A special meal at The Publick House

Upon my return from Las Vegas early last week, Z and I met up at The Publick House in Brookline for some delicious beer and "special" pub grub. I call it special because The Publick House tends to charge a hefty penny for dishes you can get for less money at most other eateries outside of Boston. However, the food is high quality, and it's not every night we make it out to Brookline - so, sometimes, spending the extra few dollars is worth every penny. Plus, I got two meals out of my $17 entree.

I usually leave the beer ordering to Z, as he is the expert, and this evening was no exception. Especially between the jet lag, hunger, and the lengthy and varied beer menu Publick House offers, I was slightly overwhelmed. Thankfully, our waitress was more than willing to let us sample any of the brews we had questions on, too. I finally settled on a Whale's Tale Pale Ale, and later ordered a smooth Sixpoint Brownstone.

For an appetizer, we ordered the cheese plate, and from a wide selection of rare cheeses, we decided on the Rogue Chocolate Stout Cheddar and Tetilla from Spain (you get your choice of two cheeses).

The cheese plate came with fresh bread, cornichones, and house made spicy mustard. Both cheeses were unique and satisfying, although the chocolate stout cheddar was my favorite. A hint of rich chocolate flavor was present in the background, without taking away from the tangy bite of the cheddar. (Bonus: You can buy any of the cheeses on their menu at their Provisions gourmet food and beer store next door).

For our meals, I went for the Pumpkin Ravioli ($17), which consisted of a heaping bowl of fresh pasta, chocked full of creamy, pumpkin filling.

Personally, I loathe overly sweet pumpkin dishes, but Publick House's version of pumpkin ravioli had the ideal balance between sweet and savory. Between the cream sauce, asiago cheese sprinkling, and the mushroom and tomato garnish, this dish was flavorful, balanced and filling. I ended up eating half that night, and saving the rest for lunch the next day.

Z had the Roasted Fig Salad, which was made with bibb lettuce, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and red wine-roasted figs tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with candied walnuts.

I forget the price of this dish (although I know it costs less than $17), but this heaping salad was divine. The flavor and texture combination was incredible - the sweet flavor of the figs went so well with the tangy goat cheese and sugary walnuts, and the balsamic dressing added a necessary salty flavor to round out the dish.

Overall, we had a great meal and some satisfying brews at The Publick House - not to mention helpful, attentive service. Even though the prices tend to be on the higher side, I am positive that we will back for another "special" meal sometime in the near future.

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