The Hummingbird Room - About Us

Inn Spots & Special Places – By Nancy and Richard Woodworth

Dining Spots
The Hummingbird Room, Route 45, Spring Mills
Arguably the area's finest dining is offered by Eric and Claudia Sarnow in a National Register landmark built in 1847. The couple left Philadelphia, where he was sous chef for six years at the renowned Le Bec Fin, to open a 22-seat Hummingbird Restaurant in the Woodward Inn in eastern Centre County in 1993. They purchased the Fisher House and moved the Hummingbird Room closer to State College two years later, retaining the name but expanding dinner service from three to five nights a week.

Dining is in a variety of small rooms on the first and second floors. Burgundy-lined tables are set with stunning Villeroy & Boch china. Dishes arrive under silver cloches and tablecloths are crumbed between courses.

The French menu is available a la carte or prix-fixe. The reputation of the lobster bisque, the house-smoked salmon with a lobster and artichoke salad, and the sautéed lobster with morels over homemade pasta preceded our visit. Good things were also said about the filet of beef rossini with black truffle sauce and the loin of veal with smoked veal sausage, cognac sauce and truffled mashed potato.

We were smitten by the wild mushroom ravioli and the cold seafood pate with lobster and salmon for starters. The roast duckling with raspberry sauce and the filet of pork tenderloin with Dijon mustard-tomato-cornichon sauce and a goat cheese soufflé were superior main dishes. Claudia prepares the desserts, which include an excellent chocolate-hazelnut dacquoise, orange cheesecake with grand marnier, rhubard cobbler and kiwi sorbet. Eric uncorked champagne with a saber in the Napoleonic style.