Restaurant review – F.W. Sullivan’s Old Town Bar and Grille

BY LINDA SALISBURY

A popular Richmond eatery with an award-winning chef has opened a similar restaurant in downtown Fredericksburg. F.W. Sullivan’s Old Town Bar & Grille moved into the very large space formerly occupied by Longstreet’s.

The long bar and booth seating have remained from the previous owner, but instead of pool tables, Sullivan’s has added more tables.

The international touches, from a row of clocks indicating time around the world, and posters reflecting various overseas countries, appear to relate to the fictional F.W. Sullivan, whose current “travels” are posted on the Web site and also inside the door.

Chef Sean Murphy’s menu boasts “gourmet” bar food, and bragging rights were in order.

My Dining Partner began with Mussels Montreal ($9.75), a large portion of mussels in a white wine broth seasoned with bacon, roasted garlic and spinach. The mussels were tender and not overcooked.

I ordered Mediterranean Hummus ($8.75), large enough to share with a small group.

The centerpiece was a mound of hummus surrounded by feta cheese, wedges of tomato, Kalamata olives, cucumber slices and a row of fat pepperoncini.

A bowl of pita pieces made dipping easy, and there would be plenty of this dish to share.

We continued with salad (both $4.50). MDP ordered the Caesar, heavy with dressing over crispy romaine. I selected the greens with one of the homemade dressings—citrus. It was very light, with just a hint of citrus.

Our excellent server, Brittany, guided us to entrée selections and noted that even the mashed potatoes are cooked from scratch. MDP ordered the N.Y. Strip Wednesday special ($12; normally $19.75). The tender steak was medium-rare as requested, and had good flavor. His wasabi mashed potatoes would have made the eyes of a Teppanyaki chef light up.

The distinctive green horseradish was evident in both the taste and color of the potatoes.

I ordered the meatloaf ($12.75), one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The two very large slices of meatloaf were made from Angus beef, pork and veal, were wrapped in bacon and covered with special sauce—somewhere between gourmet barbecue and ketchup.

For my sides, I chose sugar peas and grilled asparagus, and was not disappointed with any aspect of the meal.

Brittany described the dessert menu with enthusiasm, so we decided to split her favorite: Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake ($5.75) Presented with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, the cheesecake was as delicious as she described.

She also recommended that we return for the weekend brunch (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

A $20 coupon for $40 worth of food that we purchased through this paper had enticed us to give Sullivan’s a try, and we look forward to a return visit.

Linda Salisbury is the author of the Bailey Fish books, an award-winning adventure series for kids.

What: F.W. Sullivan’s Old Town Bar & Grille

Address: 409 William St., between Princess Anne and Prince Edward streets

Phone: 540/373-1636

Hours: Monday through Friday 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Light fare from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Prices:

Appetizers: $8.75–$9.75

Soups and salads: $3.50–$11.75

Sandwiches: $8.75–$11.75

Dinners: $9.95–$26.75

Desserts: $5.75

Beer, wine and mixed drinks available.

The Scoop: Good food, excellent server, family-friendly, music is noisy. Free parking at corner of William and Prince Edward streets.

Payment: Major credit cards accepted.

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