Kennett Square Inn

Restaurant Review for Kennett Square Inn
Owner:  Steve Warner
Telephone  610-444-5687
Website:www.kennettsquareinn.com
Location:  201 East State Street, on the corner of Broad and State, in the Borough of Kennett Sq.
Ambiance:  The historic restaurant has both a tavern with a downstairs entrance, and an upstairs with a dining room and warm, friendly atmosphere with a fireplace burning in cold months, and cozy window treatments surrounding bay windows looking out on State Street.  It is warm and comfortable with original art hanging around the room.  There were round tables for six and  square tables for four, and we were near a table for six of retired teachers meeting for a small reunion.
Service:  The service (in an uncrowded lunchtime scene) was on point, and the food arrived hot and quickly.
Experience:  We were there for lunch, and we usually eat light (in anticipation of our next meal, which we don’t want to spoil), so we each ordered a soup and ½ sandwich, a perfect solution for us most of the time—both were $9 each—well priced!  I got the mushroom soup, which is exactly as it should be, thick, creamy, complex and with wild and domestic mushrooms.  So perfect!  Fellow Cheap Eater Bob got a Crab-tomato bisque, which I got to taste.  It was luscious, and again, full of interesting flavors and good amounts of crab and tomato flavor.  I wanted a cup of each!  He then got a ½ turkey club sandwich with a “barrel pickle,” as it should be.  We both chose fruit as a side instead of French fries, and the fruit was “winter fruit.”  Good, varity nice, but still not at the peak of summer ripeness.  I would like to think that as summer comes on, there would be perfect specimens of in-season local fruit, maybe from the farmers’ market which happens at the next block up.     
I got a Reuben of corned beef, swiss cheese and house-made Russian dressing on marbled rye toast, open-faced.  It was luscious!  Very satisfying. 
Menu:  The menu is ful of wonderful selections, indicating a choice of large and small plates (a favorite of the Cheap Eaters), appetizers which could be dinner (again, we’re in), traditional dishes and a selection of small place entrees and large plates.  Neither selection is anything but well priced and a good value.  The food is classical, American-Continental cuisine, and presented beautifully.  I can’t wait to go back for anything  from the Shrimp LeJon to the Shrimp and Scallops St.Stephen, to the Duck with Wild Rice.  We haven’t even sat at the inviting bar yet, but we look forward to it.
Total Bill:  $15.90 plus tip, $19.90 total.
Additional Comments:  The Kennett Square Inn has been a mainstay of Kennett since 1838, and it has a resident ghost.  It has a history, and a host-chef-owner who has been doing his work well for 40-plus years!  It is a quiet place where you can actually talk and enjoy an atmosphere for dining which is respectful of something rather old-fashioned:  talking over dinner!
Anne Pounds
TheCheapEater.com, an affiliate of WelcomeNeighborPA.com
 

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