Washington Crossing Inn

by Sue & Bob Gordon

For one so young, Alan Heckman boasts an impressive CV. The CIA grad’s first job out of school was at Seattle’s Canlis restaurant, Gourmet Magazines’s 19th highest rated restaurant in America. Alan returned to Connecticut to work at Craftsteak under Top Chef's head judge, Tom Colicchio. He’s also logged kitchen time outside our borders in Italy, Germany, Holland and Tunisia. Alan has developed a distinguishable style that we would tag “adult.” His compositions and spicing tend to resonate best with well-tempered, discriminating taste buds. He’s a foodie’s chef who eschews rampant experimentation. It’s rare that he resorts to sweetness in his recipes. When he does, the sweetness usually plays an intelligent counterpoint to the principle tastes, rather than riffing a brassy, strident solo. Couple that approach with Alan’s self-described style of “Progressive American Cuisine,” and the result is a menu filled mostly with familiar dishes that are stylishly tweaked into memorable ones.

Melted Fontina cheese and a hint of dill add depth to a superb rendition of Creamy Crab Soup [$9]. Puckery lemon confit brightens the breaded calamari—elevating a dish whose ubiquity often makes for uninspired fare these days. Butternut Squash Tempura, a bona fide destination dish, underscores how the chef knows how to sweeten his recipes to max effect. Feather light tempura crust contrasts perfectly with the creamy butternut squash within. However, it’s the accompanying maple aïoli, sweet with no cloying aftertaste that vaults this dish to stardom. For the crustacean crowd, there’s a $40 Colossal Seafood Tower built on shrimp, oyster, and clams. For $50, add lobster.

We’re happy that Heckman has returned to the classic French preparation of Escargot. During an earlier visit, Heckman had offered a dozen escargots atop a casserole of cubed potatoes, onions, and bacon nestled in a pool of garlic butter. Nice, but his classic version rocks. Served in a rustic black iron pan, the escargot once again float in a vivid green pond of herbs and garlic butter, centered by a meltingly soft mille-feuille.  Délicieux!

Heckman’s culinary meanderings have solidified his farm-to-table philosophy. He continues to cultivate alliances with local growers. His focus on seasonal vegetables and ingredients colors everything he does. And perhaps foremost among the adult underpinnings that distinguish his style is the attention he devotes to the “rest of the plate,” not just the meat or fish that lends the dish its eponymous name. Exhibit A: a scallop dish enjoyed on our last visit. As expected, the seared scallops were moist and tasty. But the roasted cauliflower and Fregola Sarda couscous teeming with raisins and almonds and fragrant with curry was a winner all by itself.

Alan’s facility with vegetables also shows in Ricotto Cavatelli, a mélange of butternut squash, Brussels sprouts piqued with ramps and Grana Padano cheese, a grainy [grana means grain], hefty import from Italy. Mushroom Napoleon arrives tableside as a savory packet of goat cheese, spinach, and melted leeks. The baby root vegetables and faro that accompany the Duck Breast match perfectly with the sweet, earthy taste of the fowl. Roasted beets enhance the flavor of wild Scottish Salmon not only as an accompaniment, but also as a cleverly chosen component in beurre blanc. One slight disappointment was the bland pot of creamed Swiss chard that accompanied the Wild Boar, a menu addition—although the savory, outstanding boar salvaged the dish.

The Washington Crossing Inn never disappoints as a social venue. And now that the dining has been recalibrated, the entire experience rocks. The building exudes bona fide historic warmth. The barroom is a popular watering spot—vibrant and cozy. Sunday Brunch is a traditional hit. Fridays and Saturdays feature live music in the barroom. And as spring breaks, alfresco dining on the lovely patio ranks among the region’s best.

On a historic note: the Taylor family owned the structure and grounds from 1777 until the mid 20th century. They lent their name to the town, which was called Taylorsville until 1919 when the US Congress created the Washington Crossing National Park and changed the town’s name to Washington Crossing. Washington may have eaten his Christmas meal at the Taylor’s house before ferrying to battle across the frigid Delaware. We’re perhaps fortunate that Heckman was not manning the kitchen for George’s final meal. George may have scrapped the crossing plans and settled in for the evening. Then, we’d all still be speaking English here.  Because, as anyone who listens to the BBC knows, that’s quite different, these days, from speaking American.

Washington Crossing Inn is located at 1295 General Washington Memorial Blvd.(River Road), Washington Crossing, PA; 215-862-1776 or 215-493-3534; http://www.washingtoncrossinginn.com. Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.–3p.m. Casual Fare Menu 3–5 p.m. Dinner: Mon.–Thursday 5–9 p.m. Fri. and Saturday 5-10 p.m. Sun. 3–8 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Bar Hours Mon.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m.¬–12 Midnight, Fri. and Sat. 11:30 a.m.–1 a.m. Sun. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Happy Hour Mon.–Fri. 5–7 p.m. Tea Time Hours Everyday 2-4 p.m. Accepts all major credit cards.