiences.
experiences.
Burke also noted he will oversee dining at the Cohiba & Laphroaig Safari Tasting Tent which offers a scotch and cigar pairing with finger food.
Burke also noted his longstanding relationship with chairman of The Preserve, Paul Mihailides, in the news release, saying he wishes to “further enhance The Preserve’s status as a world-class sporting club.”
The Preserve is just one of 18 restaurants that are being currently run by Burke’s hospitality company. They also oversee an event venue and bakery as well as a roster of branded Burke products. He will open three ventures later this year.
Preserve Sporting Club & Residences, at 87 Kingstown Road in Richmond, has an 18-hole golf course, tennis, zip line, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, as well as a rock-climbing wall, 10 fly fishing ponds, a shooting sports facility and amenities including a spa and the Hilltop Lodge.
