The Ledford House
Dinner and a show
A lovely evening for a visit to the Ledford House in Albion Photo courtesy of Guy
Guy and I were in the office the other morning, diving deep into our separate piles of paperwork, emails, and general to-dos, when he looked up from the buzz of a text message with an excited look on his face. “Lisa down at the Ledford House just let me know that she’s making duck garbure tonight!” He quickly started dialing. “Sarah! Lisa is making garbure! How many orders should we put in?” He glanced up to see the bemused smile flitting across my face. “You’ve had her garbure, right? It’s my favorite! It’s soupy and cozy, with duck confit and just general tasty goodness – you would love it!” I laughed at his enthusiasm, but as the day wore on and the skies cleared, I thought about the magnificent view off the Ledford House’s back deck and decided, “Maybe I should get some of this lauded dish myself!”
There’s a great table by the petanque court. Photo courtesy of Guy
Before I knew it, 5:00 was only minutes away, and I was rushing around to tidy up loose ends, intent on making it to the restaurant soon to sate my rumbling tummy with the much anticipated garbure and my eyes with the fast approaching end-of-day drama of sky and sea.
The back deck at the Ledford House is the perfect spot to watch the sunset!
I stepped out in front of the Ledford House and grinned, feeling a bit of Guy’s excitement as I anticipated the coming meal. One of the kitchen staff, whom I know, waved a hearty greeting at me from where he had stepped outside for a moment’s break. The cheerfulness of the other staff as I picked up my food and settled myself at one of the blue-tiled tables out back complemented my nearly effervescent mood. I gazed around at the charming gardens for a moment – they looked as though they belonged there, lovingly manicured to be in harmony with the natural environment.
Oh my. Just LOOK at that artichoke salad!!!!! (And the Hoppy Refresher from Lagunitas was a fun alcohol-free recommendation from Ayana, bartender extraordinaire.)
Then it was time to dive into my bag of tasty treats. The garbure was being served up as part of that day’s Bistro Special, which changes every day and always includes a salad, a main, fresh bread, olives, dipping oil, and dessert, all for only $25. As I popped open my various to-go containers and started drooling over the gorgeous food therein, one of the servers kindly rolled out one of their few propane heaters to help keep me cozy, and I recognized some long term guests of the inn sitting on the other end of the deck, their eyes glued to the deepening colors along the horizon. We called out to each other, briefly catching up as we split our attention between snatches of conversation and just enjoying the wonder of deliciously fine fare with the loveliest of views.
If you’re lucky, the cat will grace you with his regal presence and maybe even allow you to pet his lusciously soft fur.
The glowing disk of the quickly sinking sun was framed by delicate, dancing arabesques of light that curled out from the misty bank along the horizon. The blue of the sky and the red orange glow above the water grew gradually more intense. The hiss of the cheerily turquoise heater wove in with the roll and roar of the surf along the unseen base of the cliffs just opposite, and relaxed French café music played quietly from a couple of discreet speakers tucked into opposite corners of the deck. The savory tomato-parmesan smear on the grilled artichoke in my salad ran down my wrist as dove in to my food (there really is no delicate way to eat an artichoke, is there?!). The generous chunk of rustic sourdough was perfect for sopping up salad dressing. And the duck garbure…
Oooooo….. duck garbure for the win!
As the clouds faded and the colors dancing across the sky muted themselves to suitable shades of bedtime softness, I inhaled the savory steam rising up from the garbure. True, the dish was quickly cooling out here in the chill evening air, but I could still tell why Guy counted this as one of his favorite things to eat. This traditional rustic soup from the Gascony region of France, with its white beans, duck confit, and cabbage was thick and comforting, incredibly savory and just right for what ails ya. I sighed as I put down my spoon, wanting to eat more of it but knowing I should give my very full stomach a break and save some for the next day.
Ah, glorious evening!
Of course, there is always room for dessert! Or at least, that’s what I told myself as I opened up the honey lemon possett that was still hiding at the bottom of my bag. Mmmmhhhh! Like a soft, creamy version of lemon curd with just the right level of honeyed sweetness and none of the aggressive acidity that lemon curd itself can often have, it was the perfect ending to my meal. I licked my spoon and looked out at the veil of velvety nighttime blackness that been drawn down beyond the edge of soft twinkle lights that lined the deck railing. A couple of stars were winking down at me from beyond the gently flapping fringe of the canopy overhead. I could tell my fingers and toes might drive me inside soon, but this… this had been perfect.
A little pot of honey lemon goodness
The Ledford House is currently open Wednesday-Sunday, 4:00-6:30. The menu is French country-style fare, with quite a few delicious options besides the daily Bistro Special. All food is being served to-go until COVID has past, although you are welcome to eat at their ocean-view tables on the back deck or along the petanque court. They have a few movable heaters for the deck, but not a lot. You’ll want to wear good layers if you choose to dine there. The view on a non-rainy evening though, is totally worth it!
As the sky darkens to royalest blue….
Words & most pictures by Laura Hockett