Essex Inn Welcomes New Chef and Innkeeper

Keith Castro and Lanai Monahan are the new innkeepers at the Essex Inn. Castro is the chef at Room 12. — Keith Castro and Lanai Monahan are the new innkeepers at the Essex Inn.

To date I’ve enjoyed four delicious dinners at Room 12, the new Farm-to-Table restaurant located at the Essex Inn. That’s to say, two delicious dinners in situ and a fifth tasty meal that was prepped, packed and ribboned for me to enjoy at home. A culinary hat trick!

Homemade salmon rillette at Table 12 (Photo: Lanai Monahan)

The recently reopened restaurant at the Essex Inn is dishing up gourmet fare at reasonable prices, and the public is taking note. I’ve yet to visit the restaurant on a slow night. Diners are coming from near and far, with many motoring south from Plattsburgh in pursuit of fine dining in a charming Adirondack Coast atmosphere. Executive Chef Keith Castro and Room 12 co-owner Lanai Monahan are Plattsburgh residents, and their loyal following think nothing of the 35-45 minute drive to Essex.

Innkeepers Lanai and Keith offered the following update recently:

We are going to run a menu similar to what we have been doing, still with the farm-to-table concept. It may change once we get into the busier summer months, but for now it will be a weekly changing menu. We are utilizing all local resources and farms such as: Fledging Crow Vegetables, Juniper Hill Farm, Essex Farm, and Asgaard Farm & Dairy to just name a few.

Chef Keith is preparing many of his ingredients vegan and gluten free. Lanai reassures anyone who gets nervous at the word “vegan” that this is just a preparation of the components that build meals that will allow the creation of dining options for those with special dietary needs.

Room 12 is now open Thursday through Monday from 5:00 to 10:00 pm. Reservations (518-963-4400) are recommended.

The restaurant will be open for Thanksgiving dinner (11/28) from 2:00-6:00 pm and Christmas dinner (12/25) from 12:00-5:00 pm, but space is sure to fill up quickly so reserve your table now!

A Glimpse at Room 12’s Gourmet Future?

Thinly sliced locally grown beets at Room 12 (Photo: Lanai Monahan)

While the farm-to-table tavern menu at Room 12 has enticed me back after each meal, I am especially excited to discover the full dinner menu, anticipated in a couple of days. Although I haven’t seen or heard exactly what Chef Castro hopes to serve, I did have the good fortune of attending a multicourse tasting dinner that he and Lanai served at the home of Essex Inn owners Karen and Rick Dalton recently. I’ll share that extravagant gastronomic adventure in menu form now in the hopes that soon you will be able to taste the delicacies for yourself.

Gratinee of Raspberry Point Oysters

Foie Gras & Wild Mushroom Crostini
Butternut Squash Bisque

Truffle Creme Brulee
Roasted Corn & Pea Shoot Salad

Roasted Bone Marrow
Fried Caper & Parsley Salad

Carpaccio of Heirloom Beets & Carrots

Piquillo and Saffron Crusted Halibut Filet
Confit of Wild Mushrooms

Chef’s Duo
Breast of Magret Duck and Belly of Heritage Pork
Local Cider & Mustard Seed Glaze
Roasted Fennel & Sweet Potato Hash

Cheese Course
St. Andre Triple Cream/ Blossom Honey
Fourme d’Ambert Blue/ Candied Figs & Strawberries

Roasted Pears/ Chocolate Ganache/ Zinfandel Gelee

It was simply sublime! I apologize for tantalizing you…

One exciting side note from Lanai about the future is that they just tilled a “Chef’s Garden” about 40 yards long at the Dalton’s home that will be utilized this spring to gather fresh ingredients for the restaurant. It will be true “Garden-to-Table” for Room 12!

Essex Inn Bids Farewell to Gladys and Josh Archer (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Between Essex Inn and Post Office (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Vintage Postcard: Main Street Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
CATS Hamlet-to-Hamlet Hike Success and Future Plans (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)

About Geo Davis

Geo Davis (aka virtualDavis) is a writer, storyteller and unabashed flâneur. He taught and coached at Santa Fe Preparatory School and The American School of Paris, co-founded Maison Margaux: "Paris à la parisienne" in Faubourg Saint-Germain, and owns Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe, NM with his bride.

Geo chronicles adventures (and misadventures) of rehabilitating an historic Essex home at Rosslyn Redux: Reawakening a home, a dream and ourselves; blogs about doodling and other esoterica at virtualDavis.com; posts sometimes unnerving, occasionally euphoric, and always pollyanna "midlife mashups" at 40x41.com; waxes nautical at Sailing Errant; and delves into matters of parenting, babylandia, and childfreedom at Why No Kids? He meanders on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and Flickr.