RICHMOND, Va. — Chef Kyle Perkins has found his culinary home at Salt & Meadow inside The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia, where the breathtaking waterfront views and local seafood inspire his cooking.
"I came and I walked through the front door at the Tides Inn. I saw the view, and I said, 'Yep, sign me up,'" Perkins said.
Before joining The Tides Inn as executive chef, Perkins worked at Twin Farms, a boutique resort in Vermont that he describes as "a true definition of escaping reality" with no phone service and a secluded woodland setting.
The Vermont native's journey to The Tides Inn came after a stint in San Francisco during 2020, when the pandemic made city living unaffordable and limited opportunities. He returned to Vermont, briefly worked in landscaping, then joined Twin Farms under chef Nathan Rich, who provided "an excellent platform for me to excel and grow."
When the opportunity at The Tides Inn presented itself through Tanzerra Resorts, the property's parent company, Perkins was immediately drawn to the unique coastal setting.
"We don't want it to be the Marriott. We don't want it to be the Hilton. We want each resort to have its own uniqueness and its own home feeling," Perkins said.
The transition from Vermont to Virginia's Northern Neck brought significant changes to his culinary approach. At Twin Farms, Perkins served about 28 guests and could change menus at will. At The Tides Inn, he feeds up to 300 people daily and focuses on consistency.
"Making sure that recipes are extremely consistent, because I don't have the ability every single day to change the menu," Perkins said.
Being on the water has also influenced his menu, with seafood playing a prominent role. Perkins has even worked on an oyster farm to better understand the local industry.
"I've worked out on an oyster farm for a couple of days, and they were 12-hour back-breaking days. It's no joke. I have a lot more respect for what they're doing out there on the water," Perkins said.
To source local ingredients, Perkins explores the area and builds relationships with producers like Young Overholt in Gloucester, which raises cattle on seventh-generation family land.
"He's pushing for quality. He's not pushing for quantity. And that's something that we want to promote," Perkins said. "As we kind of reverse back in time, and we go back to this farm to table, which used to be the norm, and we go back to buying things from your neighbor and not buying it from a supermarket, I think we're gonna see the growth and evolution and people being okay with quality."
The Tides Inn offers guests a unique experience on a peninsula that feels secluded yet welcoming. The property features a boardwalk showcasing their living shoreline, a marina, croquet lawn, bocce court, and the more casual Fish Hawk bar.
While the restaurant is "a little more upscale" with a dress code, Perkins aims to create an inviting atmosphere with elevated home-style cooking.
"We want them to feel welcome. We want them to feel at home, but like whoa. This tastes like home-cooked food, but it doesn't look like it. It's a level up," Perkins said.
When he's not in the kitchen, Perkins unwinds by fishing, finding peace on the water.
"When there's six lines that hit the water, all I can do is think about how to get the fish in the boat, and so everything else kind of gets erased," he said.
The Tides Inn continues to add unique experiences for guests, including crab feasts on boat rides and, most recently, seaplane tours that depart directly from the property.
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