THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510110566
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
THE SMITHFIELD Inn has emerged from a year of renovation, draped in finery of rose and green.
The menu reflects the Southern culinary heritage of the community, with clever contemporary touches. The front parlor is invitingly decorated with damask and wood, the tavern area clubby with dark wood, and the two dining rooms resplendent with patterns and textures that sometimes blend, sometimes clash. Creamy table linens and brass candle lanterns add a comfortable elegance.
Previous incarnations of the Inn, sometimes known as Sykes Inn, have been more casual. This version, owned by Joseph Luter III and managed by Tina Dulong and her husband, chef Mike Dulong, is a bed-and-breakfast as well as a fine-dining establishment. Six weeks after the July opening, both food and mood were pleasant but still evolving.
We started our evening with a stroll down Hayden's Lane, a brick walk with an iron entry that cuts through the commercial-residential area of downtown Smithfield. At one end are stately homes with wide porches, at the other is the late-18th century courthouse. Beautifully tended and lined with benches, this garden walk was an excellent aperitif. If we had not wanted to walk, we might have passed a little time rocking on the Inn's large front porch.
The genteel aspects of the Old South are celebrated here. And local foods are featured.
Peanut soup can be cloying, but the Inn's version was not too creamy, not too thick, and garnished with shavings of lightly gingered carrots. Sweet-potato biscuits offered a nice twist on the traditional Smithfield ham biscuits but were a little dry. Baked clams ``Dino'' were excellent with their chopped peppers and herbs with a touch of cream, sherry and cheese. Other starters were pork scallops and Brunswick stew. The latter, Tina Dulong says, is one of the most popular items.
Salads were crisp and fresh. Caesar was dressed with a refreshing lemony blend and shreds of grated Parmesan. Cucumber salad came with a flavorful thick crushed tomato sauce instead of the usual thin vinaigrette.
A small dinner list was augmented by several recited specials. From these we selected the crabcakes, costly at $21 but chock-full of crab. The crisp herbed exterior was a little too bready, but the crab within was plentiful and top-quality. Lean Generation pork came as two generous chops, tender and moist and accompanied by roasted potatoes.
Succulent free-range chicken flavored with herbs was another success; the quarter-chicken was not a large portion but sufficient for us. Other options for the evening were jumbo scallops and a 14-ounce New York strip steak.
Sweet-potato-pecan pie was the best dessert. Also excellent was a traditional apple cobbler served in a round compote and modernized by a rich vanilla-scented creme anglaise. Turtle cheesecake was grainy, merely satisfactory with little hint of the expected chocolate or caramel. Coffees were weak.
Surprisingly absent from the wine list are Virginia wines. Other American wines are highlighted, with an extensive selection from California plus a number of French wines. A rotating selection of featured wines by the glass emphasizes California vintages.
A selection of microbrews recognizes the growing popularity of distinctive beers.
Servers were smartly dressed in tuxedo shirts, black trousers and aprons. Some servers were still in training.
Maybe the decor is a bit excessive in places, but the overall effect is charming. The menu blends tradition with contemporary touches. Slow and less than knowledgeable service was the main disappointment, but Tina Dulong says training of new personnel will solve those problems soon. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MICHAEL KESTNER/Staff
Tina Dulong and husband Mike manage the Smithfield Inn, a restaurant
and bed-and-breakfast.
Graphic
BILL OF FARE
Smithfield Inn, 112 Main St., Smithfield, Va. (804) 357-1752.
Cuisine: New Southern, changing with the seasons.
Atmosphere: Revived Colonial inn bedecked in neo-Victorian
finery; opulent parlor and dining rooms, club-like tavern room.
Hours: lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to
9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Reservations: recommended weekends.
Prices: lunch from $5.25 to $7.95; dinner starters and salads
from $3.50 to $9.50; main dishes from $16.95 to $21; desserts from
$3.25 to $3.85; children's portions on request.
Smoking: none.
by CNB