So, on I went to the Barley House. Think Irish tavern which, if it’s not authentic to Ireland itself, it’s definitely authentic to Boston. They have two dining rooms- a bright and sunny room with a view of Main Street, and a darker, smaller room off of the bar area that has a more pub-like feel to it, with brick walls, wooden booths and a few pieces of Irish memorabilia. Here we sat, right next to a panoramic photograph of Dublin.
The server was quick to greet us with a mug full of pretzels and toasts along with some seemingly homemade hummus. (Is hummus very Irish?) The hummus was pretty good, but I think I would have preferred a side of pub cheese instead. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.
We decided to start off with an order of Blarney Puffs, a unique spin on the "been there, done that" potato skin. These were crispy fried wontons stuffed with red skinned mashed potatoes, and though I didn’t really detect any of the scallion or cheddar cheese promised in the menu description, it didn't really bother me because they were delicious. The beer-cheese sauce that accompanied them was so tasty that I wished they had brought a spoon so I could finish it up, soup style!
After we had ordered our lunches, I couldn’t help but notice all of the big, thick, juicy looking burgers being eaten around me. It almost made me regret that I hadn’t ordered one myself, but I had determined before hand that I would try something unique to the Blarney House and that burgers were off limits. I really don't think I've ever seen a better looking burger anywhere else, so I guess it would have been ok, but I decided to go with the Lobster BLT instead. I was not disappointed. The portion of lobster was surprisingly generous, especially for the price. My first bite definitely took me by surprise- I have had lobster salad plenty of times before, but never with such a lemony kick to it. There was mayonnaise too -not too light, not too heavy- and the blend of both flavors along with the sweet lobster was like a three-sided match made in Heaven. The bread was soft, thick and perfectly toasted. You'd think with such a heaping helping of lobster, they might have skimped on the bacon- and indeed, some restaurants would, but not the Barley House. This was truly a lobster B (and lots of "B"!)LT, and I know I will wake up in the middle of the night craving another one soon.
The fries that came with it were nothing xceptional, but I can say that they had a nice crunch and there was none of the dreaded “old frialator oil” taste which seems to be so popular in so many restaurants lately. My friend had the right idea and got the sweet potato fries. Another thing I noticed about the Barley House is that they were not heavy handed in the seasoning of their food, and I think that everything tasted better for it. The sweet potatoes were not overly salty, they didn’t feel the need to put garlic powder on them- they were just fried sweet potatoes, and they were addictively good! One thing that could have benefited from a little more of a flavor boost was the cole slaw, which was more on the bland, dry side. Though I was tempted to ask, I didn’t get to try any of my friend’s tuna melt- but she did confirm that it was excellent. The marbled rye/pumpernickle bread was thick and fresh, the tuna portion was generous, and the mayo-to-tuna ratio was right on.
We probably should have been stuffed after this, and to be honest, we were. But there was no way we weren't going to check out the dessert situation. So what if our pants didn't fit for the rest of the day? We soon found out that it would be totally worth it. I am a cake fiend, and it was painful to pass up the chocolate cake that was taunting me from the dessert menu, but again, I wanted to try something that was a little more out of my comfort zone. I decided to try the bread pudding with whiskey sauce, while my friend got the crème brulee. We both feigned dismayed surprise when we saw how big the portions were, even though we both had choirs of angels singing "Hallelujah" in our heads. After eyeballing each other's desserts for a minute, we decided to do the only logical thing we could do- try the other’s dessert before we dive into our own. I have never had crème brulee with such a thick, crunchy crust before- it was perfect crème brulee, only even more so. I kicked myself for a second for not ordering it as well, but the bread pudding did not let me down. The whiskey sauce was sweet and creamy, almost like melted rum raisin ice cream. Not being a whiskey drinker myself, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but I found that the slight flavor only enhanced and complimented the sauce. The bread pudding itself was moist and delicious. While the cinnamon was easily detectable, it didn’t overpower. The only thing I would have suggested was to add more raisins, but that didn't stop me from devouring nearly the whole thing!
I really enjoyed my visit to the Barley House- they really have the right idea when it comes to serving really good food. It's not about "flair" or fakey themes or overly extensive menus. They offer a reasonable selection, and from my first experience, I'd say that they do what they do very well. I will definitely be back, and next time, I'm getting the burger!
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