The Refectory has a long storied past with buildings from the 1840s and 1850s which were combined to make it.  The current dining area is in the 1853 church that was sided with walnut and served as the main building for a church, which unfortunately was only 75 yards away from some noisy railroad tracks.   When the church bought 2 school buildings 200 yards away the physical church was moved to be adjoined with them around 1918.  In 1954 a brick school was added to the structure but by 1969 the congregation was larger than the buildings could accommodate so they moved. In 1971 the original church was turned into The Olde Church-House Restaurant and in 1981 the building became The Refectory Restaurant, which is the name of the dining hall in a convent/monastery.  The original schoolhouse became the Lounge and Bistro dining area and the church housed the Dining Room with its original hand-hewn beams and exposed wooden roof structure.  Kamal Boulos, the present owner, has worked in the building for almost 50 years.  He brought in Chef Richard Blondin from Lyon, France to run the kitchen, which he still does.  Over the years they have greatly expanded the wine cellar to over 700 selections.  Music was in the background, lights were lowered and the white cloth-covered tables are surrounded by lots of stained glass.  They offer a 5-course Chef’s Tasting that also has a vegetarian option in addition to an a la carte menu.  We tried the tasting with our own wines and the pacing was fairly quick with good portion control.  The food was mixed with too many additions of microgreens, dots and smears of sauces.  It is definitely an elegant setting but the flavor profile and repetition made me wonder if the chef really was in the kitchen. Continue reading →