Bernard Whitmore
Out of the Woods
626 Main Street, Bolton
978-634-1058
https://outofthewoodsma.com
Bolton. It’s like a step into another world.
In the scant half-hour it takes to drive there, the weird traffic habits, gnarly roads and commercial free-for-all of Worcester yields to a quieter kingdom of suburban affluence, spacious colonial-revival estates with lots of white clapboard and acreage of perfectly manicured lawn.
Just minutes from I-495, Out of the Woods is located at the very back end of a commercial development, far enough back to achieve a feeling of quiet tranquility, with patio seating that faces across a parking lot onto a wall of verdant woodland. The dining room is devised for pure functionality. The rear wall is papered with images of woodland creatures; the rest of the walls are plain wallboard with simple hooks for hanging coats during the winter months. Overhead, chandeliers are embedded in large twiggy eagle nests. A just-audible soundtrack of jazzy psychedelic surf rock completed the relaxed vibe.
Out of the Woods’ menu is concise: a front page of small and large plates of decidedly American cuisine; on the back, beer and wine. No mixed drinks, no endless variety of multiple cuisines. Each meal’s featured protein is supported by an imaginative cast of vegetables and internationally inspired sauces.
That restraint made meal selection a tidy affair. Appetizers such as Fried Brassicas, Ginger Parsnip Soup, and a board of three local cheeses, however compelling, were immediately set aside for OOTW’s Duck Fat Biscuits.
Biscuits? Let me set the table: we love biscuits. Our travel in America, particularly through the South is in large part a quest for the perfect biscuit. Call it Biscuit Tourism. And who knew what existed right here in Bolton, Massachusetts?
It’s brilliant. Substitute butter or lard for the rich fat rendered from roasting a duck. That’s just the start, though. The baker also has the classic skills required to make puffy golden brown, perfectly formed biscuits that cracked open steamy and fresh. We spread them with honey butter and figgy jam. Their flaky crumble and buttery mouthfeel were perfection. Matching my biscuit with a glass of Nightshift Brewing’s Fluffy, a silky-smooth hazy IPA that glowed deep orange in its tulip glass.
The biscuits could have hijacked the whole meal, but they also established the kitchen’s central strength: familiar food handled with precision, confidence, and just enough surprise. To atone for their luxurious extravagance, we shared a Woods Salad of mixed greens, cucumber, carrot and radish slices tossed in a light vinaigrette and strewn with feta and pistachio crumbles.
The entrées continued that pattern without trying to outshine the opening act.
From there, my friend moved onto his entrée, OOTW’s Pan Seared Duck Breast. Six or eight thick slices of duck meat seared to a pinkish-red interior were strewn with chopped tart strawberries and dangly sprouts. The duck was impeccably lean and rubbed with a sublime mix of herbs. It came served over a mix of snap peas, roasted cauliflower, fava beans and pillowy-soft confit fingerling potatoes.
I’d narrowed my entrée choice to the Rhubarb Ginger Glazed Chicken or the Pistachio Crusted Halibut, each compelling for its featured flavor profile. I chose the halibut: a thick filet coated with crushed pistachios and served over a bed of couscous, with tender asparagus and carrots beside a pool of orange vinaigrette bordered by a stripe of charred fennel purée.
The halibut was flaky and dense, tender and moist under its ruddy coating of pistachio dust. It’s worth noting OOTW’s treatment of vegetables; they arrive perfectly fresh and firm, cut into bite-sized lengths.
Out of the Woods is everything I love in a restaurant: thoughtfully crafted meals of honest ingredients, dining elegance in a sophisticated adult setting, and the confidence to make even a biscuit feel destination-worthy. It is just a half hour from Worcester, but for those biscuits I’d journey anywhere.