Articles and Reviews of BISTRO 1888 and Chef Margaret Moorefield
SOUTHERN LIVING March 2008
The return of two natives brings a great restaurant and a new day for their Virginia hometown.
click to read article - pdf file- 2.56mb
COOPERATIVE LIVING August 2007
A Restaurant to satisfy your appetite and senses in one experience … Daniel Walker
Thomas Wolfe, the famed Southern author, suggested that “You can’t go home again.” However, Mr. Wolfe had not met Barbara Cage and Margaret Moorefield, who returned to their native South Boston to create a culinary jewel.
Barbara returned from Sanibel Island, Fla., with business and marketing experience, while Margaret spent her absence attending Baltimore Culinary Institute and then becoming a highly acclaimed chef in Portland, Ore. Through friends, they met and started to explore the feasibility of opening a restaurant in South Boston. They wanted to create a special place that would complement the community and other businesses, as well as draw people into the downtown area. read more...
Style Magazine, Richmond, VA May 23, 2007
All Roads Should Lead To a Fork by Don Baker
Spring is in the air and the fragrances you can smell with the car windows down are not all from the roadside flowers. In addition to weekend barbecues and crab feasts sponsored by local volunteer fire departments, chefs are testing new seasonal menus. The waters and fields are ripe with delicious products, so get off the interstate, avoid the fast-food joints and track down these locally owned restaurants in Richmond and beyond, where the food is worth the journey. 5 Listings for Virginia:
BISTRO 1888, South Boston. $$
Modern décor, art and flowers fill the sunny dining room where chef-owner Margaret Moorefield prepares uptown food in the heart of this busy little city. Standouts include shrimp and scallop etoufée, Burgundy chicken with shallots, and linguine with bay scallops Provencal. (434) 572-1888. www.bistro1888.com. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, 5 – 10 p.m.
Showcase Magazine, Central & Southwest Virginia April 2007
Even if you aren’t familiar with South Boston, most people have heard of BISTRO 1888. This upscale, casual restaurant opened in March of 2003 and has been booming ever since. It is the only three star restaurants in all of South Central Virginia and has earned rave reviews from people all over even from as far away as Maryland and New York. Barbara Cage, co-owner of BISTRO 1888 says that most of her customers drive anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes to enjoy the food. She always encourages them to visit the Prizery or the unique shops located downtown. Cage and the award-winning Chef Margaret Moorefield are proud of their eatery and the success it has had. Together they have made a good name for themselves, serving 27 different entrees, like quail and pork loin.
Travel South March 2007
You're in the South, and you're happily on the hunt for authentic Southern cooking. ….Please don't be surprised if you get a lot of different directions to the best Southern cooking and dining districts around. ….Any one of them will lift your spirits and make your day. You can sort the listings by location or category. 11 listings found for Virginia. (www.travelsouthusa.com)
BISTRO 1888…. .This casual, upscale restaurant & bar offers infused New American Cuisine in a cozy, cosmopolitan atmosphere. Award-winning Chef Margaret Moorefield utilizes the freshest ingredients in her 24 entrees, 12 appetizers, soups, salads, desserts plus nightly and seasonal specials.
The Courier-Times, Roxboro, NC January 2007
BISTRO 1888 has been awarded the 2006 WINE ENTHUSIAST’S Restaurant Award of Distinction. WINE ENTHUSIAST, one of the world’s most respected and quoted publications in the field of wine and spirits, boasts a readership of over 650, 000 monthly. ….“The wines on our list were created to complement and pair with the intricate flavors of each dish we prepare and to please simple as well as sophisticated palates,” said Bistro chef and co-owner Margaret Moorefield. ….The Bistro also has to its credit the prestigious WINE SPECTATOR’S Award of Excellence.
Virginia Living - April 2006
… to a dinner that can only be described as fabulous(and not in a small-town way)… Here, chef Margaret Moorefield and co-owner Barbara Cage have assembled all the elements of a fine dining experience. The food and wine, sublime. The service, exemplary. Even on a Tuesday, the bistro hummed all night with businessmen plunging into plates of calamari and ladies laughing over chocolate. City purists would have a hard time finding complaint here, except that perhaps the prices were too low.
News & Record, South Boston, VA - March 2006
BISTRO 1888 owners Margaret Moorefield and Barbara Cage recieved a certificate from the Virginia Main Street program for operating a “Blue Ribbon Business” in Virginia. BISTRO 1888 was one of only 21 business statewide to receive the honor.
Evince, Southside Virginia - October 2005
Halloween for the Arts, a fundraiser to benefit the Prizery, is
being hosted by local restaurant BISTRO 1888 and creepily performed
by Halifax County Little Theatre. Renowned Chef and co-owner Margaret
Moorefield will entice each ghoulish guest with her full course
‘killer’ menu. … for more information, check out
www.bistro1888.com or call 434.572.1888.
News & Records, South Boston, VA - October
4, 2005
Halloween for the Arts…a hair-raising benefit for the Prizery
hosted by BISTRO 1888 and Halifax County Little Theater.
Carolina Woman, North Carolina - September
2005
Bistro 1888… a showplace for new American cuisine, that’s
in the historic district’s oldest building, has brought a
fresh bite to the region's traditional burgers’n’ barbecue
scene.
The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, VA
- July 23, 2005
Who could imagine a town so small as South Boston with a restaurant
that could truly hold its own with the best from any metropolis?
But that was a delightful surprise we had in store as some 20 of
us met at Bistro 1888 on Main Street.
I’ll be blunt: This top-flight restaurant
is worth driving quite a distance to experience. I eat out a great
deal, sample restaurants by the dozen every year, and I haven’t
dined as well since the River Café in Brooklyn….one
of New York’s finest!
Chef and co-owner Margaret Moorefield, who grew
up in the community has owned restaurants in Orlando, FL and Portland,
OR. She describes the cuisine as American infusion, and all agreed
it was excellent.
Gazette Virginian, South Boston, VA - June
15, 2005
A WONDER OF WINE. Bistro 1888 is one of only 72 restaurants in Virginia
to receive Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. To receive
an Award of Excellence, the international magazine requires a restaurant
to have “a commitment to a fine wine list, with a sufficient
section of better producers, along with a thematic match to the
menu in both price and style.”
Mecklenburg Sun, Mecklenburg County, VA
- June 2005
BISTRO 1888…one of only 3000 restaurants in the United States
to receive an award from the prestigious international magazine,
WINE SPECTATOR. The 100+ international wines were selected to complement
and pair with the intricate flavors of each dish she (Chef Margaret
Moorefield) prepares and to please simple as well as sophisticated
palates.
Evince, Southside Virginia - June 2005
BISTRO 1888 Earns AWARD of Excellence. Bistro 1888’s wine
list includes over 100 international wines including 16 wines by-the-glass
with a focus on the best producers from the major wine regions around
the world. The wine list was created to complement Chef and co-owner
Margaret Moorefield’s extensive menu of Infused New American
Cuisine who preparation encompass Mediterranean, Pacific Rim, Asian,
classic French, Caribbean and Pacific Northwestern traditions.
News & Record, South Boston, VA - February 8, 2005
BISTRO 1888 hosted a food & wine pairing dinner to benefit The
Prizery on February 3, 2005. The exquisite 6 courses food and wine
were prepared by Bistro’s chef & co-owner Margaret Moorefield.
One of the courses included grilled lamb chops with salsa verdi
and sundried cherry sauce with arugala, potato and kalamata olive
salad, paired with 1998 Ferrari-Carano Trésor Reserve, from
Sonoma County, California. Transportation to and from the Bistro
was by way of limousine service provided by All Occasion Limousine.
Richmond Times Dispatch, Virginia - May 2004
Bistro 1888…Southern Gourmet at 221 Main Street, South Boston,
VA
Evince, Southside Virginia- February 2004
Bistro 1888. Where Big City Skills Satisfy Small Town Tastes. Bistro
1888 … an enterprise that has put South Boston on the culinary
map. The renovated interior blends turn of the century charm with
upscale city flair …. Margaret Moorefield and Barbara Cage
have indeed put South Boston on the culinary map and in the process,
have breathed new life into the city’s downtown area.
Danville Register & Bee, Danville,
VA - December 13, 2003
Bistro 1888 is an upscale eatery on Main Street that quickly became
a phenomenon….
Gazette Virginian, South Boston, VA - August
15, 2003
BISTRO 1888 Received Triple Diamond Rating
Bistro 1888 is now one of only 3000 restaurants
in the nation to be rated 3 diamond from American Automotive Association.
(AAA). The rating is based on the quality of food, service, décor
and ambiance.
The triple diamond rating is just one welcome surpirse.
“I have been overwhelmed at the amount of success we have
had in our first few months,” said Moorefield. “The
restaurant has grown much faster than we thought it would.”
The award is bestowed on restaurants that “impart
a refined and upscale, adult-oriented experience” and “appeal
to the diner in search of an experience rather than a meal,”
according to AAA.
News & Record, South Boston - August 18, 2003
BISTRO 1888 Earns Coveted 3 Diamond Rating from AAA.
This rating is given to only 3000 of 850,000 restuarnts
in the United States. Other well-known restaurants with a 3 Diamond
rating are Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in New York and Emeril
Lagassee’s Emeril’s in New Orleans.
Owners Margaret Moorefield and Barbara Cage were
very pleased to receive this distinction within 4 months opening
Bistro 188 and to be recognized as the only 3 Diamond restaurant
in Southside Virginia.
The casual, yet sophisticated restaurant is bringing
people as far away as Charlotte, NC who want to experience the unique
array of flavor combinations that Chef and Co-owner Margaret Moorefield
calls Infused New American Cuisine. Co-owner and Director of Operations
Barbara Cage says that it has been amazing how many guests continually
say “That was the best meal I’ve ever had’. These
are well-deserved credits to Chef Moorefield’s excellent culinary
skills, Cage says.
The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore, MD - May 25,
2003
Bistro 1888, a sophisticated new restaurant with a lively bar, is
attracting crowds from Durham, some 90 miles away. (They have) great
fresh food cooked with panache by Chef Margaret Moorefield, who
trained at Baltimore’s International Culinary Arts Institute.
The Breeze, Southside Virginia - Spring 2003
Bistro 1888…does for food what VIR does for road racing. Bistro
1888 is a restaurant that features culinary experience and education
that has also been honed from around the country, and the globe,
for that matter. Chef Margaret Moorefield… has mastered that
all-so-popular style of Infused New American Cuisine. One look at
the menu for Bistro 1888 will convince even the most demanding food
critic that this part of Southside Virginia should not be missed.
.
News & Record, South Boston, VA - March
31, 2003
BISTRO 1888 open for business in downtown South Boston. After 18
years of successful business and restaurant ventures in larger cities,
two Halifax natives, business professional Barbara Cage and accomplished
chef Margaret Moorefield have returned to their hometown to open
a premier restaurant in historic downtown South Boston.
The Gazette Virginian, South Boston, VA - March 28, 2003
BISTRO 1888 Offers Infused New American Cuisine. Bistro 1888 opens
to rave reviews. If you’ve never tried crème Bruleé,
you simply don’t know what you’re missing. Thankfully,
now there’s a place in downtown South Boston that can tantalize
your palate with elegant, yet reasonably-priced morsels such as
this decadent dessert.
… an extensive wine list offers selections
that will complement the intricate flavors of prepared dishes. For
the aficionado, Bistro 1888 offers a selection of single malt scotches,
micro-brewed beers, cognac, and other specialty drinks.
Bistro 1888 is reminiscent of an upscale Georgetown
eatery.
Reviews & articles on Chef Moorefield’s
restaurants in Portland, Oregon & Orlando, FL
Citysearch for Portland, Oregon - February
10, 1999
Though Moorefield’s has been open only since July, its tasty
cuisine is on a par with other elegant Portland restaurants that
have been around much longer. Chef & owner Margaret Moorefield
offers some extraordinarily inventive dishes, things you’d
have a hard time finding elsewhere in this city.
Portland’s Seen, Oregon - February
1999
If you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary dining experience,
Moorefield’s is a place you will not want to miss. This is
a special place…. Moorefield’s menu is unique and surprising,
described as ‘infused world cuisine’. I sampled some
of the starters and salads and indulged in one main course. All
items were beautifully presented and artfully arranged. Margaret’s
philosophy of appealing to all the senses is perfectly carried out
at Moorefield’s, and after one visit you will want to return
often to see what exciting creations await you.
Things to Do, Place to Go, Portland, Oregon
- December 24-31, 1998
Moorefield’s Restaurant is already enjoying high success…offering
a splendid array of tantalizing dishes of distinguishable styles
in a classy and romantic atmosphere. As owner and executive chef,
Ms. Moorefield has an impressive and successful background. She
graduated from Baltimore’s International Culinary Art College
in Baltimore, Maryland and completed a European apprenticeship at
the European Culinary Art Center in Cavan, Ireland, where students
and international chefs participated in opening the ‘Four
Star’ Park Hotel. At Moorefield’s, she offers a fine
combination of extraordinary dishes and a relaxing ambiance.
Willamette Week Restaurant Review, Oregon
- November 11, 1998
Everything is exquisitely thought out… Moorefield’s
is nothing less than an attempt at culinary high art. The rare tuna
is beautifully cooked, and its smoothness plays against the noodles;
the whole dish is set up with mesclun and raspberry vinaigrette.
An outstanding starter is carpaccio of lamb, paper thin and layered
over warm arugula and olive-studded potato salad, the potatoes midway
between mashed and boiled. This is a daring combination that comes
together beautifully. An almost signature offering of barbecued
coconut shrimp with bananas, mango and salsa – the rim of
the plate painted with a line of orange and scotch bonnet –
one of the hottest of peppers – is a seductive pileup that
tastes and looks positively aphrodisiacal.
Willamette Week, Oregon - 1998
Moorefield’s selected one of the Best 100 Restaurants in Portland
for 1998-1999. …if you seek dazzling, over-the-top cooking
that makes Couvron (a AAA 4 Diamond restaurant in Portland) seem
like cuisine de grandmere, this (Moorefield’s Restaurant)
is your spot. Everything about Moorefield’s is remarkably
fascinating, theatrical, even operatic.
Lake Oswego Review, Portland, Oregon - October
8, 1998
LO (Lake Oswego) Chef Relocates Premier Diner to Macadam Street.
Margaret Moorefield spent the past two years designing, planning
and implementing the construction and operation of the new restaurant.
She, an accomplished chef, gained recognition while successfully
operating a restaurant of the same name for 5 years.
Orlando Sentinel, Florida - March 1996
Go West, Young Chef. Margaret Moorefield is relocating to Oregon…
when the lease expires. The city would not transfer the impact feels
she has already paid and… Moorefield heard the call of Oregon.
That’s too bad. Moorefield’s had an eclectic charm and
served some wonderful food.
Fodor’s 96 Florida
Erudite but not snobby… The trendy menu and fresh, sophisticated,
but homemade dishes make you thing Martha Stewart might be in the
kitchen somewhere, but it’s really owner-chef Margaret Moorefield.
Evian & Gourmet Magazine Awards - 1994
Chef Margaret Moorefield of Moorefield’s Restaurant &
Bar was one of Florida’s top chefs selected to participate
in the 1994 Evian Health Menu Awards.
Florida Magazine - November 29, 1992
If Orlando is to become a world-class city, it has to have a world-class
downtown district. Moorefield’s …could rocket downtown
Orlando to world-class status. Moorefield’s offers creative
gourmet dinners in a classy atmosphere. The restaurant is beautiful,
thoughtfully designed to create a classy and romantic atmosphere.
The Weekly, Orlando, FL - October 15, 1992
Moorefield’s: Downtown Flight of Fancy. Moorefield’s
is a fine dining experience with the best of service in downtown
Orlando. Once inside, with a little imagination, you can even make
believe you’re in Soho. The menu of new American cuisine reads
like an article in Bon Appetit magazine and the presentation of
the food is ready for high style photography. At Moorefield’s
the ingredients and flavors are always intriguing. Grab a date,
book a table, go downtown and check it out! Food: 4 ½ stars
Ambiance; 4 stars Service: 4 stars (out of 5 stars)
Orlando Cuisine, FL - October 1992
We’ve been patiently waiting for downtown to come of age with
a few fine dining locations. Thank goodness that Moorefield’s
has arrived. Former Jordan’s Grove chef Margaret Moorefield
has opened a first class establishment in downtown with top shelf
food, service and atmosphere.
Orlando Sentinel, Florida - 1992
Moorefield’s adds a dash of class to downtown business of
dining. Great food, ambiance, location. Her (Chef Margaret Moorefield)
culinary home adds an upscale addition to the downtown dining scene
….
Florida Magazine- October 1992
Top 10 restaurants in 1992: Moorefield’s….. Best Ambience.
Chef/Owner Margaret Moorefield set some lofty goals for her gourmet
restaurant. All the elements are in place to make this the restaurant
to watch in 1993.
Orlando Business Journal, Florida - June
1992
Margaret Moorefield, the former chef at Jordon’s Gove and
owner of Culinary Concepts catering service, has signed a five-year,
5000 square foot lease for her new downtown restaurant.
Orlando Sentinel, Florida Bob Morris - June
24, 1992
Special recognition should go to Margaret Moorefield, a well-known
Central Florida Chef who planned to open her restaurant and bar
by June 1… but postponed her opening so that the space could
be used for the Fringe art gallery and one of its performance sites.
(Orlando International Fringe Festival…10 days of live shows
by 30 performance companies from around the world.)
Orlando Sentinel, Florida - November 1991
Florida Food: Central Style. Margaret Moorefield’s…outlook
on Central Florida cuisine: Cook techniques should reflect the health-oriented,
fast paced lifestyle of contemporary Florida
Gazette Virginian, South Boston, VA - January
13, 1991
$15,000 Menu Introduces Culinary Concepts to Orlando. With flair
and $15,000 - $20,000 ten course menu, Margaret Moorefield introduced
Culinary Concepts to Orlando this fall. It was a grand success.
The Foodletter, Monthly Guide to Food &
Wine, Florida - December 1991
New Catering Company has formidable debut: Chef Margaret Moorefield
held a one person tour de force at the Renaissance on Lake Ivahoe
in November introducing her company, Culinary Concepts to Central
Florida. The setting was luxurious, but the quality and imagination
of the food easily eclipsed its setting. Presentation was fresh
and appetizing. Central Florida is fortunate in having a good variety
of competent caterers: Culinary Concepts should be near the top
of any quality listing.
Central Florida Bride, Florida - Spring/Summer
1990
Margaret Moorefield’s Culinary Concepts set an elegant table
laden with delicious food.
Orlando Sentinel, FL - April 1990
This weekend Jordan’s Grove restaurant will host 33 wineries
from the prestigious California wine-producing region. Two seminars
will focus on white meats and seafood…Leading the discussion
are Chefs Claring Epting and Margaret Moorefield of Jordan’s
Grove, Bill Higgins of the Peabody Hotel and Mark Militello or Marks’
Place.
Chef Margaret Moorefield received her
degree from Baltimore’s International Culinary Arts Institute
and also completed her apprenticeship at the European Educational
Centre in Cavan, Ireland.
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