Pleasant Pheasant Fare

Pheasant Run generously offered to foot the bill for a dinner at Harvest, the schnazziest of their on site restaurants, and we took them up on it Saturday evening. We got to see what parking was like at 5:30pm on a Saturday, and it was very packed. I will definitely want to address this on invitations in order to be clear with maps about where overflow lots are and which are most convenient.

As for the food, I was a bit timid about ordering, as was Jim, since we didn’t want to overstep our bounds, but the server was very sweet and generous. She took the stance of “Can’t decide? Get both and take the rest home” on more than one occasion. As a result of this, we got two appetizers, the carpaccio and the wild mushrooms. The carpaccio was phenomenal, and it didn’t last long enough for me to photograph it. As Jim put it, “I would be happy if just this was my meal.” The wild mushrooms weren’t as exciting and half of them ended up in a to go box.

I ordered the cheap merlot from the menu, and Jim got the harvest ale, which I think is a seasonal beer they offer. He was happy with his and I with mine. I was surprised I enjoyed the merlot, particularly because I don’t usually care for it. That may be a sign that it’s a bad merlot, of course, but I didn’t mind. It was the first wine I’ve had that had a significant amount of sediment in it, though. I found that bizarre, but not entirely shocking, thanks to that audiobook on wine I read not too long ago.

For the next course, Jim had the broccoli soup special and I ordered the beet salad. The soup had a thick, non-broccoli flavor which Jim and I both thought was mushroom, but the cook (via the server) said it was not. The beet salad had a wonderfully sweet dressing which offset the bitter arugula quite well, and I enjoyed the pecans, but I couldn’t really stomach much of the actual beets. I think that was more of a personal distaste for all beets than the way they prepared them. It was easy enough to avoid them, as they were sliced large, and enjoy the rest of the salad.

I cannot forget to mention the bread. Harvest serves a rosemary bread which Jim would probably marry if he wasn’t already betrothed. They also serve a whole grain or wheat bread, but it wasn’t as notable. Both of which come out warm and are served with two butters, a standard and a honey cinnamon butter (another Jim favorite). We were told that this kind of bread is not served at the wedding (instead we would get rolls), though I think Jim may have something to say about that.

Then, it was entree time. I ordered the New York Strip Steak and Jim got a Halibut special, both of which are offered in the wedding packages. The New York strip didn’t impress me, but then again, I am rather accustomed to my filet mignon. Jim liked it quite a lot, even moreso than the Eaglewood filet mignon. The garlic mashed potatoes were rather good, which is important when I definitely want a MPB (mashed potato bar). Oddly, though, the most impressive part of the dish was the green beans. I don’t often like green beans, since they are mushy and strongly flavored not unlike grass. These, however, were crisp outside and well cooked inside, and cooked with just enough butter to mute the green flavor.

On the contrary, Jim’s halibut was nothing to write home about. He did not care for the thick, creamy sauce; we both are not a big fan of the fattier sauces. He also prefers his fish broiled to have that seared crust, and this appeared to be more evenly cooked, probably baked or grilled. However, his roasted potatoes outshone my garlic mashed, and his asparagus and mixed vegetables were very nicely done.

Somehow we saved room for dessert. I pointed at two desserts on the dessert tray to narrow the decision down for Jim, who agreed that those were his top two as well. The server encouraged us to get both, and after twisting Jim’s arm, he agreed. The cheesecake was remarkably good, and I’m picky about cheesecake since I make my own. It was just the right amount of sweet for the main layer, and the top layer was a surprisingly appropriate whip cream instead of the sour cream to which I’m accustomed. Jim’s chocolate cake was rich with mousse but not overly so. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but the cheesecake takes the cake, if you will.

After months of research and visits and two different tastings, I’m pretty confident that Pheasant Run can serve a great meal and provide a terrific venue for our wedding. Now, I suppose, I just have to get comfortable with the idea of signing a contract and handing someone thousands of dollars.