David had died of a massive heart attack while deer hunting. It was friends Sue and Lee Warren who made the call. And it was Sue Warren who found the
white Charleston, the Haymount house with the iconic side piazzas just like the ones designed to capture coastal breezes. Two open-air porches, one upstairs the other downstairs, run almost the entire length of the house. When Varnedoe first bought it, the downstairs porch had a door, but after years of exposure to the elements, it was rotting. She removed it, opening up the porches even more. And of course, a white house begs a bright red door. The second thing she replaced? The kitchen, naturally. And that is where she entertains a host of good friends. On a recent weekday morning, Varnedoe brewed a pot of coffee for visitors and Sue, a regular in both of her kitchens. Varnedoe had already put in a full morning at the restaurant, up before 6 a.m. to chop ingredients necessary for that day’s lunch and dinner but there she was, at home, turning out hot muffins from the oven.
“Her gift,” Sue said, “is hospitality.”CV
Spaghetti Vinny Style 2 ounces olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic 8 ounces baby shrimp 8 ounces clams
2-3 ounces white wine Fresh parsley
Red and black pepper to taste 3 ounces marinara
Sauté olive and garlic. Add shrimp and clams. Splash in wine and spices. Stir in marinara sauce. Serve over hot cooked pasta.
52 | Food & Wine • 2010
