This Week at the Herdic House
And whaddayou know? Here it is Wednesday, and we’re finally back to our hallowed Wednesday evening Blue Plates, just about in time for All Hallows Eve. Tonight’s Blue Plate is attempting the difficult task of straddling the season and the simply delightful summery weather we’ve been gifted this week: a sausage, kale and mushroom lasagne with housemade ricotta and lots of parmesan. It’s $18 at our House, and $20 to go—but, per usual, our number of to-go orders will be very limited. We’ll hope to see you out tonight!
Don’t miss our Thursday happy hours at the bar, from 5-7 pm, with $1 off all beers and $2 off wines by the glass. Plus our Thursday night feature that pretends to be healthy, all while loaded with the tangy umami of ranch dressing: house favorite Herdic Pittsburgh salad, this week served with grilled shrimp, fresh-cut fries, grated cheddar and Liz’s parmesan ranch…plus Hannah will be mixing up rhubarb Negronis at the bar!
Well, this is certainly a tough week to get in that autumn menu mindset, huh? Yes, the Williamsport universe is positively aglow with red, gold, orange, purple leaves, but those leaves have lingered beyond all expectations, thanks to the spectacular autumn heatwave we’ve been hosting all week. The lovely weather has certainly had its perks. Not many newly minted 7-year-olds get to scamper around their birthdays barefoot in October, as our sweet Daisy Rue did this past Sunday (check out her seven-year-old style at Brandon Park, above), and there aren’t many late October days in which we’ve cooked with all the doors open in the Herdic kitchen.
But when we tried to concoct a menu for this Friday, our thoughts got all muddled up by the beautiful temperatures outside, and we wound up with something, well, quite lovely, we think. Not entirely fall, but certainly not summer, and showcasing the delicious ducks that just flew in from Country Acres Homestead outside of Mifflinburg (you might even add a confit duck leg to the radicchio salad below to make a simple dinner). It’s a menu that pairs with the glorious red-leafed maple outside our kitchen window, and the faint hint of woodsmoke in the autumn air. Liz was planning to leave for Baltimore on Friday for a family visit, but since all the good food seems to be in Wilpo, she’s decided to leave Saturday morning instead…
- Sparkling pear and maple sidecar (it’s a kamikaze cocktail week, folks—let’s see what Hannah makes of this one…)
- Liz’s favorite oyster stew, with spinach, bacon, fennel and cream
- Radicchio and kale tossed with warm bacon vinaigrette, slivered apple, brie and candied pistachios
- Pan-seared duck breast from Country Acres Homestead, drizzled with an orange and tamari glaze and a bit of chili crisp, over roasted root vegetables and seared pickled greens
- Pumpkin bourbon cheesecake with a toasted walnut crust (it’s about time to get this Herdic favorite out for the season!)
And a quick mention that we’re very excited about the artist displaying in our lounge for the month of November: Debra Moffitt is new to the Herdic art scene, and her plein air paintings are a sure delight, focusing on regional watersheds, with many of her works suffused with that delectable gilded sunlight so peculiar to autumn and so dear to our Herdic hearts. Stop down for her opening on Friday, November 1 from 5-7 pm!