Blindfold a native Californian, unveil their eyes before Springhouse Restaurant at Lake Martin and you'll fool them into believing they're about to dine in Napa Valley.
Make no mistake. This is Russell Lands in Central Alabama. Each facet of Springhouse serves as reminders that it's heavily rooted in Lake Martin's land and history.
"I've had people come from places like Miami and New York visit," said Rob McDaniel, executive chef and general manager. "It never fails that they are amazed a place like this actually exists in Alabama."
Maybe it's the immediate "How are y'all doing today" from a young hostess with a sweet smile when you open the doors.
Maybe it's archived photos of the Russell family and Lake Martin's humble beginning on the wall of the waiting hall.
Maybe it's the aroma of smoked lamb loin and freshly baked bread wafting over from the stone hearth as you walk into the main dining room.
Regardless, you can stop the frantic search for your necktie and dinner jacket. Springhouse will become your second home.
"There's a reason that even on a dreary day like this people come to Springhouse," said Sam Fonte, assistant manager and wine expert. "It's fine dining, but it's not white table cloth."
If you're lucky enough, you can sit on the far side of the room directly in front of the open kitchen. Although you're the farthest from the hearth, the constant hustle of the kitchen is enough to keep your attention.
Sous chef Chris Cantrell and the staff work harmoniously as servers bring in orders and take out preparations inspired by pure ideals with precise execution.
Cantrell, who has worked in Napa Valley and New Orleans, wanted to step away from "overtly posh cuisine, but still wanted to be in fine dining and cook from scratch."
The lunch menu for the day offer entrees like creamy cauliflower soup with herbed breadcrumbs and pan-seared redfish with a slaw of red bell peppers, carrots and champagne vinaigrette.
Tena Payne of Earthborn Pottery in Leeds, handcrafted each bowl and plate that the food is served upon. The tableware even mocks typical upscale formality. This is food, and Springhouse encourages personal connection to your dining experience
There's nothing more personal than eating one artist's creation off another artist's design.
"I love working with people like Rob who are taking us out of the straight everything fried mindset," said Cantrell. "We are elevating our natural cuisine through a lighter, fresher take."
"Most people that come in here know each other," Fonte said. "They get up from one table and chat with friends across the room."
There are no diners wearing three-piece suits.
The bar is crowded with participants of the fourth annual Russell Forest Run held earlier that morning wearing Nike shorts and carrying athletic bags. They sit at the main dining hall's bar that faces the back porch.
But, if it's the private dining experience that you desire, Springhouse offers that, too. You can make reservations for up to 12 guests in the Well House that is connected by tunnel to Springhouse.
"We've had some pretty prestigious groups down here," Fonte said. "People ranging from boards of trustees of Auburn and Alabama to doctors."
Guests destined for this intimate setting are led down the waiting hall, past the bathrooms, to an elevator. When the doors open to the underground floor, they're facing a long dim hallway.
"This is my wine cellar," Fonte said, pointing to the left wall. "This is my baby."
The wall is paneled with temperature-controlled glass cabinets, each with a lock, stacked with wines ranging from $100 to $1,000.
"Our most expensive wine is from the Chateau Sauternes region of Bordeaux, France," Fonte said. "It's this dessert wine that tastes exactly like honey."
He goes on to explain that when Springhouse first opened its doors in April 2009, in the backdrop of the recession, these lockers stored Lake Martin residents' personal wine collections. However, the restaurant quickly changed their policy since the practice is illegal in Alabama.
When asked which wine is his favorite, "Pinot Nior hands down. Everyone tries to make it because it's the hardest to finesse, but very few perfect it."
"It's the wine of the kings," Fonte says fittingly right before the entrance of the Well House seating area.
It's a circular, brick-walled dining area with a round table surrounded by 12 chairs. Down here, guests get treated like modern Knights of the Round Table with access to Sirius radio and specially crafted menus.
Yet, if you ask Fonte or McDaniel, this isn't even the best part of the restaurant. You have to go all the way to the third floor for that.
The third floor consists of a balcony that overlooks the main dining hall, with an identical bar to accommodate guests that choose to sit up there. The balcony is nestled under wood beams cut from trees of Russell Lands, and the open porch is only a turn of a handle away.
"The sunsets up here are insane," Fonte said outside while looking out onto Russell Lands' forests and The Stables that sit at the bottom of the ridge.
On a separate occasion, McDaniel echoes Fonte. "This is probably one of the best places to watch the sunset. It's unbelievable every day."
Springhouse seems foreign in the middle of Lake Martin, but it's not until its history is uprooted that everything makes sense. This is more than a restaurant.
"It was the eldest Ben Russell's dream to build this community on the lake," McDaniel said. "His son is fulfilling his father's dream, and it's amazing that my dream gets to fit into that."
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