TEATIME MAGAZINE FEATURE ON AFTERNOON TEA AT THE O.HENRY

May/June 2015
By: Kellie Grammer
Photography by: John O’Hagan

Step into the lobby of the O.Henry Hotel, and you’ll find a modern establishment teeming with Old-World charm. Wood paneling, tall ceilings, and beautiful furnishings welcome guests and set the scene for a serene getaway or a regal afternoon-tea service, both honed to perfection.

The hotel opened its doors in 1998, but its roots date back to the early 20th century. The original O.Henry in downtown Greensboro was named for the alias of one of Greensboro’s famed natives, William Sydney Porter. That structure was built in 1919 and then was demolished in the 1970s, leaving a void in the area. In the interest of preserving the beauty and culture of a community-centered hotel, a new O.Henry Hotel opened. Family owned and operated, it focuses on hospitality, comfort, and style in every aspect of its rooms and amenitie

The O.Henry has been serving tea since 1998, but the service has recently been revitalized through the talents of Executive Pastry Chef Laura Dominguez, who trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York City.

Tea-loving locals and hotel guests alike take tea daily in the O.Henry’s social lobby — a lovely marriage of class and comfort, inviting guests to enjoy a special time with friends and family. Plush chairs and couches are gathered around low tables that are well suited for conversation over tea.

Guests may choose from a variety of afternoon-tea options. Three-tiered trays offer scones paired with curd and cream, and array of savory dishes, and a selection of sweets, all of which vary seasonally and utilize local ingredients wherever possible. The flavors of the savory madeleines and muffins change every four to six weeks as the menu shifts at Green Valley Grill, the hotel’s restaurant.

“The O.Henry has the kind of Old-World charm that you just don’t expect to find in a place like Greensboro,” Chef Dominguez says. “Everything is really comfortable and elegant, and it feels like something you’ve never experienced before.”

DECKED-OUT CHECKER HITS ROAD

Feature from the Greensboro News & Record, By Jim Schlosse

Dennis Quaintance and his newly-restored cab.

Dennis Quaintance loves the toys on his latest toy, a 1975 Checker Cab a few people might remember from another era in Greensboro.

From behind the wheel, Quaintance fools with a lever that adjusts a spotlight on the car.

“When you cut it on, you tell people they are supposed to get their butt out here,” he said.

This Checker is about to become a taxi for the first time since the Checker Motor Corp. built it in Kalamazoo, Mich.

It will join two English-made cabs now hauling guests at the O.Henry Hotel, owned by Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels. The English cabs and the Checker will also work the nearby Proximity Hotel that Quaintance-Weaver plans to open in October.

Guests at the airport or elsewhere will find the Checker Cab waiting with “hello” on its roof placard.

From 1975 until his death in 1980, the car belonged to Starmount Co. founder Edward Benjamin.

It was then blue and without taxi riggings. Benjamin motored about, inspecting his vast holdings, including Friendly Center, Starmount Country Club and many northwest Greensboro subdivisions.

Benjamin was eccentric. In buying a Checker, he perhaps wanted something different. He may also have liked the Checker for its ruggedness, with cabs lasting 200,000-plus miles.

Quaintance says Benjamin kept two Checkers: one at Starmount Farm, his Greensboro home; the other at his estate in New Orleans.

Until about 1959, Checker limited itself mostly to cab making. When its near monopoly on the taxi business in New York, Detroit and other cities began slipping, Checker started making a few personal cars, including Marathons, which Benjamin drove.

Hefty, roomy and air-conditioned, the car’s backseat has legroom sufficient to make three NBA players comfortable.

Benjamin’s family drove the car after he died, before Greensboro stockbroker Sam Hummel bought it.

“Dennis, you got to buy it and put it in service,” Hummel later would say, keeping after Quaintance.

“He just wore me down,” Quaintance said.

Hummel sold it to him for $6,000, which he considers a discount. It has relatively low mileage — 82,000. Quaintance says Hummel wanted the Checker preserved as part of the city’s past, present and future.

The car and hotels are linked. The O.Henry stands across from Benjamin’s Friendly Center. Benjamin also owned what’s now Green Valley Office Park, the Proximity’s location.

The hotel is named for the cotton mill the Cone family founded, along with others.

The Checker arrived Thursday after being overhauled and repainted by Sterling Carriage Vintage Limousines of Greensboro. The car now features the checker stripe and other taxi features.

Quaintance says the total cost is about $30,000, money well spent. He likes period pieces to draw attention to his hotels, which have historical themes.

Checker quit making cars in the early 1980s, but its vehicles remain workhorses. The 1976 movie “Taxi Driver,” with Robert De Niro, immortalized the Checker.

Quaintance took the car for a spin Thursday through Irving Park and Fisher Park. Hot weather made for empty sidewalks.

But when people are outside, Quaintance said, and you’re a passenger in the Checker, “you’d better pretend you are in a parade because everyone is going to be waving at you.”

AAA REVIEW OF THE O.HENRY HOTEL IN GREENSBORO NC

We receive the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award each year. Here is a feature written by AAA Go Magazine:

It is rare when the sequel is better than the original. The O. Henry Hotel, which opened in 1998, is an eight-story, red brick reincarnation that easily surpasses the luxury of the original hotel built in 1919 and torn down in 1979. Both named after William Sydney Porter, who died in 1910 at age 48 and whose literary classics, written under the pseudonym O. Henry, live on. A portrait of Porter, who was a native of Greensboro, hangs in the lobby.

Conveniently located near Wendover Avenue and Benjamin Parkway, two heavily traveled local roads, and next to the Friendly Shopping Center, the O. Henry is perfect for businessmen. The 1920s Georgian Revival style provides a hint of history for a modern hotel.However, it’s today’s amenities and style, including the attached Green Valley Grill restaurant and unique bar, that make it a perfect place for locals to hold weddings, celebrate anniversaries or go for a dinner and drinks with family and friends.

Entering through an electronic revolving door, the check-in desk, on the left fronts a wall of North Carolina honey-colored stressed pine that generates a warm homey feeling. Viewing the “social” lobby beyond with a 25-foot high carved wood ceiling, leather and mohair stuffed sofas and chairs, and a view through the 21-foot high window of the hotel’s “signature” – the cloister garden adds to the ambiance.

Columns wrapped in climbing vines, flowers and shrubs surrounding the patio, and a centerpiece bubbling fountain, the garden is a great place for drinks, afternoon tea or to enjoy the sumptuous, free full scale morning buffet for guests. Adjacent to the cloister garden, is the Pavilion; a huge sunroom designed after an 18th century orangery where citrus would be grown. It hosts the morning buffet, which includes eggs, biscuits and gravy, grits, potatoes, cereals, danish, meats, juices – all consumed in a room with three walls of 10-foot high windows. You get your free daily paper here.

Social currents occur in the bar and Green Valley Grill, which is connected to the hotel. The flecked granite bar has one long wall of windows with shelves stacked with multi-colored liquor bottles and a facing wall of brick arcade and windows that are common with the Grill. The layout is so unique – and popular – that it is being patented.The bar window overlooks yet another possible nighttime dining area, a courtyard with illuminated trees, another central fountain and surrounding greenery. The Grill’s 30-foot high ceiling and frosted glass separators atop the booths add to an Italian Tuscany atmosphere enhanced by a 22-foot wide arched cornucopia mural by local artist Frank P. Holton III above the wood-fired oven used to prepare many of the Grill’s entree specials.

All this before you stay in one of the 131-rooms. A typical room boasts a separate dressing area with a granite vanity shelf long enough for a coffee maker, hand towels and real glasses with weighted bottoms. A wall-to-wall mirror overlooks the vanity and sink. A built-in luggage shelf sits atop four clothing drawers and is next to the closet, stocked with smaller pillows (in case the four on the bed don’t suit), iron, ironing board and safe. Frosted glass panes on the bathroom door allow privacy and can serve as a suffused night-light when closed. Black and white-checkered tile comprises the bathroom floor and the black/white theme surrounds the cast-iron soaking tub. In one corner sits the glass-walled shower. The nine-foot cove molded ceilings continue the feeling of space and openness found throughout the hotel. The multi-purpose armoire includes a refrigerator, microwave, glasses and water shelf, clothing drawers and a swivel 25-inch television easily viewed from almost anywhere in the room.The ample sized desk has two very comfortable cloth-covered chairs and variable lighting. A foldout couch and stuffed chair, coffee table, two bedside tables and a bed with an arched wooden headboard filled in with green padding, rounds out the furniture.

Special features: High-tech rooms with speaker phones, voicemail and high speed Internet; afternoon tea from 2 p.m.-5 p.m.; historic prints of Greensboro lining the hallways; grand piano in the social lobby; windows that open; plenty of parking and 100-channel TV. There is also an eight-machine exercise room overlooking a small outdoor swimming pool and a business center.

Reprinted with permission from AAA Carolinas.

$2M RENOVATION UNDERWAY AT THE O.HENRY HOTEL

By Catherine Carlock

Triad Business Journal, November 12, 2013

Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants & Hotels is in the midst of a $2 million renovation at its O.Henry Hotel in Greensboro, which on Nov. 23 will celebrate its 15th anniversary.

The O.Herny has also been selected to join the Southern Living Hotel Collection, a handpicked list of top-quality independent inns and hotels throughout the South that offer a “memorable experience through impeccable service, outstanding cuisine, high-quality facilities and the finest amenities.” The list, which is curated by the Southern Living travel editors, will eventually grow to 100 hotels through the South.

The renovations will take the hotel’s existing events spaces from a 4-star level to an even-more-premium 5-star levvel, said Dennis Quaintance, CEO of the Greensboro-based hotel and restaurant operator. Quaintance — who also goes by the title “chieff storytelling officer” — opened the O.Henry Hotel and accompanying restaurant the Green Valley Grill with partner Mike Weaver and their wives Nancy and Katherine in 1998. The facility was designed after the original O.Henry Hotel, which was located in downtown Greensboro from 1919 to 1979.

“We’re here for the long run,” Quaintance said. “We said, ‘rather than just touch up, is there something we can do to up the ante?'”

Renovations include transforming former administrative office space into a paneled event space called the Palmer Room, which will provide private dining or meeting space for up to 22 people, as well as converting a former business center into a new lower-level lobby.

The existing 1,500-square-foot Hawkins Brown Room is also being remodeled, with Quaintance-Weaver’s in-house construction staff raising the room’s ceiling by 17 inches and adding new lighting and glasswork.

Together, the terrace-level renovations span about 4,000 square feet and will be wrapped up by mid-December, Quaintance said.

While most hotels remodel or refurnish space every five to seven years, Quaintance-Weaver’s design team — including Leah Clark, artist-in-residence Chip Holton and lead designer Bradshaw Orrell — meets weekly to discuss improvement possibilities at its properties.

For instance, beyond the $2 million event space renovation, Quaintance-Weaver has been in the process of updating each of the O.Henry’s 131 rooms with 46-inch high-definition televisions, newly upholstered furniture and original artwork from Holton. The entire project will take about 30 months, Quaintance said.

The O.Henry is the only hotel in the Triad that is part of the Southern Living hotel collection, joining The Greystone Inn in Lke Toxaway, The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, The Swag in Waynesville, and the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham on the list.

The Quaintance-Weaver team is working with Southern Living to plan marketing events for the next year. Beyon the “honor” of receiving a stamp of approval from the venerated magazine, being included in the hotel collection opens up a market of Southern Living’s 2.8 million subscribers and 15 million readers, Quaintance said.

“It gives us some prestige,” he said.

Cooking Class: Print Works Bistro

By Amanda

Cuisine & Screen, November 19, 2012

I had the privilege of attending Chef Leigh Hesling’s final cooking class for 2012 at Print Works Bistro, and I don’t know how I’ll make it to January 2013, when the next round of classes begins. This was the most fun Saturday I’ve had in a long time, thanks to Chef Hesling’s charming personality, festive and flavorful dishes, and my new favorite wine.

Some of Chef Hesling’s classes take place at Green Valley Grill, but the one I attended was held in a room at Print Works that typically hosts wedding receptions, and features a beautiful view of Greensboro. Several tables were draped with white tablecloths and decorated with flowers in a pumpkin “vase.” (These were raffled off at the end of the class, along with gift cards to both restaurants AND an overnight stay at the Proximity Hotel!) Upon our arrival, my companion and I were offered a refreshing pink cocktails, “The Local Beet.” The earthiness of the beet and the tartness of the lemon were more pronounced than the flavor of the gin, which I appreciated. I knew we were in for a top afternoon

Chef Hesling answered questions throughout the demonstrations, and made for a very delightful “emcee.” The first course was a duo of bisque-y soups, screaming with flavors of the season. And here’s the kicker — they’re served side by side in the same bowl. Butternut Squash Bisque reaches for sweeter notes, thanks to nutmeg and honey, while Truffled Cauliflower Soup gets robust flavor from truffle oil (king of the culinary world), and chive oil enhances both soups. After keeping the “boys and girls at the dance” separate long enough, I was daring enough to try both on my spoon at once and liked what I tasted. No dish during the afternoon needed additional seasoning.

Now onto one of the many highlights of the day: Chef Hesling decided to give us a taste of his home with a 2005 Kirrihill “Birchmores Vineyard” Lanhorne Creek Shiraz from Australia. It was love at first sip. The fruity, plum notes were the perfect accompaniment to our entrée, Seafood en Papillote. Grouper filets are baked in parchment paper, with tomatoes, basil pistou and herb butter, and opening the bag is like unwrapping a present. Steam rises up, and notes of basil, butter and white wine hit you. Swiss chard is a healthy and seasonal side, but the Prima Donna Spaetzle is the indulgent, comforting option. This harkened me back to my vacation in Germany — spaetzle is like macaroni and cheese, without the cheesy, runny sauce. Prima Donna Cheese is a cross between Parmesan and Gouda, and the little spaetzli dumplings absorb the flavor well. I cannot wait to impress my friends at my dinner parties with this course.

As if my taste buds couldn’t have been more stimulated, this sinful dessert is one I’ll be making around Valentine’s Day. Dark Chocolate Cherry Crème Brulee is like a brownie custard, with crunchy, browned sugar on top. Decadent. Though the crème brulee was plenty, Madeleines were served alongside — lemony, buttery and wonderful to dunk in coffee.

Though I wasn’t one of the raffle winners, being exposed to such creative, outstanding food was prize enough. No one walked away empty handed — in addition to a copy of each recipe, everyone got a goody bag with pumpkin biscotti dipped in white chocolate! I highly recommend the 2013 Cooking Class Series with Chef Hesling. You’ll leave with handy kitchen skills, new friends and a very pleased stomach.

CURRENT FEATURES

Join us at Green Valley Grill, adjacent to the O.Henry Hotel. Enjoy fresh seasonal Old World European and Mediterranean flavors from the wood-fired rotisserie and grill. Pair it with your choice of artisanal cocktails, craft beers and 500 wines.

GVG named Top 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America. Read more.

Happenings: Mad Hatter Tea

Sampling of our Menu Features

The below is just a sampling! See our Full Menus: Weekend Brunch | Lunch | Dinner | Dessert | Late Night | Wine List | Cocktails | Beer

Print Works is the First LEED® Platinum Restaurant

Proximity & Print Works named the highest rated “Green” hotel and restaurant in America

October 7, 2008 ( Greensboro, NC) — Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels announced today that Print Works Bistro and Proximity Hotel have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro are the first in the hospitality industry to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification.

Dennis Quaintance , the CEO and CDO (Chief Design Officer) of Quaintance-Weaver, is obviously delighted. “When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41% less energy and 33% less water without one iota of compromise in comfort or luxury and with minimal additional construction costs,” says Quaintance. “It just goes to show what a determined team can accomplish if they use common sense and get a little bit of help from the sun.”

His “sun” comment refers to the 100 solar rooftop panels that heat water for the AAA Four Diamond hotel. To illustrate how the hotel and bistro save energy without negatively affecting guest comfort, he asks, “How is it a compromise for a guest to shower with water that is heated by the sun? Or, how is it a compromise for a bistro guest if his or her dishes are washed with solar heated water?”

Quaintance collaborated with his subcontractors on every little detail and personally tested most products. “We tested so many different toilets at home that our children were anxious to see what they called the ‘commode du jour’,” he says. “We finally found one that works wonderfully and uses a third of a gallon less with each flush, and it did not cost one cent more than a conventional toilet.”

The rigorous testing for a variety of water saving products is paying off. The hotel and restaurant is on track to use two million gallons less water during the first year, saving more than $13,000 by spending less than $7,000 in additional construction costs.

“I’ve come to believe that it is an urban legend that employing sustainable practices with new construction is too expensive,” concludes Quaintance. “We are very happy with the results, including the costs and returns, of everything that we did. It’s not easy — but it’s not hard. And it’s definitely worth it.”

Proximity and Print Works did not attain this milestone by just using less energy and water. They also:

• Recycled 87% of the construction debris (1,535 tons)
• Sourced over 40% of the building materials locally
• Used over 20% recycled content
• Restored 700 feet of an adjacent stream
• Installed the first regenerative drive elevators in North America, generating electricity on the descent for the ascent
• Provided natural lighting (day-lighting) to 97% of the occupied space
• Used elaborate energy recovery systems to provide large amounts of fresh outside air to all guests
• Sourced 90% of the furniture locally
• Commissioned local artists and craftspeople for original art in every guestroom, a cantilevered reception desk, spiral staircases in the lobby, furniture and accessories
• Plus more than 60 other sustainable practices

LEED certification covers energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design & construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

“Proximity Hotel is especially to be commended for achieving LEED Platinum. This facility is one that both the community and its guests can be proud of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO, Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Proximity is a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy environment, and an inspiration for others.”

Officials from the USGBC will present the LEED Platinum plaque to the Proximity and Print Works Bistro at a ceremony at the hotel on November 10. On that same day, Proximity will hold its second Sustainable Practices Symposium, a three-hour discussion and tour about the design and building process using the LEED criteria. There is no charge for attendance, but advance registration at www.proximityhotel.com is required.

Built and operated by Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, Print Works Bistro and Proximity Hotel are just a stone’s throw away from its sister businesses, Lucky 32 Kitchen and Wine Bar, Green Valley Grill and the Four Diamond O.Henry Hotel.  

About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.

Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments, and interested private companies. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.

More About Sustainable Practices at Proximity and Print Works:
Here is a sampling of the 70+ sustainable practices at Proximity Hotel & Print Works Bistro:

• The building uses 41% less energy than a conventional hotel/restaurant by using ultra efficient materials and the latest construction technology.
• The sun’s energy heats hot water with 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes).
• 700 linear feet of stream was restored by reducing erosion, planting local, adaptable plant species and rebuilding the buffers and banks. Approximately 700 cubic yards of soil was removed to create a floodplain bench. And 376 tons of boulders and 18 logs were used to maintain grade control, dissipate energy and assist in the creation and maintenance of riffles and pools.
• Tabletops in the Bistro are made of salvaged, solid walnut trees that came down through sickness or storm and room service trays made of Plyboo (bamboo plywood).
• Newly-engineered variable speed hoods in the restaurant uses a series of sensors to set the power according to the kitchen’s needs and adjusts to a lower level of operation (typically 25% of their full capacity). The sensors also detect heat, smoke or other effluents and increase the fan speed to keep the air fresh.
• Geothermal energy is used for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment, instead of a standard water-cooled system, saving significant amounts of water.
• North America’s first Regenerative Drive model of the Otis’ Gen2 elevator reduces net energy usage by capturing the system’s energy and feeds it back into the building’s internal electrical grid.
• Abundant natural lighting, including large energy-efficient “operable” windows (7’4” square windows in guest rooms), connects guests to the outdoors by achieving a direct line of sight to the outdoor environment for more than 97% of all regularly occupied spaces.
• Building materials with recycled content include reinforced steel with 90% post consumer recycled content, sheetrock 100%, asphalt 25% and staircase steel 50%. Concrete contains 4% fly ash (224,000 pounds), the mineral residue left after the combustion of coal that is diverted from landfills.
• 87% of construction waste was recycled, diverting 1,535 tons of debris from landfills.
• Water usage has been reduced by 33% by installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures, saving two million gallons of water the first year.
• Air quality improved by circulating large amounts of outside air into guestrooms (60 cubic feet per minute) and doing so in an energy efficient way by employing “energy recovery” technology where the outside air is tempered by the air being exhausted.
• Regional vendors and artists were used for materials to reduce transportation and packaging.
• Low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives, carpets, etc reduces indoor air contamination.
• Guestroom shelving is made of walnut SkyBlend, particleboard made from 100% post-industrial recycled wood pulp with no added formaldehyde.
• A green, vegetated rooftop will be planted on the restaurant to reduce the “urban heat island effect.” In other words, the green roof reflects the heat, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for refrigeration and/or air conditioning. It also slows the rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the building cooler overall. Currently, we trying out various plants on the roof in a test area.
• “Education Center” for sustainable practices includes tours of our “green” hotel for guests and outreach programs for students of all ages.

A Green Hotel Leaves a Sustainable Legacy

A hotel exec in North Carolina finds that investing in solar and energy efficiency makes good business sense.

By: Justin Catanoso, Yale Climate Connections
January 18, 2017
LISTEN TO THE STORY

The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the country’s first hotel to achieve LEED platinum status – the Green Building Council’s highest certification. And that wasn’t even the goal!

Quaintance: “The only ambition was, let’s sincerely consider sustainable practices with each of our decisions.”

That’s Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels. After his children were born, he and his wife considered the legacy they would leave behind and committed to running a sustainable as well as financially sound company. To do so, they used a single question to guide all major decisions.

Quaintance: “Is there a sustainable angle that’s practical?”

This led to the construction of a hotel with rooftop solar panels to heat water, ultra-efficient appliances to reduce energy use, and elevators that actually generate power. Many of these choices were more expensive than traditional options. But as a result, the Proximity uses almost 40 percent less energy than other hotels its size.

Within only four years, the extra costs paid for themselves in energy savings and tax credits. So the result is a hotel that’s both sustainable and profitable.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media.

AUTHOR
Justin Catanoso is a professor of journalism at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who specializes in covering climate change internationally.

In the News: Local Restaurant Group Nominated for James Beard Award

The leaders of the Quaintance-Weaver restaurant group have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation award.

Dennis and Nancy Quaintance, along with Mike Weaver, of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants in Greensboro, are among the national semifinalists in the 2009 Restaurant and Chef awards. They are in the running for the Outstanding Restaurateur award.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Dennis Quaintance said. “I never conceived it.”

Quaintance-Weaver – which leads the restaurant teams of Lucky 32, Green Valley Grill and Print Works Bistro – is one of 20 national semifinalists with only two being from the southeast. It was chosen from a list of 15,000 nominations in 19 categories.

The James Beard Foundation Awards are compared to the Oscars of the food world.

Quaintance credits the nomination to the efforts of his restaurants to be locally sustaining, the purity and quality of the food and perhaps recent advances in being more green. He also gives unabashed credence to his restaurants’ staffs.

“What I feel like doing is walking out and hugging a bunch of people in our restaurants,” he said. “They are the ones humping it everyday. This would have never happened were it not for their collective behaviors and sincerity.”

The finalists will be announced March 23 at ceremony in Chicago.

MORE

What is Outstanding Restaurateur?
A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Nominee Selection and Judging
Anyone can submit a chef or restaurant for consideration during the online open call for entries in the fall. Entries are tabulated by the independent accounting firm Lutz & Carr, and based on the results, the Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee produces a nominating ballot with up to 20 semifinalists in each category. This ballot is distributed online to more than 400 judges, who select the five official nominees in each category. The same judges then vote on these five nominees to choose the winners.

The judges include previous Restaurant and Chef Award winners, the Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee, 25 leading regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, and culinary educators in each of the 10 regions. There are more than 400 judges nationwide.

In each category, the judges are looking for individuals whose contribution to their field is unique and long-lasting.

Print Works’ Cuisine Never Boring

(4 Star Review)
By John Batchelor | Go Triad
Published: July 12, 2012

GREENSBORO — Print Works Bistro is the restaurant of Proximity Hotel, a Quaintance-Weaver property. Both the hotel and restaurant have been recognized as the “greenest” such establishments in America, certified LEED Platinum.

Lush landscaping with streamside outdoor seating and airy interior decor create casual sophistication. The look is bright and billowy, a function of tall windows plus cream-colored floor to ceiling drapes hung throughout, sectioning off various dining areas. Noise level can be fairly high. Live music in the bar on Wednesday nights permeates dining areas all the way to the back wall, where yelling in the kitchen is also evident. The impact is not harsh; draperies soften the edge somewhat.

Cuisine loosely follows a French bistro concept, combined with contemporary American comfort food — variations on the familiar, but never boring. Ingredients from nearby farms and producers are central to the concept. Execution is precise and consistent.

The crust in flatbread is firm and flavorful in its own right. In the Duck Confit version, tender duck benefits from sweet, soft shredded shallots, soaked in sugar and white balsamic vinegar, plus mellow cheese — a cross between feta and mozzarella — from Chapel Hill Creamery. A hot iron bowl hosts Onion Soup, the flavorful veal broth enriched with abundant soft-cooked onions and aged Ementhaler cheese.

A cheeseburger is about a half-inch thick, generating very good, natural beef flavor. The meat is local, from Bobby Brad’s Family Farm. The egg-based challah bun is imported from Tribeca Bakery in New York. It comes with fries. This would have been included in my recent “best burgers” list had it not duplicated the entry from Green Valley Grill, Print Works’ corporate sibling.
A mixed green salad of leaf lettuces hosts green beans, sliced carrots and radishes, chopped celery and clipped green onions, accented by a very light, creamy herb dressing.

In Steak Frites, Certified Angus Beef hanger steak is seasoned with herbed butter. The meat is surprisingly tender, a function of how it is sliced — diagonally across the grain. Crisp fries are cut in-house, skin on, about ¼-inch thick, yielding very good potato flavor. A few uncooked spinach leaves provide a weak excuse for a green vegetable.

Other entrees came with mashed potatoes blended with crème fraiche, joined by French-style green beans — with the protein, adding up to a complete meal.

Tender Trout filet delivers delightfully mild flavor, well-served by a light coating of herbed bread crumbs drizzled with lemon caper beurre blanc sauce.

Black Pepper Grilled Salmon exudes unusually good salmon flavor, enhanced with honey lime butter sauce. The fish is sustainably raised by Marine Harvest in Canada.

An off-menu special of Corvina, a white-fleshed fish of the drum family, had been baked en papillotte with clams, sealing in moisture while infusing the fish with clam flavor.

Certified Angus Beef Short Ribs are falling-off-the-bone tender, the deep flavor of the meat enhanced by caramelized spring onions, creating a luscious extension.

Desserts are a particular treat. Profiteroles — puff pastry balls — are filled with homemade vanilla ice cream. Servers ladle hot chocolate sauce tableside to wonderful effect.

In Champagne and Berry Gelee, the gel holds berries, their flavor augmented by crème anglaise and homemade macaroons.

These experiences validate the overall impression that Print Works continues to rank as one of the Triad’s best restaurants. Although I did not encounter any problems during these review visits, I am aware from numerous prior experiences that Quaintance-Weaver establishments are among the best for resolving a complaint.

John Batchelor has been reviewing restaurants for 30 years. His reviews run on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com.