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Chef Michael Voltaggio returns to The Greenbrier after participating in the hotel’s apprenticeship program a decade ago.

A three-paneled menu divided into Menu Degustation, Tasting Menu and a five-course Vegetarian Degustation study presents an array of small-portioned dishes.

Meet the chef

Chef Michael Voltaggio returns to The Greenbrier after participating in the hotel’s apprenticeship program a decade ago. During his time away, Voltaggio developed an extraordinary culinary lineage and disciplined formal training by embracing the experiences and techniques of nationally and internationally known chefs, including Arnaud Berthelier at Atlanta’s Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Charlie Palmer of New York City’s Aureole fame mentored Voltaggio and appointed him chef de cuisine at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg , Calif. Before that, he interned under Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif.

The creative 29-year-old offers combinations of traditional ingredients in unusual tasting-size presentations. Voltaggio describes himself as “devoted to food as sustenance and art.” He lives in Lewisburg, W.Va., with his wife, Kerri, and two daughters, all of whom come up with original food ideas for him to try.

Hemisphere

• Menu: Three different globally influenced menus in a tasting format
• Where: The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
• Drive time: If you take Virginia 311 from Interstate 81, Exit 141, in Salem, it’s about 60 miles (90-minute drive).
• Hours: Dinner only: 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Will close Jan. 1 until end of March.
• Soda products: Coca-Cola
• Alcohol: Full service bar
• Plastic? All major credit cards accepted
• Smoking? No
• Takeout? No
• Delivery? No
• Wireless Internet? No
• Kids’ menu? No
• Reservations? Recommended
• Live music? No
• Call: (800) 624-6070; (304) 536-1110
• Fax: (304) 536-7818
• Net: www.greenbrier.com

My introduction to The Greenbrier took place almost 50 years ago when I was a bride from New Jersey spending my honeymoon at this palatial Southern resort situated in the leafy environs of White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Our attraction was immediate, and I hoped for a return trip to this luxurious place many more times in my life.

As it turned out, my husband and I moved to Virginia three months afterward, and the 65-mile distance between our home and The Greenbrier made my wish a frequent reality. We enjoyed every Easter Sunday and Mother's Day buffets with our family for at least 20 years, and I attended food writers' symposiums as well as professional association conferences.

Over the years, I've seen several changes at The Greenbrier, but none has been as dramatic as the present $50 million transformation.

The main building houses three dining rooms, including Hemisphere (which opened in July) and the Main Dining Room, which is the only facility open for dinner every night. Draper Cafe serves lunch daily but dinner only on a seasonal basis as the hotel population demands.

THE VIBE

Hemisphere uses the space previously occupied by the Old White nightclub and lounge as the stage for chef Michael Voltaggio's globally themed tasting menu restaurant.

The decor merges art deco with contemporary designs in a mix of colors incorporating brown, pink, fuchsia, orange, lime green and yellow. At night, the spacious room glows with dramatic lighting from a colored glass chandelier, reflecting gold from the butterscotch-hued walls. Lynn Swann, The Greenbrier's public relations director, described the decor as a new twist on Dorothy Draper's design (the iconic designer decorated The Greenbrier after World War II).

Just about everything has a new life at Hemisphere. The old flatware, engraved with the letter G, gleams in re-created fanciful table centerpieces. This unexpected transformation extends to the food: Even though the name of a dish is familiar, the finished product is unlike anything you've experienced before.

THE MENU

A three-paneled menu divided into Menu Degustation, Tasting Menu and a five-course Vegetarian Degustation study presents an array of small-portioned dishes. Both Degustation menus require participation by the entire table. Many of the selections on one menu repeat on the other two menus, sometimes with different accompaniments or as a different course. For example, cream of dehydrated broccoli shows up on all three menus in unique combinations: On both the Menu Degustation and Tasting Menu, it comes with the Scottish prawns and ginger confit while on the Vegetarian Menu, it is featured with turnips, agnolotti and matsutake.

The Menu Degustation consists of eight small plate courses paired with sommelier Michael Scaffidi's wine selections priced at $200 per person, or $135 without wine pairings. The Vegetarian Degustation Menu ranges from $95 per person without wine selections to $160 with wine pairings.

WHAT I ATE

I ordered from the middle menu called Hemisphere Tasting Menu, a meal of several courses for $95 without wines and not including the 18.5 percent gratuity. A complimentary flute of Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Grand Cru, a bright, crisp yet delicate Chardonnay-derived Champagne arrived first, quickly followed by bread service: Two cigar-shaped baguettes served with Vermont cultured butter, English goat's milk butter, a small puddle of Armando Mani olive oil and a colorful palette of several differently infused salts.

Coconut shrimp quickly followed, and much to my surprise, the coconut shrimp turned out to be a crisp, crunchy cracker composed of dehydrated shrimp and sprinkled with coconut and shrimp powders, shaped to embrace a sheaf of wheat grass growing out of a small cup.

Within a few moments, a server proffered a spoon, naming the sample smoked salmon croquette. In reality, the spoon contained a dehydrated salmon crust holding a mounded filling of roe and creme fraiche seasoned with tomato and caper powders. Thoroughly incredible.

Scottish prawns with cream of dehydrated broccoli and ginger confit followed in quick order. In this dish, two prawns looked and tasted exactly as expected and the broccoli morsel yielded emphatic flavor.

The second course featuring turbot with lentil consomme and a truffle crust with encapsulated clams remained a mystery until Voltaggio explained it during our interview: It relates to the sous vide method of cooking food slowly in a vacuum-sealed package with the clams coated with their own juices.

Finally, my main course, Jameson Farm lamb shoulder with Madras curry, porcini mushroom, potato confit and coffee-cardamom soil, contrasted complex flavors with crunchy and soft textures.

Other main course selections included Mediterranean sea bass with scrambled cauliflower, Grenobloise condiment and tomato-yuzo; Japanese Kobe beef with marrow custard, palm heart, potato starch and soy Bordelaise; and axis venison with fennel variation, saffron-quince and blue cheese.

Desserts created by executive pastry chef Frederick Monti were works of art. My bright red candied apple topped with an edible gold bow looked like a gorgeous Christmas tree ball. Made of the thinnest, lightest blown sugar, this sweet sphere hid a luscious cache of cider mousse and vanilla ice cream on spiced apple cake.

At the end of the evening, my meal (gratuity included) came to $119.33. A wholly reasonable fare for distinctive, cutting-edge dining served in an elegant room.

NOT TO BE PICKY, BUT...

The first courses of coconut shrimp, smoked salmon croquette and Scottish prawns came out in such quick succession I couldn't complete enjoying the coconut shrimp. The hard cigar-shaped baguettes were better for dunking in morning coffee than dipping in olive oil and salt. The Jameson Farm lamb shoulder lacked flavor and went beyond tenderness to a soft texture. After dessert, I was given a small box containing "something sweet." Alas, its age left the gilded nut baton tasteless and impossible to bite.

A server replacing flatware merely plopped everything down -- the flatware was always in the correct position, but crooked. Finally, my primary waiter invented his own versions of a few dishes. For example, he described the encapsulated clams as "coated in sugar," and, to my dismay, he crumbed the table by sweeping them to the floor with his hand.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I will return for dinner at Hemisphere to relish chef Voltaggio's inspired meals as well as to enjoy sommelier Scaffidi's beautiful wine pairings with each course.