Harlequin

Easily one of Worcester's favorites

by Jim Johnson

Harlequin
(at the Beechwood), 363 Plantation Street, Worcester
754-5789
Dinner: Sun. 5-9 p.m. Mon.- Sat. 6-10 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
Handicap accessible

A few months ago, I heard that Harlequin, the Beechwood's restaurant, had a new menu. Each time I visited, however, I was told that the new menu was "a few weeks away." Perhaps a new menu will someday appear; in the meantime, however, the current one (which reads "Summer 1997" but is dated February 1997) does just fine.

I spent my first three weeks in Worcester at the Beechwood, part of a relocation package as I searched for more permanent lodging. Perhaps that's one reason I enjoy returning to Harlequin. Also, the setting always seems bright and inviting, a friendly balance of elegance and casualness, with some whimsy tossed in for fun.

As a friend and I were seated, two breads arrived: one a foccacia with pimento and jalapeño, the other studded with onions and cheese. Our server poured herbed olive oil onto our bread plates, a better complement than the usual butter. We sipped a bright Firestone Chardonnay as we nibbled.

A Harlequin signature dish, butternut squash and crabmeat bisque ($3.95), has been one of my favorite soups since I first tried it five years ago. It's always been rich and creamy, chock full of crabmeat and with that slightly earthy, slightly sweet taste that makes butternut special. On my last visit, I'd fully enjoyed the lobster strudel with chevre and spinach ($9.50). The pastry had been light and puffy, the lobster meat sweet and fresh. The wood-grilled portabella mushroom ($7.25) also remained on the menu, served in gruyere cream sauce with bits of prosciutto.

This time, we ordered Maine mussels ($6.95) steamed in a saffron leek broth. The presentation was elegant, with the black shells arranged open-side-up in a white bowl. The broth was dense yet delicate, complete with the tender threads of saffron and hints, we thought, of tomato and basil. We fully enjoyed pizza with lobster and fresh herbs ($9.50). Served in counterpoint to the mussels on a shining black plate, the pizza had a crispy, thin crust, a light touch of tomato and cheese, and a generous portion of lobster.

Someday I'll order a Harlequin salad. Caesar-style salads come with a choice of tuna, shrimp, swordfish, sirloin tips, jumbo shrimp, or chicken prepared either char-grilled or Cajun-style ($9.50 to $10.25). I've also been tempted by the many grilled items such as tuna, swordfish, tenderloin of beef, salmon, and pork loin ($16.95 to $21.95).

I was tempted to repeat some favorites, like duckling ($19.95), rendered tender, flavorful, and moist by slow-roasting. Or loin of pork satay ($16.95) with a light peanut sauce with braised purple cabbage. We were equally tempted by grilled Canadian salmon ($17.95), roasted rack of lamb ($23.95) in rosemary au jus, and browned swordfish steak ($18.95) in garlic, Dijon, and beer sauce.

Instead, I ordered Caribbean-style jerk chicken ($14.95). Two meaty breasts had been coated with just the right potency of spices and then grilled tender. The julienne vegetables -- primarily carrots and zucchini -- were fresh and crisp; yellow and red peppers and drizzles of a tangy sauce dressed the plate. Onion rings normally come with the dish, but there was no problem substituting a fine polenta.

My tablemate wasn't overly impressed with sautéed shrimp and scallops ($17.95) served in a fennel and saffron broth over fettucine. Both the shrimp and the scallops were overcooked and slightly stringy, and the fettucine had a somewhat pasty consistency. Despite the presence of onions, tomatoes, red pepper, and chives, the broth was bland with little hint of either fennel or saffron. This is probably the only disappointing entree I've experienced at Harlequin.

I surprised myself by not ordering a Beechwood classic -- oven-baked fresh-fruit cobbler ($7.50) -- with morsels of pear, apple, cherry, and strawberry pillowed in sweet, eggy batter and crust and served with sabayon sauce. Easily one of the best desserts in town, it takes about 20 minutes to prepare, so order accordingly. We were more than satisfied with strawberries anglaise and a raspberry torte.

For two of us, excluding wine, dinner came to $40, though you can spend less.

Two notes from the North County: the Brass Pineapple, easily the most gourmet restaurant in Winchendon, will present Mardi Gras Celebration 1998 on Tuesday, February 10. Trust me that it's worth the 45-minute ride, celebration or not, and this will be one of your last chances before the restaurant closes for a month of renovations after Valentine's Day. Chef Paul Wilson, one of the few area chefs who's served kangaroo, will serve steamed crawfish, a choice of fried alligator or oyster and artichoke stew, shrimp remoulade salad, and a choice of Cajun dishes, including catfish, fried oysters, jambalaya, and shrimp. Rounding out the New Orleans menu will be white- chocolate bread pudding with bourbon sauce.

To the east in Lowell, the Gazebo Café now serves breakfast and buffet lunch at the American Textile History Museum. Featured lunch items include braised winter root vegetables, coq au vin, roast maple glazed pork, and desserts made on premises.