Sullivan Station Dining Review - Lee, MA

Who says that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day? As luck would have it I had the extreme pleasure of having dinner at Sullivan Station in Lee, a restaurant that I have wanted to try out for quite some time. It is set back behind the Chamberry Inn on Route 7 and if you have ever driven by the restaurant, you will notice that it is literally an old railroad station that has been lovingly converted into a comfortable and elegant, yet casual restaurant with an American Grille atmosphere. The original restored oak wainscoting as well as the original ticket window, the high ceiling fans, lace curtains and a train station theme running throughout the place, gives off a relaxed and welcoming feeling. From what I understand this is one of only 3 or 4 old stations that have been converted to restaurants scattered around New England.

While I am describing dinner in this review, keep in mind that the kitchen is open all day, (noon to closing). Starting with lunch it is the perfect place to quench an appetite after shopping at the Lee Prime Outlet Village, or shopping and sightseeing in downtown Lee, all of which is located just off the Mass Turnpike!

Coming into the restaurant on a perfect Autumn evening in the Berkshires we were greeted warmly by the owner, Marilyn Kelly who has run the establishment for 20 years now, and is also responsible for the original transformation of the station, along with her husband and son. She now operates the restaurant single-handedly, (except for a dedicated staff, some of whom have been there for 19 years). Marilyn, a past president of Lee Chamber of Commerce, and an energetic current member, puts as much energy into the community as she does her business, and it shows in the décor and demeanor of the town.

Our waitress, Pat, is the dedicated staff member of 19 years that I referred to previously and as she handed us our menus I glanced at the wine list, which has a small but excellent selection of wines and champagnes. I was tempted to order a bottle of my favorite bubbly, Perrier Jouet, that I was surprised to see on the list, and celebrate my birthday. But unfortunately it wasn't my birthday! Oh well.

The menu, as I mentioned, is a traditional New England Country Fare with a few variations. In addition to the evening's choice of potato they always offer wild rice! For those that crave that traditional Friday night out-on-the-town Prime Rib, Sullivan Station offers it in the Queen and King portions. The head chef, Pauline Laudon has been running the kitchen for the last three years and has not made any radical menu changes, keeping the fare consistent over time.

The basket of freshly baked 12-grain bread that was brought to the table was to-die-for and it reminded me of my Mom's homemade bread. For an appetizer we had a variation on Buffalo Wings, which was simply chunks of chicken tenderloin cutlets in a choice of mild or hot Buffalo Sauce. They were crisp and tender and served with the usual carrots and celery with bleu cheese dressing. I tried a small portion of the soup du jour, which was a Canadian Bacon Cabbage Soup (yummy), and Wendy sampled and enjoyed the New England Clam Chowder, which is always on the menu.

The salad that was served just before the main course was a generous portion of a tender mix of mescal greens, which were lightly dressed in a Balsamic Vinaigrette.

As our entrees were served I groaned at the huge portions, having already filled my belly unwisely. I indulged in the T-bone steak with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions while Wendy tried the sautéed Pork Chops with Homemade Applesauce, both of which were choices from the nightly specials. The savory mashed Butternut Squash that was served in addition to the meat and potato was excellent, and I am going to try for the same flavor and consistency when I serve mine at Thanksgiving.

For dessert, it was all Wendy and I could do to sample the Bread Pudding, (Marilyn's Mom's recipe) and an Apple Cranberry Pie, (with an apple crumb topping) served with vanilla ice cream. As we were taking our time with the dessert we started chatting with the older couple next to us who had been listening to our exchange with Marilyn and the waitress. As they got up to leave, the gentleman proudly informed all of us that he had, "been here 70 years ago waiting for the train". Amazing!