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See why our food received 5 stars!
(Article from Herald-Mail:)
By JULIE E. GREENE
Dense. Delicious. Decadent.
Dressed up or dressed down, brownies remain a party hit
Brownies.
(Are you salivating?)
Sure there are cookies, cakes and pies. But then there is the brownie, that small dense package of chocolate yumminess that never strikes out at parties.
"I think brownies are kind of an ultimate treat in that there's so many different kinds: fudgy, chewy, creamy, crispy," said Carole Bloom, a California pastry chef and confectioner who authored eight cookbooks and who often does cooking demonstrations on TV. "They're just a real essence of a chocolate experience."
Most people probably make their brownies with a mix rather than from scratch. Not that the typical brownie isn't good enough, but as TV personality and chef Emeril Lagasse is known for saying, let's "kick it up a notch."
There are several ways to make a brownie a more decadent treat by adding ingredients to the brownie itself or icing it with a frosting or ganache or another flavorful, eye-catching topper.
One of the most basic ways to spruce up a brownie is to add nuts.
While many people would probably consider adding pecans or walnuts to brownie batter, Bloom suggests toasting the nuts and using hazelnuts as another option. Or add broken bits of cocoa nibs, which are unsweetened, roasted cocoa beans that require no preparation and can be found in specialty shops or online.
Other options to add to the batter are dried cherries, chopped dried apricots or lightly toasted coconut shreds or shavings, Bloom said. To toast the coconut, bake it at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring the coconut after a few minutes. The coconut will be lightly golden when ready.
To increase the decadence factor of the flourless chocolate torte he serves at James Buchanan Pub & Restaurant in Mercersburg, Pa., Chef de Cuisine Andrew Thornton modified his usual recipe. He added some complementary flavors to the brownie, which also features a ganache topping.
Thornton used a reduction of sangiovese Italian wine in the brownie batter and added pink peppercorns to the ganache.
Dark chocolate goes well with a nice glass of red wine, so Thornton tried adding the wine, through a reduction, to the dark chocolate brownie itself.
The tannins in the wine provide a bitterness or natural tartness that goes well with dark chocolate, which is bittersweet, Thornton said.
The peppercorns are mildly sweet and spicy, he said.
The wine gave the chocolate more flavor and the peppercorns gave the brownie an extra semi-spiciness, Thornton said.
Another way to make a brownie richer is to substitute a nicer, darker chocolate, Thornton said.
Bloom, whose pastry training included an apprenticeship at a pastry shop in Venice, Italy, shared a recipe from her 2007 cookbook, "The Essential Baker: The Comprehensive Guide to Baking with Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Spices, and Other Ingredients," that features gianduia - chocolate blended with hazelnuts.
Some other ways to spruce up your brownies, courtesy of Thornton and Bloom, are:
- Make a stencil and dust the tops with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, Bloom said.
- Drizzle the tops of the cooled brownies with dark, milk, or white chocolate, Bloom said. Melt the chocolate in the microwave.
Top brownies with a dollop of liqueur-flavored whipped cream, Bloom said. Whip heavy whipping cream on medium speed until it thickens. Fold the liqueur into the cream (Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of liqueur to 1 cup of cream so the flavor is subtle.). Then whip the cream so there are soft peaks. Try Grand Marnier, which has an orange flavor; Chambord, which has a black raspberry flavor; or coffee-flavored Kahlua.
- To make the brownies crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, raise the baking temperature 25 to 50 degrees during the last 5 minutes of cooking, Thornton said.
- Make a ganache icing to spread atop the cooled brownies.
Bloom's ganache recipe follows: Place 6 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, then stir together until smooth. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and chill until thick, but not stiff; about an hour. Lightly beat the ganache in a mixer with the flat beater attachment. Use a small spatula to spread on top of the brownies.
For Thornton's basic ganache recipe, see the ganache recipe with pink peppercorn and sangiovese-spiked flourless brownie. Omit the peppercorns.
(Article from Herald-Mail:)
Reported by: SAVORY SAM
Pub nails good taste
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| Clockwise from top left, crawfish beignets, bananas Foster and rainbow trout almondine are dishes found on a short, focused menu at James Buchanan Hotel, Pub & Restaurant. (Photo credit: Joe Crocetta / Staff Photographer-Herald-Mail) |
The Savory Sams visited and found the establishment to be one of the best restaurants in the Tri-State area.
The atmosphere is elegant, yet cozy, like a nicely decorated Colonial parlor. Heavy wooden tables and chairs are cheerfully mismatched. Stucco walls with milky green wainscoting show off 19th-century prints and a collection of old pewter candlesticks. The staff is welcoming and genuinely warm.
Surveying the menu and wine list, we were disappointed to find a limited selection of microbrews, our preferred beers. The wine list is short but covers a wide range of prices. We ordered a glass of the house cabernet and found it excellent.
The menu also is short, but we saw that as a sign of focus, not limitation. Offering only a few dishes is no problem, if they are well prepared.
We ordered and our server brought a basket with slices of sourdough and a dark, seedy pumpernickel-style loaf accompanied by olive oil and balsamic vinegar on a small plate. Our appetizers followed.
We looked forward to James Buchanan's authentic New Orleans-style cuisine. We ordered two appetizers: crawfish beignets (deep-fried fritters wrapped around New Orleans' native, mini-freshwater lobster) served with a dipping sauce of honey, butter and hot pepper; and a thick, smoky, intensely flavored, New Orleans version of French onion soup. Both were very good.
But the stellar appetizer was a nightly special — grilled fois gras served on a homemade crostini with cranberry chutney and a small scoop of citrusy sorbet. This oddball mix of elements was astonishingly good. The seared fois gras was thick and melted in the mouth; the oiliness of the liver was complimented by the toasty crispness of the crostini and the light, sharp touch of the sorbet. The chutney brought the elements together. Wow.
Our salads showed the same attention to detail as the appetizers: Servings were modestly sized, ingredients were fresh and appealing, flavors were compelling. A Mediterranean salad of romaine, kalamata olives, feta cheese and artichoke hearts was dressed with cacik, a house dressing of yogurt and dill. Small Caesar salads had a robust flavor, with shreds of good-quality Parmigiano Reggiano and a homemade dressing.
We ordered three main dishes to share among four Savory Sams. From the menu, we had rainbow trout almondine and pesto portobella. We also ordered another nightly special, a combo of filet mignon and crab cake.
The trout was two fillets served with a butter-hot pepper dipping sauce. The fish was of good quality and well prepared; the sauce was outstanding.
A Savory Sam vegetarian tasted her pesto portobello and was delighted. The portobellos were amazingly meaty and rich, so meaty she asked the waitress to confirm that they were, in fact, vegetarian. The linguine and creamy, Genoa-style pesto sauce were tasty, though some in the party wanted a deeper pesto flavor.
The high profile dish of the main course was the crab cake and filet. "Crab cake" is really an inaccurate description. This was more a crab mound, with large, sweet chunks of crab meat gently sauted and barely held together with a sprinkle of seasonings. Most delicious, but not the standard crab cake. The filet, ordered rare, was quite red on the inside and charred black on the outside - nearly perfect for the Savory Sams' resident carnivore. Tender and tasty.
The side dishes were a surprise. Smashed red potatoes were moist, creamy and garlicky. Twice-roasted red and yellow beets shone like big rubies and topazes on the plate.
We saved room for dessert, especially when we saw vanilla bean crme brle on the menu. We also ordered a serving of bananas Foster. The crme brle was light, not as custardy as I prefer, and the torched, sugary top was thicker than I'd rather. But I still enjoyed the dish.
The bananas Foster was a hit. A scoop of homemade, vanilla ice cream sat on a fudgy, moist brownie surrounded by bananas swimming in a magnificent sauce of dark rum, brown sugar and butter. We loved it.
In fact, we loved most everything. The James Buchanan Pub & Restaurant is a great addition to the Tri-State area's best-of list. The atmosphere is understated and classy, the New Orleans-style food is well-crafted, and service is attentive. Prices are higher than average, but we got good value for our money. Four of us ate well for about $150 before tip.
Quite simply, this is one of the best restaurants we've visited in the area.
James Buchanan Hotel, Pub & Restaurant
(out of 5)
Food: 5 stars
Value: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Ambience: 4 stars
Address: 15 N. Main St., Mercersburg, Pa.
Hours: James Buchanan Hotel, Pub & Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner five days a week and brunch on Sunday. Lunch is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Monday.
Phone: 717-328-3008
Web site: www.jamesbuchananhotel.com
Style: New Orleans-style food
Range: Appetizers are $5.50 to $13; main courses are $15 to $28; desserts are $4 to $6.
Savory Sam is a pseudonym for a Herald-Mail staff member who reviews restaurants anonymously.
(From a Public Opinion article:)
For John and Deniz Celestin, the new owners of the historic James Buchanan Hotel Pub & Restaurant in Mercersburg, the story of taking ownership is one of serendipity.
The two stumbled onto the restaurant when they were looking at a ski lodge at Whitetail and their real estate agent suggested they eat there.
"It had a great cuisine and when we found out it was for sale, the light bulbs went off," said Deniz. "We fell in love with Mercersburg. It's like a Norman Rockwell painting. And I was amazed how friendly and warm the people are."
The husband-and-wife team recently reopened the hotel-pub-restaurant, which features authentic New Orleans and European cuisine.
The two met in New Orleans. John was born and raised in the city; Deniz, who had lived in Washington, D.C., Italy, Japan and Mississippi, moved to New Orleans to study pharmacology at Tulane University.
During Hurricane Katrina, their home sustained severe damage, and the two moved to Montgomery County, Md. - where Deniz had family - before coming to Mercersburg.
"After two years of Katrina, it's nice to have a place to call home. It's been a long two years," John said. "But we found a place that's aesthetically beautiful and the people are great."
When the two decided to buy the restaurant, they knew they would need an authentic New Orleans chef. They found chef Andrew Thornton, who grew up working in New Orleans restaurants and has worked with some of the top chefs in the Big Easy.
The European and New Orleans influence is not only evident in the menu, but in other subtle ways, like the occasional fleur de lys.
John Celestin, who comes from a family of New Orleans musicians, hopes to have some musicians perform in the courtyard behind the building.
While New Orleans and Mercersburg are hundreds of miles apart, the two said the late 18th century European-influenced architecture of the hotel and restaurant remind them of New Orleans. They said another parallel between the two towns is the diversity of cultures, with the business' proximity to the Mercersburg Academy and its international students. Deniz herself is fluent in five languages - English, Japanese, Turkish, Italian and Spanish - and after the hotel's first guest was Korean, she plans to learn to learn some Korean.
Located at 15 N. Main St., Mercersburg, the hotel-pub-restaurant has a great deal of history between its walls. The building was once the boyhood home of James Buchanan, the 15th U.S. President. His father also operated a store, where young James worked.
The couple said they want to preserve the history but at the same time incorporate some of their own backgrounds. "We're not changing history. We've embraced the community as our own and infused our own roots, ever mindful of the history," John said.
The restaurant still serves some dishes from previous owners like the Cat's Crabcakes, in addition to some traditional New Orleans food like jambalaya, gumbo, catfish, grits and grillades and European cuisine. The chef's specialties change from day to day, and the restaurant features a gumbo du jour.
The restaurant currently seats 42 and the hotel has a dozen rooms, and John said he hopes to expand restaurant seating capacity in the future.
Copyright ©2006 Public Opinion
(From a NBC 25 News Story:)
Katrina Victims Bring Taste Of New Orleans To Mercersburg
Reported by: Diana Moon
Monday, Sep 3, 2007 @11:13pm EST
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For John and Deniz Celestin, moving away from the Big Easy was not easy at all.
"It's been difficult. It's been difficult because I sort of had to reinvent myself," says John Celestin.
After leaving their friends, family and home they moved on in search of a new life; that's when the two stumbled onto Mercersburg.
"We came here and we were just enamoured with the town. And this looked like a Norman Rockwell painting -- very traditional, picturesque and beautiful," says Deniz Celestin.
A year and a half later, the Celestins took over the James Buchanan Pub and Restaurant. It wasn't long before Chef Andrew Thorton, who trained with some of the top chefs in New Orleans, joined the team. Together they designed a menu that offers traditional Cajun cuisine with a variety of European influences. It's a new and bold taste that's been well-received.
"The people of Central Pennsylvania and of South Central Pennsylvania have really embraced our cuisine so we're very pleased," says Deniz Celestin. "For them to eat things like bbq shrimp and crawfish, it's not common here but we've got a lot of positive feedback so we're excited."
It took two long years, but the Celestins have finally found a new place to call home. It's one filled with just as much history and unforgettable faces.
"You get to meet a lot of nice folks. Oddly enough, my wife and I are both travelers and this type of business seems to satisfy us somewhat. Essentially the people come to us. The whole world comes to us," says John Celestin.
The Celestins also run a 12-room hotel in the same building.
(From a Herald-Mail article:)
Couple turns Buchanan Hotel into New Orleans-style restaurant
By ASHLEY HARTMAN
MERCERSBURG, Pa. - After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and severely damaged their home and their oil business, John and Deniz Celestin left Louisiana and searched for a ski condo at Whitetail Resort.
Instead, the couple purchased the James Buchanan Hotel and Restaurant in Mercersburg.
"We were enamored with the building - it reminds us of New Orleans," Deniz Celestin said. "We walked in and it felt like it was our place."
Judy Bonciu, the real estate agent who was helping the Celestins find a condo, owned the restaurant with her husband, Catalin. When the Celestins found out that the business was going to be sold, they became interested.
"I think after 15 years, they were after different ventures," John Celestin said. "They had quite a customer base."
"They've been very helpful throughout this venture," Deniz added.
Following the hurricane, the Celestins moved to Montgomery County, Md., to live with Deniz's parents.
"We were able to sell our business," John said. "It took us a year to sell the business and house (in New Orleans)."
The couple have not changed the atmosphere of the hotel and restaurant, which was the childhood home of President James Buchanan. But they have added their background to it, with the restaurant specializing in New Orleans and European cuisine.
"We just want to embrace what's here and infuse New Orleans cuisine," Deniz said.
Some of the most popular dishes are barbecue shrimp and crab claws, crab cakes, the 8-ounce filet mignon and duck, said Meredith Johnson, head server at the restaurant.
John, who has a French and Italian background, was born and raised in New Orleans. Deniz, who has a Turkish background, was born in the Georgetown section of Washington D.C., and also has lived in Italy, Japan and Mississippi.
The couple met when Deniz moved to New Orleans to study pharmacology at Tulane Medical School.
The subtle New Orleans influence in the hotel and restaurant can be seen by the fleur-de-lis, a typical symbol from the city, and a New Orleans street lamp.
To go along with the New Orleans feel of the hotel and restaurant, John and Deniz hired New Orleans chef Andrew Thornton.
"When we moved here, we knew we'd need an authentic chef," John said. "He's been in the kitchen since he was 14 years old ... he's very experienced."
"I love it," said Thornton, whose family relocated to Mercersburg. "There's no other job for me."
John hopes to bring musicians to perform in the courtyard behind the building, where people can eat. John grew up in a musical family - his father played the clarinet and saxophone professionally, and his mother was a classical pianist.
"We're trying to get students from the (Mercersburg) academy to play outside," Deniz said. "Music is everywhere in New Orleans, and we want to bring that here."
Although the business has been successful so far, John said there were difficulties at first.
"It was difficult because we had to recruit a chef from New Orleans, and we had not been in the restaurant business before," he said.
However, both believe the community has been very supportive of their business.
"We've been very lucky, not only because we're starting a business, but this is supposed to be the slowest season," Deniz said. "Despite all that, we've been very steady."
"People have embraced our cuisine," she added.
