After a long week full of paper writing and unnecessarily large amounts of reading, my room­mate and I were ready for a leisurely, comforting meal to help prepare us for the glorious extra hour of hibernation formally known as daylight savings. Looking for a close and quieter destina­tion, we found ourselves taking the seven-minute journey to Ye Olde Landmark Tavern (6722 State Route 20, Bouckville). This uniquely shaped, multi-sided building was built in 1851 by James Coolidge. Based on the warm, traditional interior and the colonial-styled staff “uniforms,” it appears that the restaurant has effectively preserved the flavor of James Coolidge’s work.

Both the tavern and formal dining room provide a homey and peaceful escape from the fast-paced world racing down Route 20 just beyond the front door. However, do not be fooled, as the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern regularly fills its immense dining rooms with people hungry for a fine dining experience.

My roommate has dined at Ye Olde Landmark Tavern multiple times with her parents and highly recommended numerous dishes, one of which was the prime rib. However, she is not the only lover and advocate of the dish as the restaurant sold out of prime rib by seven o’clock! Not to worry, her other favorites were still in stock.

Based on her suggestion, I ordered the roasted chicken, which was herb rubbed and served on top of mashed potatoes covered in a local ale jus. The meal also included a generously portioned garden salad and the vegetable of the day: butternut squash. The perfectly seasoned and flavorful dish is a fantastic example of satisfying comfort food. That being said, the chicken itself was too dry for my taste. However, my roommate assures me that one of the main reasons she recommended the dish was because when she had previously ordered the roasted chicken it was notably succulent. So, maybe my dry chicken was merely bad luck? Nevertheless, the meal was not ruined as the ale jus helped counteract the dry texture.

My fellow diner attendee enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms appetizer. The numerous small mushrooms were filled with ample amounts of crabmeat stuffing. She also tried the salad special, which consisted of spinach accompanied by dried cranberries, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and maple vinaigrette. Although her meal was rather straightforward and lacked any surprise or “wow factor,” she had no complaints.

Despite the predictable nature of both our meals, the rich meal did not fail to reach our high expectations. The menu includes an extensive variety of seafood options such as crab, haddock, salmon and a medley of shellfish, each prepared in a unique way that surely will not disappoint. The appetizers range in price from $5 to $17; the latter price is for the Alaskan King Crab legs. The main entrees cost anywhere from $18 for the roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, up to $36 for a full meal of the crab legs. The majority of the meals are priced in the lower twenties.

I would highly encourage others to visit the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern as each dish is unique and undeniably tempting. Upon further reflection, I feel that my roommate and I failed to select dishes that do the lively menu justice. The restaurant provides a lovely fine dining experience that is sure to leave you satisfied and, in our case, tragically too full for the alluring dessert menu. However, this is just more motivation to return and further sample all that the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern has to offer.