It’s no secret that I love to eat, and in our eight months of innkeeping, Tom and I have had the opportunity to try several fine dining restaurants in and around the Whistling Swan Inn. Two of our favorites are Bell’s Mansion and the Black Forest Inn.
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| Black Forest Inn |
Bell’s is within walking distance of the inn. Once the home of Herbert Salmon, one of the builders of the first concrete highway in New Jersey, the residence was sold in 1977 and was turned into a restaurant the New York Times calls “a working restaurant, vibrant, bustling community hub.” High praise from a sophisticated publication…and well deserved. Jack and Maria are wonderful hosts who have quality and customer service always top of mind. The menu is eclectic, and offers something for everyone, from the simple to the elegant. My particular favorite is Maria’s homemade pierogies.
Down the road apiece is the Black Forest Inn, one of New Jersey’s last surviving German restaurants. At my birthday dinner last March, I had my perennial favorite German dish: sauerbraten, red cabbage and spatzle, and it was the best I’ve eaten anywhere. On Friday nights, they serve a fabulous buffet featuring a variety of specialties in addition to the traditional German fare.
Both restaurants have a full bar. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on the weekend. So this summer, why not consider an epicurean weekend, one which combines a relaxing getaway at the Whistling Swan Inn, a northern New Jersey bed and breakfast, with fine dining in the Skylands’ best restaurants?
Bell’s Mansion
11 Main Street
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-426-9977
Black Forest Inn
249 US Highway 206
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-347-3344
Ros Bruno
Innkeeper
The Whistling Swan Inn
110 Main St.
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-347-6369
www.whistlingswaninn.com
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I wonder how franchise planning works for fine dining but this place is surely something you'd like to be just a 15-minute-or-less-drive away from you. The food is simply fantastic.