Rave Reviews at Coddington’s

By: Chelse Melina
Posted In: Entertainment

Coddington Brewing Company
210 Coddington Highway

So, maybe Coddington’s doesn’t have a big ol’ lasso out front playing the part of a Texan Steakhouse. The salt and pepper shakers aren’t cowboy boots. Old rifles and pictures of Annie Oakley don’t adorn the walls. But, don’t be so quick as to pass Coddington’s up and head to an authentic Southern steakhouse the next time you are in the mood for a steak and potato dinner.

Coddington’s is the perfect mix of an old Ivy League library and a country tavern inn. A soft fire adds a glow to the room, illuminating the green walls. Tables are scattered throughout the room, decorated with votive candles which flicker aimlessly on the glazed polish of the oak tabletop. Cigarette smoke and the smell of stale beer mix together to give the atmosphere that watering hole feel.

The menu has a very large selection of all the dining out components. Appetizers range from chips and salsa ($3.95) to shrimp cocktail ($7.95). I enjoyed a surprisingly large portion of boneless buffalo chicken wings ($6.95) – complete with ample blue-cheese for dipping and a nice stack of celery and carrot sticks to cool your mouth from the spicy red-hot buffalo sauce.

The main course decision was a tough one, given the great variety Coddington’s menu offered. Debating between pasta gamberi (linguine topped with four large shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms tossed in a lemon basil butter sauce — $15.95,) a California chicken sandwich (a grilled chicken breast smothered with guacamole and all the other fixings, which came with curly fries and Coddington’s own cole slaw — $7.95,) or the Porterhouse steak (a 16 oz. porterhouse char-grilled steak, fresh cut green beans, red-bliss mashed potatoes and a house salad — $17.95.)

Well, if you know me at all, it won’t be a surprise that I chose the Porterhouse steak. Coming from Ohio, where the steak is plenty and the green beans are fresh, Coddington’s had a lot to live up to.

My meal started off with the house salad, which was delicious. The creamy parmesan peppercorn dressing came on the side, just as requested, and the veggies were crisp and fresh. Hot from the oven rolls accompanied the salad, holding me over for the main show: steak.

The ever so attentive waitress brought the dinner out after allowing just about the perfect amount of time between courses. It really does take a good, experienced waitress to time everything perfectly – if there is too long a wait, you are impatient. If there is too little of a wait, you feel rushed.

The steak was good. Not great. Not the kind you’d wrestle the dog for. It was a bit tough; a bit too well done. However, a healthy dose of A-1 sauce helped to cover the over bearing char-broiled flavor.

All wasn’t lost, though. The potatoes saved the day. The huge portion of red skinned mashed potatoes, mixed with enough garlic to make my Italian grandma jealous, were made to perfection. Lumpy enough to know they were real potatoes yet smooth enough to get that velvety texture. And, of course, the green beans. The green beans, sauted in a lemon butter sauce, were what Emeril would call “al dente,” and what I would call delicious.

Overall, Coddington’s was a great dining experience. Yes, perhaps next time I think I’ll order my steak a little more rare, but nonetheless, I was very pleased with not only the quality of the food, but also the quality of the service. The waitress was very conscientious of refilling beverages and the bread basket, which constitutes for a very generous tip, in my book.

Coddington’s left my belly full and my mind wondering: how can I duplicate those mashed potatoes at home?