The Buttery: For a Cold Winter’s Night!
The Buttery was generally my summer place for a lovely dinner or brunch treat. But it’s amazing what The Buttery can do for a cold winter’s night.
With their current menu tailored for chilly weather and wintertime tastes, The Buttery in Lewes, under the guidance of chef Gretchen Herr, is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner (think Valentines!), a weeknight getaway, a business lunch, or frankly, their remarkable nightly three-course $28 special.
Bonnie and I had a gorgeous window table looking out on Second Street one Thursday evening (and the porch room is NOT cold!) where we got to sample the chef’s creations in the busy but still-quiet dining room.
Starting with the warm French bread and ending with the perfect cheesecake crust, we had a memorable meal. Okay, so my low-carb regimen took a hit.
For appetizers we sampled the Seafood Chowder, creamy and rich, with shrimp, clams and cod. It’s their signature soup for a reason. We also sampled the House Paté Selection, a delectable plate overflowing with pate, onions, capers, two kinds of mustard (loved the bumpy brown) and delicate crackers. For good measure, the chef sent out the Tomato Pesto Risotto Croquettes—crunchy fried Risoto balls, teeming with Fontina cheese and a Porcini olive oil dressing. All three dishes were distinctive, with carefully melded flavors and beautiful presentation.
Our two entrees were the Tagliatelle Bolognese— handcut noodles with pork, beef and veal ragu in a rich tomato sauce with parmigiano and extra virgin olive oil—and a duo of Duck breast and duck confit.
The pasta dish featured a hearty flavor paired with the lighter than you’d suspect meat sauce—really great. The duck platter was unique and so tasty we kept dining long after we should have put down our utensils. The duck breast and confit featured a tart cherry honey glaze along with braised red cabbage and organic golden quinoa grain on the side. It was creative, with the two styles of duck, and amazingly delicious.
By the way, the wine list is a great match to their food and the by the glass selection was excellent—we sampled the by the glass Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio to match our entrees.
Who can turn down dessert? Especially when our waiter Jason Williams so skillfully noted our choices. We selected the pecan pie with caramel ice-cream (and a bit of hardened caramel candy atop) along with the key lime cheesecake, with that aforementioned absolutely perfect crust. A divine end to a marvelous meal.
The wonderful thing about The Buttery is its flexibility. Not only can you enjoy its fine dining (and that $28 three-course prix-fixe every night until 7 p.m.), but they offer soups, salads and light entrees for lunch, burgers and crab cakes light fare from 2-5 daily, a pub menu with a limited, more casual menu in the bar 5 p.m. until close, and an extensive Sunday brunch ($19.95) as well.
I’m planning to head back for their weeknight happy hours, 5-7 p.m. with half-price drinks at the bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. I know Chef Gretchen will have something tasty on tap!
Check out The Buttery for yourself, and learn more at www.butteryrestaurant.com. Reservations are suggested and it is now clear that there’s a reason for that. Go, and enjoy.