You Couldn’t ‘pay’ Me to Rate This Place

Fortunately it’s a privilege. But if I lived close enough to eat there more often I’d be loathe to share this treasure. First time I ate there at a friends recommendation, he said he’d make the reservations. I thought he was pulling my leg. Who makes ‘reservations’ on a Monday night out in the middle of nowhere?? Well, nowhere is where you might wind up if you don’t use a phone, to be on the safe side. I’ve eaten in Morton’s, Ruth Chris, and various locations of the former Chuck Muer’s chain of seafood restaurants located in the Eastern U.S. from Michigan to Florida and Washington D.C. I’ve dined on fresh lobster in Boston and Halifax, Nova Scotia and herring doesn’t get any fresher than Amsterdam, Holland. I’ve been ‘ambianced’, ‘styled’, themed and charactered til my wallet screamed from the extortion of the ‘view’ while my taste buds revolted from what was going in my mouth just for the ‘looks’.

The Eldred Preserve in Eldred, New York is a total package, hunting/fishing resort lodge with its own trout ponds. What the restaurant does with its trout recipes makes the trout that get caught pray they’re going into the kitchen and not home with some day fisherman. To be one of the twelve dailly varieties for that evenings menu is the karmic completion of their life cycle’s highest attainment. To go joyfully to the next step in their reincarnation cycle of existence. Yah, this place is ‘that’ good. It takes a lot for me to travel over 600 miles from Mich. to Eldred, New York like, great scenery, good people, comfortable accommodations, visiting friends and/or family – forget all that; I’d make the trip just for the food. Go to the web site and check out the menu. http://www.eldredpreserve.com/menu.htm You’ll find other animal life equally as glad as the fish to be on the menu. Your meal will be inadequate until you sample the ‘Troutlings’ appetizer. Rather than recommend anything else I can only say I’ve never found anything I’d reject. Believe me I’ve tried! Pace yourself to have room for one of the chef’s special dessert selections. You can almost guess his mood that day by what he decided to make. Can you say,”Happy Camper”? He usually is and his creations show it! You can spend more; I have, but you’ll be hard pressed to find better. sigh, It’s only a nine and a half hour drive from me, if I leave now……..