DINING OUT:
BRAE LOCH (7/05)

by Sue Brode

The Brae Loch (View Map)
5 Albany Street
Cazenovia, New York
(315) 655-3431

When we first arrived in central New York (more decades past then we care to remember!), the "Loch" restaurants were considered the area’s class act. With ample portions of perfectly prepared food offered at reasonable prices, and with the appealing aura of a New England style inn augmented by the charm of Scottish kilts for the wait-staff and other suggestions of that country’s culture throughout the various Loch restaurants, everyone who had been in the Syracuse area told all newcomers that you couldn’t go wrong here – and they were right.

Since then, the restaurant business has boomed, and plenty of others have come and gone (does anyone out there still recall the mid-seventies, when a place called ‘Camelot’ was all the rage downtown)? The best of those properties have flourished and survived, while others that may have been briefly popular but failed to deliver were soon gone and quickly forgotten. During those times, though, we – like many others living in the area – made it a point to try every new place that opened, just to be ‘on top of’ the restaurant situation. Several, we liked and supported; with others, we concluded that once was enough.

But while circulating from the one to the next, we found ourselves temporarily out of touch with some of the classics we had known and loved. So it was time, we concluded, to start visiting them again – and at once the Lochs, which we always loved, came to mind.
Would the BRAE LOCH in Cazenovia be as appealing today as we recalled in our memories of visiting it in the past? As it turned out, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes,’ from the moment that my husband and I drove down the slight incline by Cazenovia lake, made the left turn which would take us into the village, and then stopped short just before that cozy community at what looked for all the world (were if not for the large number of cars in the parking lot) like an eagerly awaited old inn on a stagecoach stop, back when upstate New York was still the half-settled frontier.

The building itself, located at 5 Albany Street, has been handsomely kept up by Jim and Val Barr, the innkeepers; their family has been essential to making the Loch restaurants and inns a major factor in the central New York scene since 1946, when offering traditional dining and lodging with a highland fling ("as close to a Scottish Inn as you will find this far west of Edinburgh!") became not only their profession but also their dedication. From the moment we walked in, the aura of good spirits, sublime home-cooked food, and authentically early-American settings with rich woods and fine furniture recaptured our imagination – and made us wonder why in the world we’d been away so long.

Jim (wearing his signature kilt) and Val met us moments after we entered the main door, recalling our names at once as they apparently do pretty much all their clientele – once you’ve dined here, on return you will be treated like family. On the way to our table, we noticed all those elements that had made earlier visits so unique and memorable: Victorian-era antiques, mellow tartan plaids, original stained glass, gleaming crystal, silver and pewter, all arranged in what at first seems to be a relaxed and casual order until you look closely and note the careful planning that has gone into the arrangement of every detail for the maximum impact of relaxed charm and old style class.

That is true too of the individual dining rooms and, in a quick tour of the premises following our meal, we became aware for the first time of just how extensive the building is (there’s even a high style billiards room we’d never noticed before!) which makes it such a perfect place for weddings, banquets, and other major (and large) events. We’d always thought of this property as an appealing small one because of the intimacy of the dining experience here, which is what we love perhaps most about it. Finally, and after all these years, we realized that the BRAE LOCH is indeed a considerably sizable property.

The trick is, each of the many dining rooms is designed in order to create a sense of intimacy for those who happen to be located there. This time around, we were seated downstairs, where a fire blazes appealingly even in the summer – though the air-conditioning keeps it from becoming too warm. There were only a few other couples there (though the room was essentially full – it was done this way on purpose) and so we enjoyed the intimacy – and marveled at the effective way in which, as we learned later, that all the little nooks and crannies of the BRAE LOCH interconnect into a large property that can accommodate a great many people at one time, though almost all of them are left with the impression that they’ve got the restaurant more or less all to themselves.

This is a wonderful strategy and one which, upon truly discovering it, left us feeling silly that we hadn’t grasped the smartness of it all on one of our previous visits. So when arriving, think about whether you want to precede your meal with a drink in either the large scale and spectacular looking Victorian Lounge or opt for a bit more privacy by enjoying your beverage in the Wee Pub. In keeping with the Scotch theme, incidentally, the BRAE LOCH’s extensive bar features the largest selection of single malt Scotches in the upstate New York area.

The meal is, of course, the ultimate issue, and we were delighted at the large number of choices as well as the excellence of everything that we sampled. An extensive appetizer menu, with items ranging in price from $5.95 to $8.95, includes such traditional and expected items as stuffed mushroom caps, shrimp cocktail, and calamari to a number of items that will tickle the fancy of anyone out for something a tad different: Scotch Smoked Salmon served ‘pastrami style’ with homemade remoulade, onions, capers and toast points; raspberry cheddar, Vermont sharp and wrapped in delicate pastry, and then baked golden brown; Finnan Haddie Spinach dip, featuring creamy smoked fish and served on toasted pita crisps; and lump Salmon Cakes, pan seared and served atop mixed field greens, this selection finished with a drizzle of lemon caper aioli emulsion.

My husband found it difficult to pass up one of the traditional appetizer possibilities, Clams Casino, because he recalled that the BRAE LOCH’s were among the best he’d ever sampled. He wanted to try something new, however, and went with the Panko Fried Dry Diver Scallops, covered in bread crumbs, then fried to a crisp outer surface (the inside still moist and sweet) and served with chipolte remoulade. We marveled at the unique and appealing taste. I thoroughly enjoyed the coconut shrimp, which are served with an orange ginger infused dipping sauce.

We knew that if we ordered soup as well, then we’d end up taking a large portion of our entrees home with us. And considered passing on this item . . . until a couple near us had their onion soups served to them . . . and the aroma was so delicious that we simply couldn’t resist. Priced at $4.95 a crock, the caramelized vidallia onion gratinee is, as they like to say, ‘to die for’ – rich, hearty, delicious. There is also the soup of the day, priced at $3.95.

As I don’t drink and my husband prefers a beer, we skipped a bottle of wine, though we did check the list and found it extensive, with a possibility for every level of sophistication and expense account, ranging from nominal for respectable and pleasing house wines to expensive for rarities that will appeal to more sophisticated tastes.
For those who want special salads, among those available are homemade Caesar, house tossed greens, and tomato Mozzarella, featuring home grown sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and finished with fresh basil, salt and pepper – all highly attractive, though a house salad served with dinner proved to be enough for us after indulging in the irresistible onion soup.

All of the entrees are accompanied by fresh bread, tossed salad, vegetable du jour, and wild rice (with chicken or fish entrees) or garlic mashed red skinned potatoes (with beef or lamb entrees). Baked potato may be substituted for mash or rice. Everything on the menu is made to order – this is fine dining in the old style, where you sit back and enjoy the surroundings and give the chef (Jamie VanSanford) plenty of time to prepare the meal to perfection.

In order to achieve just that – perfection rather than merely a satisfactory meal – the menu includes vivid specifics for ordering beef dishes: rare is dark red with a cool center; medium rare a reddish pink with warm center; medium a pink with warm center; medium well comes out light pink and cooked throughout; well done features no pink and a charred outside. Note that this is one of those rare (pun intended) places where you will actually get precisely the preparation that you request!

A section of the menu entitled "THE LAND" features steaks (strip, filet mignon here called "The Highlander," prime rib (Friday and Saturday only) ranging in price depending on the cut from $15.95 to $32.95. Also, there is an Edinburgh Rack of Lamb, New Zealand style and dipped in minted butter, then covered in toasted walnuts and baked, served with a side of mint jelly, priced at $23.95. Then, NEPTUNE’S DOMAIN includes seafood items ranged in price from $17.95 to $49.50, and includes such items as Fresh Norwegian Salmon filet, lazy man’s lobster (served de-clawed in a dish with melted butter), single and double lobster tails, and various fish specialties. There are also ‘special’ fish items on any given Friday night.

The great recommendation, while not cheap by any means, is a feast that is truly worthy of king or queen: The Lobster Tail Surf and Turf, a single 14 oz. Brazilian lobster tail served with your choice of filet mignon, strip steak, or (one Friday and Saturday only) Prime rib, for $46.95. This is of course the piece-de-resistance; less expensive items are also highly appealing.

And speaking of them, additionally there are chicken, pasta, and duck entrees available at a considerably lower cost for those who want to visit but are budget-minded. These items begin at $12.95 for the Pasta Marinara and range in price up to the Chicken Dundee (served with lobster claw meat, asparagus, and Dijon brandy sauce) for $22.95. Others in an intermediate between those two price ranges include Canadian duckling, penne Pizzoli (pasta sautéed with roasted red peppers, pine nuts, and creamy gorgonzola sauce), Calamari Fra Diavlo (perfect for squid lovers), and a chicken breast prepared Prima Vera style, with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and penne pasta, then finished with a basil and light lemon chardonnay sauce.
Every evening, there is a selection of freshly prepared desserts, all gourmet quality, that are . . . did we already use the ‘to die for’ phrase? Anyway, you get the picture . . .

For those with less time but after the same quality, there’s also a pub menu available by the bar, which includes such items as beer battered fish and chips, 12 oz. prime black angus strip steak, chicken tenders, and char broiled burger, as well as salmon and steamers, all served in a far more casual atmosphere.

Thomas Wolfe once wrote that you can’t go home again. Our visit to the BRAE LOCH proved him wrong – it’s every bit as good as we remember . . . maybe better! This is a highly recommended dining experience.

The BRAE LOCH is, mind you, an inn as well as a restaurant. Some time this autumn, we’ll do an entirely separate story on the romantic weekend getaway possibilities!

Meanwhile, for a dinner you will not soon forget, call for reservations at 315 655 3431, FAX the restaurant at 315 655 - 4844, or go on-line and visit the BRAE LOCH at www.braelochinn.com

(Please do mention that you read about the restaurant in the "Dining Out" section of TABLE HOPPING magazine!!)