It has been a while since our last visit to a new restaurant this summer, but it was finally my turn to pick for lunch again and I had to select something new. I had heard The Wood has re-opened with a new theme in Maplewood, so it was time to visit
The Muddled Pig in its location on Sutton just a little south of Manchester. We had never been to The Wood (or Deluxe beforehand) so this would be our first visit to 2733 Sutton. It is nice they have their own parking lot next to the building, but we did notice all the spots still said "Reserved for The Wood" painted on them.
We arrived around 11:30 am on Saturday and noticed the place was empty except for one employee at the bar. She said we could sit anywhere so we picked a roomy booth near the front. The interior was quite large and they decorated it with random signs like "10 cents for a bath" and "No rock throwing". After we sat down we noticed it was deathly silent with no background music or anything which was a bit creepy. The same person who greeted us from the bar took our drinks orders and my wife thought she recognized her, but they could not figure out how they may have met.
In any case it was time to order our food and my son ordered their house burger, my wife ordered the peach salad with a side of fries, my mother-in-law ordered the fish and chips and I ordered the Big Pig with fries as well. My son also ordered a diet cola which ended up being some other brand (Sky?) and he said it tasted just like Diet Coke. As we waited a few more people actually came in for lunch, and by the time we left (around 12:30pm or so) there were actually several tables full of patrons. They also eventually turned on some background music, but it was some very old, classic country like Johnny Cash. That was still better than the silence that was there initially.
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| The Big Pig |
We did not have to wait too long for our food to arrive and the plates were all loaded with good sized portions and lots of fries. The fish and chips had a mountain of them and my wife's side of fries came in a large bowl (leaving nowhere to put any ketchup.) The fries were freshly prepared and well salted but did not come with any ketchup. We asked for some and she brought a small squeeze bottle of some homemade ketchup that was quite mild. I actually preferred eating my fries straight or dipped in the remoulade that came with the fish.
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| Fish and Chips |
The fish also came with a large chunk of a grilled lemon which is obviously meant to be squeezed on the fish, and made for an interesting garnish. The haddock tasted quite fresh and not fishy, and the coating was lightly seasoned and not too heavy. The peach salad was also mild but quite satisfying as a lunch entree. The dressing blended well with the grilled peach and greens for a very different kind of salad. My son liked his burger and said it was very good, but not quite up to the level of his favorites at Five Star or The Cheesecake Factory. Finally my Big Pig was in fact big and fit for a pig. The pork cutlet was tender and flavorful, the smoked pork had a tangy but not overpowering sauce, and the thick bacon added a nice crispness to the sandwich. The coleslaw went well with the pork and the bun was adequate but nothing too special. The sandwich was a challenge to eat and a lot fell out onto my plate and onto my lap, but I managed to eat the whole thing without making too much of a mess.
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| Peach salad |
The service was pretty good and the ambiance felt like your standard neighborhood bar, albeit a fairly roomy one. Overall the food was pretty good and their menu is interesting enough to have something for everyone. The place is still new and has a few areas where they could improve, but I can see it becoming a Maplewood staple in no time.
Food Quality
Service
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