Reprinted from:

Dining Out
August 21, 2003

By Paul Bernard

Superb in South County

Halfway between Providence and   Worcester, Uxbridge seemed to be a logical loca­tion  for planning  a  ren­dezvous with family summering in Rhode Island. That, in turn, provided an ideal opportunity to visit the Cocke 'n Kettle, a restaurant with a reputation for gracious dining.

Traffic from Worcester was much lighter than from Providence, so my companion and I arrived early and had plenty of time to admire the antique-furnished waiting area and its huge floral arrangement. We also perused pamphlets detailing the histo­ry of the building. Several 20th-century additions have been added to the original mansion, which dates back to the colonial era.

Soon our guests arrived and we were seated forthwith. The dining room housed two fireplaces and was illuminated by car­riage lamps. For our munching needs, the table was set with crackers, cheese spread and a crock of kidney bean salad. Our waitress greeted us with menus and stood ready for our beverage decisions. No wine list was in evidence, but by her unflappable manner it was obvious that she had faced worse tragedies. She recited the list, by color and variety. I selected a glass of Pinot Grigio; my guest chose Shiraz. The Rhode Islanders were satisfied with a pot of black coffee.

The restaurant's menu is one of tradi­tional New England/American cuisine. Appetizers, both hot and cold, skew heavi­ly toward seafood - but beware of months without R's; they mark the time of year when oysters are not in season. As if to provoke us, each of the soup offerings carry self-aggrandizing, even cocksure, descriptions. We rose to the challenge. My choice, "incomparable" Clam Chow­der, seemed influenced by the proximity of Rhode Island, where chowder is usually brothy-er than the pudding-like versions served in Boston. Having been raised closer to Long Island than Beantown, I took delight in the Cocke 'n Kettle's version.

Anyone who has experienced Newberg sauce sullied by excessive sherry wine should appreciate this chef's fresh lobster bisque, Hyannisport-style. His claim, to use "just the right amount of sherry wine," was certified as true by my guest. Another at our table protectively fended off invading spoons as she savored her crock of "authentically prepared" baked French onion soup.

Throughout the evening, a damsel wan­dered from table to table presenting fresh baked goods. On her first visit, she offered corn fritters with warm maple syrup and powdered sugar. But when she returned with a voluminous basket of fresh-from-the-oven popovers, her popularity skyrocketed.

Releasing huge muffin-like puffs of steam, their rich egg-laden pastry was baked golden brown.

Two guests chose the fried "genuine baby" Cape Cod scallops. What a world of difference these are from the huge sea scallops! Their denser flesh and nuttier taste set them apart. The chef fried them golden brown and served them with both tartar and horseradish-studded cocktail sauces.

In selecting the seafood scampi entree, I expected, well, the typical shrimp-and-scallops-on-linguine affair. But the Cocke 'n Kettle's version is more than a cut above the others. Large specimens of shrimp, lob­ster, scallops and littleneck clams were absolutely fresh and perfectly prepared, juicy and flavorful. They were served on a bed of linguini dressed with garlic butter, cream and herbs.

My regular guest chose the roast rack of baby spring lamb entree. In lieu of the usual match-up of shimmering emerald jelly, it was served with a bouquet of steamed broad beans, cauliflower in cheese sauce, a baked pota­to and a large portion of rice pilaf. The entree also included a garden salad; he chose blue cheese dressing. When the debris of our entrees had been removed, our waitress returned with a tray of desserts for our consideration. After describing each, she was suddenly called to serve another table and left the tray before us - surely not a ploy to tantalize? But it worked. We decided to share creamy white-chocolate mousse served in cups of bittersweet Godiva chocolate and a bowl of rice pudding spiked with cinnamon and topped with a whirl of whipped cream.

This isn't the first time I've been impressed with the quality of dining in Worcester's South County. The Cocke 'n Kettle Restaurant combines warm hospi­tality in the tradition of the New England country inn, with traditional cuisine that exceeded our expectations.