Located in a striking Victorian white house that was originally built around 1880, Meat and Potatoes delivers classic American fare in a charmingly old-school environ—think black and white floral patterned tablecloths with sunny yellow napkins and decorative china displayed on the walls.

As my husband and I settled at a table and other patrons made easy conversation over glasses of wine, we made our selections—soon finding ourselves in a similar rhythm. 

All dinner entrées come with a choice of soup or salad to start, plus a baked potato, French fries, mashed potatoes or rice, and vegetables. The house salad was crisp and refreshing (the chilled plate was a nice touch), and the orzo soup—with its tender beef, and carrots so soft you could cut them with your spoon—was especially noteworthy.

Up next was our appetizer of stuffed mushrooms. I was expecting the mushrooms to be stuffed with a breading of some kind, but instead they were chock-full of spicy Italian sausage with aromatic fennel and rosemary. Soon it was time for the main event: steak and prawns (for him) and apricot chicken (for me). 

New York Steak and Prawns

 It’s hard to go wrong with hearty steak, steamed seasonal veggies and a baked potato, but with so much food—it wasn’t long before my husband was slowing down. The apricot chicken was a delectable and inventive combination—the sweet stone fruit paired nicely with a generous double serving of juicy chicken breast. Scooping up some of the apricot sauce with my steamed veggies proved to be a winning mishmash of flavors. 

 Knowing we wanted room for a little something sweet, we asked (painstakingly) to have about half our entrées boxed to take home. Though the carrot cake is apparently a family recipe and a fan favorite, we opted for the brownie sundae. The enormous serving of homemade brownie was topped with a layer of velvety vanilla ice cream, a cloud-like canopy of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Word to the wise: You might want to bring friends just for dessert—not only is it worth sharing, but you’ll find yourselves with plenty to go around.

by Jennifer Resnicke

Meat and Potatoes, 130 Maple Street, Auburn, 530-887-8648.