Inn Keeper's Kitchen at Dilworthtown Inn

Last night's dining experience at the Dilworthtown Inn in West Chester was amazing as always, but it was even more amazing thanks to the amazing staff at the Inn Keeper's Kitchen! Kevin and I were invited to attend "Burgundies", one of the many great themes offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!

via Dilworthtown on Facebook

 The philosophy behind the Kitchen:  "Our goal is to teach our students the fine points of food preparation and the discerning art of wine selection." The kitchen is set up so you face the chef, and there are even two television screens set to the left and right so you can view the top of the stove while the chef is working. 

Our chef for the Burgundies course was Rich DiStefano and the Wine Educator for the evening was Michael Walsh.  Rich did an amazing job of offering suggestions and cooking tips for each course, while serving perfectly prepared courses to his 12 guests.  The hand-out presented in class features the menu, recipies for each course served, as well as a wine listing with space for notes! My copy of the hand-out is covered with questions, answers, wine notes, and cooking tips and I can't wait to try out all of the above.

Our menu featured Polenta Crusted Scallops with roasted Fennel Puree and Linguine with Tomato Balsamic Syrup; Pan Seared Escolar with Wilted Rainbow Swiss Chard and Mango Foam (this was to die for); Grilled Quail (a first for Kevin), with Burgundy Poached Cranberry Onion Compote and Watercress Greens; and finished with a layered Chocolate Mousse Cake with Frangelica Sauce. I could not eat like that more than once a month, but with strategically placed meals throughout the day, it was a wonderful evening.

One thing that stood out for me, as a Pennsylvania resident, is that each wine the Michael chose is available via the PA State Stores.  I had incorrectly assumed before that the wines served would be specialy purchased/ordered/unavailable and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I can purchase the 2010 Pouilly Fuisse, Louise Jadot in the Ardmore State Store! The short handout via Total Wines & More also provided Michael an opportunity to teach each of us not only about the wines we were drinking, but about the quality tier system of Burgundies, the soil content, slopes for planting, and more!

I won't give away all of the secrets of the course, but I will say that 4 courses, 4 tasting wines, and 1 table wine served before dinner was worth well more than the $65 that is charged for each course! For a couple or a larger group, this is an excellent way to spend a Tuesday or Wednesday evening and I highly suggest it! The course listing is currently posted for May through July, and I will say that the 7/18 course on New Orleans Creole sounds very interesting!

*I know, I was too busy eating and forgot to take photos, but I assure you that we will be going back and I will be taking many many photos for Round 2*