Fruit cocktail

Jerome's, at Nashoba Winery, mixes a wine tasting with great gourmet food

by Margaret LeRoux

Jerome's
100 Wattaquadoc Hill Road, Bolton
(978) 779-9816
Lunch Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner Wed.-Sat. 6-9 p.m.
Brunch Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
MC, Visa
Nashoba wines only
Handicap accessible

Nashoba Winery recently added a restaurant, Jerome's, to showcase the growing number of dry as well as sweet fruit wines made there. The menu claims to "match the artistry of food with wine maker Larry Ames' symphony of wines." At our recent visit -- only 10 days after the restaurant opened -- the harmony of food and wines was almost perfect.

Jerome's is housed in an old farmhouse at the winery; a new wing was added to house the fully modern kitchen. Between courses or after your meal, you can stroll down the hall and watch the kitchen staff at work. A sign on the counter welcomes you to look but not interfere with the flurry of activity.

It would be hard to find a prettier setting for a restaurant than this vine-covered farmhouse. The view from our table was of the lush, green Bolton hillside. "You have the best seat in the dining room," our waitress observed as she brought us a small wooden bucket containing slices of fresh bread.

The colonial-era farmhouse has pine paneling and wide, planked floorboards. There are white table linens and cute wooden holders for the salt and pepper shakers. Lighting is from wall sconces and shaded candleholders on the tables.

The night we visited, all three dining areas were full. It was almost like a big dinner party, as chef Jerome Picca stopped by a couple of tables to greet friends. Picca, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, trained at Savoir Faire Bistro in New Orleans, which is home to several of the country's best restaurants. More recently, he was executive chef at the Seasoned Chef in Lowell.

Jerome's menu suggests wines from the vineyard to pair with course selections. It is recommended, for example, that an appetizer of wild mushroom ragout in a whole-wheat pierogi ($7) be accompanied by a glass of Nashoba Valley's Baldwin, a dry apple wine. My choice, oysters zazou ($9), was paired with Nashoba Valley's golden russet wine, though I chose a glass of dry pear ($5), soft and dry wine, reminding me of the Mosel wines.

My companion's appetizer, "coarse grained" duck pâté ($8), was complemented by the slightly dry house chardonnay ($6.50). The pâté was rich and earthy, with hints of garlic and allspice. It was served with toast triangles, piquant lignonberry sauce, and few cornichons.

My mouth was watering from the description of my appetizer: oysters, spinach, and garlic in a puff-pastry crust finished with a veal demi-glace. It was beautiful -- the golden triangle of pastry in a pool of rich brown sauce, accented by two slender chives and a purple chive blossom. However, the oysters were small and chewy, almost lost in the spinach mixture, which was on its own very tasty. The pastry was both crisp and flaky; the sauce was bold and peppery. Without the oysters, this would have been flawless.

Our choices from an ambitious assortment of entrees were pan-seared venison chop with three-peppercorn crust ($24), and pecan trout meuniere ($17).

The venison chop, my companion's entree choice, was sensational. Here the flavor of the rich meat, seared to a perfect medium rare, was enhanced by a sauce of the meat juices and dry blueberry wine. The sauce was so good, we emptied our bread bucket to soak it up when the venison was gone. An assortment of red peppers and wild mushrooms with a couple of asparagus stalks, thinly sliced grilled eggplant, and herbed potatoes were carefully arranged on the plate. The recommended wine for this dish is Nashoba's dry blueberry ($7.50). It's a big, rich, not-so-dry wine -- imagine sipping it by the fireplace on a winter's night.

The trout while ambitious is still a work in progress. The menu says a quick searing develops a light crust on the trout's skin, and it was indeed crispy. The searing should also keep the fish moist and tender, but this trout was dry. The beurre noisette was understated, and the chopped pecans, tossed on the fish after cooking rather than sautéed in the sauce, kept falling off my fork. However, the presentation of this dish was lovely, and I hope it stays on the menu. Jerome's deserves credit for the attention paid to appearance. Everything we were served was beautiful, from appetizer to dessert.

We almost didn't order dessert, but when we saw a neighboring table being served plates of gorgeous pastry in colorful sauces, we succumbed to the almond tart ($7.50). What a delectable finish to our meal -- rich, flaky pastry, dense almond-cream filling topped with a crystalline sheet of almond candy, and a dollop of creme fraîche. Our bill, including tax but not tip was $97.13.