Heirloom
Heirloom is well-known for its unique and unmistakable appearance, charmingly housed in an 1899 white and red-shuttered Victorian home, a place that would be seemingly comfortable as a location choice for a Dickens novel. But the haute mainstay has since it opened in 2015 become near appointment dining and a Lewes classic, curating seasonal menus inspired by farm and garden ingredients, all of it fresh and innovative. The menu changes almost monthly, but always includes seasonal salads, cheeses, and soups, teasing your palate before entrees consisting of chicken, fish, and some form of meat, often lamb or pork, are presented, each prepared with a seasonal approach, and exquisite love from a kitchen yearning to please. Because of the frequent menu changes, any dish review is almost as stale as the date it is published, except to observe that the cuisine is prepared with such attention to ingredient detail that Heirloom has ascended to a top performer in a local market that is nationally trending towards becoming a star restaurant incubator. Prices are steep for this multi-Mid-Atlantic Beard Award winner, but the meal is memorable and served by an always professional and knowledgeable staff, with the owner often making sure her guests remain in splendidly capable hands. Indoor / outdoor reservations are difficult at Heirloom, especially during the summer season, and many retire to the quaint bar for a meal and a menu of specialty cocktails that is curated with the same attention as the food. Countless restaurants boast of farm-to-table cooking, but Heirloom actually delivers, remaining for years a culinary love letter to impressive and creative cooking, along with glorious service, ranking among the best in Delmarva.
