A group I belong to was given a special tour of the Jedediah Hawkins Inn, in Jamesport.
All I can say is "Amazing, amazing!"
The last time I was there was in 2007 for a birthday celebration. So much has changed since then.
First of all, the landscaping and gardens are beautiful! The flowers this time of year are a treat for the eyes. There is a barn and pathways which are lined with wisteria, my favorite vine. The hanging purple flower clusters are beautiful!
The food was good back in 2007, but now they have a new chef, Lia Fallon, who produced the most amazing dishes.
After getting a tour of their herb garden, which is open to guests, we had those herbs incorporated into our sample dishes.
We began with a drink made with Vodka, lemonade and Lemonbalm, which looks and grows like mint but has a lemon taste. It was a refreshing drink while sitting on the porch overlooking the beautifully kept landscape.
Then we were treated to a Duck Summer Roll, with duck cooked rare. Almost raw, this very unique spring roll, was a treat, paired with Pellegrini Vineyard's 2007 Cabernet Franc.
We had this while touring the wine cellar with Pellegrini's chief winemaker, Tom Drozd!
Amazing, amazing!
We were given a tour of the Inn's guest rooms including the top floor suite which has access to the widow's walk. What an spectacular view! Each guest-room was decorated for a designer's showcase when the Inn first opened. The tour was given by Pam Hunt, a descendant of Jedediah Hawkins, who showed her passion for this historic building.
Our tour of the kitchen included a demonstration by chef Lia Fallon, who made a salad with rare tuna, the Tuna Nicoise. What a delicious dish and the kitchen is, yes, you guessed it, amazing!
So modern and upscale, it was a dream kitchen for any chef!
The tour ended in the new solarium, with dessert. We had the chocolate marquise with pistachio anglaise, assorted macaroons and a lemon rhubarb parfait!
Amazing, just amazing!!
Was the tour a success? You bet! Would we return for dinner and perhaps a special weekend retreat? It's already in the plans!
