A Culinary Destination: The Afton House Inn

Take your palate on a trip to sountern Minnesota

Mike Mitchelson

When making a weekend getaway to Minnesota’s scenic St. Croix Valley, one must remember there are dining options beyond Stillwater. Further south along the St. Croix River, about 25 miles southeast of St.
Paul, there’s a dining destination that, for the time being, might be the best-kept secret in the Twin Cities metro area: The Afton House Inn, one of the oldest inns in the state, and, last year, winner of several dining and wine list awards. The Inn is located, as one might guess, in Afton, Minnesota, a historic village that attracts tourists and locals in the summer for river activities and skiers in the winter at Afton Alps.

The Afton House Inn, founded in 1867, takes advantage of all seasons. A family-owned operation, Gordy and Kathy Jarvis purchased the inn in 1976 and began a painstaking restoration process, which included reviving the actual “inn” part of the Inn, which had been closed for decades. They gutted and restored rooms in the original structure, and eventually expanded to add more guest rooms and business meeting facilities.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE BOATS. BIG BOATS.

Taking advantage of their riverside location, the Jarvises during the last 20 years assembled a fl eet of three river cruisers, the largest with a full kitchen and 300-guest seating capacity for corporate cruises or wedding receptions, the smallest seating a more intimate group of about 50. The boats also embark on scenic tours, a Sunday Champagne brunch and various Friday night dinner cruises open to the public. But it’s the food and wine at the Inn that’s attracted the most attention during the last year.

As the metaphorical torch passed from Gordy and Kathy to sons Dave and Dan during the past year or so, the focus has been to transform the Inn to a dining destination. A chef with fine-dining chops was hired (Justin Grecco) and Dave Jarvis’ extensive wine knowledge was loosed. The result was a pile of awards in 2007, from the local (City Pages Best Wine List and Best Romantic Dining) to national (Wine Enthusiast’s and Wine Spectator’s “Unique Distinction” and “Excellence” awards, respectively).

The regular menu boasts extensive entrée choices of beef and lamb, poultry and game and fish and seafood ranging in price from $18 to $35. The Inn’s monthly wine dinners have also attracted attention. Themed, four-course menus of Grecco’s creation are paired with wines of Jarvis’ choosing. A recent meal was built around Latin cuisine and Spanish wines, and the January meal was a menu constructed with Napolean’s favorite recipes paired with French wines. Yes, that Napolean. What did the little general like to eat? Apparently, puff pastry filled with escargot, herbs and boursin; a spinach salad with blueberries and champagne vinaigrette; a smoked rabbit consumé, a beef tenderloin filet and Capon chicken, and, finally, a crème brulée trilogy.

While the food is upscale, the atmosphere is casual, and both owner and chef walk the dining room to deliver decidedly un-snooty introductions to the courses and the wine. The monthly wine dinners are $55 per person, and include a four-course meal plus hors d’oeuvres, and are paired with at least five wines.

The Inn itself is a classic country style, and for those wanting an even more casual dining atmosphere and menu, the Inn’s adjoining Catfi sh Saloon & Café fi ts the bill. Room rates range from the $79 per-night, antique-decorated rooms to a $235 per night “executive suite.” Most rooms boast a Jacuzzi among the amenities. Dining and lodging packages are available.

OUT AND ABOUT TOWN

Afton was first settled and founded in the 1830s, and an influx of Germans and Swedes in from the mid- to late-1800s established Afton’s rich agricultural heritage. The village sprang up during that time with all the businesses a growing population would demand, and many of those original buildings are still in use today, including the Afton House Inn. The city is also home to Afton Alps, which offers skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and golf and mountain biking in the summer. For more information about activities in Afton, or to
make reservations for dining and lodging at The Afton House Inn, visit www.aftonhouseinn.com or call (877) 436-8883.

Mike Mitchelson is a Minneapolis-based writer and editor of Foodservice News.