We checked out Hyeholde as part of our special event host research. We were thinking we should probably try the food if we were considering having our event there so we made a reservation for dinner to follow our meeting with their events planning manager.
The Round Room space is a separate facility with floor to ceiling windows, a separate bar and restrooms, room for 100 at round tables, and a green lawn area for seating or cocktail hour just outside. It's really perfect for a wedding!
The restaurant itself looks like an old European house with thick wooden timbers that were harvested from an old barn when the original owners built the place themselves. They were a husband and wife that married in the early 1900's and the wife always wanted to live in a castle on a hill -she just didn't know she was going to help build it brick by brick! They raised their family upstairs and opened a restaurant downstairs. The restaurant is still owned and run by one of the daughters who is now 82. The Round Room was built later and operated as a Cabaret for some time.
Adriana, our server, was excellent! Bonnie, in their events planning area, was terrific too. Even the valet parking guys were nice. The grounds are green and inviting and the restaurant itself is warm and rich with history. There are some really neat New York Times cartoon paintings in the den/library room and a lovely outdoor patio with a stone fireplace.
Our dinners were really delicious! I had the filet and my partner had the scallops. They were both cooked perfectly. I tried their sherry bisque which was just okay, to be honest, as it's lacking a protein in my opinion. They need a lump of crab or something in it to really make it shine but the flavor was good and it was served nice and hot. My partner tried the citrus cured wild salmon appetizer which was very good although the salmon could have really shone if it was a little thicker cut so it didn't disappear as much under the crème fraiche. It had a nice flavor profile.
The filet came with a Boursin potato stack that was outstanding and some very fresh tender haricots verts. The scallops were served over a bed of saffron couscous that included a few delicate mussels and some pieces of chorizo and a delicious side of braised fennel.
We were so stuffed, we passed on dessert but had a really good port to cap off a truly memorable meal. Adriana gave us a tour of the entire house when she found out we were considering the Round Room for our event. She was very gracious and informative. That's how we learned all about the husband and wife team and the history of the Hyeholde.
They do romantic picnics on their grounds in the summer which sounds so perfect for a special anniversary! We definitely want to try that too.