Bernard Whitmore
Simple Man Saloon and Grill
119 High Street, Clinton
Phone: (978) 365-1949
www.simplemansaloon.com
The Simple Man Saloon and Grill describes itself as the “premier hot spot for great food, cold drinks and superb live entertainment.” The week I researched it, its lineup of entertainment featured singer-songwriter Whitney Doucet, who has opened for nationally recognized country music acts.
We decided to test that claim: Was Simple Man mostly an entertainment hot spot with food on the side, or could the kitchen make a case for “great food” all on its own? By the end of the meal, the answer was clear.
We found Simple Man located halfway down High Street in one of those old storefronts that has been preserved to retain much of the original architectural flourishes. This seems common in the town of Clinton; unlike so many other New England mill towns, it never hit rock-bottom; its a solid community with plenty to be proud of.
From the sign that greeted us, “Welcome, please seat yourselves,” to the servers, to the customers, everything about Simple Man was embracingly friendly. That warmth set expectations before the food did. The menu is not an endless barrage of freezer-to-table fare, but it does hew closely to sports bar standards.
We started with a basket of hand-battered onion rings, thick-cut Bermuda onions slathered with batter and deep-fried till the onions turned a bit soft and sweet. The craggy breading reminded me of tempura, but a bit thicker with a pleasing salty-crunch that was perfect with my glass of Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA.
Perhaps I should get out more often, but this was the first menu where I’ve encountered a haddock BLT and I was keen to try it. Imagine my disappointment when our server announced, “No haddock today.” That small letdown became my meal’s turning point. Quickly scanning the menu, I resorted to its Flatbread section, where you specify tomato, Alfredo, or BBQ base; plus various protein and vegetable toppings. I stammered out my selections, hoping for the best, yet expecting very little. My experience with flatbreads has been very uneven.
My friend had none of this uncertainty; from the moment he saw the Prime Rib Dinner he knew exactly what he wanted. The meal is one of Simple Man’s specials, offered on certain days “while quantities last.”
Many restaurants offer prime rib specials at rock-bottom prices. Simple Man’s is market-priced, not inexpensive, but as soon as it hit the table I could tell it was one gorgeous slab of meat, thick-cut and glistening with juices. As ordered, it was pinkish-red at the center, marbled with fat and slow-roasted till its salt-and-pepper coating had turned crusty black with rich beefy flavor. It was served with au jus, a large baked potato cracked open and ready to be slathered with butter and sour cream, broccoli florets, and blistered cherry tomatoes.
The second standout arrived by surprise. Prepared for flatbread monotony, I came alive when served a 12-inch round of gorgeous pizza. If I had taken more time to read the full menu I would have seen Simple Man’s subtitle, which specifies pinsa crust—a very exciting flatbread, not the boring cardboard stuff found elsewhere.
The first thing I noticed was the thick-edged crust. The dough had formed large bubbles that the intense heat of the oven baked to crispy splinters of heavenly flavor. For an on-the-spot decision, I can’t imagine a better set of add-ons: The tomato sauce base tasted as robust as any traditional recipe, roasted garlic cloves contributed honestly concentrated sweet garlic flavor and sliced pepperoni; so many slices there was barely a bite without one, plus mozzarella cheese baked into that chewy crust. And a scattering of herbs. Amazing!
So, does Simple Man’s cuisine merely complement the entertainment lineup, or does it rise to “greatness”? Between the market-priced prime rib and the unexpectedly thrilling pinsa, the kitchen made the stronger case. Over the past few decades, Clinton restaurants have been destination-worthy. If anything, the meals we enjoyed at Simple Man Saloon and Grill elevate that tradition.