Up for a change of pace and a very special outing this holiday season? How about a romantic, charming restaurant with a brand new twist on American cooking?
The Landis Store Hotel is always an adventure worth taking. It’s deep in the country, high up in Berks County near the neighborhoods of Huff’s Church and Fredericksville. From the City of Reading, it’s about a half-hour drive away, an oasis of elegance and romance surrounded by deciduous woodlands flush with natural flora and fauna.
When you step inside the front door of the historic Landis Store Hotel, the rest of the world falls away. The Henshaw hospitality begins, as owners Gary and Janet (consummate hosts) and their staff extend a warm welcome and escort you to your table. A legendary dining spot with stories to tell, this restaurant and bar has decades of solid reputation behind it. On any given night, you’re likely to rub elbows with locals celebrating a birthday, lawyers and judges getting away, and CEOs entertaining guests who’ve flown in from across the country or overseas. For a wintry treat that’s truly outside the box, consider reservations for fine wine and fine dining at this gem.
A Feast from the Start
One glance at the menu — no, one whiff of the white-plated dishes flying from the kitchen — is worth a thousand words: you’ll find appetizers like Escargots and Smoked Salmon, Sesame Seared Tuna, and Crispy Calamari Salad, a specialty. Homemade soups engage the senses with the likes of creamy Crab Bisque, Wild Mushroom and Brie, and Clam Chowder, while soups like Spicy Red Curry Cauliflower pay homage to seasonal vegetables and herbs from gardens outside.
The Red Beet Roquefort Salad (yes, the beets are grown right here) features a crazily simple combo of boiled, deeply sweet beet chunks counterbalanced with salty, robust Roquefort. Something inexplicably magical happens during the salad course when sipping wine, taking bites of buttered warm rolls, and then turning to re-taste the softness of cheese streaked lightly with the dark red juices of flavorful beets in this utterly straightforward dish.
But try the Caesar Salad, too, for the chef’s version uses only crisp, moist, cold centers of Romaine, individually tossed with a creamy, fresh dressing that’s not zingy or distracting, but rather subtle and gentle; completing the picture are perfect croutons, grated slivers of cheese and fresh black pepper.
“Off-the-Charts Delicious”
The Landis Store has a way of kicking it up a notch, course by course, just when you thought nothing could top the last flavor sensation. The baked Southwest Corn Tart, listed in the “Small Plates” section, does exactly that. It is off-the-charts delicious.
First and foremost, the chef uses corn preserved from the Landis Store gardens. (In summer, it’s cut right off the cob that day.) That means the corn itself starts off being outstanding in flavor. Then the tart is created, using puff pastry and a bit of eggs and cream and herbs for an inner soufflé effect. The luscious masterpiece is topped with aromatic basil leaves and a dollop of melting, buttery chipotle sauce and served with a big spoon. When you dig in, the fusion of flavors and textures is overwhelming: there’s the sweet crunch of corn kernels, puff pastry reminiscent of the best pie crust you’ve ever tasted, the light aerated interior and juices below...a tingle in the back of the tongue as the chipotle whispers hello, the pungent basil wafting into your nostrils…it’s Nirvana.
Full entrees include numerous items: Soft-shell Crabs with almonds or garlic; Pappardelle with Maine lobster and shrimp, shallots, white wine and cream; Broiled Scallops with heirloom tomatoes; Filet Mignon tendered by cognac and shallots; and Brined Berkshire Pork Loin with whipped yams and Roquefort herb butter.
Duck Done Right
The Landis Store’s succulent, pan-roasted Duck Breast entrée is exquisitely presented with a slender leaf of fresh rosemary, and a generous portion it is, indeed. It glistens in the caramel-colored sauce made of brandy and diced fresh peaches. Duck and fruit always pair well, but this peach-brandy reduction is particularly superb, sweetly complementing the tender fowl, which retains just enough browned, oily skin to hold in the juices and give this dish its distinctive, decadent flavor.
A side of original cole slaw is lightly fresh-dressed and individually created (never from a slaw vat), so the vegetables are sharply crisp, expanded beyond the traditional strips of cabbage, both green and red, with julienned carrots, tangy red peppers and more.
At last, the beautiful antique pie safe that’s been beckoning throughout the meal can no longer be denied. Within lie the fruity likes of a refreshing Raspberry Lemon Tart, unabashedly lemon-y, served with whipped cream. Adore chocolate and toasty nuts? Snag a slice of Chocolate Pecan Raspberry Tart: pecan crust, chocolate ganache, and raspberries. From soup to nuts, Landis Store remains in a class all its own.
by Marian Frances Wolbers | photos by HEIDI REUTER
