Antrim 1844: Southern hospitality in Taneytown, MD [classic article]

TANEYTOWN, MD, October 1, 2011 — Many of D.C.’s most prominent politicians have discovered this secret getaway: Antrim 1844 calls itself a “country house hotel,” but it’s really so much more. Located in Taneytown (pronounced TAW-nee-town), Maryland., it’s 15 minutes from historic Gettysburg, just south of the Mason-Dixon line.

With a mansion, 10 outbuildings, outdoor activities, and an award-winning restaurant on site, The Antrim, as it’s known by locals, is as beautifully self-contained as any fine resort. Celebrities and famous politicians, as well as people looking for a special getaway, flock here.

The Antrim was once a thriving plantation and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It’s also listed on the Select Registry of quality inns.

Though the mansion dates from 1844, during Queen Victoria’s reign, the décor is more classical/Federalist. It’s luxurious without being overly lacy or frou-frou. Select from a variety of rooms, from the wonderful convenience of the mansion to the complete seclusion of the outbuildings. Both offer privacy in their own ways; many of the mansion rooms have their own landings and porches. Each of the guest rooms have fireplaces, cloud-like feather beds, antiques, marble tubs or double Jacuzzis, as well as other decadent amenities. The spring water left in your room comes from Scotland. You’ll find bath salts left by the Jacuzzis. A single perfect rose is left on the beds with turndown service. With plenty of space between the various outbuildings, you often feel like you’re roaming around your own estate.

There’s a wide range of leisure activities at The Antrim, from relaxed to sporty, all within an English garden setting. The outdoor pool is nestled within a privacy hedge, with stone border, blackened bottom and brilliant garden flowers surrounding it. During the summer by the pool, you’ll find soft towels and a cooler filled with bottles of spring water to enhance your swim. It’s open until 8 p.m., for a fun sunset experience.

There’s a tennis court with all-weather surface; the hotel keeps a supply of racquets and balls in case you forgot your own. It will also supply putters and balls for its putting green. For a sporting experience of days of yore, try the championship all-weather croquet layout. The staff thoughtfully brings out chilled waters as you play.

Food at the Antrim is pitch-perfect with the country inn tone throughout its menus: the specialness meets comfort. It’s not frou-frou. Guests staying overnight at the delightful country inn have coffee service brought right to their rooms in the morning Then, in the historic smokehouse-restaurant section of the inn (which you don’t have to leave to reach), a hearty, but still elegant breakfast is served.  At the Antrim for breakfast, they do something I’ve never seen any restaurants anywhere: they spread out the diners into as many separate areas as possible. They recognize that many people are on their honeymoon or other special occasion, and would like as much privacy as is feasible. Everything served is fresh and seasonal.

Overnight guests are also invited to partake of afternoon tea. It’s served in the parlor, but definitely not a pinkie sticking out affair. Guests help themselves to many varieties of the gourmet Novus brand of tea. Country-style pastries and hearty sandwich halves complete the snack time.

You’ll definitely want to wear something dressy-nice for dinner at The Antrim. The evening starts with a convivial half-hour cocktail “hour” in the parlor, complete with live piano music, passed delicious little hors d’oeuvres, and either your favorite cocktail or a special wine that they are promoting. The Antrim boasts one of the finest wine collections on the East Coast. Since other couples with similar reservation times are in there, too, the atmosphere can be very social. This is a more civilized way of meeting folks, for sure.

The Antrim serves its dinner prix-fixe style, with several choices for each course. The Antrim’s restaurant is located mainly in what used to be the smokehouse for the plantation. It’s run under the talented stewardship of Executive Chef Michael Gettier.

If you’re an oenophile, The Antrim will be your newest heaven. Most of us like wine, but aren’t too expert on it. The menu breaks the wines into categories, including “interesting” wines (unusual blends, etc.).  So, my advice is to have your expert server pair a glass with each course. They’ll be able to navigate the thousands and thousands of choices and you’ll be able to try a bit of the collection.

An amuse bouche was sent out by the chef: some of the freshest tasting Louisiana shrimp stuffed with a fun creamy filling including sour cream, cream cheese, green onions and almonds. It was paired with Charles Fere Blanc de Blancs champagne, a beautiful, dry, clean/crisp champagne.

Next came an escolar ceviche garnished with lemon buttery cream dots and a touch of wasabi. It had a beautiful, sweet fresh flavor with a hint of soy. It was expertly paired with a Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc.

 

Next came a dish totally unique to Chef Michael Gettier:  “Mrs. Reed’s Salad”. This is a salad that his neighbor lady made him when he was a little kid for his birthday! It’s a casual, picnic style salad served in pepper Parmesan shells. It’s mayonnaise based, with iceberg lettuce, bacon, peas, and Parmesan shavings. It highlights that the restaurant is not stodgy and has a witty side, not stuck in a 1950’s idea of what fine dining should be. A Charles Krug Chardonnay was paired with the salad, with its buttery notes going well with the creamier salad.

 

An intermezzo palate cleanser followed: a cranberry-champagne sorbet.  It was chockfull of flavor, not merely ice.

One of the more unusual entrees was one of the tastiest: roulade of lamb with chevre and pinenuts has a Mediterranean flavor. Perfectly cooked lamb loin was complemented by the chevre and also by delicious braised cabbage. It was hearty without being heavy, a great summer entrée.

A “sticky Chardonnay” accompanied the dessert plate. I never tried such a wine before. It’s a Chardonnay that’s much sweeter and thus complements dessert really well.  The desserts included a modern chocolate/peanut butter/bacon confection and a more traditional raspberry dacquois.

The menu itself mixes the sophisticated with the whimsical. In a post-modern kind of way, Chef Gettier is about the flavor, not the food trends. You won’t find molecular gastronomy, but rather, things created to taste good. Whether it’s fois gras, the sweetest seafood, funky-retro cream cheese fillings for stuffed shrimp, a ‘50s style chopped salad or a bacon-chocolate-peanut butter confection, your mouth will be dazzled.

The Pickwick Pub, an intimate bar done up in tartans, serves some of the finest whiskeys and bourbons, for an after-dinner nightcap.

It takes a Renaissance woman to cover the cool, shocking, tasty, and thought- provoking things in the Baltimore region and beyond. Tamar is a Kentucky Colonel, a beauty pageant winner, and has managed several Southern rock and alt-country bands. She also has a column online, as well as articles of interest to the military. Read more Out and About Baltimore in The Washington Times Communities.