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 Intro
Set
back from the bluff of the panoramic view of the
Atlantic Ocean, The Summer House resort has a
spectacular Sconset location. Small cottages,
the ocean side pool and the well known restaurant
are located a stone's throw from the center of
the village of Sconset. The inn is charming with
its front porch over-looking the beach, rambling
interior dining areas, inviting bar, and live
piano music. New management this year was hired
to bring more status to the restaurant's reputation
for fine dining. The menu which offers separate
first and second courses, entrees, and desserts,
we found average with a limited range of seafood.
The service was somewhat disappointing.
Ambiance  |
With
tinkling piano music, friends chatting at the bar,
and relaxing in the comfortable lounge chairs, there
is no restaurant which offers more charm and party
atmosphere on the island. The painted white walls,
framed water colors of scenes, arrangements
of fresh flowers throughout the two interior dining
rooms, the porch for outdoor dining, provide the
perfect setting for an evening out. The Sconset
location, so near the spectacular beach, is superb.
Food |
In
recent years, although the prices remain at the
high end of the scale, we have been disappointed
with the food. Four of us were looking forward to
sampling the new management's creativity on this
midweek evening. The menu has been unchanged throughout
the summer. Appetizers, soup, and salads are listed
as first and second choices. These included tiger
shrimp, crab cakes, lobster, scallops,
four salads, and lobster bisque. There were only
three fish entrees on the menu, none local. The
other entrees, including veal, lamb, chicken and
steak, are standard fare found throughout the island.
The kitchen had already run out of the night's special,
halibut. We opted for the shrimp and fennel risotto
with spring peas, the pan seared Chilean sea bass
with back-fin crab meat, grilled filet mignon, and
Maine lobster crumple,(an intriguing description
for crisp phyllo dough nested with Maine lobster,
asparagus, corn, and cherry tomatoes). We sampled
three different salads, the favorite of which was
the mixed greens served with dried cranberries,
walnuts, leeks and toasted goat cheese. The small
potatoes served with the spring asparagus salad
seemed a bit heavy and the caesar salad was average.
The entrees did not live up to our expectations.
The risotto was heavy and lumpy. The sea bass and
filet mignon were good but nothing special and the
lobster, although creative, fell short of the mark.
Other Observations:
Sitting
on the cool porch was delightful on this very
warm summer night, but the service left something
to be desired. The waiter did not alert us to
any evening specials, and when offering desserts,
did not mention that the assorted berry dessert
was unavailable. Dinners were delivered to the
wrong person, water glasses were not refilled
in a reasonable time, and when three cups of coffee
were ordered, only two arrived. Correcting the
mistake, the waiter reached across the young lady
to hand the coffee cup. Perhaps he was having
a bad night, but to our amazement he was observed
sipping a hidden glass of wine from behind a cupboard!
With such a beautiful restaurant, we expected
an equally spectacular dining experience. We look
forward to hearing how others have fared dining
at The Summer House this year. We welcome your
reviews..
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