Lynchburg Living

Departments

By Johanna Calfee

Lynchburg, 1970: A young preacher named Jerry Falwell was preparing to open a school called Lynchburg Baptist College. The price of a gallon of gasoline was around 35 cents. And on Fort Avenue, a brand new, fine dining restaurant named the Crown Sterling had Hill City residents flocking there for upscale dinners and special occasions.

Of course, much has changed in 41 years. Lynchburg Baptist College is now Liberty University, recently named the nation’s eighth largest, four-year university, with Jerry Falwell, Jr., at the helm. The price of gas is about 11 times that of its 1970 counterpart. And the Crown Sterling? It’s under new ownership. Still, much of the restaurant’s original ambiance, and the reasons it initially drew people–to celebrate life’s milestones, or to simply enjoy a great steak–is very much alive and well today.

When Bob and Debbie Miller and Roger and Mary Ott bought the Crown Sterling last December, they knew changes needed to be made to bring it back to its former glory. But as one of Lynchburg’s best-known and most-established fine dining venues, they were walking a fine line between keeping what was loved and cherished about the restaurant and bringing in fresh ideas and flavors.

“We think on this level–we are the best,” Bob Miller said. “Senators, world leaders and celebrities have all dined here. We just needed to bring it into a new era.”

They started by changing the name to The Crown.

“We knew we needed to create a new buzz around the restaurant because it had declined in quality, reputation and service,” Miller explained. “So, we changed the name to what everyone already calls it–The Crown.”

The transformation soon became complete with an elegant, new logo, Web site and road front sign. Inside, however, the hard work had just begun.

“We cleaned like crazy, updated the fixtures, painted the ceiling and modernized the look of the table settings by taking the shades off the table lamps and adding white linens,” Miller said.

Updates also included revamping the bar and outside seating area, and switching to an open sale system to replace the old “pencil and paper” process of placing food orders and keeping track of inventory. Miller says they have also added Open Table on their Web site, which allows guests to book reservations online.

The Millers and Otts contend that those initial updates were the easier ones to make; the difficult choices came where the menu was involved. With 41 years of memories tied up in each item, from the Host Choice to the ever-popular salad bar, they soon realized that the classics on the menu needed to stay.

“That’s the thing about this restaurant–it’s iconic,” Miller explained. “You can’t change things … just up the quality of them.”

Instead, they decided to simply add new offerings to the existing menu, placing the onus on Mary Ott to raise the bar. As Executive Chef, Mary’s Italian-American heritage means she loves to cook, and the challenge to add home run items was gladly accepted.

One of her first priorities was to add healthier choices to the usual line-up of steaks, filets and ribeyes.

“I added a vegetarian option to the menu. Some gluten-free and lactose-free items are also in the works. We created new salad options and homemade dressings. There are also lighter desserts coming soon, like local berries with sugar and fresh, homemade lemoncello,” she said.

Other additions to the traditional menu include “Starters” like the Sweet and Savory Baked Cheese and Napoli Sardine Tapas, as well as a Chargrilled Jumbo Sea Scallops entree and The Culpepper–a 24-ounce certified Angus Beef steak, aptly described as being “for the hearty appetite, or for two to share.”

Drink and dessert options have also gotten an overhaul. Nightly, the restaurant presents all the offerings of a full bar along with an extensive, flowing wine list, as well as new dessert items by local pastry chef, Amanda Pate. With the ability to cater to large parties, The Crown will design a menu specifically for groups–an option likely to draw in local companies and families around the holidays.

Playing to the popularity of the after-church brunch crowd in Central Virginia, The Crown has also added “Sunday Family Dinner” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For $16, adult brunchers choose one meat and three sides, which are accompanied by a seasonal, homemade fruit cobbler a la mode, a trip to the salad bar, bread, coffee or tea. Kids can choose the same smaller portions for $10.

Waiter Brian Davidson says the additions–and the choice not to change a lot of the old favorites–have been well-received by his patrons.

“You’re going to have your old school customers who are going to order the Host Choice and know that they are going to get everything they need. But now, it’s a 60/40 split–60 percent of our customers are trying the new items and really enjoying them,” Davidson said.

For seafood lovers, the Baked Homemade Crab Cakes are one of the best selections on the menu, with portions to suit a king. Two heaping cakes filled with lump crab are served with Old Bay butter, a choice of side, bread and a trip to the salad bar.

One of Miller’s favorite selections off the menu is the Frenched Bone-in Pork Loin, which, like all of their cuts of meat, is grilled over open charcoal, giving it “an additional boost of intense smoky flavor,” according to the menu.

With an emphasis on superior service and gourmet meals, the owners believe this standard will allow them to retain, and even recoup, their regular customers. Already, Miller says that a number of people have returned to eat there for the first time in years, and gave rave reviews.

“Greg Marsh, who owned the restaurant for 27 years, ate here recently and told us that it was the best dinner he had had in 10 years. To us, that was a huge compliment,” Miller said.

While the food has certainly been the main attraction for patrons, including well-known “regular,” the late Jerry Falwell, Sr., The Crown is also known as a place where memories are made. In fact, the Millers, who have been married 29 years following a whirlwind courtship, had their very first date in 1982 at none other than the Crown Sterling.

“It’s a place of celebration, of love, of graduations and promotions,” Bob said. “If these walls could talk, there would be so many memories to share.”

Now, with the updates, menu additions and a focus on owner presence, Miller says that he and Debbie like to think of what they are now doing with the Otts is simply “polishing The Crown”–improving it in order to extend its legacy.

“We are excited about carrying on the tradition,” he said, “and carrying it on to the next generation.”

To learn more about The Crown, its menu and to reserve seats, visit www.enjoythecrown.com.