Region – The Wayside Inn's new executive chef, Michael Brentana, has arrived at the Sudbury icon just in time to oversee the annual dinner dedicated to the birthday of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Longfellow's Wayside Inn, known for its colonial traditions and dedication to classic New England fare, will pay homage to the Cambridge poet by hosting a Victorian Boston wine dinner in the French tradition, something Brentana is fully qualified to manage, considering his 20-plus years in professional food service.
Brentana's early training included work with renowned Chicago-area chef Jean Banchet at Le Francais. But his most recent professional undertaking was more local, having been the executive chef of the Harvard Club from 2000 to 2010. A number of four-star restaurants and five-diamond hotels are included on his resume, testimony to Brentana's passion for creative menu refinements and dedication to culinary development.
“I’ve worked with a number of food styles, so I’m very familiar with what the Wayside Inn already does well,” Brentana said. “I only hope to build on that reputation by using my extensive knowledge of food and creating dishes which feature unique flavor combinations coupled with more artistic plate presentations.”
In honor of the recognition brought to the Howe Tavern after Longfellow's visit in 1862, the inn was renamed Longfellow's Wayside Inn in 1897 by former innkeeper Edward Lemon. Each year since the poet's 200th birthday, a dinner has been held in his honor, but this is the first time the menu has taken on such historical significance.
“A dining event in Cambridge or Boston during Longfellow's lifetime would undoubtedly have had French influences, so I created a menu based on the period and its culinary trends,” Brentana said.
Poultry consommé with foie gras royal, truffles and black currants; frisee and smoked salmon salad with potato croutons, bacon, quail egg and sweet mustard dill sauce; and pan-seared Filet Mignon au poivre with parsnip potato puree, crisp gaufrette and Sauce Forestier represent three of the four dinner courses, all accompanied by two classic French wines. Harp music by Felice Pomeranz and a special guest appearance by Henry David Thoreau—a student of Longfellow's when he was a teacher at Harvard—round out the night's festivities.
The Longfellow Wine Dinner will take place Friday, March 2, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a champagne reception featuring passed hors d'seuvres as well as domestic and imported cheeses. Cost is $75 per person, tax and gratuity included. Seating is limited so advance reservations are required. Phone 978-443-1776 for reservations or log onto www.wayside.org/events for more information.
