Ebbitt Room and Washington Inn

[Rosie]

We had a delightful few days in Cape May. Stayed at the Virginia Hotel which I can highly recommend. This boutique hotel with 24 rooms has won many awards including “best hotel dining room” from New Jersey Monthly magazine. Breakfast is included in the price and will be brought to your room or you can dine on the porch or in one of the parlors. The continental breakfast included a bowl of breads, muffins, croissants, and coffee cakes, yogurt, fresh fruit, jelly, butter, cream cheese, juice and coffee. More than enough to fill you up.

We had dinner at the Ebbitt room which is connected to the hotel. Executive Chef Andrew J. Carthy and his staff do an excellent job. We started with an amuse of carrot soup topped with tuna tartar that was served on a porcelain spoon. Appetizers were a beautifully presented an artichoke, olive and fresh herb salad with sweet peppers, crisp parmesan and oregano vinaigrette; fennel dusted sea scallops with crisp polenta, tomato marmalade and scallions and fabulous crispy calamari with organic greens and lime-ginger aioli. We particularly liked the crunchy tempura type of batter used on the calamari. Entrees were a perfectly cooked halibut with butter poached shrimp and spinach and potato gnocchi; and one of the best pheasant dishes I have had in a long time. The pheasant was not overcooked or dry which is often the case. A lemon tart was a light perfect ending to our meal.

The next night we dined at The Washington Inn where Chef Mimi Wood oversees the kitchen and does a great job with sauces. This was also a memorable meal that started off with a sea scallop stuffed with a lobster salad. Appetizers were a squash sweet potato soup and a dandelion/raddichio salad. I loved the addition of sweet potato to the squash soup and found the dandelion to be an interesting addition to the salad. It wasn’t as bitter as I expected and wouldn’t hesitate to order this salad again. Entrees were a scrumptious black sea bass with clams and a delicious roasted salmon with an artichoke sauce. We were stuffed and had some sorbet for dessert.

Pictures are here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...&album=306&st=0

[Phil Ward]

Roise,

Thanks for the updates and I agree, both establishments do a fine job with food, service and especially wine, which you failed to mention. Hmmm... are you and Lowell not imbibing these days?

Phil

[Rosie]

Both restaurants had an extensive wine list. We had a bottle at both places --one night a shiraz and one night a reisling. Both very good but I don't remember what we had. Also, the Washington Inn has the largest wine list in the area. I was very impressed to see a Veraison and a Turley for a very reasonable $75 on their list.

[pnapoli]

rosie, how would you describe the atmosphere at the washington inn? when i was down in cape may this summer i thought about trying it but was put off by my impression--perhaps mistaken--that this place is somewhat stuffy and formal. what did you think?

[dbrociner]

Rosie, we stayed at the Virginia in mid September and ate at the Ebbitt Room on the middle night of our stay. The best thing about the meal was the service, I felt that the food was good but the price/quality ratio was way out of wack. I realize that this is a hotel restaurant but for roughly $100 per person things should have been better.

I will say that I loved the Virginia hotel. Great location, great staff, great "continental breakfast" served in the room or downstairs in one of the public rooms. Terrific front porch, a nice place to have a drink and watch the world go by. An expensive hotel but worth it.

[Rosie]

rosie, how would you describe the atmosphere at the washington inn?  when i was down in cape may this summer i thought about trying it but was put off by my impression--perhaps mistaken--that this place is somewhat stuffy and formal.  what did you think?

←

Actually I thought that the Washington Inn would be more formal than it was. I didn't find it to be stuffy. We were there mid-week off season so I don't know if things are different during the summer.

[lamb]

rosie, how would you describe the atmosphere at the washington inn?  when i was down in cape may this summer i thought about trying it but was put off by my impression--perhaps mistaken--that this place is somewhat stuffy and formal.  what did you think?

←

Actually I thought that the Washington Inn would be more formal than it was. I didn't find it to be stuffy. We were there mid-week off season so I don't know if things are different during the summer.

←

pnapoli,

The last time I was at the Washington Inn was several years ago (during the summer) but I don't think much has changed since that time. I wouldn't call the Inn "stuffy" but I think the term "sedate" might better describe it. That term would be used in comparison say to Daniels, Peter Shields or Waters Edge. I've also had dinner in the Inn's wine cellar, and enjoyed it very much. I was with a group of 8 and we felt more at ease being more ourselves out of the earshot of other diners. The last time I dined at the Inn I was in my mid 40's (nothing like giving away my age!), and we were at the lower end of the spectrum age wise.

[pnapoli]

thanks for the info!