Below is my review of the West Brookfield institution, Howard's. With one tweak, it is as it appeared in the August issue of the Sturbridge Times Magazine.
Summer in West Brookfield means
Howard’s Drive-In. It
is possible that there is someone in town that has never participated in the
seasonal ritual of al fresco dining, but it is hard to avoid. Not that one would want to. The true townie element, if they played
sports as kids, celebrated victory or consoled defeat at Howard’s. Mom and dad tagged along and even if
not natives, usually became hooked.
Another aspect of Howard’s charm is
the time machine quality. There
may not be waitresses on roller skates as in the fifties, but Howard’s appears
to have changed little. Since I’ve
been a West Brookfield resident, there has been no major alteration. Oh, the menu has been tweaked and there
is a tent out back, but in front, if there has been any perceptible difference,
it has escaped me. We all need a
little constancy somewhere in life.
Still, as magical as that Norman
Rockwell American nostalgia experience is, it can’t be enough. What is on the bill of fare must
satisfy the inner man and woman.
The quaintness can only work its magic for so long.
Fortunately, Howard’s does have
what it takes. Where it shines is
Massachusetts soul food, clams.
Being from near the coast of the Bay State, I thought moving inland away
from the land of the clam shack would leave me desolate. The fried clams at Howard’s are as good
as anywhere else. If you are on a
budget, the fritters will do. If
fried food is not for you, steamers are available.
All the other seafood is worth it
and the servings are more than ample.
The Captain, as the fisherman’s platter is called is large and will
suffice for two people with moderate appetites. The Junior version will satisfy one. Everything on the Captain can be
ordered on it’s own. Lobster is on
order as a plate or roll.
The menu is not limited to what the
ocean yields. Steak, burgers
chicken and even a veggie burger are on tap. There is a generous selection of appetizers from potato
skins to deep fried mushrooms.
Granted, a menu with such a variety will not be in the Michelin guide,
but one can leave full and happy.
Then there is dessert, specifically
ice cream. There are lots of
flavors. To moi that is irrelevant
as my choice is monster cookie dough.
My daughter would die for peanut butter Iditarod, but she is not full
grown. Hard and soft ice cream as
well as frappes, sundaes and flurries are all there.
It all seems to run smoothly, and
customers get to see little of what it takes to keep Howard’s on track. The man behind that is Mark Adams. Mark is West Brookfield born and bred,
and has lived in town his whole life.
So why is Mark running Howard’s and
not Howard? Howard and his brother
opened their drive-in in early post-war1947. They would be ancient if they were still at the helm. Mark purchased it from local
entrepreneur, Melvin Dorman in 1980.
As venerable as Howard’s looks, it was demolished and rebuilt in 1985.
The building may not be original,
but it is hard to think the business operation has changed appreciably. Mark said that now and again he’ll add
or drop something. Why change a
winning formula?
Mark is at Howard’s most every day
during the season at 7:00 a.m.
When you meet him at that time of day, he is attending to details before
the 11:00 a.m. opening. It is a
long and busy season. He agrees,
he must like it well enough or he would not keep at it. It is many hours, but when it closes in
autumn, no hours. So, it averages
out to the same as year round work.
For us denizens of West Brookfield,
season’s end always comes too soon, and opening day, never soon enough.
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