Amazing Night at The Highland Inn

My husband must have been tired of hearing me go on and on about how amazing the food is at The Highland Inn, located in Highland Maryland. My birthday was on Thanksgiving this year, so we spent our day with family celebrating and cooking. The next night, he took the family to The Highland Inn. 

O.M.G.  (if I may) the food was amazing. Even my almost four year old was well behaved upon his first bite of duck fat french fries. "Mama", he said "These are AWESOME!". What can I say? My son has good taste. 

Seamus digging those fries!

There were three adults, and we each ordered the four course tasting dinner. Apparently my colleagues were not as well versed in these types of meals as they ordered a lot of meat proteins. Needless to say they were bursting by the time we finished eating. So my tiny piece of advice is to not get more than two meat proteins as it will just be too much food. However, you can order four of any items on the menu, some of which are considered entrees and some are salads. I wish I could say that we took pictures of everything and they all came out beautiful, however the truth is that the food was so incredible we often started tasting it right away...completely forgetting to document its amazingness.

Shrimp and Grits

It seemed unbelievable to me that after being with my husband for over a decade and never once seeing him eat grits, that he ordered the Shrimp and Grits. He was blown away. Later that evening the Chef, Brian Boston, came to our table and we discussed his amazing grits. Seems they are shipped up from Norcross, Georgia and are a very rare kind indeed if my husband inhales them. 

Another really cool thing about Chef Boston coming to our table was that we got to discuss the lentils he served with the salmon plate. Can I just say they were amazing? I thought they were flavored with lemongrass and while I was wrong the flavor was similar, he agreed. (I won't disclose all the man's secrets!) Either way they were amazing. 

Duck Sausage

Anyone who has read anything I have ever written about The Highland Inn will remember how I rave about the Duck Sausage. It was once again rave worthy! I did also discuss this with Chef Boston, and he also loves it. It really is my favorite thing! So amazingly decadent but not so much of a portion that you feel gross and over-sausaged. The braised red cabbage was also about amazing, and the cherry mustard, well, to die for. 

I would also like to add that Chef Boston and his other restaurant, The Milton Inn, in Sparks, MD, have received numerous awards and accolades, including 2011 Chef of the Year. I am FULLY aware that he does not have to take the time to speak with me. I also appreciated it as a one-time cook and understudy of another Chef years ago when a Chef isn't a pompous jerk. Many of them seem to be, and I can tell you that this man is not. He is very humble and appreciative of his "fans", which somehow made the food taste even better. 

Pan Roasted Mahi

My niece ordered the pan roasted Mahi and was not even close to disappointed. The pumpkin puree was again just to die for and we had all just filled up on pie the day before! That's how you know it's darn good pumpkin. 

Other plates that we did have that we were just unable to document due to the deliciousness when it hit the table included the following: 

Root Vegetable Gnocchi - This was one of those things I could not wait to get on my taste buds on, and I was not disappointed. The menu lists the ingredients as Sweet Potato, Rutabaga, Hazelnuts, Ginger-Sweet Potato Nage, Fried Sage and Parmesan. They were light and slightly dry, which is nice as often they are overcooked and soggy. The sauce was just enough to flavor, and not overpower the already incredible gnocchis. 

Beets - I didn't order these, but I did have the pleasure of tasting them. I was kind of taken aback when my niece (one of the adults at the table) said "Oh man! I LOVE BEETS" as that is not something I usually hear. Well she was not disappointed and if I had gone in for a second taste I may have been bitten.

Figs - These were hot on my list of things to taste. I used to enjoy them in Adams Morgan with an Egyptian friend when I was younger, and have really developed a taste for them. These were served with bleu cheese and prosciutto. They did not disappoint, and I could only have wished the plate was bigger to satiate my own twisted desire for them. 

Lobster Mac & Cheese - Not one to miss out on two awesome flavors, my husband ordered the lobster mac and cheese. He raved about it, and even stated the next time he would order just this full entree. It passed muster and won as his favorite dish of the evening. 

Crispy Skinned Salmon - This is the dish that came with those delectable lentils. I was so engrossed in the lentils I didn't remember to sample anything else on the plate! I was assured it was incredible though. 

French Onion Soup - Onion soup is actually one of my all time favorite soups so I wanted to see how it was done at the Highland Inn. I was not disappointed! It was just really good, and the only soup I have had that can even compare is my own. Of course mine isn't AS good, but its a darn close second. 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin - My husband ordered this and announced it was delicious. He is a huge non-fan of cabbage however, which was great for me because I got to eat the portion that came with his pork. It was also served with apple butter and granny smith chutney. Just really, really good. 

Hand Crafted Vanilla Ice Cream (AMAZING)

I can not have more to say about the dessert plate they sent out to the table. There was not much more than a dollop of vanilla ice cream presented to me, yet it was so flavorful and rich I couldn't bear to put another bite of food in my mouth. It was served on a small crush of Oreo cookies, flanked by a split white chocolate cookie and whipped cream. I would have licked the plate if I were not in mixed company...

 Thankfully they also had leftover chocolate ice cream from their Thanksgiving feast the night before. Seamus is a huge fan, and since they gave him two heaping scoops to contrast my tiny dollup I was jealous. Well, until I learned it was not home made. It can't be expected that small children would ever be satisfied by anything less. Once again, Chef Boston came through and his front of house staff was nothing less than stellar.


Want to make a reservation or book a catered event? Contact The Highland Inn TODAY!