Cafe Provencal, Williamsburg

In the kitchen at Café Provençal, Executive Chef Ian Robbins works magic to close the geographic gap between France and Virginia. To do this, he creates cuisine inspired by Provence (which pairs fine with the wine culture throughout the rest of the Wessex Hundred), using produce and meats sourced from local farms. And Chef Robbins especially aims to support smaller farms that raise animals humanely and treat the soil with respect. As he says on the Café Provençal website, "You can be part of the culture, or you can set the culture. You can create the culture."

• Chef Robbins' Résumé: The Executive Chef of The Williamsburg Winery, Chef Robbins is responsible for the culinary creations at both its restaurants. Fortunately, he has worked with ground-breaking chefs such as Charlie Trotter, Michel Richard, and Daniel Boulud to prepare him for the task.

• French-Inspired Dishes: The menu changes frequently, but may feature such dishes as the Wessex Hundred Pasta, where local mushrooms and pickled beets dapple a bed of thin-cut pasta that's been sprinkled with truffle oil and lemon powder.

• The Wessex Hundred: While dining, guests may find themselves overlooking the 300 acres of farmland known as the Wessex Hundred. Besides Café Provençal, this land holds The Williamsburg Winery and the Gabriel Archer Tavern.