Presentation is a problem here at
Fieldstone Grill, a roadside establishment just off of US 131 in
Portage. Perhaps its location is one of the factors that make it
difficult for Fieldstone Grill to achieve the successful blend of
fine dining aesthetic and middle-class occasion destination it seems
to be shooting for.
Its red and white exterior looks more
like a barn than a restaurant, while the patio could be confused for
an outdoor food court / picnic area, not unlike one you might find at
a museum or zoo. The interior, however, while somewhat cavernous in
the center (the peak of the “barn”), is a warmly lit, quiet
space, sparely and tastefully decorated. A large fireplace, built
from the titular fieldstones, manages to be impressive without making
the place feel like a ski lodge. Windows along the back wall provide
a view of the adjacent wetlands.
Back outside, the patio chairs turn
out to be more comfortable than they look, and the view, again, makes
for a surprisingly enjoyable seating area.
Fieldstone Grill's culinary offerings,
however, suggest that the view from the parking lot is, in fact, the
more truthful representation. Chef Jason McClellan is described as an
“old soul,” which apparently means that he cooks with the
deteriorating taste buds of the elderly in mind.
Whatever flavors might be in the
chicken soup are overpowered by the uncharacteristic spiciness. The
ravioli with vodka cream sauce is certainly ravioli, and the sauce
certainly contains cream, but any further deductions as to the
ingredients of the dish are difficult, if not impossible.
The salmon and the perch are
distinguishable only in that one is dry, lightly seasoned, and the
other is slathered in butter, as are the soft, easy to chew green
beans that accompany it. One wonders if the cold, flavorless mashed
potatoes were added to the plate simply for texture.
Desserts can be comprehensively
described as “various forms of sugar.” The triple-berry cobbler
tastes like spongy bread pudding whose sweetness is probably from
some sort of berry. The tiramisu is both sweeter than tiramisu
usually is, and disgracefully bland. What is the point of serving
tiramisu that could be easily mistaken for the spongy, grey cobbler?
The flourless chocolate cake is
definitely chocolate, but dispel from your mind images of
traditional Italian flourless
cakes, baked with almonds and perhaps dusted with powdered sugar.
This is just melted chocolate, with a consistency somewhere between
pudding and fudge.
Admittedly,
the vanilla ice cream served with each of the desserts is not
disappointing, but, with the exception of the cake, it would have
been better on its own.
It should be noted
that these foods are from Fieldstone Grill's special Mother's Day
menu. Lacking from said menu are many of the appetizers, salads, and
entrees from the regular menu, such as the sesame-crusted tuna,
grilled salmon salad, and Bell's Oberon Fish-n-Chips. Also missing
are all of the burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas.
Meanwhile, the
four-cheese ravioli with sausage vodka cream sauce has been
downgraded for Mother's Day to three cheeses, sans sausage. The
salmon, normally a pan-seared dish hailing from the Mediterranean, is
now decidedly American, chargrilled and served with (surprisingly
tasty) dumplings. The Mother's Day menu seems less special, more
rip-off, especially at $25 per meal plus appetizers and drinks a la
carte.
Fieldstone Grill
is a series of conflicts: a jaunty menu with less-than-jaunty prices;
a barn housing a restaurant; a soup-soaked doily. It is up to them to
resolve these conflicts. Much easier to resolve is the conflict of
whether or not to eat there.
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