With the papal visit looming and the likelihood that our transportation infrastructure as we know it is going to shut down on a level akin to a hurricane, blizzard and a zombie apocalypse hitting the city on the same weekend, we can’t blame anyone for wanting to get away from the city that week. But if that isn’t enough of an incentive, may we suggest the Mainland Inn, in Harleysville, as another reason to get away from Center City?
Reopened in January, this historic Montgomery County inn serves up imaginative dishes, locally sourced from the owners’ nearby farm. It is modern in its décor, without sacrificing that comfortably familiar country aesthetic.
Things got off to an interesting start with Mainland’s relish menu, a collection of small, chilled dishes of varying complexity. The pastrami egg ($4), a seasoned hard-boiled egg breaded with pastrami spices, delivered a nice textural contrast to go with the familiar flavors. With the green tomatoes and ham ($4), the petite cold and juicy tomatoes had a grape-like feel and the dish itself was refreshingly creamy and briny.
On to the hot dishes … The octopus stew ($15) was a pleasant surprise with a lovely and strong Indian influence in its spice profile, which included coriander, chick peas and tomatoes. The squid-ink cracker garnishing the dish was a nice touch. We’d happily buy a box if these crackers were available.
On the entrée menu, the lamb ($36) was visually stunning, arranged with the eye of an artiste and featuring select and varying cuts of lamb, the part and style of which was subject to availability and how the chef chose to prepare it. The evening we went, it was shoulder, neck and belly. Rounding out the dish were bright and flavorful garnishes of salsa verde, green onion and black olives.
Dessert was a similar feast for the eyes. The creméux ($12) was a silky rhubarb curd topped with fresh strawberries, mascarpone and a delicate cloud of strawberry foam that seemed to dissipate as fast as we could keep consuming it. The intermingling of flavors made for the perfect summertime dessert.
Religious pilgrimages are a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but if the pontiff’s visit isn’t your cup of tea, we highly recommend hunkering down and decamping in the picturesque confines of the Mainland Inn and trying everything on the menu.