Steppin’ Out – Forester Pub & Grill, Camino

Forester pub and grillIt had been several years since either Russ Salazar or I had been to the Forester, which is located at 4110 Carson Road, in downtown Camino. So, when were looking for a place in the Camino are to try, the Forester almost immediately came to mind.

Their menu is quite eclectic, with a little bit of everything, from German to English to Mexican food, and they pride themselves on serving large portions of high quality food at very reasonable prices. They use trans fat free rice oil for their deep fried food and grill in corn oil, which imparts no flavor.

It was a Thursday, around noon, when I arrived and there were a number of people enjoying lunch in their dining room. Russ showed up a few minutes later and joined me . It was actually warm enough to sit on their shady outdoor patio, but we decided to stay inside.

The last time I had dined at the Forester I had tried the buffalo burger, which is made with one-half pound of organically raised ground buffalo. However, I had my eye on fish and chips and Russ wanted me to try the Shepherd’s Pie, which he had especially enjoyed the last time he had dined there.

I wasn’t sure they served the Shepherd’s Pie at lunch, but our kind server assured me they did, so we ordered that from the “Pub Favorites” portion of the menu and the Fish and Chips from the “Kids & Seasoned Citizens” portion of the menu. We told our server that we would be splitting our dishes, so when they arrived she brought us two small plates.

Both dishes were excellent.

The Shepherd’s Pie was made with a lot of seasoned coarse ground chuck, mixed with peas (don’t all British dishes have peas in them?), covered with browned mashed potatoes. It also came with a roll and butter.

It was delicious and large enough to be quite a filling meal for one. For the two of us it was perfect. The coarse ground chuck was excellently seasoned and there was at least a half pound of it, mixed with the tender peas. The browned mashed potatoes still had some texture and the whole dish just went together beautifully.

The “Seasoned Citizen” portion of fish and chips had one large piece of perfectly cooked, not greasy and very fresh Alaskan Cod, an abundance of steak fries and some of the best cole slaw I have tasted in quite a while (fresh and a bit tangy from what I think was a tiny bit of horseradish). Many places just serve you the fish and chips, but the cole slaw really makes the dish complete. Besides that, you need some greenery in the dish.

The tarter sauce was also excellent and mostly disappeared on my steak fries, which were good, but could have been a bit crisper.

The burgers and sandwiches, of which there are many, come with a choice of steak fries, onion rings, brown rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw, sour or salad. And, you can add cheese, avocado slices, bacon or sauteed mushrooms for a little more.

Appetizers include Calamari Strips, Soup, Green Salad, Chicken Strips, Buffalo Wings (not from the buffalo, of course), Garlic Steak Fries, a Shrimp Cocktail and more.

Dinner entrees include Shrimp Scampi, a Captain’s Platter, Tempura Shrimp, Chicken Parmigiana, Calamari Steak Milanese, Fish and Chips, Fish and Tempura Shrimp, top Sirloin Steak, Baby Back Ribs, Pot Roast, Breaded Pork Chips, Beef Stroganoff, Wienerschnitzel, Jaegerschnitzel, Chicken Dumpling, Chicken in wine Cream Sauce and more.

In addition to the Shepherd’s Pie, the “Pub Favorites” part of the menu includes London Porter Beef Stew and Meal Loaf.

Oh, I almost missed the salads, which include a Caesar, Tuna and Egg, The Forester Seafood Louie and Santa Fe Chicken.

To accompany your meal, they have the normal soft drinks, coffee and tea and a good selection of wine and beer (many on tap).

Like most pubs, they also have a game room with a pool table, separate from the dining room.

Open daily from 11:30 until 9.

For more information give them a call at (530) 644-1818 or visit them on the internet at foresterpubandgrill.com where you will find their entire menu, and even comments from diners.

NOTE!

Having a meeting, party or other event a need a caterer?

A few weeks ago I was again invited to be a “Judge” at the annual “Festival of Oral Interpretation” at Pioneer School. While we are waiting for the nearly 500 students to show up, we are always treated to a catered lunch.

This year the caterer was Fresh Mex Express Mexican Grill, which is located in Prospector Plaza Shopping Center on Missouri Flat, across from K-Mart, Ross and Save Mart. Although I am a great fan of their food, I had never attended an event catered by them.
We were served tortillas, a choice of meat, rice, beans, guacamole, chips and a choice of several salsas. It was a hit and everyone loved it.

They will customize a meal for any occasion.

For more information, give them a call at (530) 642-9778.

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