The setting is picturesque. A freight train trundles by, clickety-clack, in a rush of air, engines thrumming. Both menu and wine list are simple, proffering American food and drink with the occasional flourish. Doing a great initial job on the basics sets the stage for more ambitious undertakings in the future. And the kitchen staff has the talent to do just that.
Dinner is served.
A roasted shallot and tomato soup, presented with toasted croutons, has character and depth. I'm surprised that the chargrilled Vidalia onions on the eponymous salad are stone cold rather than warm, but still they are tasty. A Delmonico steak proves appropriately beefy and charred, but a simply pan-fried whole trout could have been more flavorfully seared. The tuna special confirms my suspicion that we may have caught the kitchen slightly off guard by ordering dinner so soon after the changeover from lunch. Its shredded potato crust, flecked with red pepper, is soft rather than crisp.