"An 1890s Hockessin farmhouse where James Beard nominee William Hoffman cooks $48 duck worth crossing state lines for. Book an anniversary."
About House of William & Merry
William Hoffman and Merry Catanuto live on the property of the restaurant they named after themselves, an 1890s farmhouse at 1336 Old Lancaster Pike on the edge of Kennett Square's mushroom country. Hoffman, a James Beard nominee for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, cooks contemporary American from nearby farms: scallops at $24, duck breast at $48, prime steak at $56. Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday, five to nine, and Sunday ends with brunch and a prix fixe supper. Greater Wilmington has flashier rooms; it has nothing else this personal.
The Kitchen
Hoffman did his time at the Hotel du Pont before going out on his own, and the training shows in plates that are composed without being fussy. The menu moves with what the farms around Hockessin and Kennett Square actually have, which means mushrooms get star billing in autumn and the spring card leans green. The $24 scallop starter and the $48 duck breast are the constants regulars order on instinct; the $56 prime steak is there for the table's traditionalist.
Catanuto runs the front of the house the way the building suggests: dinner in someone's well-run home, because it is one. The wine list is compact and priced to drink rather than to admire. The combination, a James Beard-nominated kitchen inside a family farmhouse, has no real peer in Delaware; downtown's Le Cavalier and Bardea Food & Drink are the city's louder counterarguments. Our seven signs of a great restaurant reads like a checklist written here.
The Room
Small farmhouse rooms with the proportions of 1890: low ceilings, close walls, tables that seat two and four far more comfortably than eight. The sound level stays at conversation-easy because the building will not allow anything else. Lighting is warm and domestic rather than designed. Dress is smart casual; the room reads date-night by seven. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 5 to 9pm sharp.
Best for an Anniversary
Book it for an anniversary because the register is exactly right: personal, unhurried, quiet enough to talk, with owners on site who treat repeat couples as the point of the enterprise rather than a loyalty-program segment. Ask for an early table and arrive before the light goes; the farmhouse photographs best at dusk. The wider field is on the best restaurants for an anniversary guide, and the rest of the area sits in the Wilmington dining guide.
Not for
Skip it with a party of ten or a tight schedule. The farmhouse seats few, runs unhurried, and the kitchen closes at nine sharp.
Frequently Asked
Is the House of William & Merry worth it?
Yes, and book it for the occasions that matter. Hoffman's kitchen runs at a James Beard-nominated level in a setting no hotel dining room can fake, an 1890s farmhouse the owners actually live on. The $48 duck breast and $24 scallops are the proof orders. Le Cavalier downtown is the flashier room; this is the better evening.
How hard is it to book the House of William & Merry?
One to two weeks out for weekend tables, less midweek. Reservations run on OpenTable, dinner is Tuesday to Saturday 5 to 9pm, and Sunday holds brunch plus a prix fixe supper. The dining rooms are small farmhouse rooms, so parties beyond six should call 302-234-2255 directly.
What is the dress code at the House of William & Merry?
Smart casual. The farmhouse forgives anything tidy; most tables run business casual to date-night dress and no jacket is needed. Hockessin is horse-and-mushroom country, not a resort strip, and the room follows suit: comfortable, warm and unbothered by what you wore.
What does a meal at the House of William & Merry cost?
Starters sit in the $20s and mains run $40 to $56, with the scallops at $24, duck breast at $48 and prime steak at $56 as anchors. With wine, plan $90 to $130 a person. The Sunday prix fixe supper is the value entry point.
Is the House of William & Merry good for an anniversary?
Yes, emphatically. A chef-owned farmhouse where the owners live on the property is the right register for an anniversary: personal, quiet enough to talk, and unhurried by design. Ask for an early table and let the evening stretch. See the full anniversary ranking for the wider field.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at House of William & Merry
Reservations via OpenTable or 302-234-2255. Dinner Tue–Sat; Sunday brunch and prix fixe supper.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1336 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707
NeighbourhoodHockessin
CuisineContemporary American
PriceMains $40–$56; Sunday prix fixe
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingSmall farmhouse dining rooms
ReservationOpenTable / phone
