Craig Shelton: Bye-Bye NJ!

Craig Shelton, long-time lord of the late, lamented Ryland Inn (and more recently consulting chef at the Skylark Diner in Edison) is picking up stakes and moving to TEXAS--namely, the upscale Inn at Dos Brisas, where he will be executive chef and managing partner...

"The owner, Doug Bosch, has launched a program of organic farming here with one of the greatest organic farmers on Earth, a guy named Doug Langhum," Shelton said in a brief phone call this afternoon. "The property is about 330 acres. Doug has created a new way of organic farming that makes it almost as cost effective as conventional farming. But it’s not enough that the vegetables are healthy. The goal is that they taste ten times better, too."

The exclusive resort [Dos Brisas means two breezes] is a member of Relais & Chateaux, and according to the R&C website, rooms start at $650 a night, dinner at the restaurant at about $85 per person.

Looking back at his time in New Jersey and the Ryland Inn, Shelton said, "We spent 20 years of our life in New Jersey, and we have so many exquisite friends and incredible memories. We tried to start a movement doing farm-to-table at the Ryland Inn. We had a building that was falling to pieces, nonetheless it worked pretty well for a long time. It’s remarkable to me to have everything here be Class A from the beginning. It’s a dream come true, in a sense.

"When you look today at the dining scene in New Jersey and see so many really good talents, it’s gratifying to know that the state is in good hands."

 

 

Here is the press release…

Craig Shelton, a Relais-Gourmand chef who pioneered farm-to-table fine dining on the East Coast, is the new managing partner and executive chef at The Inn at Dos Brisas a Forbes five-star restaurant in Washington, Texas [about 60 miles west of Houston]

Shelton, whose relentless quest for perfection as chef-owner of the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, New Jersey, earned him a James Beard “Best Chef” award and two sequential “Extraordinary” ratings (4-stars suburban equivalent) from The New York Times, said it is the vision of Doug Bosch, philanthropist and the owner of The Inn at Dos Brisas, that inspired his move.

“I had a mission at Ryland: to start something pure, a prototype where the chef is farmer,” explains Shelton. “At Dos Brisas, it’s everything I believe in, and everything I’ve devoted my life to, but improved and expanded by several magnitudes of scale. Standing on the shoulders of giants like Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, and many others, we are part of the growing community that supports sustainable practices, superior food, a return to the family table and self-sufficiency.”

Shelton is surprised and overjoyed at the organic farming, which is more evolved, with a climate-controlled greenhouse powered by the earth and the sun – the greenest fuels we have. The kitchen is an enclave of culinary tools that shall allow me to achieve and prepare for this new and permanent decision as a chef. The wine list is exceptional. The culinary philosophy is New-American with French rigor and Asian minimalism. And, Shelton will support Doug’s wants to help heal our nation’s food system. It is a goal that Shelton has worked toward his entire professional life.

The chef, who holds a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University, honed his culinary philosophy in the kitchens of haute chefs – Joel Robuchon, Paul Haeberlin, Ferran Adria, Gaston LeNotre, David Bouley — and at legendary restaurants: Ma Maison in L.A., La Côte Basque, Le Bernardin, The Rainbow Room and Le Chantilly. But it was the consistently poor quality of the tired, transported produce that in 1990 drove him out of those gastronomic temples and toward a languishing 10-acre property atop Burgundian-style soil where he says he learned 999 ways not to grow a carrot before getting it right.

“Having a farm is not about saving money by growing vegetables and fruits ourselves, but the quality, the freshness, the purity – the life found in each natural morsel – was superb,” says Shelton, who in nearly 20 years at the Ryland launched the careers of many a chef by teaching them to use their senses and their powers of critical thinking in pursuit of maximum flavor on the plate… and to maintain a pleasure in their work.

Doug Bosch, who has owned the property since 2000, remarks, “I advertised for an executive chef and found a partner. Craig Shelton brings to The Inn at Dos Brisas an exceptional palate, a keen intellect, a reverence for the land, a drive to improve, and a deep desire for public service.”

The Inn at Dos Brisas — Washington, Texas — www.dosbrisas.com — 979.277.7750

The Inn at Dos Brisas is a member of Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious international association of privately owned hotels and restaurants embodying the highest culinary standards and the French "art de vivre."

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