Michael H.
Yelp
Very few places wow me the way Canal House Station has. We must have driven by this place so many times and never knew it was here. It wasn't until we saw them up for James Beard award that we found out about it.
Housed in a train station from an era long gone, the building is so well kept and appointed on the inside. The restaurant is broken up into a couple dining rooms with a large kitchen prep area visible to the public as you enter.
We went for lunch. We ordered one of everything on the menu...the Deviled Egg appetizer, Cod and Smoked Whitefish chowder, Green Salad with Vinaigrette and Brie, Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich, Panko Fish sandwich, Grilled Ham and Gruyere sandwich, and the ice cream dessert. The only item we did not order was the Apple Sausage/Gruyere omelette that was a lunch special.
The Deviled Eggs were delicious. Topped with Anchovies (more a pickled anchovy, not the super salty italian style) and smoked salmon. Creamy egg yolk mixture inside a tender egg white, just the right flavors, not too sour, not too salty.
The Green Salad was a bed of radicchio and Belgian endive with a light vinaigrette. By itself it would have been a little bland, but it's served with a slice of dark bread with a generous slab of good quality brie cheese. A bite of the greens mixed with a bite of the brie and bread...just about perfect.
The cod and smoked whitefish chowder was maybe the best thing we ate. Flaky cod with slightly smoked whitefish made for a good combination with the bacon and chunks of potato in a creamy soup that tasted so light, it was hard to believe it was a chowder.
The sandwiches were great. The panko crusted cod sandwich was a nice fillet, the crispy chicken was a boned out thigh in a crispy coating, and the grilled ham and Gruyere was a great nod to the classic hand and cheese melt. The chicken and fish were on brioche buns which were perfect.
All the sandwiches came with Deviled Eggs as a side. Even better.
The ice cream dessert was amazing, creamy vanilla bean ice cream and a slightly bitter dark chocolate were very complimentary.
There was not one unsatisfactory bite in this whole lunch. My only disappointment was that the Country Pate wasnt on the menu for lunch...I was told the menu changes daily...Nice.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that the service, table setting, and space inside were top notch. My only suggestion is that the music can be a bit loud if you're near a speaker...but you can turn it down.
Here's the kicker...1 of everything on the printed menu....the bill was about $87. Are you kidding me? We had enough food for at least 4 people.
We're coming for dinner soon, but if it's anywhere near the lunch experience, this is going to be my favorite place for food. It is BYOB, so bring your own wine/beer/cocktails.
If I could give this place 6 stars, I would.