A roasting jack circa 1700 warms up the dining room at this 18th-century farmhouse. Just 90 minutes from Boston, Salem Cross Inn boasts the only known restaurant in the nation to serve food from an operational roasting jack. These antique culinary tool prepared meats over an open fire; roasting jacks were incredibly popular in the 1700s. Today, grills and modern rotisseries replaced the jacks. But if you want a taste of the past, Salem Cross Inn’s Fireplace Feasts offer something to sink your teeth into.
Indulge in a 1700s Fireplace Feast
The centerpiece of these popular feasts is the antique roasting jack, dating back 300 years. The prime rib cooks to juicy tenderness on the rotating jack, which looks like cooking a roast inside a roaring fireplace.
It wouldn’t be a New England feast without clam chowder, except it’s 1700, so the ‘Chowder of the Sea’ simmers to creamy perfection in a tall cauldron. The inn also promises to serve “New England’s Best Apple Pie,” but the star of the pie might actually be the massive bowl of fresh, pillowy whipped cream on the feasting spread.
The Fireplace Feasts offer a blast from the past. They’re served in a traditional 1700s colonial New England setting using real antiques in preparation and decor. The feasts are $89 per person and run from November through April. Reserve your seat to an upcoming feast.
About Salem Cross Inn
John White acquired 600 acres of land in the 1700s. That land became West Brookfield, Massachusetts. The 600-acre farm stayed in the White family for eight generations before Henry Salem purchased it in 1950. Henry and his brother Dick restored the homestead and opened doors to what is now Salem Cross Inn in 1961.
Find Salem Cross Inn at:
260 W Main St, West Brookfield, Massachusetts 01585