Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2002/05/29/ajs_restaurant_we_came_for_the_beef.php
Wednesday, May 29, 2002
Five graying men were sitting on several refinished couches, enjoying each other's company, the pleasant warmth of the nearby woodstove, and the occasional friendly overture by the resident mutt. Rough-hewn wood walls covered with bookshelves and homey decor surrounded them. This was not the brother room of a fraternity house, nor was it a DOC cabin. This was the waiting area at A.J.'s Restaurant & Lounge in White River Junction, Vermont. The establishment is aptly located between a cornfield and a bowling alley, offering corn-fed beef to many of the same folks who no doubt knock down some pins from time to time.
Despite taking one of the few parking spaces in A.J.'s large parking lot, the grandmotherly ma"tre d' seated us sooner than we had expected. A.J.'s does not accept reservations and seems to pride itself on its large-volume dining. The relaxed atmosphere translates into service that is not overly pampering but is prompt, polite, and straightforward.
'How are you boys doin' tonight?' greeted us. She conversed with us as if we were friends or even family. The beverage list relies heavily on a large selection of beer without variety in wines. Nevertheless, the Rollo Begley '04 quickly interceded, 'Let me get a couple pitchers of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.' A.J.'s also houses a traditional bar.
The appetizers list offered some unique possibilities—a relief from the generic potato skins, jalapeno poppers, and 'blooming' onions that most steakhouses routinely offer. With one exception, the appetizers did not meet our expectations. The slightly dry crab cake could have benefited from a good sauce. The Cajun shrimp were well seasoned, but almost microscopic.
The ribs were the real mistake. Perhaps I come with expectations that are too high—possibly the world's best ribs are prepared on Mike Long's concrete block pit just down the road from my home in rural Georgia. A.J.'s ribs were not smoked and had a bland sauce.
The surprisingly good appetizer was the escargot—a risky pick considering the type of restaurant. Thus, I asked the waitress about them. She hesitated and then exclaimed, 'Oh, you mean the snails!' Realizing her faux pas, she quickly put her hand in front of her mouth. She laughed and said, 'Well, they are very good.'
We nearly passed on the escargot, but Charles Kluender '04 persuaded us: 'Escargot is such an oddity on this menu that it must be there for a reason!' To Charles' credit, the snails were actually very tasty.
At the salad bar Brian Ross '04 directed my attention to the plates: 'These are not cold, and you have to chill the plates at the salad bar. My Jell-O will melt now.'
Plate temperature aside, the salad bar offered a nice selection of cheeses—better than I have seen at other similar establishments. My favorites were the dill havarti and the smoked cheddar. A robust selection of fresh greens followed. If you still have room at that point, there are several prepared salads. The potato salad was delicious, and it nearly persuaded me to forgo my main course. Two breads round out the selection. Returning to our seats, I noticed that the salad bar had noticeable gaps that were not there when we began our trip through the line. Then, I turned my head and saw five heaping plates marching back to our table, and I knew exactly what had happened.
The waitress returned to take our main orders. Having received sound advice about the appetizers, I once again enlisted her aid in choosing my entrée. 'I like a good rib-eye or a good prime rib, but A.J.'s has both,' I said. 'Which would you recommend?'
She said, 'They are both good, but the prime rib...'
At this point Andrew Edwards '04 interjected, 'Is that what I saw coming in?"
The waitress nodded and said, 'Yeah, it's my choice when I pick.'
Andy and I both ordered the prime rib rare and medium-rare, respectively.
When Joseph Maruchek '04 asked for his filet to be cooked medium, a great debate ensued. 'Go ahead, Joe, ruin a perfectly good piece of meat,' Charles said. Most at the table agreed with Charles.
Shortly after finishing my salad, I saw the two largest single-serving hunks of cow I have ever seen approaching our table. The enormity of my cut of beef was eclipsed by the size of Andy's cut. The cook had hand cut each piece of meat to compensate for the amount of natural fat. Andy's had slightly more fat, so he got more meat as well. Both of these bone-in behemoths measured approximately two-inches in thickness. After the waitress passed around the other dishes, we had seen enough of our prime rib. Now we were ready to eat them. They tasted as good as they looked. Both were cooked exactly as ordered and came with an excellent horseradish sauce.
Charles had ordered uncommonly conservatively, but was more than satisfied with his selection: 'Just look at those grill lines. And the green beans, OH!' For green beans to deserve recommendation is quite an accomplishment. I love green beans, but I can only remember a couple in my lifetime that stand out, one being my grandmother's.
Suddenly, Joe interrupted our meal. 'My filet is dry,' he said.
'Well, what did you expect,' Andy responded. 'You don't order a filet cooked well-done or whatever you ordered it.'
'I ordered it medium,' Joe retorted.
Upon inspection, we concluded that Joe's filet was cooked as he ordered. The characteristic pinkish-red hue throughout the inside of the meat did look like a perfect medium.
Whether or not the individual ordering knew what he was doing, the cuts were cooked exactly to order. Brian admitted that his rib eye had been cooked to perfection, although he critiqued the quality of the meat itself. 'There is some gristle,' he said. 'I have had better, but this is better than average. No extra flavor is needed and it's cooked just right.' Rollo enjoyed veal cordon bleu, praising the mushroom chiptotle sauce.
Everyone seemed to enjoy his meal. The menu offers seafood for anyone who's interested, but most come for the red meat.
Our waitress informed us of the various dessert selections, but I selected a brownie sundae. It sounded simple, but I had a feeling it might be grand like our steaks. Upon ordering it the waitress confirmed my hunch. 'I can never finish a prime rib and a brownie sundae,' she said. 'I only dream about it!' It did exceeded expectations. The sundae was not decadent or gourmet—just a classic dessert: a big brownie square with giant dollop of vanilla ice cream on top, both smothered in thick fudge sauce.
Several of us had to ask for doggy bags, and the food came back in an actual bag adorned with images of several different breeds of canines. A life-size portrait of A.J.'s beagles also hung on the wall behind us, affirming A.J.'s affinity for dogs. The images really capture the homespun atmosphere of A.J.'s.
A.J.'s is a great place to get away from DDS and relax with friends for an inexpensive to moderately priced (entrees $10-$18) home-cooked meal. As one of our party said, 'It is simple food prepared very well.'