The Brass Pineapple

A symbol of hospitality and fine dining

by Jim Johnson

The Brass Pineapple Restaurant
302 Spring Street (Route 12 west off Route 140), Winchendon
(978) 297-0312 (888) BRASS12
Breakfast Sun. 9 a.m.-noon
Lunch Thurs.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner Sun. noon-8 p.m., Wed.-Sat. 4:30-9 p.m.
Major credit cards
(10 percent AAA discount)
Full liquor license
Not handicap accessible
(Note: The restaurant is scheduled to be closed for renovations from February 15 to March 15.)

Pineapples have symbolized hospitality since Newport sea captains marked their safe return by putting pineapples on their front steps. It was a sign that the voyage had ended safely and for friends and neighbors to come inside. That same symbol, in brass miniature form, is worn as nametags at the Johnson & Wales University Hospitality Center in Rhode Island, where some of the nation's most promising culinary-arts students learn the food trade. Thus, it seemed quite appropriate for alum Paul Wilson to name his restaurant the Brass Pineapple.

That was nine years ago, and the restaurant's reputation has finally kicked in, drawing customers from a 50-mile radius. Indeed, the exciting menu seems more appropriate for Boston, Worcester, or even Princeton than for this hamlet nestled against New Hampshire. We urbanites will simply have to contend with the pilgrimage to Route 140's northern terminus.

The trip, I assure you, is worth it.

When two friends and I approached the entrance to the Brass Pineapple, we were greeted by a pineapple sign with the words, "Welcome Friends." The same symbol and words are on napkins and the menu cover. Indeed, the restaurant is filled with pineapples -- many of them brass -- from candleholders and wall plates to trivets and urns.

"People keep finding them and bringing them in," Wilson told us after dinner.

The pine planking and dime-store-ditzy decor gave me flashbacks to those chummy restaurants you find on the back roads of New Hampshire. They're the ones that serve up as much local gossip as they do home-style cooking. The gossip's missing, but not the sense of cordial familiarity, and the cooking may not be home-style, but it has all the pride and caring attention that goes with the genre.

We'd heard good things about the Brass Pineapple but still hadn't anticipated such a delightful range of entrees. The seasonal portion of fall and winter selections offered the most-exciting options like chicken-apple sausages ($10.95) charbroiled and served over cider vinegar caramelized onions, apples, caraway, and red-skin potatoes; and butternut squash ravioli and sea scallops ($14.95) served on wilted field greens in a cinnamon cream and warm pumpkin coulis.

Year-round selections were just as tempting, like chicken amaretto ($10.95) and steak au poivre vert ($14.95). There's also a whole page "For Those Who Love Pasta," with selections as simple as linguine and garlic (all you can eat for $5.75) and as adventurous artichoke picatta ($13.95).

When we had trouble deciding between two different wines from the limited but superb wine list, our server graciously offered to bring out samples. This was typical of the considerate attention we received throughout our meal. We chose the Hogue Cellars 1996 Johannisberg Riesling, a smooth, crisp wine that kept us company all evening.

We started with three appetizers. The garlic steamed mussels ($5.50) were sweet as promised, steamed in a white wine broth with plenty of garlic. The thick-cut bruschetta ($4.95) were full of garlic, surrounded by tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and shredded Romano cheese. Our favorite, however, were the stuffed mushrooms ($4.50), the stuffing bursting with the flavor of garlic, Romano cheese, herbs, and olive oil. Our salads arrived next, made memorable by maple-pumpkin-walnut dressing cut with a splash of apple cider.

Our entrees were each superb. The New Zealand venison ($16.95), sliced and placed decoratively across the plate, was lean and flavorful, enriched by a hearty red wine demi-glace. The Thai curried pork tenderloin ($11.95) had a similar presentation but entirely different flavors, thanks to charbroiling with rich curries and to a delightfully unusual, slightly sweet curried blueberry sauce. Ginger mushroom couscous was the perfect side dish.

The best of the lot, however, was the braised lamb shank ($14.94). A huge bowl brimmed with potatoes, turnips, celery, carrots, and white beans. Atop was a meaty lamb shank decorated with huge sprigs of rosemary. The flavor of the lamb and rosemary, complemented by garlic and a merlot demi-glace, permeated the beans and vegetables. The lamb itself was tender and rich.

When our server friend tempted us with desserts (most made on premises by Wilson or his parents), we caved immediately. The drive would have been worth it simply for the luscious orange pie, the chocolate ganache torte (served swimming in a pool of white chocolate sauce), and the cobbler, made with cherries and (appropriately enough) pineapple and served with buttery biscuits and homemade ice cream (vanilla is offered, but I went for the overkill with honey ice cream).

The three of us ate for less than $25 each (exclusive of wine and tip) and hope we can return again and again.