ADAMS — A few weeks ago, someone asked me if I ever go back to "re-review" a restaurant that received a poor "fork" rating. My reply was, "They're usually not there a year later."
Then I saw an ad in the newspaper for Hotel Adams Steak & Brew, "Now Offering Family Dining." We had reviewed it a little over a year ago, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. For us or for them.
So I gathered up the same WDT Reviewing Team and we headed back to see if anything had changed.
Don't let the old beat-up metal and glass front door deter you. As we found last year, the entire first floor has been restored to its original 1890s look, complete with an old wall-mounted telephone, parlor furniture and striped wallpaper, all adding to the old-time ambiance.
We wandered back to the game room/barroom where you can play pool, play darts or go bowling on one of those old-time bowling machines. The original antique L-shaped bar loops around into the dining room.
We assumed that since it was now being touted as a family restaurant, the menu selection would be stripped back to pizzas, wings and chicken tenders.
Surprise, surprise. Some of the same things we tried last year were on the menu, plus lots more.
For appetizers: stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped scallops, chicken quesadillas and steamed clams.
For entrées (nearly 3 dozen in all): steaks, pork chops, Cajun chicken, chicken Parmesan, shrimp, haddock, lobster and perch. And a good selection of pasta dishes.
But here's the big difference. Just about everything we had this time was properly cooked, nicely presented and served by a lively and cheery waitress who perhaps had had a little too much coffee throughout the day.
Owner Keith Schillinger has taken over control of the kitchen with his son and daughter. Our caffeine-powered waitress, Keitha (no relation), is also the food and beverage manager.
Artichoke-spinach dip ($5.99) was tasty, served bubbling hot with lots of fresh, warm tortilla chips. Nice presentation, with the boat of creamy dip surrounded by the chips, parsley sprinkled on top.
Bacon-wrapped scallops (six for $6.99) were good, served over a bed of iceberg lettuce and colorful sliced tomatoes. The bacon was nice and crispy, but the scallops were a little overcooked, making them a tad on the chewy side.
Last year, the stuffed mushrooms ($6.99) were a disaster. This year they win the Most Improved Appetizer award. Six large caps were stuffed with sausage, Parmesan and bread crumbs, topped with melted cheddar and displayed on iceberg lettuce. These were yummy.
Dinners come with choice of cup of soup or tossed salad, potato or rice, vegetable and dinner roll.
Fresh, chilled iceberg lettuce with fresh veggies was served in old-fashioned wooden bowls, probably the same ones used in the hotel over the years. Rings of red onion on top added a nice touch, and for the non-onion lover, they were easy to remove. Standard salad dressings were fine.
The thick-cut New York strip steak ($15.99) was stunning — charbroiled and nicely seasoned on the outside, still breathing on the inside. They cooked a perfect rare steak for us, something you don't find often. Plenty of dark-colored french fries filled out the plate.
The marquee outside boasted "Fresh Bullheads." Unfortunately, the shipment hadn't arrived, so we tried the fresh Lake Ontario perch ($12.99). It's a dainty little fish. We ordered it broiled, and, unfortunately, it was cooked a little too long, so it arrived dry. A squeeze of lemon helped a little, but not enough. We probably should have asked for some melted butter.
A side of rice was also dry, and for some reason it came with melted cheddar on top. The vegetables that accompanied all the meals were canned cut green beans, served cafeteria-style in small dishes on top of the entrée plates.
A generous portion of lasagna ($8.99) filled a rimmed bowl; layers of noodles, cheeses and ground meat smothered in a sweet tomato sauce that we thought was homemade. We felt the noodles could have been a little more al dente, but nonetheless, what wasn't eaten at the table made its way home via a Styrofoam container.
Chicken Christopher ($13.99) was OK, a pan-seared breast topped with large pieces of artichoke and flat, bigger-than-usual sun-dried tomatoes that made the dish a challenge to enjoy.
The chicken was tender and fairly moist, but it needed a sauce of some kind. A side of garlic mashed potatoes was the real thing (according to our mashed-potatoes expert); the garlic could have been a little more subtle.
And kudos for Keitha — she was able to place the appetizers and entrées in front of the people who ordered them without having to ask.
Desserts were Main Street USA OK. Prices averaged $2.95.
We appreciated the fresh apples in the apple pie, but the crust left something to be desired. Chocolate pie was just fine; pudding filling in what seemed like a better crust.
The brownie sundae was huge, with a brownie that could have been chewier, covered with scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, topped with a maraschino cherry.
A nice touch — the apple pie and the brownie were warmed in the kitchen prior to serving.
Dinner came to $94 before tip. Although we didn't partake, drink prices seemed quite reasonable with well drinks at $2.50 and wines by the glass $3 to $3.50.
It's obvious that Keith, Keitha & Co. have made significant changes for the better in the year since we first reviewed Hotel Adams. There's still a little tweaking to be done, but they're headed in the right direction.
In Keith's own words, "We're not a five-star restaurant — we're a family-run family restaurant, constantly striving to improve everything we do for our customers." You'll even get a customer survey before you leave so you can be the food critic next time.
If you've been disappointed in the past, it might be time to give them another try.
Lunch and dinner are served every day except Tuesday, plus breakfast on Sunday.
You can contact Walter E. Siebel via e-mail: wsiebel@wdt.net.
Hotel Adams Steak & Brew
4 W. Church St.
Adams
232-3000
A family-run "step above" family restaurant in a restored 1890s hotel.
We found the food and the service much improved over our visit a year ago
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner
Closed Tuesday
Rating: 3 forks
