If you are searching for solid cooking in an old world atmosphere you will do well to choose dining at Heermansmith Farm Inn, just outside the little village  of Coventry in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The dining room makes one feel as if one is an old inn. There's a fireplace built out of slate, walls lined  with books,  crisp white table cloths and wide pine floor boards that creak a bit. In winter,  when it is -20 degrees outside, one can come to this restaurant and immediately  feel warm, not just because of the fire but because of the atmosphere. Some  places have it and some don't. Heermansmith has it..

Chef Chris Camp used to have his own restaurant in nearby Newport and garnered a reputation for innovative and equisite food regardless of how much the ingredients cost. He's been reigned in at Heermansmith a bit, (you won't find roast kangaroo on the menu!) but he has been allowed to bring his innovative talents onto  the old Heermansmith menu when the cost is not outlandish. So, regulars at  Heermansmith will find not only the old favorites like Roast Duck ($16.95)and  grilled Delmonico Steak (16.95), but also Chris's signature dishes like Potato Scaled Rainbow Trout($17.95). This is a whole rainbow  trout encrusted with thin slices of potatoes topped with a dill and caper beurre blanc.

On a recent visit we chose two different appetizers that are also new; Mushrooms  Encassoulette ($5.95) while my companion had Scallop & Artichoke  Casserole ($6.95). The mushroom appetizer consisted of mushrooms sauteed  in a sherried creme sauce, nestled in a warm puff pastry heart. The scallop  and artichoke casserole contained artichoke hearts and scallops in a creamy cheddar and shallot mornay sauce topped with bread crumbs. Following this  we were served a homemade strawberry sorbet. A salad with creamy garlic dressing was also included in the meal but somehow it got lost in our enjoyment of  the other items.

Chris's  hand can also be seen in the entrée menu, augmented, of course,by the literary talents of Jack Smith, Heermansmith's proprietor. Beside the duck and the delmonico steak, we could have chosen Rib Eye Steak stuffed with Prawns ($18.95) or Seafood Puttenesca ($18.95), but we chose the Potato Scaled Rainbow Trout ($17.95) because it appeared to be something  neither of us had eaten before and the entrée sounded intriguing. It  was one of the tastiest trouts we'd eaten. We have since learned that this dish is popular with almost everyone. What  they call "a winner" at Heermansmith.

While  the portions are not large at Heermansmith, we found them more than adequate and one might even say, somewhat rich. You may decide, quite correctly, to  forego desert after such a meal and feel well satisfied. Presentation here was perfect - the sort of thing you might find only in the big city, at a first class restaurant. The dishes looked like paintings. You never know  what you can run across in the wilds of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

To learn more about Heermansmith Farm Inn, visit the web  page.

lolainred@aol.com