 Executive Chef of Lemaire, Walter Bundy uses the influences of many cultures in his cooking, but the core principles of Southern cuisine are the guiding forces in his kitchen.
In his own words: “Lemaire features upscale Southern cuisine with a French twist.”
Lemaire’s menu honors the local influences of Richmond. But, the restaurant’s cuisine also mirrors the accommodation of The Jefferson Hotel – a classical hotel with strong regional influences.
Located in what was originally the ladies' parlor of the historic Mobil Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond Jefferson Hotel, Lemaire is named after Thomas Jefferson’s White House maitre d’hotel, who introduced Americans to the art of cooking with wine.
Appropriately, Richmond’s most prestigious restaurant now has a native son at the helm, devoted to using the region’s products in his kitchen.
A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Bundy has worked with some of the nation’s finest chefs, including Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley. In 1998 Keller was the James Beard House’s national chef of the year. Bundy has also worked at Pinot Blanc in St. Helena, CA., and at the Coyote Café in Santa Fe, NM.
Since assuming the position of executive chef at Lemaire in May 2001, Bundy has undertaken the task of altering the menu every two weeks to reflect the freshest ingredients that Richmond and the Tidewater region has to offer.
Some of his creations include:
“Shrimp and Grits”
Hog Island littleneck clams, jumbo gulf shrimp, coarse ground mascarpone grits, slow roasted garlic, tasso ham, saffron tomato broth
Butter Braised Chesapeake Bay Oysters
Kites Smithfield country ham, buttermilk chive cornbread, black peppercorn champagne hollandaise
Lemaire Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cakes
sweet parsnip mousse, wilted spinach, lemongrass and red bell pepper emulsions
Roasted Rack of Summerfield Farms Spring Lamb
Byrd Mills stone ground grits, baby carrots and green asparagus, mint-cherry chutney, lamb “gravy”
Lemaire seats 118 guests in eight intimate dining rooms, including a library and a Victorian-style, glass-enclosed conservatory.
The Library, which houses the famous oil painting, “The Soap Bubbles” by Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau, is the most well-known dining room and accommodates up to 20 guests. The restaurant, like the hotel, is decorated with antique crystal chandeliers, elaborate draperies and elegant tapestries.
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