Eats: The Forum

Find bargain dishes at The Forum in Fredericksburg, such

as this crab cake sandwich platter for less than $6. (MARIE SICOLA/THE FREE LANCE–STAR)

BY  LINDA SALISBURY

FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR

Neighborhood restaurants often become “family” for frequent customers, and such is the case at The Forum. Owned by the Yannitsadis family for 15 years, The Forum’s staff cheerfully greets regulars by name and knows their favorite foods—from breakfast to dinner. The restaurant’s lengthy menu and daily specials appeal to a variety of tastes and its affordability is a big plus.

On a reader’s recommendation, My Dining Partner and I stopped by for a late lunch and found the unpretentious restaurant quite busy. The menu features Greek, Italian and American offerings, plus numerous types of sandwiches and burgers.

We settled into a spacious booth and decided to begin with the Trio Platter ($6.95) to sample the wings, cheese sticks and loaded potato skins. Each was served piping hot and properly cooked. The wings were moist and meaty, the mozzarella cheese sticks predictably bland as was the marinara dipping sauce, and the baked potato skins  nicely crisp on the outside and covered with a layer of melted cheese, with a portion cup of sour cream  on the side.

We also ordered a small Greek salad ($4.95) to share. The lettuce was chilled and crisp and we liked the flavor of the Greek dressing, which seemed homemade. The salad included feta crumbles, several Kalamata olives, tomatoes and sliced onions. The delicious yeasty bread was warm and, again, had a homemade quality.

MDP ordered one of the very reasonably priced lunch specials: roast pork, with mashed potato, gravy, vegetables (he substituted coleslaw), iced tea and dessert ($5.95). He was very pleased with the two slices of roast pork, which were thick and tender, and liked the coleslaw, which was finely chopped.

I ordered a Reuben sandwich on rye, which came with coleslaw and a pickle and Russian dressing on the side. The corned beef was of good quality and there was plenty of sauerkraut. The layer of melted cheese was thin, but discernible.

The lunch special offered a choice of four desserts and MDP selected the rice pudding, which he said had a home-cooked quality. I ordered a slice of homemade blueberry pie ($2.25), which was warmed before serving. Cheesecake, ice cream and baklava were other dessert options.

It’s hard to beat the price for a full, good-quality meal at lunch for less than $7.

We can understand why The Forum is popular and has built up its loyal “regulars.”

What: The Forum Family Restaurant

Address: 3401 Lafayette Blvd., Fredericksburg

Phone: 540/891-0460

Hours: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Mondays

Prices: Appetizers: $4.95–$8.95; Soups and salads: $1.50–$8.95; Sandwiches: $3.25–$5.95; Dinners: $5.50–$14.95; Children’s menu: $3.95; Desserts: $1.50–$3.50; Beer, and wine available.

The Scoop: Family-friendly and family-owned. Clean; cheerful servers.

Payment: Major credit cards accepted.

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

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