Jenny’s Bistro

This busy Peddler’s Village restaurant delivers country French fare in a pleasant setting.

By: James d’Esterre

   EVEN after years of driving by Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, I never knew the popular tourist destination was in the hands of one businessman.
   Earl Jamison owns and operates a collection of restaurants including Jenny’s Bistro, Cock ‘n Bull Restaurant, The Spotted Hog Restaurant and The Golden Plough Inn. He is a descendant of a long line of Bucks County residents including Henry Jamison, who opened a tavern named the General Greene Inn along the Buckingham stagecoach line in 1752.
   In 1962, inspired by a trip to Carmel, Calif., Mr. Jamison transformed a chicken hatchery, a barn and a cluster of chicken coops into 14 shops and the Cock ‘n Bull Restaurant. This was the first step to put the Jamison family back in the hospitality business. In the mid-1970s, Earl bought a restaurant and group of shops to expand his village. His new restaurant would bear the name of Ireland’s Jean "Jenny" Blackburn. Jenny’s brush with death in a Bermuda shipwreck on her voyage to enter the Pennsylvania Jamison clan gave her a renewed love of life and passion for horticulture. She was a noted hostess and accomplished cook who grew her own herbs, spices, wildflowers, vegetables and fruits.
   Jenny’s Bistro has a country French feel. Our reservation was for 4 p.m. Sunday, and we were surprised to see the first dining room near capacity. The richly appointed room was attractively illuminated by sunbeams, softened by a large exquisite stained glass picture window. Denim-clad couples and families rested comfortably in posh rose upholstered Victorian chairs. Brass shaded sconces flowed out of gilded mirror frames on the walls, and brightly colored Tiffany-style chandeliers hung from the ceiling.
   A French Martini ($6) made with a touch of the French aperitif Lillet in place of the standard dry vermouth, the house Burlwood Chardonnay ($5) and the house Natheson Pinot Noir ($5.25) set the stage for menu decisions. Both glasses of wine were smoothly pleasant, and the martini was properly chilled and, as expected, not as dry as the traditional variety. We queried our charming young attendant about the restaurant being busy this early in the evening and discovered we had stumbled on the Village’s annual Scarecrow Festival.
   Our first-course dishes earned high marks all around. The favorite of the trio was smoked salmon carpaccio salad ($8.95). Enjoyed by both carpaccio devotees and a squeamish uncooked fish taster, the plate was decorated with a wonderful fresh medley of thin smoked salmon slices cured in lemon vinaigrette and served with capers, mesclun greens, red onions, tomatoes and thoughtfully seeded cucumber. Jumbo Gulf prawn cocktail ($8.95) impressed us with its inventiveness and assortment of flavor combinations, with three sauces for four shrimp. We each had our own favorites among the avocado horseradish, charred tomato and traditional cocktail sauces.
   Sautéed escargot ($6.95) were tender, mixed in a Roquefort-sherry sauce with shiitake mushroom slices served in a vol-au-vent (a large puff pastry shell), a cooking technique said to have been created by the famous French chef Antonin Carême. The pastry resembled a pot with a lid and was classically filled with a cream sauce mixture. The sauce was nice, but the voul-au-vent absorbed it like a sponge, removing the lightness and crispness of the pastry. In spite of this, the flavor resulted in an enjoyable appetizer.
   Our main-course items were not received as well as the initial course, mainly because they were served barely warm. We should have sent them back but were halfway through our entrées before we knew why everything just didn’t make the grade.
   I selected filet mignon ($23.95), disappointingly cooked beyond the requested medium rare. It was accompanied by fresh asparagus that I can enjoy in any temperature and form of preparation; rather dry but flavorful herb mashed potatoes; and requested ramekins of chesterfield and bordelaise sauces. The chesterfield sauce had a tasty cheddar flavor resembling a fine Welsh rarebit, but unfortunately the consistency was too thick and unpourable, with a texture like over-whipped cream. I resorted to dipping small pieces of beef into the ramekin.
   Pan-seared breast of duck ($23.95) was perfectly cooked, with pink boneless duck slices in a tasty lining of duck fat and a touch of Drambuie demi-glace. The dish was served with plain dry cous cous sprinkled with pine nuts, haricots vert and a tender pan-seared scallop. Bar pasta ($22.95) was everyone’s favorite entrée — garlic spinach fettuccine tossed in a cream sauce with prosciutto, asparagus and artichokes. This dish had terrific flavor but after a few bites the cool temperature transformed the sauce into a pasty coating.
   Jenny’s homemade apple crisp ($4.95) was good but could have used more ice cream and slightly less apple crisp. Jamaica Strawberry Torte ($4.95) had a strawberry mousse that felt nice on the tongue but lacked strong strawberry presence. Chocolate Passion ($4.95) turned out to be a slightly dry genoise cake with rich chocolate icing. Paired with good coffee and iced tea, the desserts were a pleasant finish.
   It is only fair to point out that any restaurant can occasionally have an off-night. But our disappointment became a little more frustrating when we realized the price for our complete dinner was more than $50 per person, including tip. Our charming server was a Band-Aid to our wounds, but didn’t seem as well trained as the wait staff members of competing fine dining establishments just minutes away. For the price tag, it seemed like we should have walked away with bigger smiles on our faces.
For directions to Jenny’s Bistro, click here.