Thursday, January 03, 2008
Publik House is a find
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I've just gotten back from my holiday whirlwind vacation to points north through the Shenandoah Valley: the Hotel Strasburg, Washington, D.C. and its Georgetown. On the way up I got off the interstate in New Market for a quick lunch at the Publik House, located right on old U.S. 11, New Market's main drag. The Publik House has only offered lunches in more recent times, so I was in luck.
The building itself, the Lee Jackson, is historic. But then so is most everything in New Market, which makes it a wonderful place to visit. This old hotel has large downstairs dining rooms with oversized fireplaces, wooden floors, a beautiful foyer with staircase and lots of charm.
Happily, it also now has a first-rate restaurant, a wine store downstairs from the street level, and even a pub called the Old Cross Ordinary, so named in keeping with its historic past.
The service is youngish, though attentive, if not fully versed in the menu; after all, the menu is sophisticated and varied: brie-stuffed dates, huevos rancheros, beef gyros, and garlic herb boursin cheese stuffed with shrimp listed just on the Sunday night tapas menu alone. One could forgive the occasional lapse with such a cross section of cuisine being offered.
I found the Sunday lunch to be limited. It's strictly confined to a few soups, appetizers, salads and a handful of wraps. I started with a seafood bisque, a bit thin but flavorful; it could have been hotter. The presentation could use a bit of improvement with the simple addition of a slice of baguette on the side. Just a suggestion.
The coffee was fresh and brisk. My dining pal got a deli wrap with choice of chicken, ham or peppered turkey. He chose the latter and was completely happy. I had a traditional bratwurst and sauerkraut on a split loaf bread. The brat had been soaked in beer, which was reason enough for me to have one. Wraps and sandwiches are served with fries -- hand-cut and crisp.
Weekday lunch menus are more extensive, offering a soup of the day (there are at least two chefs holding forth in this kitchen, so soups are freshly-made) house, apple walnut and shrimp and avocado salads, sandwiches, wraps and a choice of sides.
The regular dinner menu tells the story: An abundance of great food not normally found in Shenandoah Valley restaurants -- everything from appetizers such as antipasto skewers and crab ravioli with saffron cream sauce to interesting salads like apple walnut or beet and orange -- to main entrees like this: shrimp and Andouille Creole pasta, vegetable stir fry, grilled filet of beef with horseradish sauce, wild boar and whiskey apples with grilled Cipillini onions and brie, seared salmon over five-spice Quinoa with butternut squash, elk chops and Moroccan chicken.
Dinner entrees are matched with suggested wines. The Publik House, as previously mentioned, has an extensive wine shop downstairs, so you can be assured that there is a level of expertise beyond "served with white" or "served with a fine Merlot." Suggestions include helpful advice for the wine-lorn, such as "Hahn Cabernet Sauvignon" to accommodate the beef entree.
Sometimes it's fun to have wine suggestions as it's not always easy to know what works best with a dish you don't normally order -- like elk.Ok, smarty, elk chops are great when served with a Shoofly Shiraz or a bottle of Penfolds Bin 389. Who knew?
The Publik House certainly gets an "A" for trying: A tapas menu for Sundays, wine tastings every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday and Monday night football specials and Thursday nights for the ladies who wish to share "Grey's Anatomy."
Menus are seasonal and thus subject to change. Desserts are pretty much &announced daily. I got a good look at the day's five or six offerings -- cakes, pies, yummy tarts and such -- and they're all made in-house.
I enjoyed my visit to Publik House. It's pretty uptown for downtown New Market. The Valley has come a long way from my mashed potato-and-meat days there. This one's worth coming off the I-81 to experience.
Publik House Restaurant
9386 Congress St.
(Exit 264 off I-81)
New Market, Va.
(540) 740-2699
