thePULSECenter Tree Bar & Grill
249 Main Street, Rutland
Phone: (774) 234-0234
www.centertreebarandgrill.com
Bernie Whitmore
Every few months, we take a timeout from Worcester dining and venture into the surrounding towns. Almost invariably I’m surprised at what we find; scenes where the locals are enjoying establishments which would rank among the hottest restaurants of Worcester.
Now, Rutland has revealed their best-kept dining secret: Center Tree Bar and Grill. Located in the town’s center in a commercial building set perpendicular to Route 122A, it’s easy to spot just as you’re passing by it.
Once inside, we found a spacious room with rows of booths, high-top tables and a large bar. Always a good sign, on this mid-weeknight it was close to filled. Shannon, our server, needed a couple encounters with us before warming up to my companion and I, but once we became at ease with each other I came to appreciate her understated humor and helpful recommendations.
Center Tree’s appetizer list contains some standard items and a few unusual combinations. Consider their Totchos, a merging of the perpetually-popular “tater tots with cheese sauce, chicken and other toppings”. I considered ordering Lobster Arancini, but in the end we decided on Fried Calamari and Shrimp. Served on a leaf-shaped white dish, my first impression was that the portion seemed less than generous. But this was a dish that kept on giving.
Tightly packed medium-sized shrimp fried golden brown clung to calamari rings and tangles of tentacles, all drizzled with a creamy lemon aioli. As we began to stab pieces of seafood I realized how densely packed it all was. Then, we hit the contrasting flavor agents. Garlic confit: tender cloves of garlic whose flavor had been tamed to creamy and mild. Cherry tomatoes: flecked with aromatic herbs, their natural sugars concentrated by a charring from an encounter with the hot grill.
It was with some trepidation that I arrived at my entrée decision, Korean Short Rib Tacos. After all, how interesting could a taco be? I’d soon find out.
The Center Tree serves three soft corn tortillas packed with strips of tender beef, crunchy red cabbage slaw and pickled red onion laced with razor-thin slices of hot pepper that set the dish ablaze with tasty sparks of flavor. Buttressing all of this is their red chili paste (gochujang) aioli that melded with the other ingredients and soaked the tacos with flavor.
Shannon had asked if I wanted my tacos with fries, onion rings, or both. Of course, I chose both. They arrived as a huge mound of deep-golden goodness taking an entire side of the dish. Both were crispy-thin and creamy on the inside. But the rings were more like onion strings, one of our all-time favorites.
How interesting are tacos? When you blend the deep, honest, beefy richness of short ribs with sharp flavor and textural contrasts, the answer is, “Who cares? That one was awesome and I still have two of them on my dish!”
My glass of Road 2 Ruin Double IPA had plenty of hoppy bitter assertiveness to make it the Craft Draft Match to the tacos. R2R is brewed by Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut.
So far the chef had proven his knack for innovating some of the basics of informal dining. With my companion’s entrée, Scallop Risotto, things got seriously interesting.
Once placed on the table, our first reaction was to take pictures. Set in a pool of sauce, a center row of deeply seared sea scallops was lined by parallel rows of charred cherry tomatoes all set over a bed of creamy smashed green spring peas blended with (we’d soon discover) orzo. Sprinkled about were chunks of crunchy pan-fried pancetta. Green, white and red; it looked like the Italian flag.
Technically, by using orzo instead of rice, I believe this dish would be more aptly titled Scallop Risoni, but that’s quibbling. Let’s get to the flavor.
My companion reported the scallops as perfectly braised, tender and fresh. The tomato or two I snagged literally popped with rich juices. The bright-green spring pea – orzo combination provided mild flavor and a creamy textural counterpoint. But that sauce! Its smooth flavor suggested several aromatic herbs, but we just couldn’t decide which. And then the chef stopped by with the answer: tarragon. Of course! One of my favorite herbs and, alas, one that’s rarely encountered.
Our dining experience at the Center Tree was memorable and within days I’d recommended them to friends who are always on the lookout for new dining options. However, the real news could be another entrée on their menu, Chicken & Waffles. Word is, this is the same version I’ve been talking about for a couple years transported to Rutland.
