People that followed my newspaper career know that for many years, I had an ongoing beef with Eddie Andelman, the host of a popular sports talk show on Boston radio who also owned the former New England Harness Raceway in Foxboro, and much of the land surrounding Schaefer Stadium. His control of the stadium parking lots may have contributed more to Billy Sullivan's bankruptcy than any other single factor. But despite that animosity, I never extended that beef to his sons, Dave and Dan -- and in fact, I often viewed their popular "Phantom Gourmet" television series to glean from it tips on intriguing restaurants throughout the region. You may have noticed that I've already used "beef" in the animosity context in this review, but thanks to the Andelman brothers, I now have a new beef -- and by that, I mean a great recommendation for one of my life's guilty pleasures, prime rib. Their review of the New England Steak and Seafood in Mendon (about a 30-minute drive from my hometown) was spot-on spectacular. Heeding the warnings of large crowds at this hidden gem across from the Imperial auto dealerships, I ventured there on a Thursday afternoon when there were only a few diners in the rustic and slightly cramped building. I was immediately greeted with a warm handshake by one of the members of the Quirk family, which has operated the restaurant for more than 65 years. I was quickly seated and the attentive wait staff leaped into action -- easy enough for them because the evening rush had yet to begin. While I was there, the telephone rang frequently with potential diners inquiring about future reservations at a more traditional dinner hour (and I'm told that reservations are a must for usual dining times). I didn't mess around. After nibbling on the cheese and crackers and the cinnamon-drizzled rolls, I awaited what I went there for -- prime rib. As the photo above indicates, it was huge. And that was only the Queen cut! I estimate it was about a 32-ounce cut, and it went for $32.99. The King cut is $6 more, and I'm assuming around 34-36 ounces. And they offer the "Fred Flintstone cut" (well over 40 ounces). It's a whopping $74.99, and I've seen a photo of how it towers well above the plate. I don't know how any human under 500 pounds could eat the whole thing in one sitting. Now, remember that prime rib often contains a lot of fat and the heavy bone, which sometimes makes what looks like a great cut very disappointing when you start operating on it. This cut did not disappoint. I ordered it medium and it was perfectly done. Each forkful was warm and juicy and melted in my mouth. And even around the more fatty areas or the bone, a skilled surgeon can extract plenty of juicy meat. I was stuffed and satisfied by the end of the meal. For the sake of context, I really don't eat as much red meat these days as I used to. But I have always craved a well-prepared prime rib, ever since a family trip to Florida included a stop at a restaurant in Aberdeen, Md., that served amazing prime rib -- the taste of which I remember to this day, almost 60 years later. The prime rib I ate at New England Steak and Seafood was every bit as memorable. One last tip -- bring extra cash in the wallet if you plan to pay by credit card. The restaurant asks if you can tip the waitstaff in cash rather than adding it to the bill (I paid cash anyway, so it was no problem).
Click on the accompanying photo to see the menu.
Hours: Closed Tuesday. Monday 4-9 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 4-10 p.m.; Sunday noon-9 p.m. Large parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, reservations definitely recommended.
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