Also this issue: Off the Menu -Frank Lewis

March 27-April 2, 2003

food

Raising the Bar

THE GREAT NORTHWEST: Spicy chicken wings, Irish stew and more at McMenaminâs in Mt. Airy. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

McMenamin’s takes pub grub to the next level.

by Howard Altman

There are expectations about a tavern on a rainy day: good food, good beer and a warm atmosphere to take the chill out.

McMenamin's, a Mt. Airy staple since 1936, lives up to those expectations and then some.

Now on its third generation of McMenamin -- PJ owns while his mom serves up the vittles -- this clean and cozy public house has come a ways since its days as a biker bar/old man joint.

On a stormy Thursday, the place was packed, almost surprisingly busy for a midweek middle of the day in a part of town decidedly off the beaten path. In minutes, it was clear why anyone would beat a path to the great Northwest.

The aroma wafting out of the kitchen was one clue. So was the large, eclectic beer selection on the blackboard. And our harried yet attentive server went out of her way to make sure our five-person crew felt right at home.

"This place is the definition of Lunch Bunch," said CP Music Editor Patrick Rapa, even before the waitress could take our order.

His observation proved to be astute. The food was cheap, plentiful and, as Arts Editor Debra Auspitz noted, "yum, yum, yum."

First things first. The appetizers were superb.

The chicken wings -- a heaping pile of plump, crispy, succulent wings in a tangy, delightfully vinegary sauce -- were meal enough for many and, at $6 for more than a dozen, a real bargain.

The soups of the day were equally delicious. "My butternut squash soup ($4.25) was a highlight of the meal," said Assistant Editor Lori Hill. "A healthy portion for a starter, the soup was buttery and sweet with a hint of nutmeg and topped with chives. What can sometimes be just too creamy and sweet to really enjoy more than a few spoonfuls was here a scrape-the-bottom-of-the-bowl event."

The black bean soup ($4.25) was another hit. "The black beans were blended, rather than left whole for a chunkier dish," said Listings Editor Juliet Fletcher. "Still, it was a great consistency and totally delicious: The sprinkling of chives and swirl of sour cream were classy touches."

Patrick rhapsodized about the beef stew ($4.25): "The gravy was thick and even, the beef was tender and not fatty, the potatoes and carrots were soft and plentiful."

The classic Caesar salad ($4.95) was just that, a huge bowl of romaine lettuce and sautéed red peppers in a creamy garlic dressing.

The chili ($4.25) was "very thick, tasty and meaty with a good kick of spice," said Debra. "Maybe a little too thick."

The entrees were, for the most part, every bit as tasty as the appetizers.

"The hot turkey sandwich ($5.95) was a good, soggy mess," said Patrick. "Plenty of turkey and gravy on a kaiser roll with just a dusting of cranberry sauce." In a minor snafu, the sandwich came with chips, not stuffing, as the menu promised.

No glutton, just a gutsy reviewer, Patrick also highly rated the hamburger ($5.95).

"The hamburger was a hearty, filling thing," Patrick said. "Thick as a hockey puck but still juicy."

The linguine with white sauce ($5.95) was "your basic butter/oil and garlic sauce," said Debra. "I like really plain pasta so I thought this was lovely, but if you're looking for fancy you may be disappointed."

McMenamin's offers a different take on the pub-grub classic fish and chips: shrimp and chips ($7.95). Lori deemed the dish "appropriately crunchy and not a bit greasy. The shrimp were meaty and coated in a thick and snappy breading that didn't interfere with the crustaceans one bit."

The coconut shrimp salad special ($7.95) consisted of "six large shrimp, fried to a lovely knobbly texture in light coconut batter and served with lemon slices on a large plate of crispy lettuce," said Juliet. "If you think you're looking for an all-out fried food fest with a twist, this would hit the mark -- delivering the perfect, extremely rich shrimp while not overwhelming you with grease. The salad itself is pretty good too, drizzled in a slightly heavy plum dressing."

The only real misfire was the cod special ($7.95) I ordered. Served on a bed of long grain rice and spinach, the fried hunk of cod was rather bland and there was no real connection to the layers below it. The dish was not helped by the fact that the spinach -- a tricky leaf to cook -- was bitter. Fortunately, the bits and pieces of everything that I grazed on were so terrific that I did not leave the table either hungry or dissatisfied.

Dessert put us all over the edge.

The ice cream in puff pastry ($4) was served with either chocolate, caramel or berry syrup and the resulting combination of taste and texture made this far greater than the sum of its parts, even if, as Debra noted, cutting through the pastry with the spoon was a bit messy.

The Bailey's Irish cheese cake ($4) was not your typical cheese cake.

"It had a thick crust and thin topping sandwiching a dessert that was more cake-like and dense than traditionally cold and mousse-like," said Lori.

McMenamin's is a treasure for Mt. Airyites and well worth a trip to the Northwest for anyone wanting the best in tavern fare.

McMenamin’s

7170 Germantown Ave., 215-247-9920

Appetizers/salads, $3.50-$7.95; entrees/sandwiches, $4.95-$8.95

Mon.-Sat., 11:30-2 a.m. (kitchen open until midnight); Sun., 3 p.m.-1 a.m. (kitchen open until 10 p.m.)

Wheelchair accessible. Smoking is permitted in the bar area. Reservations not accepted. All major credit cards.)