Stissing House dates back to 1782 when the building was a tavern that also had beds for travelers and America’s first domed  ballroom.  It fell into disrepair after WW1 when the railroad tracks that brought people to town had been torn up to make ammunition.  In the 1990s Christian Eisenbeiss saved it from demolition and along with Dale Mitchell it underwent a 2 year renovation.  They repaired the old-growth floors and restored the domed ballroom and in 1995 opened Stissing House as a French restaurant.  In 2022 Clare de Boer took over as chef/proprietor.  (She rose to notoriety through her work at King, her French/Italian restaurant in SoHo, NY.)  The 6,000 sq. foot building divides diners into multiple smaller rooms including the second floor.   They no longer have sleeping rooms but the dome is available for rental.  As you walk on the wide plank old wood floors on the way to the table you pass by a kitchen with wood fired ovens which are a part of their cooking process.  Candles light the tables as well as the numerous windows to the outside and a few electric fixtures on the walls.  The small tables are covered with white cloths but then topped with paper and little art is on the walls.  Music was in the background and for some time was just country music which then turned into old rock and roll.  It was a good meal but had a few issues. Continue reading →