Bear In Boots Gastropub: Comfort Foods Made From Scratch

Although I live right down the street from the Bear in Boots Gastropub, I have only visited a handful of times. I discovered on Wednesday night that I’m definitely missing out, and I need to get there a little more often! Bear in Boots Gastropub is conveniently located on Main Street in Falmouth.

Scratch Kitchen

One of my favorite things about Bear in Boots is the fact that they are a scratch kitchen. Almost everything you will find on your table is made from scratch, right down to the ketchup and mayonnaise. Even the delectable syrups used in their signature cocktails are made in-house. They have some unique and VERY tasty cocktails that I would recommend when you visit. My favorite is the Honey Bee Mine, which consists of house-infused lavender Barr Hill gin, and honey liqueur!

In addition to making cocktail and food condiments from scratch, all bread is made in-house. Meats are aged on the premises in their aging chamber, smoked onsite, and butchered at the restaurant. They even make their own ice cream! When you speak with Chef Ellia, you can truly see the passion and care he takes in the preparation of his menu and the operation of the kitchen.

Comfort Foods

Much of the menu at Bear in Boots is centered around our favorite comfort foods like meatballs, soft pretzels, cassoulet, and much more. I would describe the items as gourmet comfort foods, since they are so artfully presented and a step above what you would find on most pub menus.

For the appetizer course, we sampled the Long Island meatballs, table pretzel (pretzel bites), grilled Caesar salad, chef’s choice potato pierogies, gnocchi, poutine, and an autumn salad with baby spinach, butternut squash, goat cheese, and duck prosciutto. We also sampled the bread, which is baked in-house and utterly delicious!

When it came time to sample the entrees, we decided on a few different options. Upon the chef’s recommendation, we tried the daily smoke special: a 12-hour smoked brisket sandwich, served on a cheddar cheese jalapeño biscuit roll with organic greens, chipotle honey sauce and house made pickles (served with cajun parmesan fries). I love the combo of the brisket and jalapeño cheddar biscuit– a perfect match!

We also dined on the ricotta cheese ravioli (with duck confit, mushrooms, and toasted pine nuts in a sage brown butter sauce), and the cassoulet (lamb, duck confit, bacon, and white beans). Everything was absolutely delicious, and I loved the beautiful presentation of the ravioli.

Of course we couldn’t forget dessert, although we barely had any room for it! We decided to let Chef Ellia decide for us, and he put together a beautiful assortment of fresh cranberry donuts with a blood orange sauce, a pumpkin pecan square, and a traditional crème brûlée.

Beer Vs. Wine Events

If you enjoy a pint of beer or glass of wine with your meals, you should definitely check out Bear in Boots’ Beer Vs. Wine dinner events held monthly at the restaurant. Beer vs. Wine dinners are held one Wednesday evening each month and feature a specially prepared menu that is accompanied by expertly paired beers and wines. At the end of the four course dinner, guests vote on the beverage winner for the evening (beer or wine). You can check out a sample menu here.

The four course dinners are a great deal, priced at $35 per person. In fact, I think that the entire menu at Bear in Boots is priced well for the portion size and quality of food. You can read more about the Bear in Boots Gastropub HERE. Stay updated on their beer vs. wine events by visiting their Facebook page.

30 Something Mother Runner received a complimentary meal and beverage to facilitate this review. All writing and opinions are 100% my own.