Mountain View Brasserie – April 2011
One Hundred
6.90 – 7.5, 7.5, 7.25, 7.2, 7, 6.75, 6.5, 5.5
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One Hundred dinner dates for Party of Eight, and we celebrated with a
favorite – the Mountain View Brasserie – a medley of
soul-satisfying food, classy ambiance, consistently worthy service, and
good value. A review of the three previous visits to MVB, and the four to
Freehold Country Inn, shows the high regard we have for the quality
culinary efforts of Ben & Terry Buel and Max Suhner.
The menu, simply, is one we like. This evening, the Debs chose from the
appetizer menu – the warm goat cheese, encrusted in hazelnuts, on a bed
of greens. A classic starter.
And we appreciate that salad or soup is included. We have come to expect a
fresh basic salad, with an opportunity to venture to the soup side. This
evening, Terry’s description of the shrimp bisque was so tantalizing
that five of us tried the soup.
And the entrée list is one of comfort, edged with class, and we often
struggle to narrow to one choice. Making our options even more tantalizing
is announcement of several specials. The choices of this evening saw a NY
strip steak (Ken); chicken parm (Kriss); sea scallops (Deb T, of course,
and Judy); jagerschnitzel (Don and Deb K); prime rib (Chay); and chicken
francaise (Tim).
Some combination of baked potato, au gratin, or risotto sided the entrées,
while some combination of spring peas & carrots or ratatouille
finished the plate.
Dessert, again, should be the first course! Sampled this evening were the
special of white and dark chocolate layer mousse with strawberries (Don T,
Kriss, and Judy), the white chocolate bread pudding with caramel bourbon
sauce (Deb K), strawberries with English sauce (Deb T), the black Sambuca
(Chay), and a pass (Ken, Tim).
We appreciate the level of service at MVB – we know that a certain level
can always be depended upon, and Rebecca personified that expectation
well. Thanks, Rebecca.
Our dinner reviews almost always spend time on ambiance. However, let the
previous write-ups mirror what we experienced again. Suffice it to say
that we find the quiet elegance a matter of comfort we have enjoyed since
the opening.
The wine list, although short by some standards, is diversified enough for
our tastes. Our drink order included Domaine Delagrange 2009 Hautes Cotes
de Beaune Rouge, followed by the Ermita San Felices 2006 Crianza Rioja.
Both were worthy although the Cotes de Beaune was a class above.
And all the other touches matter. The personal and familiar greeting at
the door by Terry is the tone-setter. Two baskets of French bread slices
and crispettes within minutes of seating is appreciated, as is the
frequent refill of water glasses. And Ken’s coffee cup had little time
to be empty. Terry’s delivery of a plate of white and dark chocolate
wafer bars is a metaphor for the quality time we had, and have.
Especially distinctive at the start of this evening was Terry’s surprise
offering of a celebratory glass of sparkling for each of us. Terry, we so
much appreciate your sincerity and thoughtfulness.
At $100 per couple (including drinks, tax, tip), we departed, knowing that
MVB had provided another dinner of good value.
The three hour dinner span was longer than most but with seven weeks
having passed since the last DP8 event, we certainly caught up on life’s
details, and we reminisced over the last 100 dinners.
All in all, MVB is our center for heart-warming, good-for-the-soul
choices. Here’s to the start of our next hundred, and to the continued
success of MVB.
The evening had started at the Teators’, with a
pleasantly temperatured afternoon dragging hors d’oeuvres and drinks
outside to the deck, with the vista of a snowless Catskill escarpment, the
front yard magnolia just past peak, forsythia at peak, and the red bud
showing initial purple. The men took a walk around the house and across
the street, doing the man talk, while the women maintained the deck
decorum.
Most of the talk pre-dinner was catching up on news (and it felt
like a long time since the last dinner, and it was – seven weeks!): the
Adamses’ seven week trip (causing their absence in March, new cars
(Adams, Teator, Karnes, just in the last two months!), Don’s day for
Greene County history in Catskill, the Monteverds’ cruise during spring
break, St. Croix, Kriss’s day in Fishkill, the Adamses’ account of the
new exhibit at the Cole House, William and Kate’s wedding the day
before, gardens, and more.
During- and post-dinner continued many of the same
topics, with school budgets, choice of cuts, school morale, whereabouts of
our children & grandchildren, bread should not be made into dessert,
and more. All was under control until someone’s suggestion about the
devil’s ..., which then took off in directions seldom seen with such
ferocity. By the time Kriss could keep Ken’s ..... afloat, we were in it
deep. But it was fun