While on vacation in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, we had the pleasure of dining at the Settlers Inn, an award-winning restaurant which specializes in “innovative regional Pennsylvania cuisine”. This chef-owned, farm-to-table restaurant seeks to provide excellent food made from local and seasonal ingredients, thereby supporting the local economy and culture of small farms in their community. The Settlers Inn also offers overnight lodging in their guest rooms, encouraging vacationers to relax and enjoy the beauty and bounty of the region. Their philosophy of hospitality has earned the Settlers Inn accolades from National Geographic Traveler magazine, which named them one of 150 top location-inspired hotels in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
We considered such a restaurant worthy of a 30-mile drive from our vacation house and were not disappointed. The meal was not cheap, but well worth paying for the quality of the food and hospitable attention to detail in every aspect of our memorable evening. Appetizers range from $6-$12 and entrées from $25-$35. The restaurant also sports an extensive wine list, as well as a wide selection of beers and spirits, which has won yearly awards from Wine Spectator magazine.
Beautiful Mission-style Furnishing with Arts and Crafts Decor
My husband, Brent, began his meal with a chilled blueberry and ginger soup—berries provided by Paupack Blueberry Farm. I started with a salad of grilled local peaches and heirloom tomatoes over green lettuce with Fallsdale Farm chevre, figs, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Brent’s soup was much more subtly flavored than he expected given the ingredients, but a refreshing and unique summer soup that he thoroughly enjoyed. My salad was a bit more disappointing—the peaches were not very sweet and the tomatoes resembled the pinkish wedges that populate most standard salad bars—but they were saved by an amazingly delicious vinaigrette.
Next we shared a Pennsylvania cheese and charcuterie plate, featuring a selection of local cheeses, chicken liver mousse, venison sausage, and smoked trout mousse. Our overwhelming favorite was the smoked venison and beer sausage from Highbourne Farm. It was served with a spicy mustard that complemented the hearty German-style sausage very well. Along with all of our appetizers, we enjoyed an herbed foccacia bread baked on premises, served with excellent olive oil for dipping.
For my entrée, I ordered a pan roasted, locally harvested brook trout served over a stew of new potatoes, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes in a lemon garlic sauce. The dish was also accompanied by steamed haricots vertes and a small Romaine salad. The entrée far outdid either of the appetizers—the potato and artichoke stew was a fantastic combination of flavors and complemented the trout well without overpowering it. The salad was simply lettuce covered in a lemon-garlic-cheese dressing (perhaps the same that was in the stew), but was incredibly tasty. I would recommend this restaurant just on the basis of their salad dressings!
Brent had the filet mignon, which was served with chanterelle mushrooms and a red wine sauce over an onion fritter. The dish was accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed zucchini, and thick slices of local heirloom tomatoes. These tomatoes were the real deal: bright red and full of flavor—not at all like the ones on my salad. Each of the vegetables were prepared in such as way as to maximize their unique flavors and textures. The onion fritter was the most unique contribution to the plate and showed off the tangy sweetness of roasted onions.
Award-winning Wine List
Along with our meals, Brent and I both enjoyed the wide selection of beverages available at the restaurant and the excellent taste of the sommelier. I ordered Claude’s tasting selections of white wine and Brent ordered the Connoisseur’s beer tasting menu. My flight of wine included three excellent French wines, each of which would be significantly above my price range if purchased by the bottle. The first was a 2007 Sauvingnon Blanc by Pascal Jolivet (Sancerre, Loire); the second, a 2000 Marsanne by Cave de Tain (Hermitage, Northern Rhône); and the third, a 2004 Chardonnay by Château Labouré-Roi (Meursault, Burgundy). The Chardonnay had an incredibly complex flavor, with more shades of character and a longer finish than just about any other white I’ve tasted. I could pick out flavors of honey and oak, which set this wine apart from the more citrusy Sauvingnon and Marsanne. The Marsanne paired very well with my trout entrée, as I discovered, and is actually rated the highest of the three by Wine Spectator (93 pts, followed closely by the Chardonnay with 92 pts). Brent enjoyed a Brooklyn Brown Ale (NY), Black Sheep Monty Python Holy Grail Ale (UK), and a Smutty Nose Star Island Single (NH)—with the Brooklyn Brown coming out as his favorite.
Finally, for dessert I ordered a slice of plum pie with cardamom ice cream and Brent ordered a blueberry cobbler with a lemon biscuit and lemon-scented whipped cream. The cobbler was more delicately flavored than we expected, as was true with the blueberry ginger soup, but maintained a good balance between the berry and lemon flavors. My pie, on the other hand, was everything I imagined and more! The plums were still juicy and sweet and the house-made ice cream was smooth and creamy. The cardamom flavor, while not usually seen in ice cream, was a perfect match to the pie, giving a blend of sweet and spicy reminiscent of Indian chai. With a cup of coffee to cap off the meal, we were fully satisfied and thankful that we had made the trip to the Settlers Inn. If you’re ever vacationing in the Poconos, it’s worth a visit—or even a stay!
