Harlequin

Creative, pampered -- and audacious -- at the Beechwood Inn

363 Plantation Street, Worcester 754-5789
Dinner: Mon.- Sat. 6-10 p.m., Sun.5-9 p.m.
Lunch: Mon.-Fri.11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Brunch: Sun.10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Major credit cards
Liquor license
Fully handicap accessible

by Jim Johnson

This wasn't my first visit to the Beechwood, but it may have been my best. When I visited recently with a friend, the menu seemed bolder, the setting more upbeat. Perhaps spring fever was the culprit, since a comparison with previous menus yielded few major differences. The decor seemed brighter, however, with framed photos on the walls, white table linens, and several whimsical wooden horses. Or it may have been the creative treatments and colorful presentations of the dishes. Or perhaps it was our server, who pampered us with perfect levels of attention, cordiality, and a thorough knowledge of the menu and wine list.

Wines range from $17 to $90 a bottle, and our server suggested Bonny Doon Riesling as an excellent value. Despite its low-end price ($24), the wine was indeed excellent with just the hint of sweetness we'd been looking for.

As we savored the wine, our server returned with a basket of tasty focaccia and doughy bread, both fresh and warm. She then swirled basil olive oil onto our bread plates for delicious dipping.

We started with two soups that had been favorites on earlier visits. The butternut squash and crabmeat bisque ($3.95) was as rich, creamy, and sweet as ever, loaded with crabmeat, full of hearty squash flavor, and with hints of nutmeg. The spicy Andouille sausage, black bean, and vegetable soup ($3.75) varied slightly from the hearty, hot and spicy tomato stock of the past with zucchini, jalapeños, and carrots mixed in and a few crispy onion rings strewn on top.

Appetizers were a tough choice. On my last visit, I'd fully enjoyed the wood-grilled portabella mushroom ($7.25) served in garlicky gruyere cream sauce with bits of prosciutto and parsley. The steamed Maine mussels in saffron leek sauce ($6.95) and grilled shrimp lightly marinated with three sauces ($8.95) were equally tempting.

Instead, we split the lobster strudel with chevre and spinach ($9.50). The pastry was light and puffy, the lobster meat sweet and fresh, and the chevre and spinach were melt-in-your-mouth moist. Strips of sweet pepper lay on endive leaves alongside a mound of mixed greens.

Entrées remained as tempting as ever. Salad choices ($9.50 to $10.25) included field greens or Caesar-style salads mixed with tuna, shrimp, swordfish, sirloin tips, or chicken prepared either char-grilled or Cajun-style. Grilled items featured tuna, swordfish, tenderloin of beef, salmon, and pork loin ($16.95 to $21.95).

Several favorites from previous visits stayed on the menu, like grilled Canadian salmon ($17.95) -- now served with a warm artichoke and red bliss potato salad -- and roasted rack of lamb ($23.95) in rosemary au jus.

Other entrées were even more tempting (and perhaps more audacious), like herb-crusted grilled pork loin ($19.95) served with an apple and pear compote, sweet potato soufflé, and julienne vegetables; and browned swordfish steak ($18.95) in a garlic, Dijon, and beer sauce.

After minutes of struggling over her choices, my tablemate finally cried "fowl" and ordered roasted duckling ($19.95). I chose the other white meat, loin of pork satay ($16.95). Both were superb.

Slow roasting had rendered the half-duckling wonderfully tender and flavorful with minimal grease. The skin was crispy, the meat moist. Raspberry orange sauce was rich and filled with orange chunks but avoided the cloying sweetness so common with such sauces. Garlic mashed potatoes (with the emphasis on garlic) were swirled decoratively on the plate.

The pork satay mixed hints of Germany and Thailand with braised purple cabbage and light peanut sauce. Over a bed of fluffy rice adorned with a sprig of rosemary, the three palm-size medallions were grilled to perfect tenderness.

Dessert was a no-brainer. We split a Beechwood classic -- oven-baked fresh-fruit cobbler ($7.50) -- and savored each morsel of pear, apple, cherry, and strawberry, surrounded by a sweet eggy batter and crust. A creamy zabaglione sauce came on the side.

Plan on spending $25 to $30 per person, although you can easily spend less or much more.