There’s no moat or drawbridge, but Stokesay Castle’s hot night spot, The Knight’s Pub, is a royal adventure in fun and tasty fare. In July, the enormous window-doors are open wide, inviting cool mountain winds to gently sweep in a cross-current as knights and their ladies dine on filet mignon and lift a glass of merlot together. The sound of laughter and glass tinkling. Ornamental trees, lawns, boulders. Stone floors, rock pathways. Everything earthily elegant. Romantic. A getaway from everything.
A New Beginning
Unlike Camelot, with all its worries and drama, this story has a much calmer, happier ending. It’s a fine dining comeback if there ever was one, brought about after Stokesay struggled and shuttered itself up. Many a Berks Countian can readily recall the fun times and superior cuisine when this banquet and restaurant facility high in the woods above the City of Reading hosted thousands in a given summer.
In a recent stroke of genius, this worthy spot reincarnated itself as an early English-style watering hole and restaurant. With its wooden knight statue towering outside, The Knight’s Pub is now open year-round, with outstanding management and chefs, an impressively large bar, heavy wooden tables, and an option to sit indoors or outdoors, in the open air. (In winter, there is—of course—a roaring fire in an old-style hearth.)
Matching the décor–including wall lighting mounted on what look like wooden knights’ shields and coats of armor—are cocktails unique to Stokesay, including the Dragon’s Elixir and The French Pear, plus a strong wine and beer list.
An Introduction
The potato-leek soup, a sleekly smooth rendition of the golden potage, is characterized by subtle joustings of just-less-than-onion scents, imparted by the sturdy leek. Champagne scallop soup is a knightly standard on the menu, created with cream. Predictably, the French onion soup isn’t skimpy in any department, especially cheese, involving a full meltover of provolone and Swiss, with no less than three types of onions glazed with sherry in the preparation. Warm, crusty fresh-baked rolls arrive tucked into linens; even the breadbaskets mimic the black wrought-iron motif.
Enlivening taste buds beyond the soup starter is the wildly popular Stokesay walnut salad. How can a salad be so coveted? Truly, there is just one way to find out. But be prepared to fall in lust and suffer the consequences: this is one of those salads that so captures the heart, mind and stomach, it may be tough to ever branch out and order another of their salads—including the yummily described pecan chicken, or the sashimi tuna niçoise, or the classic Caesar…
The Stokesay walnut features a variety of field greens and soft Boston lettuce leaves, tossed in an oh-so-light, Knights-Pub-original apple-thyme dressing, garnished with chopped green apple bits, just sweet ’n sour enough to jump, plus crumbly chunks of bleu cheese, little round red grapes, and, oh yes, spiced walnuts. (Hence the name.) Fresh, fresh, and refresh is the motto of this garden delight, thanks largely to the earthy thyme blended with all those nutty-fruity-cheesy-leafy textures and flavors. On a midsummer eve, nothing is lighter or more herb-satisfyingly tasty.
The Headliners
Vegetarians will relish the eggplant arrabbiata with its hearty roasted peppers and linguine, while seafood lovers will soon learn that Tuesdays are not only lobster night, but half-price wine night; for landlubbers there is steak and roast beef all the time, with Thursdays being prime rib night. The Queen’s cut prime rib weighs in at 12 ounces, where the King’s cut is 16 (center cut). A baked potato and tossed salad (or vegetable du jour) round out a hearty, richly satisfying beef platter, complete with a cup of broth for dipping pleasure.All that’s missing in this pub picture are the dogs beneath the table, waiting for tossed bones.
The filet mignon is Pennsylvania-prime, from grass-fed steer—locally sourced and sustainable “like all our offerings,” as much as possible, says Paul Burkert, assistant general manager. “Even the pierogies are handmade from a gentleman down the street,” he explains happily.
For a juxtaposition of flavors, order the Romano crusted chicken breast. The plate features two perfectly positioned cutlets separated by a central mountain of very traditional mashed potatoes. Each tenderly breaded chicken piece holds a roof of red peppers, broccoli rabe and fabulously tangy cheese. This entree pairs amazingly well with a fruit-forward Glass Mountain Merlot, a suggestion by the super-foodsmart Burkert, whose experience at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia (and elsewhere) serves his customers very well. Unsure what drink goes with which dish? Listen to him. This congenial fellow knows food and drink.
The Kiss Goodnight
Finally, a select family of shapely, swirly desserts makes a noble entrance, paraded in on a tray: crème brule, peanut butter-chocolate cake, vanilla-flecked ice cream sandwiched by two magnificent choco-chip cookies, and more. The chocolate mousse cake recalls a gable on a house, with alternating layers of light chocolate cream, richly dark spongy cake, and a quarter-inch of icing with a perfect balance of sugar and chocolate spunk.
…And they all lived happily ever after.
THE KNIGHT'S PUB Located at 141 Stokesay Castle Lane, Reading | 610.375.6100 | theknightspub.com
BY MARIAN FRANCES WOLBERS | PHOTOS BY HEIDI REUTER
