LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Eating OUT: The Buttery - Divine Food in an Elegant Setting |
by Barry Becker |
Just walking into The Buttery (Second & Savannah, Lewes) can change your whole mood. The restaurant is quietly elegant and intimate, with hardwood floors, large chairs that are cushy comfortable, and tables set far apart so you have some privacy. The muted lighting and color scheme, oversized windows heavy with drapes, and the light music in the background set the scene for a relaxing and wonderful meal. There are several tasteful rooms in which to sit, as well as the wide front porch. The only dilemma I had at The Buttery was what to eat. Everything on the menu sounded so good, and it's clear I'll have to go back there, many times, to try everything. Let's start with appetizers. The Baked Maryland Crab Stuffed Smoked Portabella sounded divine, but we opted for the House Pat Selection and the Smoked Fish Sampler. Are there words to describe how scrumptious these two plates were? I don't think so. For the pat, one can choose either the smooth or coarse selection of the day, or get half portions of each, which is what we went for. The smooth was chicken and pork, the coarse was duck and veal with bacon, and both were heavenly and perfect. The generous portions of pat are served on a bed of lettuce with chutney, imported mustards, red onion, capers, thinly sliced apples and a selection of biscuits. I adore smoked fish, and this appetizer I could have made into a meal. The essence of dill, one of my favorite herbs, filled the air as the plate was set down. On a bed of mixed field greens sat alder smoked salmon, Scottish smoked salmon, halibut and trout with dill cream, caviar and herbed crustades on the side. Each fish was tastefully smoked and delicious. For entrees, again the choice was painful. We passed up such wonderful sounding dishes as Grilled Coconut-Rum Yellowfin Tuna, Rack of Lamb with Papaya-Rosemary Mojo, Baked Smoked Portabella in Pastry with sundried tomatoes and fontina, and Bouillabaisse to make our selections. Konrad finally chose the Norwegian Salmon, a thick steak baked with olive-almond crust and topped with Mediterranean Crab Tapenade, which is delicious with huge chunks of crab. The fish was moist, fresh, and superb, and the textures of the coatings and the flavors of the tapenade and crab make my mouth water just thinking about it again. I chose the Crisp Roasted Free-Range Duckling, with sounded so interesting with a corn-blueberry salsa. I wasn't sure of that mixture, but it was creative and absolutely perfect together. The duck was tender and flavorful, moist and richly fabulous. Each entree had a tasty side of fresh crispy vegetables, a medley of snow peas, squash, yellow and red peppers, and string beans. Is it possible to eat dessert after such an incredible meal? Are you kidding? I had the Spring Roll, which is filled with chocolate and peanut butter and flash fried, then served on an over-sized plate on a bed of creme anglaise with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, drizzled with a chocolate hazelnut sauce and dusted with cinnamon. I know it sounds like it should make your teeth hurt, but trust me, it doesn't. It's just a very over-the-top and sinful way to wind down after a spectacular meal. The Buttery, which opens at 5:00, serves Prix Fixe Dinners until 6:30 every night for an outrageous $14.95, and includes 3 courses. The Buttery also serves Sunday Brunch from 10:30 to 2:30, and lunch. They are closed Mondays. It should be on your must list for every meal. It serves divine food in a relaxed, intimate and elegant setting. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 12, Aug. 27, 1999 |