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Portland, Oregon Metro Restaurant Reviews


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Overall Rating:
****
1/2

Overall Review:
  Extraordinary! Beautiful presentations and delicious food! The menu changes every night. The wait staff was excellent.

Review Dates:  April 8th and 9th, 2008

Cuisine: Northwest Cuisine

Alcohol:  Full service bar; beer & wine. They also offer the Riedel Oregon Pinot Noir glasses.

Attire:  Dressy Casual

Corkage Fee:  $15.00

Location: In Cannon Beach, Oregon near Highway 101.

Open Hours:

Breakfast:
Buffet Style - Daily
7:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Dinner:
Daily - 7:00 pm

Parking:  Yes, on premise

Price Range:
 
Four-course prix fixe menu of $49.00 per person (gratuity not included).

Reservations: Required


Rating Key Explanations:

* Bad (will never go back)

** Fair (below average - will not go back)

*** Good (would consider dining there again)

**** Very Good (will definitely go back)

***** Extraordinary (will be back as soon as possible)

I make every attempt to remain anonymous while reviewing each restaurant.  All meals are paid for by myself.  This way, I can report the most honest and trustworthy restaurant reviews possible. Other recognizable critics frequently get special food and service. I forgo any perks so that my restaurant experience will be similar to yours.

If you would like to add a review of this restaurant, email Linda Stradley. Also feel free to send me suggestions of restaurants for review.

Disclaimer:  None of the restaurants reviewed on this site have given any sort of financial incentive to Linda Stradley or her website, What's Cooking America. The restaurants had no foreknowledge that a review was going to be written.
 

 


Stephanie Inn

Opened April 1993, the oceanfront Stephanie Inn combines the charm and casual elegance of a New England country inn with the sophistication of a boutique resort hotel. Nightly menus feature the freshest, best quality foods the region has to offer, served in very innovative ways.

2740 South Pacific
PO Box 219
Cannon Beach, Oregon  97110

Map & Directions

1-800-633-3466 (toll free)
503-436-2221

Web page: http://www.stephanie-inn.com/welcome.asp


The photo on the left is the wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean and Haystack Rock that you see when looking out the window of you room.

The Stephanie Inn is perched on the edge of the majestic Pacific Ocean in Cannon Beach, and offers a magnificent view of the world-famous Haystack Rock to the north, and its sister, Silver Point Rock, to the south. Haystack rock is  the second largest free-standing monolith in the world, after the Rock of Gibraltar. During low tide, it is possible to walk to the rock.

When entering the Inn, you walk through the beautiful beveled-glass front doors into a gracious lobby dominated by thick pillars and a large gas fireplace. The staff makes you feel like a valued customer from the minute you enter until you leave. This is a lovely place for a romantic weekend or even just some quiet alone time.

This was our second visit to the elegant Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, Oregon. This visit was just as wonderful as our first visit approximately one year ago. This is definitely a place that anticipates your every want and need. Whenever we talk about going to the Oregon Coast, we always think of Stephanie Inn.

Every evening, the guests are treated to a complimentary wine and cheese gathering in the library and chart room overlooking the ocean. After dinner, you are invited to a complimentary night cap in the library.

The four-star Stephanie Inn dining room is run by executive chef, Crystal Crobin and her sous chef, Aaron Bedard. In this small intimate kitchen, Crystal and her staff prepare the most wonderful breakfast buffets and nightly dinners. Plus all the breads are made in the kitchen. Working with the freshest, quality ingredients available, Crystal transforms local ingredients into edible works of art that are not only beautiful to behold, but are packed with creative flavors and textures.

The lavish daily breakfast buffets were excellent with lots of seasonal fruits and homemade breads. I especially like their scones and plan to use the recipe from their cookbook and make my own!

Colorful bowls of fresh sliced fruits

Stephanie Inn Scones

Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Breakfast Wraps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The four-course prix fixe dinner were outstanding! We ate dinner at the Inn the two nights we were there, and every night the food was excellent. Every dish that we were served was cooked to perfection! The presentations were great and the flavor wonderful. Part of the fun of staying at the Stephanie Inn is dining in their lovely restaurant. As the menu changes daily, it is always a fun experience. Each evening, after the appetizer course, the chef comes out and announces the rest of the courses. We enjoyed meeting the chef and also hearing culinary details about the rest of our upcoming dinner. 

As we are amateur winemakers, we took our own wine along to drink at dinner. The chef and wait staff enjoyed drinking some after the evening's dinner service was over, and they waived the corkage fee for us. Excellent staff and great attention to detail.

Following are the menus for each night with photos and comments:


Tuesday, April 8, 2008


 


Wednesday, April 9, 2008


First Course


Smoked Salmon Salad
Lemon vinaigrette, dill mascarpone and crispy capers
Very interesting and delicious salad combination.

 


 


First Course

Butter Lettuce Salad
Marinated cucumbers, pickled onions and creamy herb dressing

Sorry, but I forgot to get a photo. By the time I remembered, I had already eaten half of the salad. It was delicious and very refreshing.

Second Course


Yukon Gold Potato-Leek Soup
Pepper bacon and chili oil
Very delicious! The potatoes and leeks combined to make this a very smooth and delightful soup. The chili oil added a hint of contrast to the flavors.

 

  Second Course


Red Pepper Bisque
Crisp leeks and chives
Very good! The chef definitely makes wonderful soups at the Stephanie Inn restarant.
Entree Selections


Marinated Wild Boar Rack
Grilled onions, port huckleberry chutney and reduction sauce
Since my husband had never eaten wild boar before, he was anxious to try this.  He said it was very good, but he prefers lamb chops over boar.

  Entree Selections


Pistachio & Mint Crusted Lamb Rack
Creamy white beans, parsnips and Dijon sauce
This was fantastic! It was so good that I wanted to chew on the bones. The pistachio and mint combined into a delicious crust that highlighted the lamb.

or


Columbia River Sturgeon
Buttery orzo, roasted tomato and lemon basil sauce
I am usually hesitated in ordering sturgeon at other restaurants, as they usually overcook it. This sturgeon was perfectly cooked and tender!

 

 
or


Fresh Halibut Fillet
Black rice, bok choy and lemon grass sauce
My husband loved this halibut. It was also perfectly cooked.

Dessert


Strawberry Trifle
Layers of almond cake, white chocolate cream and candied almonds
This was very rich! I was so full from my dinner that I couldn't even eat all of it.
  Dessert


Bananas Foster
Cinnamon puff pastry, toasted macadamia nuts and ice cream
Not your usual Bananas Foster, but still very good!