Village Squire, 1980-10, Page 43SQUIRE'S TABLE
Goderich's grand old lady on the
square, the Bedford Hotel, changed
hands recently and the new owners have
been heavily promoting several specially
priced meals.
Yes, but how does the food taste?We at
Village Squire have wondered. After a
recent Sunday evening trip to the Bedford
we can report fine, just fine, in fact quite
a bit better than the last meal we had
there a few years ago.
There've been no changes, except
perhaps a general sprucing up, to the
hotel's spacious high ceilinged dining
room. It's restfully decorated in soft
green and white.
Sunday's buffet night and our only
quibble with the service is that the
waitress who brought a basket with
plenty of hot homemade rolls and scones
didn't direct us to the anteroom where
the food is laid on. However the dining
room was almost full and the two
waitresses were perhaps too pressed for
time.
However, we followed the crowds and
found ingredients for tossed salad,
several types of ready made salad, cold
sliced meats and most notably delicious
ripe black olives, devilled eggs and wilted
cucumbers in sour cream.
Another quibble...the tomatoes
weren't ripe and there was no blue
cheese dressing.
The salad selection was excellent,
and some of our choices really tasty (see
above.) But it was the main course, and
our second trip to the buffet tables, that
will encourage us to drive to the Bedford
for dinner again.
A simple slice of prime rib of beef is
just that but the Bedford's beef is tender,
juicy and very, very good. Though we
arrived in the buffet's dying half hour
(it's served from four to eight) we were
still able to get medium rare roast beef.
The other hot choice. chicken legs and
thighs, was quite bland. Mashed potatoes
were okay, with adequate gravy but
accompanying vegetables, niblet corn
and beans and carrots were hohum.
There's plenty of dessert choice at the
Bedford's buffet, including cheese cake,
a white cake topped with cherries, a
chocolate and vanilla pudding parfait,
assorted cheeses and fresh fruit. We tried
the banana cream pie and found it
excellent but badly in need of whipped
Explore the character
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Life in Western Ontario can be great.
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people who produce work you've never
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If you want to appreciate this
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$5.00 for 12 issues.
cream instead of the pseudo stuff.
The wine list is pretty basic, but
good reading because it includes a short
historical sketch of the hotel. It's on
newsprint and you're invited to take it
home. We admire the list's suggestion
"Try a Canadian wine. You might be
pleasantly surprised."
We weren't, with a carafe of the house
rose (Brights) at $2.50, but at that price,
we hadn't expected much.
You might think the same of a buffet
priced at $6.75 per person, all included.
But at the Bedford you'd be wrong. The
Sunday buffet is excellent value for
money, especially as long as that prime
rib is included.
The Bedford usually features a couple
of items at a special price Thursday,
Friday and Saturday nights, along with
the regular dinner menu. And on Sunday
from 11 to two the hotel has a crepe
buffet. Sounds intriguing and it's a real
bargain at $3.75.
Children will be comfortable at the
Bedford and the buffet costs $3.50 for
them.
Reservations recommended at 524-7337.
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Artistry in glass at Sommer:1in
VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1980 PG. 41