Written by Chris Jones
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Lenny Berl’s grill is hot. On the table next to his grill, fresh chicken breasts have been cut and wiggled onto wooden skewers. He extends his index finger and thumb into a small silver canister, raises them out and dashes seasoning over the poultry. His blends—all researched and developed in-house at Virginia Gourmet by Berl and his partner, Joy Bryant—capture the authenticity and flavor of the corner of the world for which they’re inspired. Berl prepares six skewers with the distinct tastes of Africa, Asia, France, India, Mexico and a Colonial blend called “Williamsburg.” And even though the rubs and seasonings are going on poultry, they’re engineered to enhance the flavor of any type of food including meats, starches and soups. According to Berl, “It just depends on what part of the world you want to be in that day.”
He places the chicken on the grill. Above it on the top shelf are two rows of bison burgers.
“Bison meats are very healthy—98 percent lean. Just like beef, you can get them in all of the different cuts. Here at the shop, we have the rib-eye cut; we do them in hotdogs in a natural casing and we have them ground. In particular with the burgers and sliders, I like to mix [the bison] with ground beef and add our Africa spice blend and rub, an egg, some bread crumbs and some diced onion,” says Berl. “It makes for a wonderful, flavorful meat.”
Within 45 minutes, the chicken is ready. Berl suggests wrapping it in hydroponic buttercrisp lettuce for a fresh flavor. “You can add bread to the side or wrap it in our hydroponic lettuce. A nice side that goes with any of this chicken is blueberry applesauce. It makes a wonderful sauce as a dip. We leave the peels in so you get all of the nutrition and fiber.”
Adds Bryant: “The lettuce is grown from non-GMO seeds and is all organic. It’s like having a vitamin in every bite.”