The House of William and Merry — Restaurant in Hockessin, Delaware

This will be my first restaurant review. I see there are no very recent ones. Probably a conspiracy so that the parking lot will not fill up. First, the low points... ... ... well, the bar only has about four seats. Lucky for me I go there for the food. If you just want to drink, go elsewhere. Although there is a nice wine list. Once when I ordered some single malt straight up, that's how I got it. I meant neat, and they cheerfully changed it. So I was slightly embarrassed. The staff seem to enjoy themselves, maybe because part of their job is to taste everything so that they can shamelessly recommend things. I recently had the Lobster- Lamb Breast-Manchego Fritters, which would have made a very nice small lunch all by themselves. Leaving me with less appetite than I would have liked for the cheese plate. But I managed to finish it. (And that's all I needed that night.) The Chef's Tasting Board is another small meal disguised as a starter. At least they don't call them appetizers. The House Caprese with heirloom tomatoes is amazing. Get it while you can. And it will leave you room for an entree. Many of their ingredients are locally sourced. Some herbs are grown specifically for W&M. I cook duck breast frequently, and have gotten pretty good at it, but I will still order theirs. Different, and I will admit better than mine. I hate that- another reason not to go- showoffs. The soups are delicious. The corn and crab bisque... The portions are not massive, but when you are done you will feel very satisfied. (I am a 210 pound man who does not want a 32 ounce steak.) If you have room for dessert you will be very pleased. The staff and the owners do a great job acting as if they enjoy being there- so far I have not caught them out of character. Be careful, I think it's contagious. We go there early when it is quiet- 6:00 or 6:30- I am sure the food is better if you go a couple of hours later. We let them practice on us. I doubt you will see me review...

First time dining . Ambiance is nice, food was not outstanding but very good tasting, service was nice and attentive. So why we disappointed? We've made a BIG mistake choosing Chef's choice 4 course dinner for $60pp. Waitress promised us an amazing experience and it WAS AMAZING in point of total rip off for what you get. Looking around we saw people enjoying their quite big portions of yummy food and felt kind of insulted by the stinginess of the Chef presenting HIS choice to us. We understand that portions can't be too big involving 4 course dinner and always prefer small plates but not to the extend this Chef presented our meal. Particularly spending more then $75pp (including tips and tax). What was missing: a) the proper amount of veggies and sides in proportion to meat and fish. b) one bland tasting gazpacho shot as an amuse was not nearly enough to make an impression about Chef"s creativity and hospitality. For that kind of money other Chef's were showering us with amuses and intermezzos. c) the "cheese plate" (as a course) containing just one kind of cheese is something new for us. It's not the first time we go with Chef's tasting menu and every time we do we expect it to be at least interesting and fulfilling. In this case it wasn't either. We trusted this Chef's "choice" and were very...

We have been going to The House of William and Merry for about 4 years now, and have always been very pleased with our meals. We went back after an 18 month covid hiatus and we were extremely surprised and impressed! If anything their food has improved despite the pandemic, with no corners cut.

Dinner started with a red pepper flake bread with butter, followed by an amuse bouche of thin sliced swordfish belly with a deep, umami-filled black trumpet mushroom sauce and chives. We then split a seared foie gras to die for. I got gnocchi, more puffy and pillow-like than I would have thought possible, with a carbonara sauce of egg yolk, truffle, guanciale, roasted broccoli. Delicious and innovative.

It was memorable beyond the food. We sat at the bar and the eponymous owners and our bartender made for wonderful and lively conversation, swapping stories of work and mushroom foraging, discussing the provenance of ingredients, and lamenting hospital wait times.

Over our years in Delaware, we've tried to eat at all the fine restaurants, and occasionally we venture to Philly or NYC looking for top tier new experiences. The meal we had tonight could not have been bested by the finest Manhattan has to offer. Top marks and highly recommended to anyone hoping for an unforgettable meal...