1741 on the Terrace’s beet salad

Photo by Anastasia Gayol Cintron ’17

Sit back and taste the year of 1741 in the lovely atmosphere of Historic Hotel Bethlehem’s 1741 on the Terrace. Housed in the famous hotel itself, a beautiful, classic style room with large Palladian windows invites its guests to an entirely new experience of fine dining.

Just the butter itself – which was served with warm bread rolls – was cut in the shape of a rose. The restaurant offers a relatively large menu selection, all of which represents local farms and echoes the season. While the ambience of the restaurant plays a significant role in setting the mood of the experience, each dish is done in a tasteful and creative way to surprise as well as delight.

For the appetizer, I opted for the Roasted Organic Beets salad. It was delicious. An innovative combination of colorful red and orange beets included pistachios, goat cheese, and micro arugula, perfected with a balsamic reduction to fashion a salad beautiful to the eye and yummy to the tummy. There was crunchy, bitter, savory, sour, and sweet all in one starter. I would go back just for that.

For the entreé, I chose the Roasted Duck Breast for the sake of experiment as preparing duck just right is a tricky task for any chief. This dish was accompanied by kale, roasted peaches, and mustard-infused fingerling potatoes which came together to create an appetizing plate. While the duck could have been slightly softer, the entree was overall a large success due to its unique fusion of flavors.

For dessert, the financier with roasted peaches and blueberry compote seemed fitting after already having fruit in my entree and the dish proved worthwhile. While it was not the greatest financier – the cake was slightly dry – the delicious abundance of fruit made up for the minor mistake.

The service was outstanding and everyone at the restaurant was eager to please. In addition, there was live piano music which only further enriched the charming dining experience. While a bit overrated and slightly expensive for the college student’s pocket, 1741 on the Terrace definitely lived up to its high expectations not just with its food but with everything combined. Next time you find yourself in Bethlehem, do certainly dine at the 1741 on the Terrace, it will be a treat you won’t regret. A well deserved 4.5 out of 5 stars.