A signature dish trifecta: crab, beef and elk

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Photo by: Katie Rickman

Maryland Crab Cake at Spread Eagle Tavern

By Mark Smesko & Michael Vallas

Before our dinner Mike provided us a tour of this historic location, highlighting the features of the inn. The Spread Eagle is a Federal-style building that was constructed in 1837 during the canal boom of the period.

The three-story structure has five guest rooms on the upper floors and nine distinct dining rooms throughout the inn. Mike noted that the Tavern often hosts events for special occasions.

We had the pleasure of sitting down to share our dinner with the owner, Dave Johnson, and his mother, Jean. The inn was acquired in 1988 by Dave’s parents with the vision of his father, Pete, of creating a guest house for the out-of-town visitors for their family business, Summitville Tile.

Dave explained that they took the original tavern down to studs during the refinishing process. Care was taken to ensure the building and furnishings remained true to the Federal period design. With that said, we came for the food.

Chef Keith Cummings has manned the kitchen for 14 years at the Spread Eagle. He outlined a dinner menu featuring three of their signature dishes, Maryland Crab Cakes, Beef Wellington and Pan Seared Elk.

Our meal started with a trio of appetizers. On the suggestion of Mrs. Johnson, we started off with bruschetta — crisp ciabatta bread topped with pesto, tomatoes, red onion, feta and Parmesan drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction. The tangy feta cheese cut the sweetness of the tomatoes and balsamic glaze and made for a wonderful starter.

Next was Prawn Scampi, which consisted of large shrimp served on top of a savory french toast with a drizzle of garlic cream sauce. A unique presentation with great flavor and texture.

Our last starter was Brie cheese wrapped in puff pastry and topped with a raspberry sauce and served with a variety of fresh fruit and crackers. A light and tasty appetizer.

We next sampled two different soups and again on Mrs. Johnson’s recommendation, we tried their Sierra salad. Generous crocks of clam chowder and French onion soup appeared. The chowder was a seasoned blend of potatoes, sweet clams and vegetables in the classic creamy broth.

The onion soup contained sherried onions in a hearty beef broth topped with Gruyere cheese and fried onion straws. The eye-appeal of this dish added to its taste. Both were comforting and delicious.

The Sierra salad was an interesting blend of field greens tossed with Chinese noodles, honey roasted pecans and feta cheese in a lime vinaigrette with a side of artichoke ranch dressing. The tart vinaigrette and feta with the creamy ranch and sweet pecans made for an excellent salad course.

We then moved on to some of the Tavern’s signature entrees. First up was crab cakes. Dave’s father was so enamored with Maryland crab cakes that he ordered them by mail from his favorite restaurant over and over until his chef mastered the recipe.

What resulted is a crab cake that contains 100% jumbo lump, a small amount of mayo and bread crumbs to bind, lightly seasoned and baked. Unlike chain versions that have higher ratio of filler, these are chock full of sweet crab meat and paired wonderfully with the house-made remoulade. Simple perfection.

Next, a visually beautiful Beef Wellington appeared. The chef’s version of the classic dish consisted of center cut filet mignon topped with a mushroom duxelle then wrapped in prosciutto ham and puff pastry.

Duxelle is essentially finely chopped mushrooms mixed with onions, shallots and herbs that is saut ed in butter and reduced to a paste. The dish is then baked until the meat is medium rare and the pastry is golden brown. It is topped with a Buerre Rouge sauce (red wine, vinegar and shallots reduced and mixed with butter) and served with crisp roasted fingerling potatoes and roasted vegetables. A superb entree.

Last, we tried something that neither of us had eaten before — pan seared elk loin. Chef Cummings purchases the elk from a farm in Colorado and keeps it as a mainstay on the menu. The loin is seasoned simply and cooked medium rare. It is served over whipped potatoes and topped with a port wine cherry demiglace.

The elk itself is very tender and did not have a gamey flavor at all. When paired with the slightly sweet sauce, it was definitely something special. The creamy potatoes and roasted vegetables rounded out the dish to an utterly satisfying plate.

Since we’ve been writing now for about a year and a half, we have developed somewhat of a sweet tooth. Even though we were quite satiated, when the chef offered a sampling of three desserts, we eagerly agreed.

The first two were excellent: a classic cr ®me brulee and a white chocolate and raspberry bread pudding. The third offering was clearly the standout for us. Crepes filled with a cheesecake batter then topped with a warm caramel banana rum sauce. A perfect end-point to a wonderful meal.

We can certainly attest that there is more to the tavern than its bricks and mortar. Find a reason, special or otherwise, to make the trip to the Spread Eagle. It is well worth it. And if it is a special occasion, ask for Table No. 1.

ABOUT Signature Dishes

Mike and Mark are on the lookout for the biggest, hottest and tastiest dishes in the Valley. Email them at BrothersInFood@gmail.com.