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Brandywine Valley Krazy Kat’s As distinctive as the posh Inn at Montchanin Village of which it is the centerpiece, this polished and uniquely styled restaurant occupies the former blacksmith shop in the restored village that once housed workers at the du Pont powder mills. Owner Missy Lickle chose the unlikely name for an eccentric old maid who once lived there “and was crazy as a cat,” in the words of her grandmother. The theme turns up at the entry in a local artist’s cartoon-like portrait of a gawky feline with a goofy grin, in cat sculptures clad in Japanese robes in each of the front windows, in gilt-framed portraits of cats attired in royal or military regalia on the walls, and on the brocade vests worn by the wait staff. The theme broadens in the low-slung chairs with zebra-print cushions at tables set with beige over zebra-print cloths and stunning china designed by a Connecticut artist in the colorful jaguar jungle pattern. The tables seating 55 in two rooms are large and well spaced, the walls radiate a warm salmon color, and a fire burns in one of the original forges up near the ceiling. It’s an enchanting setting for exceptional contemporary American fare. A bowl of four varieties of olives and a basket of breads arrive with the dinner menu. One of us started with the zesty bluepoint oyster gratin teamed with prosciutto, tri-color bell peppers, shallots and parmesan cheese. The other sampled the salad of field greens, a first-rate mélange dressed with toasted pine nuts, stilton blue cheese and a zippy roasted garlic vinaigrette. Main courses range from whole wasabi tempura snapper with star anise syrup to pan-seared filet mignon with cognac-black truffle jus. The signature sautéed crab cakes were bound with a shrimp mousseline and served with honey-jalapeño tartar sauce and sweet potato fries. The sautéed Chesapeake rockfish was of the melt-in-the-mouth variety, sauced with bluepoint oysters in a tomato-fennel cream and accompanied by crisp haricots verts and flavorful dark wild rice. Our bottle of Sterling sauvignon blanc ($19, from a well chosen and affordable list honored by Wine Spectator), was poured in the largest wine glasses we’ve seen, surpassed in size only by the balloon-size globes used here for red wines. From a dessert recitation that included a walnut-praline tart and crème de cassis crème brûlée, we settled for the intense raspberry and mango sorbets, architecturally presented with enormous blackberries and an edible orchid in an almond tuile. Although a place for serious dining and undeniably
elegant, the feline motif and lack of pretension imparts a refreshing
light-heartedness. Both the meal and the setting were among the happiest
of our recent travels. (302) 888-2133. Entrées, $24 to $28. Lunch,
Monday-Friday 11 to 2. Dinner, Monday-Saturday 5:30 to 10, Sunday 5:30
to 9. Jackets requested. Buckley's Tavern Immensely popular locally is this tavern built in the late 1700s, all spiffed up with a pretty, white-linened interior dining room and an airy garden-room addition. The singles head for the tavern, where snacks and light entrées are available all day, or the open-air bar on two upper levels outside. The former tavern and dinner menus have been combined into one extensive menu appealing to a variety of tastes, including those who want “small plates” and “big breads,” to whom this establishment is catering lately. We ate light at a recent visit. One enjoyed oriental spring rolls and a half serving of an addictive pasta of farfalle with smoked salmon and roquefort. The other liked the caesar salad and porchetta (sliced pork roasted with garlic and rosemary), served on an onion roll with roasted peppers. With a Round Hill chardonnay and a slice of key lime pie, the bill came to a modest $40 before tip. You also could try, as we did on an earlier occasion, one of the handful of entrées, ranging from shrimp and grits and crispy fried catfish with a roasted pecan mole and green chile cream to grilled filet mignon wrapped in applewood bacon and smoked tomato demi-glace. We liked the specialty crab cakes, their flavor heightened by a dill mayonnaise laced with orange, and the linguini with smoked chicken and red peppers. Votive candles cast shadows on bare, rich wood tables flanked by comfortable, cushioned chairs as we lingered over a Hogue Cellars chardonnay from Washington State. With a wine store operated by Collier's of Wilmington at the side of the building, you would expect Buckley's selection to be excellent. It’s also very reasonably priced, and many wines are available by the glass. The special cappuccino-pecan-praline ice cream was a hit among desserts. They included a light lemon-ginger cake and chocolate cups filled with raspberry mousse and served on a pool of crème anglaise. The cheesecake studded with black raspberries and strawberries is to die for. (302) 656-9776. Entrées, $16.95 to $24.95.
Lunch, Monday-Friday 11:30 to 2:30, Saturday to 3. Dinner nightly, 5:30
to 9:30 or 10. Sunday,
brunch 11 to 3, dinner 5 to 9.
Once part of a dairy farm, this handsome stone and frame barn is now a stylish restaurant specializing in California cuisine with an Asian accent. Jack McFadden, area restaurateur for 30-plus years and known recently for successes at the nearby Marshalton Inn and The Restaurant and The Bar in West Chester, invested more than $1 million into what he considers his best effort so far. “I call this my grown-up restaurant,” he said. His loyal following agreed. The place is named for the 23 gables added to the barn in an 1897 Victorian facelift. An interior design aficionado who did the architectural renderings himself, he scouted up three art deco bronze chandeliers and matching sconces for the bar area, where a grand piano greets arriving customers and the metal milking stools are cushioned with a deep red faux ostrich skin. Leaded glass windows separate the bar from the 120-seat dining room, whose acoustics (or lack thereof) raise the noise level. Jack calls the decor “barn chic.” The linens are white, the floors heart-pine, the walls are white wood and brick and crackle painted with gold tint, and dining is by candlelight. A sparkling new upstairs room with a 2½-story ceiling handles functions and overflow. A rear outdoor patio in a recreated barn foundation beside a waterfall is popular in summer. The extensive menu is the kind upon which every item appeals. We’d happily make a dinner of such appetizers as tuna tartare with lump crab meat and salmon roe, smoked duck breast with figs and greens, and the Gables salad of maytag blue cheese, apples, pears and walnuts with mixed greens. The duo of dumplings – tuna and cilantro; vegetable and ginger – is as good as it gets. Or you could make a meal of light entrées such as penne with exotic mushrooms, pine nuts and swiss chard; pan-seared arctic char, or a lump crab cake with whole grain mustard sauce. Main courses range from pan-seared tuna with toasted cumin and coriander crust and tomatillo sauce to filet mignon with stilton demi-glace. Grilled swordfish with pomegranate reduction, stuffed quail and grilled ostrich were among the possibilities at our latest visit. Desserts include crème caramel, chocolate mousse and fresh fruit napoleon, presented like the rest of the courses on oversize white plates garnished and decorated to the hilt. A five-course tasting menu is available for $59 nightly except Saturday. (610) 388-7700. Entrées, $19.95 to $24.95.
Dinner nightly, 5:30 to 10 or 11, Sunday 5 to 9.
Started as a cooking school, this quickly became a local favorite for interesting American cuisine in a country setting. In a magazine readers’ choice poll, it was ranked the best restaurant in Delaware. The barn-style establishment, casual but
sophisticated, is part of the fabulous Everything But the Kitchen Sink
culinary complex. “This area was farmland when we opened,” said
owner Missy Lickle. “We began a cooking school and started serving
lunch to get people out here.” A full-fledged restaurant was the next
step, followed by a thriving café, deli and takeout operation called The
Back Burner to Go and, more recently, the Back Burner Café.
After the restaurant relocated to a new building at the other end of the
complex, its quarters became Pizzazz, an Italian bistro with
high-style pizzas, pastas and a few Italian entrées. The new dining room is a
beauty, two stories high. Ivy and flowers hang from balconies encircling
the space, which is lit by two gigantic electric-candle chandeliers.
Cushioned rattan-style chairs are at well-spaced tables. The menu changes frequently and has taken a steak and grilled fish bent, complete with the usual steakhouse sides as extras. For dinner, you might start with the specialty pumpkin-mushroom soup, cracklin’ coconut shrimp, seared pepper ahi tuna, a crab-stuffed portobello mushroom or the signature shrimp lejon, wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon. The entrée list cites fire-roasted chicken and veal marsala as house specialties. Among “flame grilled steaks” are filet mignon en croûte, filet with crab imperial and rack of lamb with mint jelly. Five varieties of fish flown in from Hawaii may be grilled and served with a choice of sauces. Also available are the likes of herb-crusted salmon with pommery mustard sauce, pan-seared scallops in a soy-ginger broth and macadamia-crusted mahi mahi with warm peanut sauce. Desserts could be bread pudding, chocolate-amaretto cake or crème brûlée. The wine and beer lists are as good as everything else about the place. (302) 239-2314. Entrées, $14.50 to $22.50.
Lunch, Monday-Saturday 11 to 2:30. Dinner, Monday-Saturday 5 to 9:30 or
10.
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