My husband and I visited Old Fields for the first time today and we had a really enjoyable brunch, for the most part.
The restaurant itself is small, but really nicely decorated and very comfortable. I loved looking at the snow falling out the huge window and we had fun trying to answer the riddle posted on the chalkboard (all of my guesses were wrong, but my husband's was right!).
The food was good - we both left feeling very full. We had the biscuits and gravy, which a little cold upon arrival but were good (I probably wouldn't order it again, but was glad to have tried it). I had the roasted tomato soup, which was delicious and filling, and my husband had the New England clam chowder (a new menu item, apparently), which he enjoyed and found to be very hot when it arrived at the table (this might be the first time a restaurant has delivered soup that he found to be the right piping hot temperature!). My husband ordered the chef's omelette of the day, which was a pulled pork omelette -- it was delicious -- with home fries and a biscuit. I ordered the popcorn chicken and waffles, which was also delicious. Then, because we're obviously animals when presented with a dessert menu, we shared a slice of brown sugar pie, an ooey gooey delicious and crazy sweet treat.
Service was sort of spotty - but we don't feel that we can accurately judge the service today based on the fact that there was one server for the entire section, which we counted as having ten tables and two fairly large parties. She seemed a little frantic and service was pretty slow, but she was in a lot of places, so we're going to give Old Fields another try to see if this is typical.
I will say that the most negative part of our experience was our fellow patrons. Look, I like children just as much as the next childless person, but I'll never find your kids as cute and amusing as you do, which might be why I don't find it enjoyable for you to sit at a table and enjoy your meal and your drinks while your young (2-3 year old) children literally run laps around the restaurant and start banging on the window and throwing pillows around on the other side of the restaurant. It's just not cute to me. Every time your kid runs past me, I kind of hope s/he trips. Also, as we were eating dessert, the table next to us, a large party, was getting up to leave... except that they hovered and sort of surrounded the back of our table (where I was sitting) to converse and play with their children. I don't know what goes on, folks, but a little consideration goes pretty far, no?
Anyway, one of our good friends counts Old Fields among his top four restaurants, and we had a good experience, so we'll be checking it out again and recommend that you do too! read more