The night of the meal at the Crystal Room, my wife and I checked into the bed and breakfast she’d made reservations for us at the Golden Eagle Inn. The room was spacious and well-accommodated, with  huge windows and high ceilings, a modern bathroom, and a wonderful king-sized bed. In the morning when we woke, we went downstairs to our brunch reservations. I was immediately intrigued by the original and unique takes on “traditional” brunch foods and after the meal, I can confidently say I will be making a concerted effort to return to the Golden Eagle Inn and their restaurant every time we’re in Bedford Springs, if only to try everything on their seasonal menu.

My wife had the chicken and biscuits, the classic southern dish with golden fried cutlets of white meat chicken, dense as a brick biscuits, sawmill (sausage) gravy, and a basil, garlic tarragon oil. The chicken was light, crispy, fresh, and delicious. Perfectly seasoned with the absolutely vital crunch to break up the heavy, dense dish, each bite of the chicken was superb. The biscuits, peppery and buttery, were the perfect consistency to not fall apart amongst the herbal oil or the smooth, thick gravy, which had that wonderful deep, earthy, pork flavor, without being overly salty or overpowering the biscuits and the chicken. The herbed oil was a masterful touch, providing a light, bright note that helped balance out the heavy and dense biscuits and gravy. An outstanding, stick-to-your-ribs kind of brunch dish that keeps you satisfied all day without making you feel overly indulgent.

I went with the crushed meatball frittata, as their special of the day was a garden basil and fresh mozzarella frittata and I wanted to try some of their unique takes on protein (they also offered a meatloaf sandwich and a pastrami reuben, as well as a burger with candied bacon jam). The frittata was large and beautifully crispy on the edges, while perfectly cooked throughout. The melty mozzarella draped over the entire frittata added a lovely blanket of cheesiness, which as everyone knows is the best part of a meatball sub. Medium chunks of crushed meatballs, beautifully seasoned with a lot of garlic and fresh herbs (oregano, basil, and thyme) were dotted throughout the substantial open-faced omelet. The tater tots on the side were exceptional, hot and crispy, seasoned with some (well-appreciated restraint and) truffle salt and pepper.

Not pictured: the Build Your Own Bloody Mary that I built, or at least attempted to (100% my fault). The waiter brought me out a glass generously filled with Vodka and ice and I was free to add as much of the tomato juice, pickled vegetables (peppers, okra, tomatoes, gherkins), celery, bacon slices, and hot sauce as I wished. I really wasn’t thinking when I added those 4 shakes of the ghost pepper hot sauce, but that was completely on me and my inability to rationalize how far ghost pepper hot sauce goes in a glass. Next time, I’ll opt for one of their house-made cocktails and leave the cooking to the professionals.