Having not been out to dinner in almost two months, the GF and I decided it was finally time to give our respective diets a well-deserved night off and headed to the Pluckemin Inn with high hopes of a fanciful feast.
It was Friday evening and we arrived about 10 minutes late for a 7:00 reservation. Though the parking lot was packed, we opted to ignore the teenaged valets. When we walked in, we were greeted by no less than 4 happy hosts, servers, and a sommelier. They were all incredibly pleasant and personable and no one seemed to mind at all that we were fashionably late. A server showed us to our table upstairs and we settled in.
Prior to our dinner, we had perused the seemingly lacking menu online. They offer several fish dishes, a Griggstown Chicken, a steak, and some duck and pork. That's about it. I was hopeful that they would have a few specials that would blow me away but alas, such was not the case.
Our waitress was very good and somewhat helpful though I believe she was a little wet behind the ears (ie. new to the job). But she was fine and no doubt will become more seasoned with every table she serves. I asked to see the wine list and when it came, I quickly realized the word "list" would not suffice. It was a wine "book!" Thankfully, the beginning of the book was organized in a helpful way. It is arranged with their top 100 suggestions, broken down by grape. Behind this is the more detailed, harder to understand (for an average budding, hopeful wine-connoisseur) complete wine list. I would have been content with a particular cabernet sauvignon, but I wanted to hear from the man himself. So I asked to speak to the sommelier.
WINE -- The Sommelier on staff is a supremely knowledgeable wine enthusiast! I imagine they all are. However, this was the first time I had ever really spoken to (and more importantly listened to) one. I told him I was going to order the steak and the GF and I discussed with him the wines we have enjoyed and despised in the past. He walked us through bits of Cali, Washington (briefly), Italy, and the French Rhone Valley. Though my head was swimming with new information left and right, it was a joy to listen to someone who really knew what he was talking about! After a long conversation we ordered an Italian Merlot. He went to retrieve it from the basement, but when he came back, he brought a different bottle than we had discussed. He said he had changed his mind and had decided that THIS bottle would better suit our evening. He opened it up and poured us each a sip of a 2009 Rosso di Montalcino Talenti. It was delicious, and less costly than the Merlot we had originally discussed. Thank you, sir!
APPETIZER -- Our waitress recommended the soft-shell crab (*a special) as an appetizer and that is what we ordered. Here's an interesting anomaly of me: I have never eaten soft-shell crab before. Having vacationed in Maine every year of my life, this is a ridiculous thing to be true. However, after splitting one soft-shell crab with my GF at the Pluckemin Inn, I do intend to eat much more of it in the future! It was excellent. And it was served in some kind of perfect yellow sauce. Loved it.
MAIN COURSE #1 -- As previously stated, I ordered the steak. It was an angus sirloin with fingerling potato, parmesan, treviso, fennel, tomato conserve for $38. That evening, they also had a $60 steak special but I decided against it and went with what was on the menu. Was it the best piece of meat I have ever eaten? No. Was it close? I'm sorry to say that it was not. But I did enjoy it and finished my plate. It was cooked medium and it was a healthy portion. That is to say, it was quite larger than I expected. The wine expertly brought out more of the steak's flavor. Thank you again, sir! But when all is said and done, I am not raving about my meal. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
MAIN COURSE #2 -- The GF ordered the Long Island Fluke with baby leeks, hakurei turnip, sungold tomato, and fennel nage. She enjoyed her meal and thought it was good. "The broth was very tasty. But the fish was not mind-blowing." I had a few tastes myself and agree wholeheartedly with her review.
DESSERTS -- Plural! We ordered the warm Valrhona chocolate and caramel torte with caramelized white chocolate ice cream, milk chocolate and caramel crunch. This was the lesser of the two desserts in that the ice cream that accompanied the torte was, sadly, somewhat flavorless. Also, the torte itself was a bit too dark/rich for our liking. Might be good for others who like that sort of thing. Our second dessert was the dulce de leche sundae with buttercrunch, brownie-blondie swirl & dulce de leche whipped cream. This was far superior to its predecessor and not just because I'm a sucker for mouth-watering toffee!
If you are looking for an elegant night out with excellent wine, good food, great bread, and a charming, attentive staff, check out The Pluckeminn Inn! ... I only wish their menu was more substantial. read more