By Kates McCann
The Chestnut Tree has made some incredible strides in the way of science, or magic, or maybe both—they’ve figured out a way to fill your eyes, ears, nose and mouth full of charm. I’ve always been a big fan of charm, the charming, being charmed, lucky charms, Charmin toilet paper… Okay, so that one was a stretch, but you get the point—The place is Charm City, and I can’t wait to go back.
For those of you not-so-familiar with this veteran establishment, it’s located on Denton’s Historic Square. A “garden tea room” traditionally open for brunch and lunch, the Chestnut Tree is now offering an extended menu and hours to include dinnertime. The new evening meal offerings will be based on a revolving menu. Each weekend, diners will be presented with a fresh set of dinner options. Opening weekend, I was given a menu that included the following main course dishes:
- · Peppered Pork Loin Medallions with Champagne Dijon Cream Sauce
- · Asian Glazed Salmon
- · Italian Stuffed Portobello with Pasta Arabbiata
Woof, right? I partook of the Asian Glazed Salmon, and my date ordered the N.Y. Strip. Beyond the incredible entrées, the menu includes an excellent selection of vegetable sides to complete your meal. I ordered the Haricot Verts Amandine and Sweet Glazed Baby Carrots to go with my meal, and my date ordered the Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes and Sautéed Asparagus with Red Peppers to go with his. Between the two of us, we were able to sample almost all of the available side dishes, except the Green Onion Risotto, which I am at this moment experiencing regret about not having tried with our meal, as I am certain I would have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed all of the others.
Before our meal, we dined on the Pan Con Tomate appetizer, which consists of fire-roasted tomatoes on slices of toasted bread. I was also adamant about trying the Tomato Basil soup, which is a menu staple at the Chestnut Tree—a stationary component of the revolving menu.
The appetizer, soup, main course, and side dishes all shared in consistently delivering simple and well-executed flavor. While many of the dishes sound complex in name, their tastes were straightforward and distinctive. My date and I found ourselves more than pleased with our meal—very full and satisfied. Honestly, it was just like having a home cooked meal, if every night was “fancy food” night at your house.
Beyond the charm of their unique spins on familiar meals, the Chestnut Tree’s ambiance—the shabby-chic décor, starry sky lighting, eclectic soundtrack, and charismatic staff also adds to the delightfully alluring experience you’ll find there at dinnertime.
The extended menu and hours occur every Thursday thru Saturday from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. For updates on the revolving dinner menu, check out The Chestnut Tree’s Facebook page here or head to their website and click on Revolving Dinner Menu when you get there.
NOTE: The Chestnut Tree dinner menu includes a selection of appetizers, soups, salads, main course dishes, vegetable side dishes, adult beverages, and desserts. While I wish I could tell you about all the available options, it is physically impossible. My stomach is the same size of that of most other human beings… the size of my fist, and let me tell you, folks, I got small hands