Valley Green Inn: Cuisine By the Creek

By ANN RAPPOPORT

Updated 9:51 AM EDT, Fri, Nov 7, 2008

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If you enjoy viewing the creek, listening to ducks and watching the foot traffic on the trail, you’ll enjoy dining on the open porch at the Valley Green Inn. If you prefer the coziness of the fireplace during cold, dark winters, you’ll find the interior full of welcoming charm.

The restaurant, privately owned and operated, is tucked away from urban hassles on a property in the Wissahickon Valley and is overseen by the Fairmount Park Commission and Friends of the Wissahickon. Inn manager, Sarah Kaiser, notes that folks need not worry about access during snowy season, as Valley Green Road is always one of the very first in the city to get plowed.

According to Kaiser, the new chef has been “amping it up a bit,” tweaking old recipes and adding fresh excitement. Sunday brunch is a popular time to dine at Valley Green. A menu favorite is the brie French toast (fixed prices begin around $18.95 and include salad or soup, breads, juice and unlimited coffee, tea or soda, children, $9.95.)

For lunch, the pulled pork is fantastic. The sandwich has carrot and onion slaw on it, and the meat is smoked in house. Also delicious is the chicken salad sandwich with walnuts and sundried apricots ($7.95) or the chicken fajita ($8.95). Pesto gnocchi, petit filet mignon, crab cake, sesame seared salmon and “not your mama’s meatloaf” join a variety of salads and appetizers as diverse luncheon options.

The “real grilled cheese” sandwich of melted brie and gruyere with caramelized onions, tomato and bacon on challah, served with a small green salad, pickle and tiny fresh fruit cup, is delightfully satisfying ($8.50).

Iced tea is brewed fresh and refills are free and if you’re disciplined enough to decline dessert, such as the popular tiramisu or crème brulee, your server might surprise you with mini oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven.

One of Valley Green Inn’s dinner favorites is “duck two ways” ($27). The website reassures patrons that the ducks on the menu are not the same ducks who dwell along the Wissahickon.

Only a few minutes from the St. Martin’s train station near Chestnut Hill, this quaint restaurant is open 365 days a year. Get out for some exercise and green surroundings in this outstanding venue. Then reward yourself further at the Valley Green Inn.