Townsman, 1991-04, Page 37Dialfig
Benmiller Inn
brings pleasant
surprises
BY THE BOYS
Not too long ago the dining room at
the Benmiller Inn was synonymous
with high elegance and high prices,
and generally considered beyond the
reach of ordinary area residents.
We did not dine there often, but
sometimes weekend guests could not
be dissuaded from taking us to the
famous Inn as a special treat. As
often as not we were disappointed in
the quality of food and service. Happi-
ly, our recent visit in the service of
The Townsman proved that much has
changed at Huron County's most luxu-
rious resort. The charm of our hostess,
excellent food, and surprisingly com-
petitive prices have put Benmiller on
the short list of restaurants that we
are eager to share with our friends.
The surroundings at the Inn are as
beautiful as ever. The dining rooms
are spacious and comfortable, decorat-
ed with fine antiques and interesting
pieces from its former days as a blan-
ket factory. Those fortunate enough to
be near a window will enjoy a lovely
view of the now mature gardens. The
young lady who met us at the entrance
and served us attentively throughout
the evening added a friendly, informal
and decidedly upbeat pesonality into
what might have been a still rarified
atmosphere without her.
The menu is more imaginative than I
remember, with a heavy reliance on
wine or liquor based sauces and fruits
in preparations, although old
favourites such as Beef Wellington
and Atlantic salmon are still included.
Local trout, rabbit and a Huron county
bean salad are welcome additions to
usual French and Italian cuisine. Also
new is the promise of a vegetarian
composition, and an invitation to
make any special dietary requirements
known to the chef. The wine list was
basically one of everything from the
LCBO, the most notable Red being a
fairly standard Chateau neuf Du Pape,
although the Whites included a choice
or two for those who wished to
splurge. It being the first hot day of
spring we chose a summery French
Rose that we don't often see in restau-
rants.
From a list of appetizers among
which were several soups, appealing
salads, rabbit rillette and goat cheese
baked in pastry, we chose the soup of
the day, a cream of chicken with
amaretto and mushrooms, and beef
carpaccio in sun-dried tomato vinai-
grette. Both were excellent, the soup
delightfully creamy both in colour and
texture, the beef well aged and the
sun-dried tomatoes rich and scrump-
tious. The accompanying breads were
varied, fresh and delicious.
My partner's main course, Guinea
Fowl with chestnuts and grapes in
port sauce was a wonderful combina-
tion of rich taste and contrasting tex-
tures. The little hen was cooked to
perfection and wonderfully flavourful.
Chestnuts remained crunchy amid the
tender grapes which still retained their
shape. The sauce tasted like the best
of Christmas.
My rabbit in sherry with a medley
of mushrooms was an absolutely gor-
geous stew. The rabbit was bite -sized
chunks of delicate, tender meat swim-
ming in what must have been a pound
of both usual and exotic mushrooms,
including morels and (as identified by
our waitress) cepes. Vegetables were
long grain and wild rice, generous in
the extreme, yet we devoured every
mouthful ... well, except the broccoli.
Only our devotion to Townsman
readers forced us to consider adding
desserts to the abundance we had
already consumed. My partner chose a
cheesecake, an old fashioned baked
variety of the kind I always loved. I
indulged in a childhood favourite,
chocolate angel food cake, which I
thought would be light, as indeed it
was, except there were two huge
slices atop a chocolate sauce AND a
creme anglaise covering the expanse
of a plate the size of a dinner platter.
The coffee was actually not bad, and
might have been good had it been
stronger.
One of the nicest surprises was the
bill. Benmiller is no more expensive
than any of the other good restaurants
we've reviewed. Most of the appetiz-
ers are in the $4.50 range and the
entrees cost from $16 to $21. We've
spent far more for a great deal less in
Huron County recently, and very
rarely have we had a better meal or a
more enjoyable evening.
Dinner for two (without drinks): $75.
PITCH -IN
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TOWNSMAN/APRIL-MAY 1991 35