Charleston Daily Mail
Dining is Mountaintop Experience
Steve Keith
Wednesday, February 2, 2000
Cheat River Inn
3 1/2 out of 4 stars
U.S. 33, east of Elkins, 636-6265
Dishes: Soups, salads, appetizers, fresh seafood, beef and chicken
Entree prices: $12.50 to $18
Service: Friendly, knowledgeable, efficient
Smoking: Permitted in sections
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover
Hours: 4-9 PM Tuesday-Sunday, but open until 10 PM Friday-Saturday.
Reservations Suggested.
Quote: "Comfortably exquisite dining on the banks of the Cheat
River."
It's the best you'll ever feel being
Cheated.
Located amid the mountains and valleys of the Monongahela
National Forest just outside of Elkins, Cheat River Inn offers comfortably
exquisite riverfront dining both inside and out.
On a recent snowy Friday night, we chose
indoors.
You feel the warmth the minute you walk in the door.
Sofas and chairs situated around a crackling fire invite diners to sip a glass
of wine before dinner. An adjacent, darkened bar beckons those who want
to slip in for another.
Upstairs, a dozen or so cloth-topped tables hug the walls
and alcoves of a small, but airy, window-lined dining room situated on the
banks of Cheat River. Disappointing food or service would be the only thing
that could spoil such a delightful setting.
Fortunately, Cheat River Inn excels on both
counts.
After being seated at a small table for two in one corner,
my dinner date and I looked over a menu offering a variety of mouthwatering
soups, appetizers, salads, fresh seafood, beef and chicken. We wanted to
try it all!
Appetizers included smoked trout, conch fritters, shrimp
and sushi, but the two we picked out were the two our waitress later
recommended. We knew we were off the a good start.
The Innkeeper's Crab Dip ($6) was hands-down the best we've
ever had. A crock of fresh lump backfin crab, cream cheese, Matouk's and
seasonings was baked bubbly and served with toasted slices of French
baguette. The flavor was outstanding, the blend of spices a perfect
complement to the abundance of crab. We weren't the only ones who asked
for the recipe that night.
The Field & Stream ($5.50) was a delightful plate of
jumbo grilled shrimp, dusted with spices, and smoked sausages served with
cocktail, key lime and horseradish sauces.
Next came fresh bread and salads. Colorful plates of
locally grown fresh leaf lettuce were topped with shredded carrots, purple
cabbage, red onions, cucumbers, radish, cherry tomatoes and alfalfa
sprouts. We were given a choice of made-at-the-Inn dressings: the
divine Creamy Feta and Spinach Vinaigrette (which we tried), Honey Mustard,
Cool Ranch and a Balsamic Vinegar/Olive Oil blend.
For dinner, we both decided to sample some of the seafood
dishes that have drawn raves from national publications, including the
Washington Post.
Fresh Rainbow Trout dishes come grilled with a tropical
fruit sauce, coated in oats and sautéed, breaded in chopped pecans or almonds
and drizzled with orange wine sauce. The Trout Amandine ($13.50) was
large, flaky and perfectly cooked in an almond crust. It was served
alongside green beans mixed with green onions and delightfully rustic mashed
potatoes -- creamy with big and small chunks of potato -- sprinkled with
orange zest.
We also sampled the Fisherman's Pan Stew ($16.95), a
bowl of linguine, julienne vegetables, white wine cream and fresh Parmesan
tossed with the chef's daily seafood selections. On this night it was
salmon and scallops, perhaps slightly overcooked, but not much. The mix
of flavors was enjoyably rich.
Other dinner options include fresh Costa Rican Tilaphia (a
mild fish filet with mango salsa), Honey Hibiscus (jumbo shrimp and sea
scallops grilled and topped with a sweet and sour hibiscus flower sauce), and
Filet Mignon (dry rubbed with brown mustard seeds and spices, char-grilled,
then finished with a mustard wine sauce).
But wait, there's more!
Desserts are just as tempting.
We shared a slice of Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce that
offered a perfect blend of sweet and sour.
If you aren't ready to hop in the car and head to Elkins --
or stop on your way to one of the state's ski resorts -- your-re Cheating
yourself out of a great night of fine dining.