The Castle Restaurant

Haute cuisine in a medieval castle

by Jim Johnson

The Castle Restaurant
Route 9, Leicester
892-9090
Sun. 2-9 p.m.
Tues.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
(Camelot room from 5 p.m.)
Major credit cards
Full bar and extensive wine list
Handicap accessible

The Castle Restaurant is not for every night. It's for that special occasion when traditions are born. Not five feet away from us, for example, a friend and I savored the moment when a husband surprised his wife with a 10th-anniversary present: a 10-day cruise.

The Castle may not be for every person. The woman's menu is blank in the price column, definitely a throwback. On my first visit to the Castle, my dining companion was offended by the restaurant's presumption that the man would pay. On that visit, we also felt pampered to the point of distraction -- literally. Servers smothered us and surrounded us like footmen.

Although the different menus remained, the pampering on a more recent visit was wonderful and appropriate. Our two servers never intruded yet made sure every need was met. Unlike the wooden waitstaff of several years ago, this duo brought personality, knowledge, charm, and humor to our dining experience.

Our first server, the sommelier, assisted our primary server throughout dinner. He answered brightly about the wines on his award-winning list, a list now numbering nearly 600. He lamented the fact that he'd run out of two or three on the list. "It absolutely tortures me," he said, exaggerating just a little.

In pleasant counterpoint to the male-slanted menu pricing, he changed the traditional wine-serving ritual: instead of pouring a sample for me to taste, he poured for my friend as well. We found it to be a friendly touch.

The 1992 Calcaire Vineyards Clos Du Bois was delightfully crisp, and our glasses soon emptied. "Aha!" he exclaimed. "A classic case of evaporation!" And our glasses were just as quickly refilled.

As we sipped the wine, we also enjoyed rolls with sweet butter and crackers served with a blend of cheddar, cream, and bleu cheeses and horseradish. Our server spoke conversationally and from memory as she described the evening's specials, responding in detail about every sauce, treatment, and ingredient. No cue cards, no script.

When we expressed interest in the game du jour ($34.25), she not only told us about antelope and how it is prepared; she also brought us a brochure, which described that antelope venison has about 10 percent the fat of beef and less cholesterol than chicken.

The appetizer list is limited but luxurious. We decided to forgo the grilled baby quail and the pâté-terrine of game (described deliciously on the menu as "baked gathering of ground game flavored with Port and Cognac and garnished with currants and pistachios, sauce Cumberland"). Instead, we chose glazed oysters Rockefeller ($8.50) and baked Burgundian escargots in crust ($9.75). A neighboring couple had ordered the traditional in-shell version as a special request, and our server considerately checked to see which style we'd prefer. Our decision to stay with the baked snails was a good one. They were amazingly tender, cuddled in warm goat cheese in a fluffy pastry shell and served atop sautéed mushrooms in a rich brown sauce. The oysters, six to the order, were heaped with layers of cheese and spinach.

As we ate, theater began at the next table. Both servers rolled up a cart to prepare a Caesar salad for two ($13). One server broke and mixed the eggs, the other squeezed the lemons and ground the anchovies. They then whisked the mixture with parmesan and tossed it in a bed a crisp romaine.

Like the appetizers, the entrees are few but special: rib chop of veal roasted with Stilton cheese, Chateaubriand (flamed at the table), roast rack of lamb for two carved at tableside, and filet mignon. I selected the New England Choice ($24), a sweet and meaty half lobster crammed with tender Nantucket scallops and fresh herbs. Two giant ravioli came on the side stuffed with lobster, crab, and shrimp -- the real thing, not a bready mixture. Likewise, steamed carrots soaked, it seemed, in honey had just enough crunch. A rich reduction of lobster sauce decorated the plate.

My friend ordered the antelope, which tasted fresh from the grill and with enough gaminess to call attention to its exotic nature, but not so much as to distract. Despite its minimal fat content, it was delightfully tender and served in a rich reduction over firm risotto.

We passed on the $98 snifter of 100-year-old Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac but did indulge in desserts from the cart: a custardy and naturally sweet French apple torte and a marzipan torte with nougat topping.

The setting itself is, well, castle-like, from the moat outside to the medieval weapons and heraldic coats of arms that decorate the lofty Camelot Room. Each high-backed chair is probably worth as much as a lesser restaurant's entire furnishings.

You can easily spend more than $100 per couple. If you'd like a downscale version, ask to be seated in the Crusader Room, where crispy ginger duck rolls and pork cutlet with seasonal fruits -- and prices under $10 a person -- are more typical.