Inspired Precision

Chef Bob Truitt of Stockton Inn is not the type of chef who spends more time chatting in the dining room than he does cooking in the kitchen. Truitt is a hands-on chef: He cooks with his crew and expedites, using his vast experience working in top kitchens around the world to send detail-oriented meals to diners. “I have always loved cooking,” Truitt says, “and I was pretty confident that was a path I wanted to take from a young age.”

A native of Rutledge, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, the chef found his calling when he was 15 years old, washing dishes in a bakery owned by his aunt and uncle. From there, he moved to neighborhood sandwich and pizza shops, then to noted Philadelphia restaurants such as Pasion, Morimoto Philly, and Buddakan, and then to a stagiaire position (that’s French for intern) at El Bulli, on the northeast Spanish coast, which Chef Ferran Adrià will tell you is harder to get than a reservation. Truitt can attest. He spent a couple of years sending emails and recommendations until he was finally awarded one of the coveted eight-month positions. Afterward he moved to New York City, where he worked in the kitchens at Corton, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in TriBeCa, and Ai Fiori, where he was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

At Stockton Inn, an appetizer of crab soldiers is simple and complex at the same time: a crisp potato rosti standing in for the toast, a swipe of preserved lemon aioli in place of egg yolk, a tumble of crab meat harkening back to the egg white and garnished with just the right amount of trout roe and a perfectly placed frond of dill. “I have been lucky enough to work for a handful of people who instilled the philosophy of attention to detail and taking pride in the craft and respecting it and striving for excellence,” Truitt says.

Precision is a word that crops up again and again when speaking to Truitt. He brings a pastry chef’s perspective of accuracy and balance to the meals he creates. The recipes are all original, springing from his mind and the brains of his team. The chefs collaborate and bounce ideas off each other. “It is all about the team,” he says. “It is not one singular person who makes it all work, and I am very aware of that.”

The menu is focused, allowing Truitt and his team to apply precision to each element. A roasted Moulard duck breast sits atop a vibrant carrot purée. Nestled beside the duck are perfect baby turnips, and for a hint of sweet, an unexpected burst of mandarin orange. The dish is finished with a rich, complex, spiced duck jus that is carefully simmered to be the essence of the whole.

Cooking is not just something that Truitt does as a profession. His face lights up when discussing cooking with his family. Nights the kitchen is dark at Stockton Inn finds Truitt cooking at home with his wife and their two sons. “I love to be able to share what I do so closely with them,” he says.

He describes a cooperative process in which his family shares pictures of food and gets excited about what they are going to cook that night. The boys are so great about trying different things that there are no staples at home.

Truitt is excited for the summer vegetable season in the River Towns. “We try to stay as local as possible,” he says. “There is so much great produce in the area.” Starting this summer, Roots to River Farm in Solebury will provide the greens used in dishes, and Chef Truitt features New Jersey’s abundant produce when it is available. As he starts reciting the bounty of vegetables grown in New Jersey, there is reverence in his voice. “It is so exciting for us to work with ingredients of the highest quality,” he says, “but to see it coming from a twenty-mile radius, it is that much more enjoyable.”

At Stockton Inn, the dishes are ever-changing, with new menus printed every week. “I want people to be excited to come here not for one specific thing,” he says, “but to know they are going to have a great experience and delicious food that has been well prepared and well cared for versus just one singular item.”

Truitt loves carrying on the historic tradition of Stockton Inn, a building that was constructed in 1710 and turned into a tavern around 1830. He recounts customers who return for every anniversary because they got married at the Inn, who celebrate birthdays and other life events. “People love seeing it back to life,” he says.

The Inn, which had been closed since 2015, reopened in 2024 after extensive restorations and renovations. A serene dining room features lots of natural light, a clubby bar with a creative cocktail menu provided by Brian Miller, a mixologist who is known as a tiki pioneer. Outdoor dining was renovated with the same care. Serpentine brick paths wind around the patio leading to private tiers furnished with comfy chairs, tables, and fire pits. Covered dining tables are nestled beside a dramatic two-story waterfall that provides a soothing backdrop to a night under the stars. “We care about what we do a lot,” Truitt says. “We care about our team, our community, our ingredients, and creating a memorable experience for our guests.”