The Sergeantsville Inn

[Rosie]

The Sergeantsville Inn, 601 Rosemont-Ringoes Road, Sergeantsville is "off the beaten track" but worth finding especially if you are  hunting out  game or unusual martinis. Our evening started with a pleasurable ride to the restaurant as we traveled down a country road past picturesque farms and old stone houses. "Charming" is what I thought as I walked into the stone building built as a private residence in 1734 and through the small cozy dining rooms viewing numerous nooks and crannies, original fireplaces and stone walls. We sat in the smaller dining room which has a fireplace and spiral staircase.

Chef/owner Joe Clyde, specializes in game dishes and martinis but if you don't like buffalo, pheasant, ostrich, venison or wild boar, be assured that there were enticing standard and vegetarian entrees to choose from.

A multinational wine list with moderate priced wines had something for everyone and there were many bottles available in the $16 to $20 range. A reserve list had a Paul Hobbs for $80. Specials were written out with the prices.

We shared a dish of hummus made with pureed chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon and garlic served with crisp roasted pita triangles. Rounds of zucchini were beautifully positioned like the spokes of a wheel in this thick, garlicky spread. Soup or salad is included with dinner and we had an onion soup and a mixed green salad both of which were very good.

Entrees were a braised lamb shank with fall of the bone meat served with an artichoke and roasted pepper risotto in a Pinot Noir and lamb stock reduction; a special of rack of lamb with a white bean stew and asparagus; ox musk served medium rare and tasting like a chewy flank steak; and a very tasty venison London broil served with a vegetable spring roll, mashed potatoes and a wild mushroom demi glaze. The only dish I wouldn't order again was the musk ox. There were a few choices for vegetarians, one vegan entrée and quite a few fish entrees.

We were stuffed and shared an apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Coffee was very good. With tax and tip the bill was $42 per person. Phone: 609-397-3700

[Tom D]

Rosie, you should have given a loud yell to us, we probably would have heard you since we were down the road at # 9 in Lambertville :)

Sounds like you had a great dinner and so did we.  Denise had the Chicken (I think Lowell's entree) and I had the porterhouse pork chop.  Apps. and dessert were also very good.

We drove up from Philadelphia, where we spent the day browsing and spending money  

Tom

[Kim WB]

Rosie,

I enjoyed the Sargeantville Inn last year, and your review reminded me to put it on the "go to" list.  We went to Panico's after a political function at the EBrunswick Hilton...Great service, but I think they're fading a bit.

[Rosie]

Panico's fading?  How? Decor? Food?

[Kim WB]

Decor is the same, it never made an impact on me. A little too stark for my preferences, and that pink /mauve is so dated.  But the food was the real disappointment.  My appetizer, grilled calamari, was the only hit.  Bob had the stuffed calamari with pasta, and the lobster/shrimp stuffing was underseasoned,  and dominated by a cloying cream taste. My lamb, while presenting me with garlic whistles ( the stem part that the bulb grows on) which I enjoyed ( more for their novelty than for their taste, similiar to a scallion) was overcooked, butterflied to a 1/4 inch, and so overwhelmed by a garlic sauce that it could have been grade school mystery meat. Served so boring, on a mound of blah mashed potatoes, and bitter spinach.  Dessert was inedible...a tiramisu "enrobed" in chocolate...so cold that the layers were non distinctive and tasteless...two spoonfuls and I gave up.  

While the service was friendly and professional, there were no questions asked about why the lamb was 1/2 eaten, and the dessert hardly touched.

Also, they brought the check assuming that we were done, while I had decided that since I saved the calories in the dessert, I was going to get a frangelico shot for my cappucinno!

Boring menu, uninspired presentation, and at Saturday at 10pm, we were the only ones in the place.  When we arrived, they were seating in only half of the dining room, and that was about 3/4 full...no more than 30 people.

[Rosie]

Sorry to hear that about Panico's. They have  the same chef. I haven't been there in a while but they were a destination restaurant.

[dodge621]

Went to Sergeantsville last night. Thanks Rosie for making me aware of it. Very good food and very reasonable. We had on hummus appetizer $6 (have had better hummus), shrimp and potabello mushroom appetizer $9(very good), tuna steak $20 (excellent) and a tofu "steak" $20(excellent), flourless chocolate tort $6 (very good, very rich). Also came with black bean soup (pretty good)

Excellent service, nice place

[Rosie]

Sergeantsville Inn is especially lovely during X-mas.