By
Maria Isabella, Interview by Beth Segal
With both undergraduate and graduate degrees in anthropology
plus an MBA, you’d think Beth Davis-Noragon would now be either conducting an
archaeological dig or overseeing one. Instead, she’s running the Grovewood Tavern &
Wine Bar (as she has for the past 13 years) — and she couldn’t be any
happier!
“Our favorite
neighborhood wine bar closed,” explains Beth, “and we were just foolhardy
enough to give running our own a go. It turned into a restaurant very quickly,
and the rest, as they say, is history.”
What’s a typical day like for her? “I plan menus, market
food and wines, and create pairing dinners. Then,” she adds with a laugh, “I
have dinner.” However, when asked what
accomplishment she’s most proud of, she quickly turns very serious. “I employ
almost 25 people. I am making a difference as a small business owner in their
lives.” We couldn’t agree more.
Although a whiz in the kitchen, Beth admits her earliest
childhood memory of food is the cold baked bean sandwiches her father used to
make on leftover hamburger buns. “It was one of his ‘specialties,’” she
chuckles. But just as fondly, she also remembers the elaborate holiday meals her
grandmother used to prepare, including standing crown rib roast and green beans
amandine.
Although salted dark chocolate is her indulgence, her
mother-in-law’s potato salad is her favorite comfort food, and chips are her
weakness, when it comes to her own go-to, quick-and-easy dinner choice, roasted
chicken, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable are it. Not to mention apple crisp for dessert.
And when it comes to entertaining, Beth likes to go casual
with a lot of easy dishes. “It’s more about the company than the food,” she
says.
How did she hear of LDEI? “I was invited by one of the
founding members – I don’t remember which Dame – to attend a meeting at the
Flying Fig. I have been a member since the second year of the chapter’s
existence.”
As for what she enjoys most about being an LDEI member? “The
camaraderie and helpfulness of the members,” she answers without missing a
beat.
Learn more about Beth as she shares some fun and interesting
insights about herself.
Of all the
places you’ve traveled, where did you have the best food or wine? Paris.
Every meal in Paris is amazing – from the corner bistro to the Michelin-rated
restaurants. My husband and I got engaged over the fish course (skate wing, to
be exact).
What’s your favorite
restaurant and what do you usually order there? Grovewood Tavern, of course!
Everything on the menu is great, if I say so myself. But I particularly like
the home-grown Ohio tomato bruschetta in season.
What is the most
unusual thing you’ve ever eaten? I think I had horse once when I was in
France as a teenager.
Which one chef
would you want to invite over for dinner and what would you serve? Julia
Child. I’d make perfect roast chicken and fresh-picked green beans.
What is your
favorite cookbook? There are too many of them to pick just one. But if I
had to choose, it would be my mom’s annotated Betty Crocker cookbook from the
1960s. It’s the one I still go to first for basic recipes. It has a lot of
homey favorites that are a great jumping-off point for more creative endeavors.
What is your
favorite food blog? Smitten
Kitchen. Deb Perelman’s peach butter recipe was so terrific (half as much
sugar as in usual preserves) that I’m going to try it with strawberries this
year!
What’s your
favorite comfort food? Really good mac and cheese.
Do you have a
signature dish? It seems to rotate around a lot. But right now, I’m doing a
great spelt/tomato/basil salad.
Name 3 things that
are always in your refrigerator. Eggs, butter, and whole milk.
Name 3 kitchen gadgets
you can’t live without. A good, sharp knife. A corkscrew. And my three
cookie scoops. (We make a lot of cookies and cupcakes.)
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