My husband and I had the opportunity to visit a fantastic restaurant – Back Burner in Hockessin, Delaware (http://www.backburner.com/). The restaurant is in a shopping complex that is outfitted in as an old-style village – wood paneling on the outside, pretty cute. Inside the restaurant is similar, bluish-gray wood paneling on the walls (on the horizontal), a to-go shop right next door, a horse made out of old toy parts – very unique. We instantly felt welcomed by the friendly wait-staff.
To start the meal, they gave us a small bucket of bread and dipping sauce – oil, garlic, and a dash of red pepper flakes. It had a nice kick to it, but not too spicy. I ordered the Back Burner House Salad – mixed baby field greens, spiced walnuts, dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes, and a house-made balsamic vinaigrette. I ordered it without bleu cheese as I am definitely not a fan. The spiced walnuts added a nice crunch to the salad and they were not that spicy, similar to candied pecans.
After confirming that the Roasted Root Vegetable was prepared with vegetable stock/broth, I ordered the half size (which actually ended up being 2 servings for me). The risotto is prepared with parsnips, rutabaga, celery root, baby heirloom carrots, and Vermontapplewood smoked cheddar – with a little cheddar shaved on top. This is one of the most addictive dishes I have ever had! It’s cheesey goodness envelopes your tastebuds. The rice was cooked perfectly and all of the vegetables worked in perfect harmony to create a fantastic dish. There were also some spices – perhaps Thyme – missed in that added to the wonderful dish. I enjoyed it as leftovers the next day – a delightful way to remember a fantastic meal!
To end this awesome meal, we ordered the Dark & White Chocolate Croissant Pudding. It was essentially bread pudding with the chocolate mixed in – gooey chocolate chips in every forkful. It was served with a side of chocolate mousse that was so rich, only a little bit on your tongue was enough to satisfy. This dish was delicious and decadent – very rich, but not too heavy.
My husband and I are both looking forward to our next trip to Back Burner.
