Sometimes, it's comforting to take
a friend's advice – particularly as it relates to comfort food. Having recently
dined out with some of mine recently, they were eager to highlight an upscale
American restaurant, Union Straw, that had recently opened in Foxborough
Common, and what a positive dining experience they had. It piqued my culinary
curiosity, to say the least.
Union Straw’s owners understand and
pay a respectful nod towards the town's history. Their establishment is named
after Union Straw Works, a factory that once employed thousands of workers and
was situated a couple of blocks away. The factory put Foxborough on the map as
a major force in commerce and industry until its demise by fire in 1900. The
eatery itself is housed in a space previously occupied by the Foxborough
American Legion Post 93. Union’s interior gives way to a much larger building
than its quaint external appearance portends, sleekly extending from front to
back (a lively bar to the left, a dining room to the right, and a smaller
dining area at the rear) and possessing a rustic, yet contemporary charm, with
trussed beams and gleaming hardwood floors. My only complaint with the
building? A lack of parking spaces, which gleaming through the general
manager's responses to recent diner reviews, the Union team appears to be
working on rectifying with town officials (I'll bet the American Legion never
anticipated such a crowd!).
While the cuisine is characterized
as upscale American, the offerings – created and flawlessly executed by talented
Executive Chef Jenn Mekler along with a talented, up-and-coming Executive Sous Chef
Kam Booth- are frequently fun, unpretentious, inventive riffs on American
classics. If you can work your way through a perplexingly large number of paper
menus (again, the restaurant is working through these minor hiccups), you'll
find exciting flatbreads including the Sweet and Savory ($14), a nicely crisped
pie with fig jam, caramelized onions, balsamic reduction, creamy ricotta, and a
boatload of prosciutto that struck the perfect balanced flavor trio of saltiness,
tartness, and sweetness. A pair of pulled chicken sliders ($10) also impressed,
the bird moist in texture and slathered with dry rub, housemade quickles and
embedded within a warm mini Ciabbata roll. A heaping, vertical stack of piping
hot parmesan frites ($9) doused with garlic aioli and served with spicy ketchup
were also quickly consumed. Salads, too, often playing second fiddle to more exciting
(i.e. meaty) menu options, left a mark, including the PBG ($10), a fresh
harbinger of spring with its lively mix of pear, bacon, and goat cheese.
The restaurant insists on its
website that patrons are welcomed to eat only dessert if they so choose. I highly
encourage every reader to come to Union Straw if not for their innovative,
delectable selections, including ice cream made in-house, including mint
chocolate chip and coconut (with fresh coconut slices meshed inside each
scoop). Selecting the latter flavor to accompany a coconut rum cake was one of my
finest dining choices in recent memory. This version wasn’t your traditionally
dense, cold, rum-soaked version from Montilio’s which I adore), but rather, a
fluffier, warmed, moist take. A special of molten chocolate cake with toffee
crunch was even more decadent, along with a potent pot de crème packed with welcomed,
strikingly bitter notes of dark chocolate.
Union’s cocktail program is also not
to be missed, including a unique, extensive beer program that featured a
special peanut butter milk chocolate stout hailing from Maine. Inventive,
potent libations included a pomegranate Manhattan ($12) and a cranberry Old
Fashioned ($11).
For such a relatively new
establishment, service was incredibly polished, attentive, and friendly. It’s
no surprise how downright homey and hospitable the staff is, which can partially
be attributed to the oversight of General Manager Steve Pesek, a seasoned
restauranteur who most recently managed the ticket holder space at Target Field
in Minnesota. Given Union’s lively ambience and exciting menu, this certainly will
not be the last ‘straw’ for me (along with my friends, of course) at this new
suburban dining hotspot.
