Cascade Lodge

Dishes prepared tableside and sinfully rich selections make for a unique and gracious dining experience in Kintnersville, Pa.

By: Amy Brummer

Cascade Lodge

5065 Lehnenberg Road

Kintnersville, Pa.

(610) 346-7484

www.cascadelodge.com



Food: Good to very good
Service: Very good
Prices: Moderately expensive
Cuisine: Classic continental and very rich, with several dishes flambéed tableside
Vegetarian Options Few truly vegetarian dishes, but several fish dishes
Ambience: Vintage resort lodge
Hours: Lunch: Wed.-Sat. noon-2 p.m.; Dinner: Tues.-Sat. 5-9 p.m., Sun. noon-6:30 p.m.
Essentials: Accepts major credit cards (except American Express), wheelchair accessible; smoking permitted in the cocktail lounge.
Directions

   On the drive up the windy, forested road to the Cascade Lodge in Kintnersville, Pa., the terrain has a distinctly Upper Bucks County feel. So when we rounded the bend and our destination became clear, we both let out a little gasp. Perched on the incline of a hill was a mid-20th century chalet that could have been plucked from the Catskills, with a wall of windows allowing a view of the enormous chandelier inside. The pond out front was centered with an illuminated fountain shooting a grand towering spray.
   Owned by Howard and Sandra Knuth, the lodge has been in the family since 1936, and is rooted by an 18th-century farmhouse that has been updated with ’50s architecture. Inside, a mannequin dressed in Victorian garb greeted us at the door, and swingy orchestral version of "Twilight Time" piped from the ceiling as we made our way upstairs to the dining room overlooking the sweeping yard.
   We had to find someone to seat us since the wait staff is kept hopping throughout service as they prepare dishes tableside, which is one of the unique assets of the lodge. Once we were shown to our seats, our waiter, Bill, took our drink order. We chose a glass of house Pinot Noir ($6) and a specialty cocktail — a "Bucks County" ($7), champagne, orange juice and triple sec.
   The wine list offered a variety of selections, mostly Californian and French, ranging in price from $21-$70, with some bottles of sparkling wine and champagne priced higher. Our drinks came promptly, mine arriving in a snifter garnished with a Maraschino cherry, but before our waiter took our dinner order, he went to prepare a tableside meal. That would have been fine if he had brought us a little bread, but I don’t like drinking on an empty stomach, and it didn’t help that the food he was sautéing nearby smelled mouthwatering. But it all got sorted out, and in no time we were enjoying our appetizers.
   The other unique feature of the lodge is their fresh trout, which they keep stocked in the pond out front until they bring them into the holding tank in the wine cellar, which is fed by the adjacent stream. Keeping this in mind, we ordered the smoked trout crème brulee ($8.95) and a mushroom and crab soufflé ($9.50).
   Both were sinfully rich and dangerously tasty. The "crème brulee" was spiked with sharp horseradish and medallions of smoked trout, which complimented the gentle custard. The soufflé was more of a creamy, savory, cheese dip, enhanced with the flavor of crab, with the mushrooms giving it more texture than flavor. It was so rich that we could only eat a few bites of it if we were to continue our meal. Other appetizers include escargots baked in parsley and garlic butter ($9), clams casino ($12) and a shrimp cocktail ($11), in addition to spinach salad with hot bacon dressing ($12) and Swiss onion soup ($5.75).
   We couldn’t resist splitting a Caesar salad ($12) prepared tableside, and that is where the meal really picked up. Our waiter, who was very personable, walked us through each ingredient — a squeeze of lemon, some anchovy, a spoonful of garlic, a dash of Worcestershire, a dollop of Dijon — and gave it a stir and emulsified it with oil. Into that he tossed the romaine, Parmesan and crouton and served it up. The flavors were bold and fresh, but while I understand the hesitation to use raw egg yolk, it would have held together better and been less oily.
   For our main course, we heeded our server’s suggestion to try the beef and ordered the New York strip crusted with horseradish ($25). This dish came from the kitchen and was tender, well-seasoned and cooked to the requested medium rare. It was accompanied by buttery mashed potatoes garnished with a broiled tomato, two zinnias and a sprig of lavender, as was the trout Cascade ($24), another tableside preparation. As Bill browned the trout in butter, he deftly removed the tail, head and bones then walked us through the finishing touches — fennel seed, lemon juice and a hit of brandy. Then he lit it on fire with a dramatic burst, before giving it a moment to simmer with a pour of cream. The sauce blanketed the mild, sweet fish with a mellow nuttiness.
   Other flambéed dishes include steak Diane ($29), scallops Coq au Vin ($27) and a curiosity called pecan ice cream duck ($25), which is finished with Dijon mustard, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and ice cream. The menu also offered a crab cake baked in a puff pastry ($26), rack of lamb ($27) and beef Wellington ($29).
   Though we could barely stand to order dessert, cherries jubilee ($9.50) is one of my all-time favorites, but it is rare that I eat in a place that is lighting them up regularly. Bananas Foster and crepe Suzette are also offered tableside, and there is a dessert tray with a variety of baked goods as well.
   Bill finished out the evening for us with a flair, sending the juicy red cherries, touched with a shot kirsch, up in a lick of flames before pouring them over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Decaf and regular coffee were weak, which is unfortunate, because we could have used something to cut through the richness of the meal.
   But overall, the lodge proved itself worthy of a lengthy drive by offering a unique and gracious dining experience in a setting that is an authentic testament to a bygone era.