After reading a lot about Baldies Craft Pizzeria in Lakeville, MA (http://www.baldiescraftpizzeria.com/), we decided to take a trip… It’s about 35 minutes south of us on  Route 495 in my old stompin’ grounds… And it is never too far to travel for the promise of great food!

Arrived at 6:30 pm on a Thursday… crowded… we called ahead and even though they only accept reservations for parties of eight or more, they took our name, so the wait was manageable – 15 minutes, tops.

Overall, first impression… clean, open, inviting but not overly cozy… exactly what I expected for a pizzeria. Less noisy, given the crowd, which was a pleasant surprise.

Our waitress was friendly and engaging, and she took great care of us. One complaint – she was very slow… In fairness, not sure if it was her, the crowd or the kitchen. Or possibly a combination. In any event, I did think that two hours for a straightforward dinner for three was a bit much, but again, it could have been a combination of factors.

Ordered cocktails… Negroni and a Margarita. Nixed the Negroni – no Campari… actually, the bar staff never heard of the drink… A bit of a concern, especially given the fact that the Negroni is no longer an obscure cocktail… Margarita was fine. No salt on the rim, but the cocktail was well-balanced.

Ordered wine… 2014 Capostrano Montepulciano – excellent and at about twice retail, the price was very reasonable. Perfect with the cuisine.

The food, which was ostensibly the reason for the visit… generally very good to excellent.

The Burrata was exceptional, rich and complex.

The Calamari was okay – breading was a bit heavy and there were no tentacles and the rings were extremely small. Main dishes were all very tasty.

The Pappardelle Carbonara was incredibly creamy without being overly eggy.

The Steak Tips were cooked to order, which included NOT having the Chimichurri Sauce on the tips by request. Mistake. The marinade is a sweet, smoky marinade, which needs the acid of the Chimichurri to balance the dish. Do not forgo the sauce.

The Pilgrim pizza was very good, but a bit unbalanced… Ricotta with Mascarpone, caramelized onions and a drizzle of cranberry aioli. Everything was great, except the aioli was a bit too sweet, which, when combined with the sweetness of the onions and Mascarpone, unbalanced an otherwise great pie. Perfectly thin crust, by the way.

We finished with a few desserts, which ranged from excellent to mediocre. The Apple Cobbler with vanilla ice cream was terrific. Served warm, the abundance of fruit without much pastry was a welcomed finish to a filling meal. The Chocolate Lava Cake was mediocre at best. The cake itself, which was supposed to be molten, was served warm but it was bone dry and over-cooked. We did try to order the Pistachio Gelato but they were out.

So, overall, we found Baldies Pizzeria to be very good. The interesting specials (Duck Breast, Seared Scallops), which drew us here, seem to be a weekend feature, so we may brave the crowds and try a Friday/Saturday evening. Judging by the quality of the main dishes, the specials promise to be terrific.

Value-wise, we felt it was okay. All-in, including tip, the bill was $152. For three that averages a bit more than $50 per person. Adding in the drive, the brief wait and the slowness of the service and the value decreases. You can get away more cheaply and we left with three doggy bags, so there is another meal from the trip.

Bon Apetito!

A recent trip up north resulted in a surprise dining experience that was worthy of commentary. The Oxford House Inn is a lovely, quaint historic property in Fryeburg, ME, which is worth the trip if you are seeking fine food, superb service and abundant romance. As taken from their website:

The Oxford House Inn, a Western Maine Bed and Breakfast and Country Inn, offers visitors to the Mt. Washington Valley and Maine’s Western Lakes Region four beautifully appointed guest rooms, a fifty seat gourmet restaurant, and JONATHAN’S, a granite-walled pub.  Built in 1913 by renowned architect John Calvin Stevens, the stately Mission style architecture, stunning sunset mountain views, exceptional food and warm New England hospitality have established The Oxford House Inn as a dining and lodging destination.

And the writer does not lie… Our evening at the Inn was one of the more memorable evenings of late.

Our entrance into the Inn felt more like being welcomed into one’s home, with a comfortable parlor setting to greet weary travelers. Within moments our hostess checked us in and sat us in a hopelessly romantic table adjacent to the imposing stone fireplace, one seat being a lushly appointed, fixed reading nook.

Given the wintry mix outside, a brace of cocktails was in order. Of note, the Perfect Martinique was a well-balanced, refreshing rendition of this pre-prohibition classic. For starters, the Calabrese Salad with fresh Burrata Mozzarella was an enticing palate teaser. The Clam Chowder with Bacon was a creamy, comfort-food masterpiece, filled with plenty of goodies.

Entrees were the Grilled Filet Mignon and the Seared Bulgogi Glazed Duck Breast, both cooked to perfection. The Filet was served with Blue Cheese, Date & Caramelized Onion Stuffed Rosti Potatoes, Broccoli, and a Zinfandel Port Demi-Glace. I asked for “black and blue” and to my delight the meat served “black and blue…” be still my beating heart. The Duck Breast was served with Scallion Sticky Rice, Thai Veggie Slaw, and Bok Choy Kimchee. Again, the Duck was requested as “medium” and it was served “medium.” Both dishes showed balance and restraint, while still enlivening the taste buds appropriately. The chef touts the use of local, fresh ingredients and it shows in the quality and freshness of the dishes.

We finished with a pair of desserts, Apple Beignet and Warm Indian Pudding. The Beignet had a sweet apple filling, mulled cider caramel, and a cinnamon sabayon. Light and fluffy with a mélange of spicy, goodness. The Indian Pudding was served with smoked almond brittle, and rum raisin hard sauce. If there was one negative to the evening it was the Indian Pudding. The Pudding itself was perfect, earthy and deeply flavored with a pleasant interplay between sweet and sour. Unfortunately, the almond brittle and run raisin hard sauce were so sweet that they trounced the delicacy of the Pudding… In their individual components each was interesting, but together they clashed terribly.

With dinner we had to order the Black Pearl Mischief Maker, a Shiraz-Mourvedre blend from Paarl South Africa. The interesting hook? The winemaker is a Fryeburg native, Marylou Nash. A fun connection and actually a very nice wine, which went perfectly with our entrees.

Service was impeccable. Friendly, professional and well-timed, with just the correct amount of attention. We have already started planning our next visit, which we hope will involve staying in one of the beautifully appointed rooms upstairs.