Harrington Farm

A sophisticated country inn

by Margaret LeRoux

Harrington Farm Country Inn and Restaurant 178 Westminster Road Princeton (978) 464-5600 Hours (reservations only) Fri-Sat. 5-8:30 p.m. Sun. 5-7:30 p.m. Full bar Major credit cards Handicap accessible

What a perfect celebration of the season's first snowfall: a moonlit drive to the Princeton countryside and Harrington Farm for a holiday dinner. As we turned onto Westminster Road, there it was at the top of a snow-covered field, the quintessential New England farm house, bathed in silvery light. A hallmark moment, to be sure; as we crossed the porch, I imagined hearing sleigh bells in the distance. I guess it's a good thing the draftiness of the old building quickly brought me back to reality. Despite its considerable early American charm, it is, after all more than 200 years old, and we 20th century visitors are spoiled. I bet few diners in the 18th century lounged in the Harrington Farm parlor without long underwear and a pair of wool socks. But my dining companion and I ignored the chill; we were warmed by the solicitous service and by our favorite aperitif, Domain Chandon non-vintage brut sparkling wine offered at the bargain price of only $6 a glass.

After a warm welcome, we were shown to the smallest of the three dining rooms draped with ropes of laurel leaves for a fragrant holiday decoration. Our table-for-two overlooked the porch and front yard, and was right next to a garrulous party of four celebrating the recent nuptials of one of the couples. At the end of their meal a little wedding cake was brought to the table, a gorgeous creation strewn with fresh peach colored rose petals. We couldn't help overhearing their conversation; their exclamations over their dinners and the beautiful cake amplified our enjoyment of the dishes we were served.

The menu at Harrington Farm changes seasonally; the evening we dined, it featured several rustic offerings including loin of venison, duckling, and rack of lamb. But you'd never describe the food as hearty or peasant-like; chef-innkeeper John Bomba is a graduate of the Culinary Institute, who interprets country style with a sophisticated flair.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. As we sipped our sparkling wine, we reviewed appetizer choices: smoked salmon with orange beet salad ($9), corn and lobster chowder ($5.50), "ultimately rich," we heard one of the diners at the next table advise her friends; wild mushroom ravioli ($8.75) and shrimp cocktail ($9).

We focused on the list of five salads, including a house mixture of baby greens ($5.50); spinach and pears with dried cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese and warm roasted root vegetables (both $6.50), Greek salad with stuffed grape leaves ($7.50). We settled on the traditional Caesar salad ($6.50) and were served a chilled plate with a sensible amount of crispy romaine leaves torn into bite sizes with a couple of whole anchovies arranged on top, much to the delight of my companion, who judges any Caesar salad without them as inferior. Not being offered fresh ground pepper for our salad was the only serving slip of the evening. Never mind, the pepper mill was on a nearby side table, my dining companion gallantly did the peppering himself.

Harrington Farm's entrées would please anyone but a vegetarian, though one easily could make a meatless meal by selecting from the appetizers and salads. We were tempted by grilled tenderloin of beef with potato gratin and rosemary demiglace ($24.00), and pork tenderloin with apple-pecan crust ($22). There was also sautéed duckling ($23), and fresh salmon filet with asparagus risotto and fried spinach ($21). One of the diners at the neighboring table ordered the salmon especially because of the fried spinach which she loudly praised as "cotton candy for grown-ups." We made a note to request the fried spinach next time.

I chose sautéed loin of venison ($25), an artistic arrangement of boneless slices surrounding a vegetable mound. The base was creamy polenta made even richer with white truffles, topped with a slice of sweet, baked butternut squash and baby leaf spinach.

The venison was meltingly tender with a flavor just wild enough to let my tastebuds know this wasn't veal. The combination of textures, colors, and flavors made this one of the best dishes I've eaten all year. A perfect accompaniment was a glass of 1996 E. Guigal Rhone ($5), another bargain from Harrington Farm's by the glass list. (There's also an ample selection of wines by the bottle.)

My companion went for the pomegranate glazed rack of lamb ($24), another outstanding presentation, with the meaty lamb chops providing a canopy for a drift of baby spinach and mashed potatoes with eggplant. The tangy pomegranate sauce was a nice contrast to the richness of the lamb. Roasted beets and carrots were colorful accent vegetables. His choice of wine was a glass of 1998 Chalone Echelon merlot ($5.50).

We'd compromised on the first course to save room for dessert, (how could we not.) There was eggnog cheesecake, apple and cranberry tarts, pumpkin milk chocolate mousse cake and "midnight madness" dark chocolate cake. We shared walnut rum steamed pudding ($7), a much lighter version of the traditional English figgy pudding, served with homemade caramel ice cream. Yum! Cake and ice cream taken to an adult level.

Such a feast we had, and at a cost of just over $100--a price we've paid for much less impressive meals--we felt we'd properly welcomed the winter season. In case you'd like to follow our example but not make the drive back to town, you should know that Harrington Farm is also an inn. Indulge yourself and make a reservation to spend the night.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.