On line reservations available at OpenTable http:\/\/www.opentable.com\/publick-house<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0 Good writers will tell you that your opening paragraph needs something to \u201cgrab\u201d the reader.\u00a0 Lobster Macaroni and Cheese<\/strong>.\u00a0 Have I grabbed your attention now?\u00a0 Great!\u00a0 But first let me set the stage…<\/p>\n For some reason my wife Valerie and I tend to gravitate towards restaurants in old establishments.\u00a0 Consider our recent reviews here on FoodieTales for the Daniel Webster Inn<\/a> and the Olde Pink House<\/a>.<\/p>\n Perhaps its the mystique of a bygone era and imagining what life must have been like back then.\u00a0 The Publick House in Sturbridge MA certainly falls into this category, dating back to the 18th<\/sup> century.\u00a0 We decided to make a couple of special visits for this review.\u00a0 That fact alone speaks volumes about how much we enjoy the restaurant since its about a 90 minute drive from our home.<\/p>\n There are two dining rooms at the Publick House which they refer to as the historic Tap Room and Ebenezer\u2019s Tavern.\u00a0 Val & I have stopped at this spot several times in the past and really enjoyed the ambiance and food.\u00a0 The decor is probably best described as rustic-eclectic.\u00a0 You may be seated in straight-back wooden chairs (comfortable enough) to overstuffed parlor chairs.\u00a0 Tables are of the simple wooden variety sans tablecloths.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ok, so now that we\u2019ve set the stage, from past experience here we knew that we were going to have one appetizer in particular, Lobster Mac and Cheese ($15).\u00a0 They use real Maine lobster in this dish which is tossed with shells and a sauce made of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.\u00a0 It is baked and topped with a crumb mixture producing a crispy top to a very flavorful, creamy dish.\u00a0 This is on our do not miss under any circumstances list.\u00a0 For those who are really into it, this can also be had as a main course ($30) although I wouldn\u2019t recommend this because it\u2019s a very rich dish.<\/p>\n All meals come with a yummy bread basket that includes an assortment of fresh baked breads and rolls.<\/p>\n For our main course we chose some traditional New England favorites.\u00a0 The Turkey dinner ($20) is a simple presentation of sliced (dark & white meat) turkey and gravy with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and squash.\u00a0 It comes with cranberry sauce as you would expect.\u00a0 Its delicious and true to the traditional New England Thanksgiving dinner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We also tried the New England Baked Scrod ($21) and the New England Roasted Duck ($25).\u00a0 The Scrod has a cracker crumb topping and comes with rice and squash.\u00a0 It was cooked perfectly and is a great representation of this New England staple.\u00a0 The Duck isn\u2019t quite as big a New England tradition, but might just catch on.\u00a0 At the Publick House you get a half duck which is topped with a cranberry demi-glace.\u00a0 It comes with the same sausage-cornbread stuffing you get with the Turkey and the ubiquitous butternut squash. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n OK, so there are some disappointments.\u00a0 Publick House has lots of old-world charm but needs to up its game as far as service goes as, on occasion, we\u2019ve found it to be a bit lax.\u00a0 Long intervals without a visit from our server and drinks going un-refilled detract from what is otherwise an excellent dining experience.\u00a0 In no case has the food been disappointing though.\u00a0 Oh, but please come up with some other vegetable choices besides, squash, green beans or asparagus.\u00a0 Valerie loves these but I\u2019d prefer something a bit more main-stream like corn, peas and carrots.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n After dinner you have a real dilemma, what to get at the bakery cunningly placed on your way out.\u00a0\u00a0 They have a large assortment of fresh baked breads, cookies and pastries.\u00a0 All that we have tried have been very, very good.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some of you may be familiar with Old Sturbridge Village.\u00a0 It is a living museum kind of place where you can learn about how people lived in early New England.\u00a0 Take a look at their web site at http:\/\/www.osv.org<\/a>.\u00a0 Families may want to consider making a day trip combining the two stops for a really interesting and satisfying excursion.\u00a0 You\u2019ll find the Publick House just a short drive from there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Publick House 277 Main Street Sturbridge, MA\u00a0 01566 Phone 508-347-3313 or 800-PUBLICK http:\/\/www.publickhouse.com\/dining\/historic-tap-room On line reservations available at OpenTable http:\/\/www.opentable.com\/publick-house \u00a0 Good writers will tell you that your opening paragraph needs something to \u201cgrab\u201d the reader.\u00a0 Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.\u00a0 Continue reading Publick House – Sturbridge, Massachusetts<\/span>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/foodietales.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PH-Name.jpeg\" "\\"PH")
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