Photo by Skip Lawrence South Mountain Inn, located in Boonsboro.

Fact or fiction: George Washington dined there.

That's not certain. However, it is believed that as a young Lieutenant Washington and his men marched to Fort Duquesne during the French and Indian War. In 1859, the inn was captured and held overnight as an outpost for John Brown and his followers. And during the Civil War it was the headquarters for Confederate Gen. D.H. Hill during the Battle of South Mountain.

Fact or fiction: The restaurant is haunted.

I asked owner/chef Chad Dorsey about this one.

"Oh, definitely," said Dorsey, who has owned the restaurant for nine years and worked there for 18. He and his staff have had ghostly encounters and unexplained happenings over the years.

Fact or fiction: Old South Mountain Inn continues to live up to its reputation as a fine dining experience.

I can answer this one with a hearty "Yes."

My daughter Liz and I had dinner there on a recent weekday evening. The winding drive up U.S. 40 Alternate was gorgeous. The inn sits close to the highway, as any old wayside inn or tavern would, and against a wooded backdrop. Across the highway is the stone Dahlgren Chapel, built by a wealthy widow named Madeleine Dahlgren who owned the inn in the 1870s.

According to Dorsey, the ghost of Madeleine still inhabits the restaurant/inn, which was her residence. A few months ago a patron asked a server who the lady was pacing back and forth at the top of the steps in the front dining room. "The woman was wearing a blue dress," Dorsey said. "Supposedly, in any photo we have of Madeleine Dahlgren in the 1800s she is wearing a blue velvet dress.

"Actually, I'm comfortable with it," Dorsey said of the ghostly encounters. "I honestly think she's protecting her house."

Back to the real reason to go to Old South Mountain Inn -- wonderfully prepared food.

Liz and I were seated at a table in the middle dining room of the old house. The richly detailed boxed ceiling, handsome stone fireplace and the warm glow of light from the lantern-style lighting of the room added to the experience of dining in a historic setting. The bright and airy Garden Room, with walls of multi-paned windows, was also open for dining.

The tables are covered in white linen and set with pistol-grip flatware. The wood chairs have cushioned seats and sit on casters, which I'm sure help protect the room's hardwood floor.

The dinner menu is extensive and features a number of beef, pork, chicken, poultry, seafood and vegetarian entrees. Prices start in the low $20s for entrees including horseradish or wasabi encrusted salmon; breast of chicken saltimbocca, with prosciutto ham and fontina cheese; and pork chops seared in a honey, bourbon and ginger sauce. A 12-ounce New York center cut sirloin steak, a couple variations of filet mignon, and beef Wellington are priced in the upper $20s.

Liz chose the Filet Mignon Lisa with garlicky mashed potatoes and vegetables ($28) and a bowl of French onion soup ($6). I ordered from the specials menu which, that night, included two tempting entrees: wild quail and rainbow trout stuffed with crab meat. I opted for the wild quail, stuffed with a homemade sausage ($25). Crab and lobster were the soups of the day. On our server's recommendation, I ordered the crab soup ($5).

The French onion soup was savory with tender onions and warm melted cheese. My crab soup was rich and creamy with chunks of crab meat. We also shared an order of mushrooms stuffed with crab imperial ($9), a satisfying combination of earthy flavors.

The garden salads proved to be a refreshing break between appetizers and entrees. Liz's filet mignon was pan-seared to medium as she requested and topped with crumbled bleu cheese and served on a bed of fried leeks. Garlicky mashed potatoes are one of her favorites and these were perfect.

The quail portions were pan seared and stuffed with sausage. The quail was tender and moist; the spicy sausage was a nice contrast to the texture of the quail. It was served with a rice blend and saut?ed squash and carrot slices.

To bring this fine meal to a sweet ending, we made our choices from the dessert menu ($4 to $8), which includes peanut butter, bourbon pecan, apple and key lime pies; creme brulee; Godiva chocolate cake; chocolate mousse; and Chocolate Fantasy, a brownie served with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, walnuts, whipped cream and topped with a surprise. We didn't have the Fantasy, so I can't tell you what the surprise is.

However, I can tell you about the New York cheesecake ($7) and the Fruits of the Forest pie ($7). Liz had the cheesecake, smooth and topped with fresh strawberries. The Fruits of the Forest pie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, seemed like the perfect companion for wild quail. The filling was of black raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries and red raspberries. The crust was light and flaky. The pie alone was worth the drive.

We had sweet tea with our meal, but the restaurant has a full bar and an extensive wine list. The restaurant can accommodate groups in a second floor dining room, called the Civil War room, and is a popular site for weddings and receptions.

In Good Taste reports on an

unannounced dining experience and is not meant to be a critical review.