Sidney

101 East King St., East Berlin, PA 17316

www.restaurantsidney.com

Dress, business casual

Reservations recommended

Worth the Drive

There are at least three ways to look upon one’s decision to eat away from the home. There is “eating out,” which could be as simple as a drive to the local Burger King or J&P Pizza parlor. There is “dining out” which is a click up the scale; it might be a meal at an Olive Garden, or another upper-end franchise restaurant, or a local bistro. And then there is “Really Dining Out,” a place where you expect to spend the wad on a fine meal for a special occasion, steak houses like Morton’s or The Prime Rib, the Oregon Grill, or Sidney.

Actually, one can get through a very fine meal at Sidney without spending a bundle, very easy if you leave out the wine and order their three-course Prix Fixe dinner, or better still, go and have the wine on a Tuesday night when it is half price and combine it with the $36 Prix Fixe dinner. I like restaurants on weeknights, because the food is always as good but the service can be more attentive than on a busy Friday or weekend night. I absolutely hate all restaurants on holidays like Valentine’s Day when the menu is reduced to special offerings and the places are jam packed.

We went to Sidney on the recommendation of a friend who appreciates fine cuisine. Yes it’s a bit of a drive, 50 minutes from Westminster, but well worth it. Hey it’s 30 minutes to the best in Baltimore and an hour to those in D.C. Once past the congestion that can occur in Manchester, MD, and Hanover, PA, the drive is through scenic countryside and small villages. Go figure why Chef Neil Annis would locate a fine restaurant in East Berlin, PA, but our waiter told us the restaurant draws diners from as far away as New York City and Pittsburgh, with many regulars coming from Philadelphia.

Sidney offers a flight of Grahams Ports, aged 10, 20, 30 and 40 years old for $40. Some may consider them all dessert wines but I started my meal with the first two flights to accompany a terrific first course of a terrine of Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Pate, accompanied by a cornichon, grain mustard, apricot marmalade, ripe olives and several slices of a toasted country-style bread. The remaining two flights of port I enjoyed while my partner had a more traditional dessert, a concoction of chocolate and cinnamon stick ice cream with chocolate sauce. Very nice, but not my sort of dessert.

There were four seafood choices on the main menu, all nice I’m sure, but we decided on two orders of the Prime Rib, one a nice size 9-ounce portion and mine the 14-ounce. I like my Prime Rib done medium-rare and that’s exactly what I got. It was not the tenderest cut I’ve ever had but nothing to complain about either. The smaller cut was served medium, as requested, and gained a little extra flavor from a quick grilling. Both were accompanied by a serving of incredibly rich potato puree and spring vegetables. In the future, I’d be sure to order an end cut of meat in advance, as you can do at Morton’s in Baltimore.

Oh, more about the bread. A basket of assorted breads comes to the table, similar to what is offered at Filomena’s in Georgetown. One is a bit like a refined cornbread, but oh, the country style white bread is special. Bread is a great part of every meal and I had to ask for more while finishing off that port.

We included a bottle of the full-bodied Super Tuscan, Casali di Bibliano with our meals. It certainly added to the overall price of the meal, but did I mention this was a special occasion? Next time back I’ll have the Petite Syrah from the Lodi appellation in California. They actually decant the wine here.

Décor is a factor in a dining experience, even McDonalds knows that. Sidney is very refined with well-spaced tables and contemporary art hung everywhere. It’s what you would expect of such a restaurant. Detracting from the décor is the incredibly atrocious clothing some people wore to this nice restaurant. It doesn’t happen just at Sidney, when people who have less taste in clothing than in food show up in an outfit more fitting for the public pool or a softball game. It’s not too much to ask for coats on men – or at least a shirt with a collar - and dresses or dress slacks on women. T-shirts and tennis shoes, you should wear comfortably to a crab house, not a nice restaurant. This is not an appeal to return to the days of required ties, but why spend the money for a nice meal out and then treat it like a trip to Taco Bell or Wal-Mart?

We had a very good, but not great, meal with attentive service. Sidney is certainly worth the drive and represents the shame that such restaurants aren’t really represented in Carroll County.