Futile Sniff » chocolate mousse torte

Pennsylvania: Landis Store Hotel

Posted August 30th, 2008 by Meg

Landis Store Hotel is one of my favorite restaurants in Pennsylvania. No lie! I have been going there with my family since I was a child. It is always a delightful treat to visit when I am in town. The restaurant is located in the hills of Berks County and is not the easiest place to find, but that just makes it all the more special. The history of the restaurant is interesting. It started as a hotel in 1800. In 1853, it added a general store and post office. Then in 1952, it was purchased by the Henshaws who kept it as a general store and bar until 1970 in which it was then turned into a restaurant. In 1975, the Henshaw’s daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Gary Henshaw bought the restaurant and remain the current owners. The executive chef, Marilyn Flannery, has worked there ever since I can remember, and makes the most amazing dishes. And this most recent trip was no exception!

I started with the Caesar Salad. This is one of my favorite salads. It is flawless; the lettuce is crisp, the Parmesan is fresh, and the dressing is homemade. It does not include anchovies, but that is okay. It is a big salad, but that just reassures you that you are getting enough vegetables in your diet. For my main course, I ordered the Saute Flounder with Shrimp, Garlic, and Wine. In retrospect, I feel guilty about ordering the flounder because they are an overfished species. I do not recall the last time I ate flounder though, so I’m not too terrible (I hope). The tomatoes were in season and tasted fresh and juicy. The garlic wine sauce was subtle and did not dominate over the taste of the flounder or the shrimp. The meal was delightful and every bite was better than the next. Every main course includes your choice of two vegetables. I chose the zucchini with almond and mint, and the corn fritters. I would never have thought of combining zucchini with almond and mint, but each taste worked well with one another. I would even make it at home. A fritter is any kind of food coated in batter and then deep fried. I don’t know how popular they are in Los Angeles, but to me they seem more common on the East coast, at least in Pennsylvania (think apple fritters!). They taste like creamy summer fresh corn little pancakes. Like most things fried, you can’t go wrong.

Dessert was the best part! My Dad and I ordered 3 different desserts because we are crazy. We ordered: Strawberry Ice Cream, Chocolate Cheesecake, and a Chocolate Mousse Torte. Yes, so much chocolate! The strawberry ice cream was homemade and tasted less creamy than it did fruity. This refreshing and lighter taste went well in between the rich chocolate bites of the cheesecake and torte. Neither my Dad nor I could pin point which chocolate dessert was better because they were both amazing! I recommend to anyone that visits to at least try one dessert, if not three. You are probably thinking I’m a little piggy, and granted I do have my moments, but I can assure you that these desserts were not finished during one sitting because they were so wonderfully rich. A lot of restaurants fail at being incredible at both main courses and desserts, but this is not the case here. They are always above and beyond.