Originally shared on the Darden Report.
When The Forum Hotel opens on Darden Grounds in April, two new unique restaurants will also be welcomed to the property.
Birch & Bloom, a re-imagined American steakhouse with regional farm-to-table fare, will feature select butcher cuts and seasonally driven cuisine. The restaurant will be open for breakfast and dinner service, giving the traditional steakhouse experience a unique twist by serving the finest steaks and proteins alongside shareable sides that rotate with the seasons.
Follow on Instagram @birchandbloomcville
The Good Sport, a neighborhood craft beer bar, features classic tavern fare and an impressive roster of local beers and curated cocktails. Serving up classics with a contemporary spin, The Good Sport will offer a robust craft beer program and seasonal tasting flights with an emphasis on local, regional and hard-to-find brews.
Follow on Instagram: @thegoodsportcville
Leading both Birch & Bloom and The Good Sport is executive chef Eric Brownlee, who brings more than 25 years of passionate experience to The Forum Hotel. Originally from rural Pennsylvania, Chef Brownlee discovered his love for agriculture and cooking with home-grown ingredients while working on his grandfather’s farm.
Birch & Bloom and The Good Sport are set within the first on-campus hotel from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, which features 198 guest rooms, 10 suites with sweeping views, and more than 11,500 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting spaces and classrooms, perfect for celebrations, corporate conferences and educational gatherings of every sort.
Anchored by a five-acre arboretum and botanical gardens, the hotel will be home to thematic gardens, a pond, a restored stream and walking trails that connect Darden to the UVA School of Law, Rivanna Trail, and the greater University and Charlottesville area.
The Forum Hotel is operated by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and is the newest Kimpton property in IHG’s Luxury and Lifestyle Collection.
Check out the video below for a look back at almost one year ago when the construction reached the halfway point!
