AUGUST 26, 2008. Christopher Carey, executive chef of The Goodstone Inn & Estate in Middleburg, Virginia, was the featured chef recently at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan. His five course dinner was served to a full house of James Beard Foundation members, special guests and members of the media.

Chef Carey’s dinner menu was inspired by the five uniquely beautiful and historic dwellings that make up The Goodstone Inn & Estate's guest accommodations. These include the elegant Carriage House, the quaint Dutch Cottage, the historic French Farm House, the stately Manor House, and the intimate Spring House. He chose to name each course accordingly, providing a “culinary tour" of the inn.

For the dinner, Chef Carey used fresh ingredients, herbs and produce originating directly from The Goodstone Inn's organically maintained kitchen gardens and orchards. In addition to providing five-star-quality lodging, The Goodstone Inn also offers farm-to-table dining in its restaurant, Hilltoppers, ensuring the freshest and highest quality culinary experience possible for guests.

About Executive Chef Christopher Carey
Christopher Carey is executive chef for The Goodstone Inn & Estate. In this role he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the culinary program for the luxuriously elegant inn. This includes the fine dining restaurant, Hilltoppers, an intimate new wine cellar and private dining room, and all catered affairs. Previous to his appointment at The Goodstone Inn, Carey was executive chef for The Ashby Inn of Paris, Virginia. During his tenure there, the inn was featured on an episode of television’s Food Network - “Country Inns of Virginia.” Additionally, he was honored as one of the “Best Chefs of Washington.”

Christopher Carey has served as executive chef for Clifton – The Country Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property located in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the late 1990s, Mr. Carey served as executive chef for Le Taxi Bistro Francaise in New York City and as executive sous chef for The Belmont Inn of Camden, Maine. Previous to this, Carey served in culinary positions of increasing responsibility for properties on Long Island’s historic Gold Coast, including the Metropolitan Club, and in New York City, including Le Cirque.

Chef Carey is a graduate of Le Cordon Blue of Paris, France, and the French Culinary Institute in New York City. He is also a graduate of Fordham University, located in New York, with a Bachelors degree in economics.

The James Beard Foundation (www.jamesbeard.org), based in New York City, is the definitive culinary arts organization in the United States dedicated to showcasing American chefs' talents. It is named after the great American chef, Dean of American Cooking, and Father of American Gastronomy, James Beard. The Foundation and The James Beard House, where chefs from around the world showcase their talents, are situated in Manhattan in Beard's original townhouse home, located in Greenwich Village. The mission of The James Beard Foundation is to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of the nation's culinary excellence.