Near-gourmet quality at pub prices

Carrington's

by Margaret LeRoux

Carrington's Thompson Common Thompson, CT. 860-923-9571 Hours Wed.-Sat. noon- 9 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Full bar Major credit cards

If you want an almost gourmet dining experience at a price that most pubs can't beat, you're going to have make a little effort. By that I mean driving 20 minutes west of Worcester to Thompson, Connecticut where Carrington's is the new casual dining spot that shares a kitchen with the superb White Horse Inn.

Almost gourmet means deft touches by White Horse chef David Bergeron such as thin sliced, lightly sautéed parsnips as a vegetable garnish even though Carrington's bistro menu focuses on pub standards like meat loaf and fish and chips.

You'd never mistake this dining spot for a pub, though. Carrington's is the back porch of the inn housing the White Horse; instead of dark and smoky, its white color scheme is bright and inviting. The only dissonant note in this otherwise pleasant room is a large TV over the bar. This just doesn't feel like the sort of place that attracts a TV watching crowd.

Two friends and I made the trek to Carrington's recently, arriving just after six on a chilly Friday night to find the small restaurant was mostly full. A table near the fireplace offered the most warmth in the room; these old buildings can be pretty drafty.

Our waitress handled most of the tables with professional ease, fetching the wine list when we asked for alternatives to the drinks menu. Carrington's has a long list of exotic drinks and a whole page of variations on the martini. If you're a fan of chocolate, try the tiramisu martini ($9.95) made with Godiva liqueur and espresso. I was driving or I might have tried the bubbly martini ($7.95), lemon vodka, champagne and lime juice. My friend's cosmopolitan ($9.95) was the prettiest shade of pastel pink. The other two of us sampled Carrington's extensive listing of wines by the glass, choosing a `98 Trimbach pinot blanc ($6) and a `98 Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone ($5.50).

Appetizers at Carrington's are a league above the offerings I've seen lately at much pricier restaurants. Jumbo shrimp cocktail, and grilled portobello mushrooms over roasted garlic and eggplant compote (both $5.95) are the most expensive; pan fried crab cakes ($1.65 each) over watercress and endive the least. In between there's French onion soup ($3.50); blue corn chips and salsa; and corn fritters (both $3.95). We split a basket of fritters they were puffy and crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. A bit too bland, though; a dash of cayenne would have given them a little kick.

"At least they weren't served swimming in maple syrup," observed one of my dining companions. Instead, a little tub of maple flavored sweet butter was offered.

The soup du jour was seafood stew ($3.25) a light broth infused with tarragon, chock full of scallops, haddock, or scrod, shrimp and vegetables: tomatoes, celery, onions. My friend loved the combination and I did too, but you have to be a fan of the anise flavor of tarragon.

There were lots of interesting low-priced offerings among salads and sandwiches: the black Russian ($7.95) features ham, turkey and roast beef on pumpernickel bread and homemade Russian dressing; Caesar salad ($4.25), is offered with not only the standard grilled chicken ($6.95), but also grilled lamb ($7.25) and crab cakes ($8.25). I'm making a return trip for lamb tenderloin frisée ($9.25), described as field greens topped with thinly sliced marinated, grilled tenderloin of lamb. The three of us opted to share a shaker-style veal salad ($9.25). A thin veal cutlet breaded with Asiago cheese is pan-fried and cut into easily speared ribbons. It was tender and tasty, but a couple ribbons were cold and others hot; we couldn't determine the chef's intention. No quarrel with the abundant heap of field greens, though; they were fresh and piquant with a mandarin orange vinaigrette. Plus the salad was large enough that we all had second helpings.

On to the bistro menu, where we couldn't resist hickory bacon wrapped meat loaf, a mixture of ground pork and sirloin, a combination endorsed by good home cooks. Again the portion was sizeable -- three thick slices drizzled with light gravy -- more than any one person should eat, but you'll probably make an attempt because the texture of the meat loaf is so light. You can choose mashed sweet potatoes, oven roasted red bliss potatoes (we did), rice or fries. Here's where I encountered the sautéed parsnips along with thin sliced carrots; this combination works well together.

Our other choice was scallops Newburg ($9.25), served in a casserole with a bed of fluffy rice alongside. Another example of an old standby given a new interpretation with a light, delicate sauce instead of the heavy, gummy cheese sauce that Newburg often means. The scallops were fresh and not at all overcooked; it's probably picky of me to wish they had been just a bit sweet.

I noticed that diners at one of the neighboring tables ordered the fried clam dinner ($9.25), another huge portion that looked like heaven for one of my frequent dining companions. There's also fish and chips ($8.25), baked scrod ($9.50), and Yankee pot roast ($7.95)

Carrington's offers two all-you-can-eat options for those of you with major appetites. The classic barbecue ($15.95) includes ribs and chicken with sides of baked beans, baked potato, and salad; the prime ($16.95) is roast prime rib of beef with the same sides.

We even splurged on dessert even though the waitress confessed they aren't made on the premises. Nevertheless, we ate every bite of pecan pie and chocolate raspberry cake. Our bill was a reasonable $67 not including tip.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at
feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.