Old Sturbridge Village - Chaine des Rotisseurs
Dinner At the Bullard Tavern

Time for dinner! We moved into the large dining room which was laid out very nicely for us.

They pointed out that in colonial days you ate off your knife. The fork was just used to get things onto your knife and to hold things while you cut it. The fork always stayed in your left hand. It's why the table is set the way it is. The fork is for your left hand, the knife is for your right hand. Spoons weren't supposed to be brought out until after dinner, with the tea. Hence "tea spoon".

Interestingly the power went out just as we started to eat! They ran in with candles and even a full candelabra or two. It was PERFECT for the period effect!

We had a minstrel playing during our meal too.

Course 1 was the gourd soup. This was really good - someone at my table got 3 servings of it. It's made with butternut squash, onions, bread crumbs, salt and cayenne pepper.

This went with a Snoqualmie Naked Chardonnay. At least Washington State is a part of the US now. Still, I would have enjoyed a Westport Rivers (Massachusetts) crisp Chardonnay here :)

Next came the main dish - the "really" roast beef. They pointed out that anything you do in your oven - turkey, beef etc. is being BAKED not roasted. You roast over a fire. You bake in an oven.

The veggies were escalloped potatoes (potatoes and onions with bread crumbs) along with roasted root vegetables. They also had homemade horseradish. It was all quite tasty! This went with a CSM Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon. I think I would have gone with a Bordeaux here myself :) The colonists loved Bordeaux!

For dessert we had a triffle filled with cream whiped with a whisk of birch twigs.

They brought around the sauvignon blanc to go with this - but I have to say I was *dying* for some port to go with it (which would have been incredibly period accurate). I admit to being a port fiend ...

Then chef Brad Arcoite came out to say a few words about his dishes.

All in all, a fantastic time! I want to be in charge of the wines if I do a dinner out here, though. I happen to adore period wines and think if we did up a dinner with a claret cup to go with the cheese (traditional red wine punch, very popular back then) and then Bordeaux, port and madiera that it would be incredibly tasty. Next time!

If you're curious what I wore, here you go!

Lisa's Regency Dress Photos

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