Jessie's Harvest House

We dine out often and expect to pay for good food and service. JHH has priced itself as an upscale restaurant, but our disappointing Valentine's Day meal didn't deliver the service or value I'd expect at that price. At one point I thought it was the best restaurant in Greene county, but after last night, I don't anymore. We ordered duck breast and porchetta specials. While we were still eating our appetizer, the waiter came back to say the kitchen had made a mistake and our entrees were ready. They arrived cold. The duck tasted good, but its cherry compote was full of pits and pit fragments. The porchetta seemed cured and smoked, which would've been fine if that was how it was described. Its skin was flabby, with no attempt to crisp it. The menu is small, which can be fine, but the appetizer choice was Brussels sprouts or a $30 octopus dish or some confused pseudo-Asian pork ribs. More affordable appetizer choices would've been nice. The sprouts tasted okay, but were blackened and lukewarm, so they weren't crispy anymore. After dinner we asked for a dessert menu, but there wasn't one. The waiter listed a handful of desserts, all with gluten, so we decided to have ice cream at home. It was Valentine's Day and my husband was driving, so I had looked forward to a couple glasses of wine and maybe a nightcap with dessert. Since the appetizer and entrees arrived so close together, I had time for only one glass. And with no dessert or after-dinner drink list, there wasn't much else to consider.

The charred octopus was flavorful, and the special fried artichokes with red pepper sauce were excellent. We also had tasty seared scallops, though the sauce and polenta were a little under-seasoned. I think that would've been fine earlier in the meal. The Brussels sprouts had a great zing and acidity, but weren't quite crispy. We finished with brownie and pistachio cheesecake. It's great to have fine dining like this after a day on the slopes. It feels like Manhattan-quality food in the Catskills, and the quality matched the price, which is high for the area. Service was fine, though I was disappointed that when we asked for suggestions, our server couldn't say anything beyond, "It's all good. They're all good."

The server knew the dishes and the restaurant well, and the service was great. We had the steak and trout. The steak was flavorful and cooked perfectly, and the trout had crisp skin and was done just right. The mushrooms with it were delicious. The pesto was almost too flavorful, since the fish was so good on its own, though I still enjoyed the dish. Wonderful restaurant with delicious food.

The trout was cooked perfectly, the chips were so good we kept asking for refills, and everything from appetizer through dessert was excellent. There was a wide range of healthy, tasty choices, and we were surprised to find this kind of quality in a small town. We came for dinner with a large group after skiing, before heading home. We didn't have a reservation, but they rearranged the tables and seated the adults together and the kids at another table. You won't be disappointed.