Village Squire, 1980-09, Page 35SQUIRE'S TABLE
The search for new and/or interesting
restaurants within Village Squire's
coverage area is sometimes a frustrat-
ing one. (Note: This is a plug to readers
- your recommendations are welcomed.)
We like to try a variety of cuisines;
atmosphere is important; and we don't
want to be faced with having to float a
bank loan to pay the tab.
The recent opened Olde English
Parlour, housed in Stratford's former
Mansion House hotel, at 101 Wellington
is a winner on all three counts.
Especially price. With drinks before
dinner, and a glass of wine each, our
party of four paid less than $50
(including tip) for a big three course
meal.
COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED
Former habitues won't recognize the
Mansion House. A huge sum has
obviously been spent to completely
transform the place, inside and out to
resemble (you guessed it) an English
pub. Antiques abound, there's a nice
dark wood stand-up bar (with back-
gammon games always on tap) and a
made in California stamped tin ceiling
hangs over the big room's many
alcoves, nooks and crannies.
Yes it's a large restaurant, and
chock -full ---7 p.m. was the earliest
reservation we could get, several days
ahead for a week night ---but our table
was quiet and private. Somehow there's
the illusion of tranquility amidst the
noise and bustle around you.
Our only quarrel with the decor is that
it's just too new, and the antiques have
that assembled by the truck -load, rather
than by careful personal selection, look.
Perhaps a little time will take care of
that...the Olde English Parlour opened
early in June.
But, you say, what about the food?
Well, it isn't fantastic, but it's more
than adequate for the price .
CHICKEN CURRY SOUP
We started with the soup of the day
(95 cents), a nice, fairly mild chicken
curry. Another appetizer (or appeteaser
as the cutesy menu printed on your
placemat calls them) saucy baby
shrimp, turned out to be standard
shrimp cocktail, with a huge serving of
excellent shrimps, a bargain at $2.95.
The real hit was a scotch egg, ($1.65) a
tasty sausage and breading wrapped
British delicacy that's rarely available in
this area.
Poached salmon, with Hollandaise
sauce, was the best entree we tried, a
moist and flavourful bargain at $4.95.
The lamb chops were fine at $6.95 and a
huge serving of corn beef and cabbage
was filling, if a little ordinary, for $4.50.
Our fourth diner tried to order the
day's special, pork tenderloin with
madeira sauce, but it was sold out. With
some misgivings in this English style
eatery, she ordered the New York Cut
steak at S8.95. The misgivings turned
out to be justified when the rare order
came very well done.
PROPERLY RARE
When our friendly and competent
waitress asked "how's your dinner?"
she complained about the steak and it
was replaced, without a murmur by a
properly rare, quite tasty steak.
The vegetables were fine, not part-
icularily memorable, but with a fresh
not canned or frozen taste.
Other main course choices include
roast beef, cabbage rolls, pork chops,
bangers and mash, steak and kidney or
shepherd's pie, and of course fish and
chips. They range in price from S2.65 to
$6.95.
Dessert, of course, was trifle, and it
was excellent...a huge serving loaded
with sherry, for a reasonable $1.50.
CAPPUCCINO
We asked for the Cappuccino the
menu lists at 51.25 but learned the
Parlour's Espresso machine wasn't
functioning yet, so ordinary coffee and a
nice English tea had to suffice.
The Parlour deserves special credit
for it's huge selection of imported
beers, many English varieties as well as
brews from Holland, Germany,
Denmark and Austria. There's also an
unusually large choice of English
ciders. All are priced in the 52 range
and there's a standard liquor and wine
list too.
The Olde English Parlour would
probably be a good place for lunch, or
an after theatre snack. Sandwich choic-
es include shrimp, crab, smoked
salmon, or ground beef and there's also
a ploughman's lunch for 52.95.
Absolutely top flight cuisine it's not,
but the Olde English Parlour is obvious-
ly doing a booming business serving
good food, at low prices, in a pretty
interesting atmosphere.
There's another branch of the Parlour
which is associated with the Ali Baba
steak houses, in Waterloo.
The Parlour's open from 11:30 a.m. to
1 a.m., Monday through Saturday and
until 10 p.m. Sundays. Reservations are
recommended for dinner at 271-2772.
Major credit cards accepted.
• WE SPECIALIZE IN REPAIRING AND DESIGNING LEADED AND
STAINED GLASS WINDOWS, TIFFANY STYLE LAMPS, TERRARIUMS,
CHURCH WINDOWS, MIRRORS AND HANGINGS.
•tF1Ne carry`many,types of wiitido'�glasSs:lat'glass, mi�ro�sand-
thellmooane insul whits (double and triple glazed).
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•We make glass -sliders, furniture-tops,..shelves and mirrors , •OLD SCH `�C)LHOUSE
• e,repair screens, and make ileo : nese"� " " ' 4 -- Y; c # �"° $ S L O
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r.-- 4 1 1 .....,a 6.:....4 STAINED aqd LEADED GI:ASS STUDIO
R.R.f1 DASHWt1OO, OFTARIO NO47N0 1E1, 16191 237-3373
• We SER ICE Tour produc i
s ; �,:, t ' P,:: ant:'.�'r: zt: •.ir .i;":: Gh�e.�o,e,.aerrW"^. (On Hwy. #83 8 between the village of Dashwood
•and Hwy #21 near Grand Bend).
VILLAGE SQUIRE/SEPTEMBER 1980 PG. 33