Hyeholde has atmosphere of days gone by and cultivated menu to match

Hyeholde is enchanting, complete with Old World charm and grace.

From the minute you pull into the winding drive, you will be mesmerized by the serenity of the 4-acre property, immediately forgetting that you are minutes from Pittsburgh International Airport. And when you pull up to the restaurant, you will be captivated by the castle-like structure, built from old barns in the 1930s by owner Barbara K.S. McKenna's parents.

For over 78 years, Hyeholde has been doing it right. Some might say that it has been a local institution known not only for its fine-dining cuisine, but for helping to cultivate some of the city's most noteworthy chefs. Among those are Richard DeShantz (Meat & Potatoes, Butcher and the Rye, Tako) and Derek Stevens (Eleven).

When dining at Hyeholde, you have a few options from which to choose: Go the traditional route and make a reservation for one of the many dining rooms. Start off with a cocktail or glass of wine on the patio to take in the fresh air. When the patio is closed, drinks can be had in “Q,” a rustic private dining room in the building adjacent to the main restaurant.

The dinner menu is not extensive but consists of a handful of refined first courses, soups, salads and entrees, which can please carnivores and vegetarians. Dinner is started off with Hyeholde's complimentary breadbasket: a silver tray filled with warm pieces of thinly sliced housemade bread and crackers, accompanied by softened butter and a black-olive tapenade.

A solid first-course to order is the jumbo lump crab cakes, served two per order on a bed of tangy Dijon mustard cream sauce and topped with a sweet roasted red-pepper coulis and microgreens. Grilled baby lamb chops, filet carpaccio and roasted mushroom pate are also featured.

I've been told by multiple people that the sherry bisque is a must-order, no matter what the temperature outside, and I have to agree. Noted on the menu as “a Hyeholde tradition,” the cup of sherry soup is made with blended tomatoes, split peas, cream and sherry, topped with frothy cream and parsley. A cheese cracker stick is served on the side for good measure.

Though I tend to skip salads when eating out (I really just want to get to the main course), I recommend that you order at least one of those on the menu. The roasted-beet-and-feta salad is perfect for summer. It comes prepared with tender roasted beets, salty and creamy feta cheese, crunchy almond slices and crisp greens dressed in the freshest lemon vinaigrette and topped with pickled shallots. A salad not on the menu that I recommend ordering consists of field greens simply tossed in a miso vinaigrette that is drinkable on its own.

When chicken is presented on restaurant menus, it can often be overlooked because it's usually boring. But, not at Hyeholde. Tender and juicy chicken breast is pan-seared, creating a crispy skin that is salty and seasoned, served with a bright-green pea puree and pea risotto. I absolutely love peas, and if you do, too, this dish is for you. Some of the other options include grilled prime filet; pine-crusted elk served with a mushroom bread pudding; vegan souffle with a spicy tomato sauce; and four-hour braised lamb shank plated on top of rich and creamy grits with roasted cauliflower, carrots and a succulent lamb sauce.

As a person who likes lamb, this dish didn't disappoint. The lamb was tender, falling off the bone. But the real start of this dish was the creamy and savory grits made simply with cream, garlic and salt and pepper. I could eat these with anything and wanted to order a bowl to go.

After-dinner dessert and coffee service can be taken outside on the patio if you chose to dine inside.

It shouldn't be skipped, because the current menu includes a grasshopper Napoleon with spearmint ice cream, chocolate ice cream, chocolate crumb crust, cocoa nibs and fudge, in addition to a classic creme brulee, fruit cobbler, lemon tart, cheese plate and housemade sorbets and ice creams.

In additional to formal dining, Hyeholde offers a chef's table seating ($95 per person excluding tax, gratuity and alcohol) for up to six people at a table directly inside the kitchen, overlooking the hot and cold lines. Held two to three nights per week, the chef's table allows guests to submerge themselves inside of a working kitchen. Owner McKenna encourages guests to interact with the chefs.

A unique feature of the chef's table seating is that all gratuity from these dinners are reserved in a special fund that McKenna created to send the chefs and their families to restaurants outside of Pittsburgh. These trips give them the opportunity to see what other restaurants are doing across the country. Chefs have gone to California, New York, Chicago and one of the most traveled-to spots: The Inn at Little Washington in Virginia.

When the chefs return, McKenna has them write a paper about their whole dining experience, from ambiance to service and cuisine. She says it helps them to open their eyes to the other side of the restaurant, beyond the kitchen.

The parcel of land upon which Hyeholde sits is filled with greenery, walking paths, gardens and open spaces, the perfect setting for a picnic date (which could eventually lead to one of the many weddings held on grounds.) Hyeholde has a menu dedicated to “picnics for two,” which include plush blankets, pillows and baskets of food, ranging from lobster rolls and fried chicken to filet and the delicious crab cakes. If you really want to impress a date, order up the silver-tray picnic at $195 for two. This elegant service includes champagne, lobster, caviar and other top-of-the-line dishes.

Hyeholde is truly a magical place that will have you wanting to leave your phone in your car with the valet and enjoy an evening of good wine, great food and even better service that is sure to last for another 78 years.

Sarah Sudar is one of the food-savvy ladies of eatPGH.com, who contribute a weekly Dining Out column to Trib Total Media.