Essex Inn’s Room 12 Featured in Strictly Food for Thought

Essex Inn decorated for the holidays — The Essex Inn decorated and lit up for the holidays. (Credit: Essex Inn)

The Essex Inn’s restaurant Room 12 has been featured in the North Country magazine Strictly Food for Thought in the article, “A Year Round Gem on the Adirondack Coast” by Meg LeFevre.

“It was hard to pass through an historic town like Essex, New York, where the entire hamlet is on the National Register of Historic Places, and not feel a sense of nostalgia. Especially on a mild winter evening when the town was hushed under a fresh snowfall, causing every amber flash of its only traffic light to cast enchanting shadows over Main Street.

It was harder still to pass through and not stop at the charming Essex Inn where a warm fire and wonderful meal await. Dining at Room 12 at the Essex Inn on an evening such as that was like watching a decorative winter village scene come to life…”

LeFevre perfectly captures the decor of the Essex Inn’s rustic interior and the charm of the historic building. She makes my mouth water when she describes dishes like a stuffed artichoke appetizer. (I have had the chance to sample them, and they are delicious!)

“The smooth garlic custard in my stuffed artichokes paired with the chunky Maryland crab like a match made in richly stuffed vegetable heaven. A small batch of diced red onions and vinaigrette gave a tangy kick to each savory bite and any overflow of the generous stuffing landed on the greens beneath, which I’m certain were merely garnish, but I gobbled up anyway.”

New Management Focuses on Farm-to-Table at Room 12

Speaking with the new executive chef and innkeeper Keith Castro and Lanai Monahan, LeFevre learned more about Room 12’s culinary goals. By using locally sourced products whenever available Castro is determined to make the inn’s restaurant a farm-to-table experience. LeFevre observes that the main courses revolve on “a changing menu with year round farm-to-table freshness.” Ingredients are sourced from farms in the Champlain Valley and from producers are as far away as the Hudson Valley to find the best variety for different dishes.

Castro and Monahan (who began operating Room 12 in Oct. 2013) are enjoying their new lives at the Essex Inn, and while the summer is sure to be busier, the community has been welcoming and supportive during the quieter winter months.

“With a dedication to serving some of the freshest, most delicious farm-to-table meals in the Adirondacks, in one of the most historic towns in the country, Lanai and Keith are bound for success. Their hospitality reflects the character of the olden days with the flavors and amenities of twenty-first century life. The Essex Inn truly is a gem on the Adirondack Coast.”

Find the full story in the February 2014 issue of Strictly Food for Thought. If you click on the magazine cover on top of the left column you can read a PDF version of the article with all the delectable looking photos and find out even more about the inn and its new management team.

Essex Inn Welcomes New Chef and Innkeeper (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Essex-Whallonsburg Entrepreneurs Unite! (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
New Adirondack land opens to hikers, paddlers (northcountrypublicradio.org)
Essex Inn Takeout (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Katie Shepard

Passionate about reading and writing stories, Katie Shepard enjoys discovering more about her home while writing and editing for Essex on Lake Champlain. Katie graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2011 where she studied English literature, philosophy, and Asian studies. Her first book Essex, New York Architecture: A Doodler's Field Guide was published in 2015. Connect with her on Facebook or at Linked.in. Or email her at katie [@] essexeditions [dot] com.