• Sarah Street Grill
550 Quaker Alley, Stroudsburg
570.424.9120
Hours:
Open daily at 11:30 a.m., kitchen closes at midnight
All major credit cards accepted
by Mystery MouthIn the Weekender’s year-end issue, staff and correspondents like yours truly give their top five picks for the best of the best from the past 12 months.
For Mystery Mouth’s 2010 picks, the Sarah Street Grill in Stroudsburg is the place to beat.
It exceeds every expectation one should have for a dining experience: Incredible food, fantastic service, a great atmosphere, and the feeling that, when you walk out toting your doggy bag, you’ve escaped the daily grind, even if it was just for a few hours.
The fare at Sarah Street Grill seems pretty basic at first glance — pastas, chicken dishes, sandwiches, pizza and even sushi. Look closer, though, and you’ll see little nuances that take even the most basic dish to a completely new level by adding something unexpected, like topping crab cakes with a tomato caper remoulade or using a brioche roll in place of a regular burger bun.
My companion Cigi and I knew we were in for something great when, instead of the standard (read: boring) bread basket, our server Connie R. dropped off crunchy, dilly pickles for us to snack on while we perused the menu. It was a welcome change.
We spied a hummus appetizer ($6.50), and sure, you can’t swing a pita point these days without hitting the dip on most menus, but Sarah Street’s wasn’t your average hummus: It was made with black beans instead of chick peas, and it was delectable. The tahini (sesame paste) was prominent, giving the dish that hummus-y bite we love blended with cilantro and lime juice and served with an ample supply of fantastic toasted ciabatta bread.
Cigi knew right away she wanted the chicken saltimbocca ($18.50). A sucker for capers, I was very much in the mood for the crab cakes because of the remoulade, but I also had my eye on the tuna au poive (peppercorn encrusted) sandwich. I was in quite a decision-making predicament until I asked Connie what she recommended. Utimately, she talked me into the tuna sandwich ($9.50) with a variance: She’d substitute the chipotle mayo the sandwich comes with for caper aioli so I could still have my caper fix. Sweet!
Orders placed, Cigi and I sat back and enjoyed each other’s company — and the great background music, which was really the best either of us had ever dined to before. It was a mix of classics like the Allman Brothers Band, Bob Dylan and Madonna and past performances from downstairs at Sarah Street Grill.
Cigi’s chicken saltimbocca was enormous. It featured tender, pan-seared chicken breast topped with imported prosciutto, smoked mozzarella and a delicate Marsala sauce loaded with mushrooms. The dinner was accompanied by rice and a broccoli, squash and carrot medley. It was a tasty version of the dish, and Cigi raved about it the whole way home.
I, too, raved about my meal, which was the most exquisite sandwich the Mouth has ever eaten. It had three layers of incredible flavors that began with the sweetness of the brioche roll followed by the bite of the peppery rare tuna and ended with the creamy, salty caper aioli atop the bottom half of the roll. It was accompanied by pungent red onion, crispy fries and coleslaw.
We couldn’t pass up strawberry shortcake ($5), and even that summer staple got some Sarah Street flair: It was made with a rich, yet light, homemade Italian sponge cake. Topped with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream, it was a delicious ending to a delicious meal.
Sarah Street Grill is most definitely a place that has got it all: Magnificent food, a well-stocked bar, interesting drink concoctions (like the Seattle Manhattan I plan on trying next time), friendly and extremely accommodating service, frequent musical entertainment, two cozy floors and a deck.
I daresay the Sarah Street Grill is one-stop shopping for a great night out — and that’s why it most definitely will be topping the Mouth’s best-of-the-best list this year.
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