Black Bass Hotel

A beautiful river view complements the American cuisine at this Colonial inn in Lumberville, Pa.

By: Pat Tanner

   Rustic Colonial inns don’t come more charming than the Black
Bass Hotel in sleepy Lumberville, which not only dates back to the 1740s, but
has a spectacular view of the Delaware River just north of New Hope.
   In addition to offering accommodations in nine rooms, the hotel has
a warren of small dining rooms, each featuring at least one beautiful fieldstone
wall, worn plank floors, tavern tables surrounded by Windsor chairs, and cases
full of memorabilia of England’s royal family. All is lit by candlelight
and/or the glow of a fireplace.
   Keep in mind that rustic and tavern are the
key words here: the wooden seats of the Windsor chairs prove mighty uncomfortable,
and the food tends toward the substantial and heavy-handed. The menu strives for
American modernity with choices like Thai-style swordfish satay with pickled cucumber
salad ($28) and ancho- and honey-glazed grilled pork chop with South American-spiced
fries ($25), but I can’t help but feel its heart is in substantial, old-line
American favorites such as Caesar salad, baked oysters and New Orleans gumbo.
   Let’s start with the gumbo, a high point. The $7 bowl is so deliciously
rich, dark and chock-a-block with andouille sausage and chicken that it is way
too substantial to be merely a starter. Next time, I’d pair it with a salad
to make a satisfying meal. Unfortunately, the salads we tried were marred by excessive
dressing, especially the balsamic vinaigrette that drenched an otherwise promising
spinach salad with warm portabella mushrooms and goat cheese ($9). Caesar salad
($6) was overpowered by anchovies, not just those in the too-plentiful dressing,
but by the slivers of canned anchovies draped on the plate. Too much of a good
thing also spoiled the starter of pancetta-wrapped, horseradish-stuffed shrimp
with honey mustard sauce ($13). It made even my horseradish-loving companion who
ordered it cry wolf.
   One entrée stood head and shoulders above the others we
tried: potato-crusted tilapia with sautéed spinach and house smoked salmon beurre
blanc ($28). The thick coating of shredded potatoes — crisp on the outside, tender-moist
inside — brought to mind excellent potato pancakes and kept the pure white flesh
of the fish succulent. Happily, the smokiness of the salmon provided just an undertone
to the fresh butter flavor of the sauce. I am hard pressed to recall when I last
encountered a sauce whose primary flavor was creamery butter, but here it was,
in all its glory.
   We didn’t fare as well with other entrées. I failed to detect nuttiness in
the soggy, pecan-coated rack of lamb ($33), and my tablemate who ordered it
found the creamed shallot demi-glace it was doused in at odds with the lamb.
"I wouldn’t order it again," was her final decree, which included the too-dense
mashed potatoes accompanying it and other entrées.
   Like many dishes on the menu, the coffee-lacquered duck with
pear-ginger chutney ($25) sounded a lot better that it turned out to be. The
duck skin was flabby, with an unrendered layer of fat resting below, and the
coffee lacquering was imperceptible. While the duck leg had good flavor and
just a touch of pinkness, the breast was gray, dry and livery tasting. The pear
chutney left a rank ginger aftertaste.
   Likewise, the only vegetarian entrée on the menu failed to
deliver on its promise. Vegetarian pumpkin stew with chilies, spices and grilled
polenta ($21) was a one-note deal when it came to texture (starchy mushy) and
taste (garam masala-type spices, too heavy on the cloves).
   Desserts also suffered from mushiness, especially the deep-dish
apple pie ($7), although the housemade cinnamon ice cream it came with was superb,
as well as a badly out-of-season peach shortcake ($7), which was accompanied
by an off-tasting crème fraiche.
   We were charmed by our server, a woman of a certain age who
has been at the Black Bass Hotel for seven years, and who evinces the warm,
no-nonsense air most associated with diner waitresses. Our group of four managed
to take her through the litany of regular coffee, decaf, espresso, decaf espresso
and, finally, latte. When we asked, "decaf latte?" she didn’t miss a beat and
responded, "Don’t push it, hon." Of course, the restaurant does serve decaf
latte — she just couldn’t resist playing with us.
   A short but decent wine list, heavy on the Chardonnays and
Cabernets, thoughtfully lists vintage and district of origin, and includes a
Black Bass Hotel private label Chardonnay ($28) and White Zinfandel ($25), both
from Sonoma County.
   Despite a degree of disappointment with the food, our group
all agreed that the charms of the Black Bass Hotel are prodigious enough to
make us want to return, perhaps for lunch, when our meal-time expectations won’t
be so demanding and we can relish the spectacular river view.
Pat Tanner’s reviews can be heard on Dining Today, Sat. 9-10 a.m. on
MoneyTalk 1350 AM and 1040 AM.
For directions to Black Bass Hotel, click here.