Mountain Barn

Princeton's high-end pub

by Margaret LeRoux

Mountain Barn 174 Worcester Road (Route 31) Princeton Hours Thurs. 4:30-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 4:30-10 p.m. Sun. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Full bar MC, Visa Handicap accessible

I recently met a couple of friends for a weekend dinner at the Mountain Barn in Princeton, which has enjoyed a long-lived popularity among locals in the Wachusett region. It's as casual as a pub, though the menu offerings are, for the most part, a giant step beyond the usual pub fare. And the service is much friendlier, less rushed than I've encountered in other pubs. Even on a busy Friday night, we were greeted warmly and served efficiently. And when we lingered over dessert until almost closing, no one made us feel as if we should pack up and be on our way.

The "barn" is just that -- big, old, and converted into a large restaurant serving on two levels and with a lounge up in the rafters. Varnished pine walls are decorated with antiques, quilts, and enough other paraphernalia to give it an early-American, country casual look.

Booths line the walls and middle sections of the first level. A couple of steps down lead to another large room full of tables. The three of us were seated at a booth bordering the two rooms. Early diners were leaving as we headed in, so there was no wait for a table.

A very small wine list offers limited by-the-glass or -bottle choices. My friends opted for glasses of Forest Glen merlot ($5.50) and I chose Angelina pinot grigio ($5.50), a light, pleasant white.

There's nothing adventurous on the appetizer list. Pub-food fans will be pleased to find Buffalo wings ($4.95), potato "hides" ($4.50), nachos, shrimp cocktail (both $5.25), and onion rings ($3.95). We sampled onion soup ($3.25), sausage-stuffed mushrooms ($4.25), and the evening's special, crab Rangoon ($5.95). The beef-flavored soup was full of onions, and, as described, contained homemade croutons and was topped with a thick layer of Swiss cheese. Unfortunately, as the soup cooled, the cheese congealed into a big lump that was difficult to cut even with a knife and fork. (My friend gave up.) The mushrooms sat in a pool of melted cheese. The sausage was difficult to detect in the sample I tried, but the breadcrumb stuffing was nicely seasoned. I had a hard time finding any crab in the crab Rangoon. The deep-fried pockets of cream-cheese filling had lots of green onion, but not much else.

The salad course improved our spirits with bowls of crisp romaine, creamy dressing, and lots of seasoned croutons. Rolls were hot, but of the pre-frozen, heat-and-serve variety.

Entrées draw on mainstream favorites. Meat dishes includes prime rib ($8.95/10 oz., $10.95/16 oz.) and barbecued baby-back ribs ($9.95). Pasta offerings include Mediterranean vegetables with feta cheese ($7.95) and shrimp with pesto cream sauce ($8.95).

Two of us chose from the night's specials: baked salmon ($11.95), and grilled, lemon-pepper swordfish ($12.95). Our third companion's selection was from the restaurant's "old favorites" list: baked, stuffed filet of sole ($7.95) in Newburg sauce. The "old favorites" list is for bargain hunters and includes roast turkey with apple/walnut-cornbread stuffing, pot roast, and baked half chicken (each for $7.95), meat loaf and mashed potatoes (only $6.95), and an eight-ounce chopped sirloin with mushrooms and onion rings ($7.25).

I only wish I could praise the flavors of my friend's stuffed sole as much as the price. Two small filets were rolled around a filling described as crabmeat, red pepper, and crumbs. My friend described it as "musty tasting." The sample I tried was lukewarm and dry. One taste of the Newburg and all we could say was "Cheese Whiz." The large, baked potato that accompanied the fish would have been delicious if it were hot. All in all, a rather bad bargain.

But the Mountain Barn's cooking staff redeemed itself with two top-notch specials. The swordfish was outstanding -- lightly seasoned large portions with lemon pepper. The rice-pilaf side could have used something to give it a little spark -- even just some chopped fresh parsley or green onions.

My salmon was a generously sized, boneless filet with a light crumb topping. I was a bit leery of ordering baked salmon. In my experience, once it's overdone it loses its appeal. But this salmon was cooked perfectly -- moist and tender. It was topped by a tasty sour-cream sauce containing chopped cucumber and dill. I'd chosen mashed potatoes and they too were outstanding -- red bliss, with the skins still on and lots of garlic mashed in. Instead of salad, I selected the vegetable of the night, fresh baked butternut squash. If I'd given it more thought I'd have probably have chosen a salad instead, for the squash was mashed, sweet, and seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. But even though my plate lacked a variety of texture, the squash's flavor was genuinely good.

Our patient waitress (we were so caught up in or conversation that most of the restaurant was empty by the time she recited dessert offerings) gave us several choices as meal enders, from triple chocolate truffle cake ($3.95) to tapioca pudding and banana-chocolate ice cream. We chose the cake (of course) and a slice of lemon meringue pie ($2.95) for contrast. Neither tasted homemade, but the cake was the overall favorite -- deeply chocolate, swimming in hot fudge with a little cloud of whipped cream. It was easy to forget the kitchen's earlier missteps while we were practically licking the plate. Our bill totaled $74.24 not including tip.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedme
feedback@hotmail.com.