A beautiful weekend…
…is on tap for the goings-on at Old Sturbridge Village this weekend. We’re very excited to be going there. Mike took Friday off from work…he needs to get the oil changed in the car before we go. After that, we can get an earlier start than we would have if he’d gone to work that day.
I read on the OSV website that they are re-opening the Oliver Wight Tavern for lunch. It will be served as a buffet in the Tap Room, Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30AM – 2:30 PM. Maybe we’ll check it out when we’re there.
OSV had shut down the Oliver Wight Tavern as a cost-cutting measure a few years ago. We had a chance to have dinner there once, before it was closed. They had also shut down renting it out for events, such as weddings, but now that’s open again, too. I imagine that somewhere down the line, it will be open again for dinner, as well.
I hear that the foliage out there is nice…leaves are starting to turn and all. See the picture in the banner up there, the one with the trees? I took that pic as OSV last year, at around this time. This is the kind of scenery you can expect at OSV in the fall.
Where I live, there aren’t that many trees, just a bunch of concrete. I see more silk trees than I do real ones around here. Well, at least in this house, if I want potted foliage, it has to be made of silk. Otherwise, the cats would eat it. But that silk stuff looks pretty realistic, don’t you think?
Anyway, can’t wait for the weekend! 
Piccadilly Pub Restaurants
This a small (13 locations) chain of bar/restaurants in Massachusetts. The concept is very similar to that of the 99 chain, but I think that the Pic does it much better. I’ve never really cared for the 99 that much. They always seem to overcook everything, especially fried foods. The worst fish & chips that I ever had in my life, I had it at the 99. And it’s not just one location…we’ve been to many locations over the years, and they seem to overcook the food everywhere. And some locations will not cook their burgers any other way than well done…gack!
Maybe it’s a corporate policy or something. Maybe they figure if they cook everything to death, then no one will get food-borne illnesses and sue them. I don’t know. But I do know that I won’t eat there anymore.
The Piccadilly Pub chain offers quality food, generous portions, at very affordable prices. I don’t think there is anything on the menu that costs more than $15.00. One of my favorite menu items is the open-faced hot turkey sandwich. It’s piled with turkey and stuffing, and comes with creamy mashed potatoes (or you could get fries if you prefer), gravy, and cranberry sauce.
They make a pretty decent meat loaf, too. I’m usually disappointed when I order this dish in a restaurant, it’s always too dry and flavorless. Although I still think the meat loaf I make at home is better, the one served at the Pic is respectable.
Sometimes they make a special out of the meat loaf, an Italian meat loaf sub. They put a hunk of meat loaf on a sub roll, with tomato sauce and melted cheese. Yummie!
The burgers are good, too, and yes, they do cook them to order…no hockey puck burgers unless you want them cooked that way! My favorite is the Pub Bistro Burger, served on a foccacia roll with bacon, lettuce, tomato, blue cheese, and something they call a “Bistro Sauce”. Very tasty!
They always do an excellent job with the fried food. Don’t you hate it when you order fried clams or scallops or calamari, and they’re overcooked. It’s like trying to eat rubber bands. If you want to eat rubber bands, get fried seafood from the 99, or just save yourself some money and buy a big box of them at Staples or Office Max. But the fried seafood (and chicken) at the Pic are done just right. The whole belly clam platter, at $13.99 is an excellent value. The clams are cooked just right and they give you a lot!
Other things we like to order include the clam chowder a bread bowl, which is served with a Caesar salad, and the country-fried chicken salad.
It’s a major award!
Lookee! Ye Olde Blogge here has been honored as Blog of the Day over at Fuel My Blog. Behold!
click image for larger version in new window
And please don’t forget to visit Fuel My Blog’s Blog…where yours truly writes “Christine’s Sunday Lunch”.
Upcoming events for model train fans…
Mark your calendars and make hotel reservations ASAP, if you are interested in either of the following events…
NMRA Hub Division, Northeastern Region – Great Marlborough Train Show – Marlborough, Mass.
This is to be held the weekend of December 1-2, just in time for holiday shopping! It will be held, as usual, at the Best Western Royal Plaza Trade Center, which is right on Route 20…very easy to find, just off the Mass Pike.
I’m not a train junkie, but my husband Mike is, and therefore, I’ve been dragged to many of these choo-choo train events. This one is pretty interesting, as these things go. If you are crazy about trains, you will love it. It’s really big, and there is a lot to see (and buy!).
But I tend to get bored and tired at these things. However, the hotel has a restaurant with a bar, where I can hang out while Mike takes his time looking at stuff. The food is good, mostly pub fare. And they feature beers from the Wachusett Brewing Company on tap…in fact, this was where I first tried them.
This show is an easy day trip from the Boston area, or it could be combined, as we often do, with a weekend trip to Old Sturbridge Village (it’s right on the way to Sturbridge).
Looking ahead into the new year, there is the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show, to be held at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield, MA. It’s happening on the weekend of January 26-27.
This is a GINORMOUS show; people come from all over the place for it. If you are coming from afar, book a hotel room NOW, especially if you want to stay anywhere near the event venue. We tried to do this as a day trip from Boston one year, but it proved to be too much. We will stay in Sturbridge, which is more than halfway there, and once again combine this with a trip to the Village.
There are restaurants right in the buildings where the show is held, mostly hamburger and hot dog sort of things. One of the buildings has a small bar where I can get Sam Adams beer, that’ll be where Mike can find me if I get tired and bored.
After the show, a nice dining option is the nearby Storrowton Tavern.  It’s good but a little pricey. If you’re looking for something in the area that is less expensive and more casual, the only place I know of is the Piccadilly Pub.
For more info about any of the above, please click on the links and visit the websites. You’ll find directions and more!
I eat too much…
…but mostly when we go up to Maine. When we come back, it’s time to break out the diet pills.
There are so many great restaurants there, and then there’s the BEER! Maine has far better beer than we do here in Massachusetts. Yes, Massachusetts has a few good breweries. But it seems that most restaurants and bars around here serve mostly watery swill like Budweiser. At some places, it seems like we’re lucky if they have Sam Adams on tap. We’ve decided that people in Maine have much better taste in beer.
One of my plans for this blog is to add separate pages with a directory of places that have GOOD beer.  These would be restaurants, brewpubs, breweries, and liquor stores. So look out for that soon! I’ll also be adding separate restaurant and lodging directories as well.
