Philadelphia Inquirer on October 13th, 1996...
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Dining OutBy John V. R. Bull
Exceptional place to eat along Delaware Canal It's amazing how time flies but it was 10 years ago this month that Michel Faure, one of the regions finest chefs, bought the Golden Pheasant in Upper Bucks County and made it into an enormously cozy, classy restaurant with exceptional cuisine. Faure's consistently impressive culinary skill was honed at Le Bec Fin, the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, and the nearby Carversville Inn. His wife, Barbara, hostess and decorator, has made the 1857 fieldstone country inn (it has six guest rooms) a charming outpost of civility. Built as a mule-barge rest stop on the Delaware Canal at Erwinna, 10 miles north of New Hope, the inn is barely 10 feet from the canal, the Delaware River is directly across River Road. The roadway was closed for repairs on and off the last six months but is now open north to Upper Black Eddy, although the restaurants and bed-and-breakfast houses suffered great financial losses during the canal reconstruction work. Although a greenhouse dining room is attractive, the original room is my favorite - a romantic place with a fieldstone wall, dark green woodwork, bare hardwood floorboards peeking from beneath green carpet swirled with pink flowers, exposed ceiling beams, and recessed windows filled with family photos and 19th century painted globe lamps. Clusters of copper pots and pans tied with a spray of dried rosebuds gleam in the warm glow of antique pierced-tin chandeliers and converted oil lamp. A fireplace with antique pine surround is crowned with a painting of brightly colored flowers; in chilly weather, burning logs warm the entire room. Tables are set with white cloths and napkins pewter bread-and-butter plates, fresh mums and several pieces from Barbara Faure's collection of Quimper, the colorfully painted French pottery - place plates, a candlestick with a pink taper and charming molded figure of a woman reading a book, green plaid seat cushions are on captains chairs. Classical music plays quietly. |
A good variety of crudities to whet your appetite
included broccoli florets, carrot and celery sticks, big pitted
olives, red and green bell peppers, a thin slide of radish and
half-moons of zucchini and summer squash, served with a nice sour
cream dip flavored with chives, bacon and Worcestershire sauce.
A country basket of wonderful warmed sourdough and olive breads came with a ramekin of butter served at room temperature for easy spreading. Memorable appetizers in intense sauces included a croustade of wild mushrooms ($7.95) - several varieties wrapped in exquisite buttery pastry, seated in a peppery bordelaise reduction sauce flavored with brandy, thyme, bay leaves, lots of cracked black pepper and a splash of sherry vinegar to counter its sweetness. A casserole dish of firm almost crunchy veal kidneys (also $7.95) and wild mushrooms was simmered in a rich unusually tart demiglaze sweetened with shallots and Madeira. Three thick, tender pork medallions ($18.95) sautéed with fresh sage were bathed in a Dijon-pungent chablis-creme-fraiche reduction sauce. Two plump dark-flavored crabcakes ($19.95) were Cajun-style rather than the Maryland mayonnaise-style we usually find; folded with sautéed onions, leeks, celery, parsley and cream, the cakes were rolled in coarse Japanese bread crumbs for a crusty finish. Sugared baby carrots , crisp green beans and a saffron rice came with both entrees. Belgian white-chocolate mousse ($5.50) was sweet, marvellously textured mousse served with a strawberry and plump blueberries; it comes with a raspberry puree, omitted at my request. Pears poached in red wine and cinnamon (also $5.50) were served with a thinly sliced pound cake and a French-vanilla ice cream in a delicate chocolate sauce topped with shaved almonds.
Service from two of the owner's five daughters was
a treat; even though I was recognized form previous visits, this
is such a classy restaurant it makes no difference. |
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Rooms || Availability
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History || Golden Pheasant Inn Bed and Breakfast A Country Bed and
Breakfast Inn & Restaurant
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