On our recent summer vacation to the US, wherein we indulged and relaxed and soaked up quality time with many of our favorite people, we barely documented a single minute. While we used to snap away during our holidays, collecting nuggets to eventually be published here, over the years we’ve become lazy and maybe a little more protective of our time spent un-showered and in pajamas. There’s only so much one can show on the internet, right?

I bring this up not to brag about my record for going without a shower, but to note that the event that compelled us to bust out the ‘nice camera’ was a special one indeed.

In recent years, Drew’s parents have been spending the hottest summer months in the mountains of North Carolina. A friend of theirs at water aerobics recommended the unique experience at the Inn at Little Pond Farm, meals that are cooked table-side for groups of ten. They are elegant yet comfortable, as long as you don’t mind chatting with strangers throughout your special dinner out.

Sensing a meal that their wayward son would certainly enjoy, Drew’s parents finagled us a (very difficult to secure) spot at one such meal.

The Inn at Little Pond Farm is situated outside of Boone, North Carolina, down a narrow, winding road that feels like it’s leading to nowhere. A small sign is all that marks the location for this hidden gem, tucked back into a expertly manicured landscape, and near (surprise, surprise), a little pond.

We arrived to find Chef Michael in the kitchen, putting the final flourishes on our amuse. We took our seats, our wines glasses were filled with Cortese di Gavi (a light white from Piedmont, Italy), and we began our meal at the Inn at Little Pond Farm.

The details of our meal are below, but each menu is different, based on the whims of the chef and what’s in season and available. This year’s events are already full, but the Inn’s website is the place for all the details of the seasonal meals, as well as the inn and the fantastic European trips that they take with loyal customers each year.

Our meal began with…

Pasta del Magnifico with Shrimp

It’s not often we start a meal with a bowl of creamy pasta, but if all pastas were this good, maybe we should. Chef Michael quickly sautéed some fresh Carolina shrimp before deglazing with white wine. He boiled a small pool of heavy cream enhanced with cognac, the juice and zest of an orange, and fresh mint. The shrimp was added at the last minute to the cream party before tossing with a high quality dried pasta that tasted more akin to fresh pasta than the boxed stuff.

Was it rich? Ah, yes sir. Thankfully, it was delicious and rather surprising. We had never thought of the combination of orange, mint, and cream for a pasta dish, but it worked. The shrimp weren’t overcooked and the reduced cream sauce clung to the pasta perfectly.

Fromage Gratinate Salad

After downing a bowl of creamy pasta, a refreshing salad was a welcome interlude before the main event. While Michael battered partly frozen slices of Vermont goat cheese in panko bread crumbs, he told us about the golden raisin vinaigrette. The dressing was made by simmering the raisins in balsamic vinegar for a few minutes to soften the raisins and concentrate the balsamic. He then whisked in honey and olive oil to complete the dressing. He assembled the salad within a large radicchio leaf, accented with fresh arugula, walnuts, and the warm, crispy goat cheese.

The dressing was the right combination of sweet and tart, and the tender arugula leaves weren’t drowned in vinaigrette liked most salads we ate on our US trip. Also, you have to be crazy to hate a disc of fried goat cheese.

Rack of Lamb with Tomato, Feta, Herb Salad

We haven’t eaten rack of lamb in years. We say years, because frankly, we can’t remember the last time we did. It’s expensive, you don’t get a ton of meat, and we can’t get behind a protein most often eaten with mint jelly. Mint jelly. Possibly the weirdest condiment in Western cuisine.

Chef Michael took Colorado lamb (the one with the larger eye of meat, unlike its New Zealand cousin, which barely has any) and cooked it on the grill on the patio. He invited us out to join him while he seared them off, but we were too distracted chatting with our fellow diners to notice he left the kitchen. He returned with a sheet pan of lamb and assembled the salad. He tossed together feta, heirloom tomatoes, shaved radishes, parsley, and mint with a simple lemon vinaigrette. The lamb rested while he finished cooking some small potatoes and plated our main course.

The lamb was cooked medium and was remarkably tender. It made us think, “Why haven’t we eaten rack of lamb in years?” as we dove back in for more. The salad highlighted the sweet local heirloom tomatoes and the herbs worked well with the lamb. And not a ramekin of mint jelly in sight (much to the chagrin of Drew’s mom).

Italian Pizzelle

We initially misread the final course, thinking, “Will this be some sort of dessert pizza?” Thankfully, it was not (dessert pizzas are the worst). Pizzelle is a simple batter that is cooked in a small waffle iron, producing a thin and crispy shell that Chef Michael delicately laid over a bowl while piping hot to help set into the perfect shape. Once he had completed all eight edible bowls, he filled them with fresh blackberries and strawberries that had been gently cooked and topped with vanilla ice cream.

This was like an adult version of the Friendly’s ice cream sundae from our childhood. The crispy shell provided some texture, the fruit was sweet and not too reduced, and the vanilla ice cream provided the richness. It was local summer fruit at its best, and a nice way to conclude our meal at the Inn at Little Pond Farm.

We were not sure what to expect from a small inn in rural North Carolina, but we had a truly wonderful experience. It was not the kind of fancy meal where you feel the need to whisper in fear of creating too much of a scene with normal conversation. The food wasn’t dainty or delicate, no tweezers were used to perfectly plate each garnish.

It was a group of 10 people, around a communal table, sharing stories and laughing out loud. The service and food was excellent and professional, but relaxed and engaging, not intimidating. Everyone was there for good food, good company, and good times. It’s the way fine dining should be.