One might assume heading to New Orleans is the best way to indulge in luscious, lighter-than-air beignets. However, there's a new, compelling treat that's winning local taste buds. River House at Odette’s in New Hope now features these fluffy, little pastry pillows as a signature dessert on the restaurant's recently revamped food and beverage menu. Newtown City Lifestyle was invited to try this new item, and the results were impressive. Crispy on the outside and ethereal on the inside, they are light yet satisfyingly substantial.
Guests can enjoy Odette’s beignets the traditional way, sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar, or they can take the beignet experience up a notch with a limited-edition seasonal version, in sync with the new menu’s theme of highlighting locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Autumn’s beignets were apple cider-infused and drizzled with bourbon caramel. For our winter visit, we were treated to Meyer lemon and ricotta beignets accompanied by a thick, jammy blueberry compote, with the hint of tart lemon a perfect balance to the sweetness of the berries.
Crafted in-house by Odette’s Pastry Chef Alexis Ramos, this celebrated French pastry is the perfect way to pay homage to the River House’s namesake personality, French-American actress Odette Myrtil. Odette reportedly began her career as a violinist on the vaudeville stage in Paris at the age of 14. She was featured in 28 films; the majority of which were made from the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s. She then resided in New Hope during most of her later life. From 1955 to 1958, she managed The Playhouse Inn, located next door to the Bucks County Playhouse. From 1961 to 1976, she operated the New Hope restaurant Chez Odette, which later became Odette's Restaurant, a different restaurant under new ownership.
Odette’s new beignets also are available as the hotel’s first take-out option, perfect for a “grab and go” treat to enjoy while strolling around scenic New Hope. In addition, overnight hotel guests will receive an order of beignets as a unique, turn-down amenity, and they also will be offered as a menu option for special events.
This new food and beverage program features many other updated menu items, fusing traditional classics, such as meatloaf and cornbread with specialty items, such as cioppino. On our visit, we were led to a romantic, dimly lit table while a violinist played soft background music in the lounge. Our waiter, Anthony, was courteous and thoughtful with plenty of food and drink recommendations.
We kicked off our meal with bowls of steamy soup. The Jersey red tomato soup was smoothly thick with an essence of thyme and smoked basil, topped with homemade cheese curds. The creamy New England clam chowder was generously studded with clams and bacon.
Appetizers included iron skillet baked cornbread, presented in a mini skillet and bathed in honey maple poblano butter, giving it a deliciously moist and flavorful cake-like consistency. An order of deviled eggs yielded five egg halves filled with a golden horseradish crème fraiche, featuring hints of Dijon mustard and a sliver of pickled ginger.
For main dishes, the blackened cauliflower “steak” was a contrast of textures – a crispy slice of cauliflower atop creamy cauliflower puree drizzled with tomato vinaigrette.
However, for both looks and taste, the star of the evening was the cioppino – chock-full of scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and roasted tomatoes in a rich and fragrant rosé champagne cream broth. Like several other dishes on the menu, Executive Chef Adam Rifkind says it's currently being tested with different flavor combinations for future menu options, such as fennel and garlic.
The food preparation “tweaking” of Odette's sophisticated kitchen staff is a fantastic way to highlight what’s in season, introduce guests to new flavors and keep them coming back to see what’s been updated.
New Seasonal Menus:
Breakfast (Monday through Friday 7-11 a.m.)
Breakfast (Saturday, Sunday 7-10 a.m.)
Brunch (Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Lunch (Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Dinner (Monday through Friday 5-10 p.m.)
Dinner (Saturday, Sunday 4-10 p.m.)
Small Shareable Plates (Monday through Friday 4-6 p.m.)