Ah, the joys of driving along country roads, this time through the gentle landscape of central Chester County, past the Brandywine Polo Club and the tree-lined fairways of the Loch Nairn Golf Club. It was a perfect pre-lude to a first-class dinner at a 1734 farmhouse that abounds with country charm. Authentic country charm.

  Here, you can use rustic and elegant in the same sentence. Exposed portions of the original stone walls, low ceilings and the quirky layout dividing three main dining areas define the building’s 275-year-old history.

  We had fun checking out the comfortable clutter of “stuff” that made our dining room feel homey. Baskets large and small hang from beams and sit in nooks; dried flower arrangements complement the fresh blossoms on each table; and a cigar store Indian stands tall at the entrance. Old farming implements, decoys of various fowl — Look! A flying goose! — and birdhouses, including one shaped like a mushroom, build on the basics.

  Meanwhile crisp white linens, flickering candlelight, beautiful oriental carpets on the wide-plank floors and a few pieces of “Wyeth-country” artwork accentuate the restaurant’s fine-dining qualities.

  The well-conceived, excellently prepared cuisine is matched by polished service. Our server’s appealing sense of humor never detracted from well-timed attention to our preferred dining pace.

Culinary Art

  The kitchen builds on its mastery of the classics, American and continental, by mixing and tweaking when inspired by the season or the mood. Consider the whole grain mustard sauce served with the justifiably renowned crab cakes or the garlicky escargots prepared with black trumpet mushrooms and tomato concassé.

  Lobster Bisque ($6.50) brimmed with that wonderful essence that comes from slowly simmering the crustacean shells to draw out all they have to offer. Light on the cream, rich with flavor, it did justice to Maine’s finest. Exotic Mushroom Sauté & Pastry ($7.95) saluted the local industry with style and lots of flavor. A variety of sliced mushrooms and caramelized onions in a savory sauce accented with Madeira and a bit of thyme spread out over the plate, covering a circle of flaky pastry cradling some goat cheese. Servers’ warnings about plates being hot always compel me to test them. This was one time when it was really hot, a welcomed surprise.

  Other appetizer options included three choices of fresh oysters on the half shell, Vietnamese spring rolls, fresh spinach crèpes, shrimp and avocado, mushroom soup, Welsh oyster stew and three salads — Caesar, spi-nach with mushrooms, apples and walnuts, and spring berry with prosciutto and goat cheese. Also, a smokehouse sampler with Hungarian smoked salmon and hickory-smoked trout and a charcuterie plate with smoked duck breast, wild boar prosciutto and saucisson with fig compote.

  The signature Farmhouse Crab Cakes ($33.50) maintain their top-level position on my list of the best in this area. Two large cakes of sweet lump crab, lightly bound and perfectly pan-seared, sat happily in a light creamy sauce flavored with whole grain mustard. In supporting roles: whipped potatoes and baby vegetables — carrots, yellow squash and zucchini.

  Truffle demi-glace, a classy version of French cuisine’s mother sauce, heightened the pure goodness of Roasted Veal Tenderloin ($32). The three plump, tender slices had deserving partners in the parmesan-enriched risotto, subtly seasoned with thyme and al dente asparagus spears.

  Guardian Peak Shiraz ($6/glass), a mellow, dark red beauty from South Africa’s western Cape, was a good match for the veal. The Farmhouse’s extensive wine list offers more than 425 selections, priced from $28 to $2000. Beverage Manager Adam Chesia is proud of The Farmhouseselection that “comes from every corner of the earth and includes every price value.” Twelve countries are represented in the inventory of 2000 bottles, with the focus on American and French wines. And yes, they do sell the $1000-plus bottles from the “Sommelier Selections,” heavy on the Rothschild label. “At holiday time especially, some of our long-time customers come in and splurge on a nice bottle,” says Chesia.

  Highlights from the list of entrées: North Atlantic salmon fillet, filet mignon, Long Island duck, New York strip, baby New Zealand rack of lamb (our waiter’s favorite), chicken breast and Farmhouse pasta with shrimp. The evening’s surf and turf was boar chops and crab cakes.

Sweet & Sassy

  What made the Crème Brûlée so appealing was its abundant coating of crackly topping, thanks to being prepared in a good-sized shallow dish with lots of surface area. And the smooth, creamy goodness below came in three flavors: vanilla, mango and Grand Marnier. It was an extravagant rendition of the popular classic.

  Designed to make dark-chocolate lovers swoon, the Chocolate Pâté’s slices of rich nirvana shared the artistic-design limelight with a pool of raspberry sauce, chopped praline and toasted brioche. Each dessert was $7.

  Other desserts, all made in-house, include cheesecake with strawberries, key lime pie, strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse cake and the signature Praline Ice Cream Pie, a decadent blend of vanilla ice cream, crunchy bits of praline and rich caramel sauce.

Delicious Options

  Holiday Spirit. To toast the season, the entire property lights up like Rockefeller Center. “Hundreds and hundreds of strands of lights” decorate everything from the parking lot to the restaurant. Inside, fireplaces glow, Christmas trees sparkle and antique Christmas collectibles add their distinctive touch.

  The Greathouse. For more casual dining, comfort food included. This is a free-standing modern structure adjacent to The Farmhouse. It has its own charms: cathedral ceilings, plank floors and colorful oriental carpets.

  The Wine Cellar. Chef’s table dinners for up to eight people, five-course or seven-course, are served in the Farmhouse’s wine cellar, carved out of the original underground space of the historic home.

  Think Spring. Terrace dining at The Farmhouse offers a panoramic view of the idyllic surroundings. It’s my favorite place among the several inviting choices to dine at The Farmhouse. -CL-

Owners: Hank and Virginia Smedley
Dinner: Thursday - Saturday 5 to 9; Sunday 4 to 9
Lunch: Thursday - Saturday 11:30 to 2:30
On-Site banquet facilities for up to 32 in second-floor dining room and for up to 185 on terrace and in adjacent Greathouse.