This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Whenever I visit the Dickens Tavern, I learn something new. As one of the oldest buildings in Longmont, it’s filled with historic photographs, vintage architectural features, an original vault from when it was a bank and, if you believe in that sort of thing, ghosts. It’s like stepping back in time. It’s a history lesson if you want it to be one.
But on this visit, I was there to learn about one thing in particular: the new menu, which debuted in late August.
We arrived before the dinner rush on a Friday evening, so we were seated right away in one of the roomy booths in the main dining room. Our server appeared almost immediately to offer drinks, and since it was still Happy Hour (3-7 p.m. every day), my companion ordered a beer, which was served perfectly chilled in a frosted glass. My cucumber martini, though not on Happy Hour, was also perfect, with just the right amount of cucumber taste and a touch of sweetness.
For an appetizer, we ordered the Pub Shrimp ($12 menu price, $9 at Happy Hour), a longstanding specialty of the Dickens. I’ve had it before, but it was a new experience for my companion. You get six plump shrimp, stuffed with jalapeños and wrapped in bacon, served with both a chipotle aioli and a jalapeño pesto. My companion is known for being a picky eater, so I was relieved when he said he thoroughly enjoyed them. I noticed the bacon wasn’t nearly as crispy as when I’ve ordered it in the past, but it was still delicious.
When our server came back to ask if we were enjoying our appetizer, I inquired about the new menu. She pointed out a handful of new items, including the Maui Wowie Burger ($14), a beef burger with teriyaki sauce, bacon, fresh avocado and garlic mayo; the Blackened Shrimp Quesadilla ($12), made with three cheeses and served with a spicy lemon garlic aioli; and the beer-battered, wild-caught Atlantic cod, served either as a sandwich ($12) or a fish and chips entrée ($16).
Since my companion hadn’t dined at the Dickens before, he asked about the most popular dishes on the menu. Our server pointed out Mama’s Meat Loaf ($15 regular entree, $12 “Lighter Fare” portion), made from a secret family recipe then wrapped in bacon, roasted, sliced and grilled, topped with a wild mushroom pan sauce. Then there’s the Dickens Pie ($15, $12), shredded beef, onions and carrots topped with mashed potatoes and cheese, browned in the oven. The Cheesy Pasta ($15/$12) is a favorite, too; it features bacon, grilled chicken and a three-cheese cream sauce. Of the new items, she said diners seemed to be most excited about the fish and chips, but that all of the new items were being ordered regularly.
For my picky companion, the Pub Shrimp was enough of a leap of faith for one night, so he played it safe and ordered a BLT ($11). With the thick-cut bread and the perfectly crisp bacon, it received high praise indeed. He told our server, “This is the best BLT I’ve ever had.”
Selecting my own entrée was difficult because so many items looked good, but I was there for the new items, so I ordered the Maui Wowie burger. I’m glad I did. It was bursting with flavor and cooked exactly the way I ordered it. You can really taste the difference when a restaurant uses only 100 percent chuck that’s fresh and never frozen.
Although the purpose of my visit was to check the “new” menu, I discovered that it’s not really new, but a well-established menu of proven comfort-food classics with a few very innovative brewpub-style items added. When reached for follow-up comments after the visit, Lynn Owens, who co-owns the Dickens with her husband, Sean, said, “We’ll always keep certain things on the menu, the favorites we’ve had from day one like the Meat Loaf and the Dickens Pie. But we love introducing new and different items to keep it fresh. We don’t want anyone getting bored.”
On my next visit, I’ll make sure I save room for dessert, although I know I’ll have a hard time choosing between the Homemade Cinnamon Peach Cobbler ($10) and the Homemade Apple Pie with vanilla bean ice cream ($10). I also plan on phoning way ahead of time to reserve the one cozy table tucked away in the historic bank vault. Maybe I’ll learn something new while I'm in there.
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