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Good Eats What?
Where?
Chef: Gerry Dougherty I hadn't been in the Main St. Diner in Bristol in a while. But we were on our way to a poker game at some friends and wanted to grab a bite to eat before hand. So we popped in. The location that's home to the Main St. Diner has been through a lot of different incarnations over the years. And through most of them, the expectation has been that it was a place to go for good, solid, down-home meals -- chicken, meat loaf, roast pork, pasta & meatballs. That fare's still there, primarily on the Children's Menu. But now, there's more ... much more. The variety was surprising. There was a salmon with salsa fresco, a Mediterranean chicken with tomatoes, black olives & artichoke hearts ... Since we were in something of a hurry, and knew there'd be a little spread for the poker game {you know, the usual chips and salsa, some salty stuff, probably some chocolate}, I decided to go light. So I looked to see what there was for a soup, and figured I'd grab a light dinner choice. Now I'm far from a vegetarian, but two things jumped off the menu at me ... Pumpkin Ginger Soup and Wild Mushrooms over Garlic Polenta. Pumpkin Ginger Soup: The soup choice, for me, was a no-brainer. There was a turkey veg available ... probably very good, but ... There was pumpkin ginger. Bingo!
I should warn you. This particular review has to be a little prejudiced, because I love pumpkin and I love ginger. So the prospect of pumpkin ginger soup sat more than just fine with me. Pumpkin ... a solid, earthy, versatile vegetable. The staple of autumn pies. I even had a pumpkin cheesecake once that was out of this world. In the right hands, pumpkin can take you a long way. Ginger is a whole other story: Ginger is one of those seasonings you have to love to know. Most folks use a light hand with it, which makes sense most of the time. But if you really know ginger and love it, then you have to be willing to let it have its way once in a while. And that's exactly what chef Gerry Dougherty did. The Pumpkin Ginger Soup at the Main St. Diner was a great blend. The sweet and creamy texture of the pumpkin was punctuated -- perfectly for me -- with a no-holds-barred exclamation point of ginger. There was nothing at all timid about it. If you love pumpkin and/or ginger {and even if you don't think you do}, this one's a must-try. ***** [5 stars] Wild Mushrooms over Garlic Polenta: Now's probably a good time to confess this. I'm Italian and I love polenta. I love mushrooms, too. {This was definitely my evening, eh?!?} For those of you who aren't familiar with it, polenta is a cornmeal dish, somewhat, but only distantly related to grits. It is yellow, not white. And the meal is whole corn, ground considerably finer than anything you'd ever find in grits. But like some cooks make grits, polenta can come out on the firmer side, so that it can actually be sliced and then pan-fried. Or it can also be served as a somewhat looser dish, like a rice pilaf, or something similar. Often, it makes a great side-dish to meat. {My personal favorite is with lamb.} But sometimes, though more rarely, it can also take center stage on your plate. ... That's how chef Gerry Dougherty served up this polenta dish the Main St. Diner. The polenta was a near-perfect texture and consistency ... not too firm, not too loose. The garlic was there in a proportion most folks will find just right. The generous portion of polenta served as the bed for a more-than-generous portion of wild mushrooms -- in this case, Chicken of the Woods, Shiitake & a Portabella variety -- all sautéed very nicely. And the mushrooms proved to be a really great compliment in both texture and flavor to the base of polenta. The dish was also served with a side of spinach, which, with its astringent taste and leafy texture, rounded off the entire thing perfectly. So, if you've had polenta before and want to try a really delicious version, or you've never had it before and want to see what it's all about, go for it at the Main St. Diner. You won't be disappointed. I promise. ****1/2 [4 1/2 stars] ******* ******* When we go some place to eat, we don't announce ourselves or our intentions. We want to be sure we're getting -- in quality and otherwise -- what anyone coming in would get. In that light, not only was the food good, but the service was first-rate. We were waited on promptly. And there was a good space between the soup and the entree. When I called back a few days later, to get more info about the Main St. Diner, I had a chance to talk a bit with Gerry Dougherty. He was great to talk to. And his obvious love of what he does came through. "We like to have fun here," he said, and then went on to talk about the kinds of dishes he prepares. "I have a pretty good repertoire," he told me. Indeed. In addition to the dishes we mentioned, Gerry is at least slightly obsessed with playing with food the way some folks fine tune their cars. You can usually find something Indian on the menu. And one of Gerry's "latest obsessions" has been with Caribbean food -- black beans, yellow rice, etc. He also loves fresh seafood {there was a crab cake on the menu the evening we called}, and always has dinners completely veg for those who want them. So, if you want to have some fun, too, you owe it to yourself to take a trip to the Main St. Diner. Mange forte! {Roughly translated: Eat heartily!} lmc If you know of any dishes at restaurants around the area, or if you'd like to submit a review of your own, don't hesitate to let us know. ******* ******* |
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