Encore   

Home | Entertainment | Food & Drink | Columnists | Movies | The Telegraph | Contact

  • Print
  • Comment


Burton’s Grill: Tasty surprise at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua

By KATHLEEN PALMER Staff Writer

Thursday, February 14, 2013

img

Courtesy photo

Beet salad, topped with microgreens, candied walnuts and a mustard vinaigrette, is just one delicious option at Burton's Grill in Nashua.

Enlarge

BURTON’S GRILL

hhhh

310 Daniel Webster Highway, Pheasant Lane Mall, Nashua

888-4880, site.burtonsgrill.com

Food: hhhh

Service: hhhhh

Cost: $$

Cuisine: Upscale fusion.

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Handicapped-Accessible: Yes.

Vegetarian-friendly: Yes.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS: Yes.

Alcohol: Yes.

Dress: Casual.

Would we go back?:Yes.

hhhhh = Perfect

hhhh = Excellent

hhh = Good

hh = Fair

h = Poor

$ to $$$ = Cost calculated based on two adults having appetizers, dessert and alcoholic beverages. Erring on side of top end of cost spectrum.

$ = $50 or less for two.

$$ = $100 or less for two.

$$$ = More than $100 for two.

When I heard about a new restaurant at the Pheasant Lane Mall, I was hesitant. The mall isn’t my idea of a culinary destination. When I arrived to check out Burton’s Grill, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s an oasis of taste attached to a building with a food court.

You can’t get into Burton’s via the interior of the mall. The restaurant is adjacent and attached, but separate. As it should be. The restaurant is like a high-end “Cheers” inside, with a really nice square bar in the middle of the main room, surrounded by cushy booths.

We were greeted warmly by the hostess and walked to our table by a solicitous young man named Tyler, who checked my coat, a feature I appreciated with my heavy New England-weather apparel. Our server, Brittany, was quick to our table, welcoming, professional and informative. The service was impeccable.

Our party of six included two children, and therefore we were introduced to what I think is a brilliant idea: Burton’s Grill has a “B Choosy” children’s menu that’s set up so kids can build their own meal. They choose one item from each column of food group – protein, grain, vegetable, etc. – and a preparation (baked, fried or sauteed), and their meal is created especially for them. This is a godsend for parents with picky eaters, who feel stymied by set kids’ meals elsewhere that only get partially eaten. It includes dessert and is just $6.

The adult entrees are a little pricier; there was some dissent in my party as to whether things were overpriced. However, there was no discussion as to whether the food was delicious: It definitely was.

The certified-Angus Maxx Burger ($13.95) was juicy and devoured completely by the 12-year-old. My beet salad ($9.95), in addition to being beautifully presented, was a fresh combination of chopped beets, candied walnuts, roasted onions, tiny micro-greens and goat cheese (goat cheese makes everything better). It was tossed in a mustard vinaigrette and could be enhanced with several choices of proteins.

I also had the scallop risotto ($27.95), with its perfectly Cajun-seared seafood (it also has shrimp) over a creamy risotto with crisp vegetables.

My friend had two dishes: the Mediterranean salad ($8.95), a marinated medley of cucumbers, grape tomatoes, peppers, red onions, Vermont feta cheese and mixed olives, tossed with oregano vinaigrette, and the wild mushroom and chicken ravioli ($17.95), a tasty concoction of medallions of chicken, pan-seared with butternut squash and crimini mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce.

She doesn’t usually order chicken and made special note that it was juicy and perfectly cooked.

Her sister got the grilled stuffed zucchini ($8.95), filled with goat cheese and herbs, topped with tomato sauce and Manchego cheese (one of my favorite cheeses), and our gentleman friend enjoyed the lobster and shrimp over pasta ($26.95), served in a cream sauce with vegetables and Reggiano Parmesan. There were no leftovers.

Burton’s Grill has a stringent commitment to allergy awareness and customer protection. It has an extensive gluten-free menu (CEO Kevin Harron has celiac disease), and keeps color-coded utensils and equipment in the food preparation areas (Denise Hererra, a VP, has a shrimp allergy). I applaud their efforts and the training of their staff. My friend has an allergy to powdered garlic and asked Brittany to ensure that the ravioli was made with fresh garlic. It was, and there were no issues.

However, she also requested that her salad be made with the olives on the side (her sister was going to eat them). They were, but it was clear from the residual taste on the salad that they were simply removed. The meals were announced to be made fresh for each diner, but if this item was only taken off a prepared salad and my friend had an olive allergy, there would have been a problem.

Burton’s Grill has an extensive beer, wine and cocktail menu, as well. We enjoyed a Grey Goose Citron Cosmopolitan, the pomegranate martini and a blood orange margarita. The flavors were rich, sweet and fruity.

Our server got us enrolled in the “B Loyal” program, in which diners accumulate discounts for every dollar spent. I will definitely be back to fill my card up. And I don’t even go to the mall.

Kathleen Palmer can be reached at 594-6403 or kpalmer@nashua telegraph.com. Also, follow her on Twitter (@Telegraph_KathP or @NHFoodandFun).



Reader Comments

NOTICE: We use the Facebook commenting system. For more information, read our Comment Policy