Historians of medieval Europe tend to cringe at the modern marketing of medieval culture, and we especially shudder at the gross anachronisms of medieval restaurants like the popular Medieval Times chain. At the Bors Hede, though, you can have your history and eat it too--not only is the food tasty, but you won't find any egregious blunders like potatoes (from the New World) or "medieval Pepsi."
For most Americans, the prospect of eating medieval food conjures up images of mud-encrusted peasants gnawing on rancid legs of mutton. Medieval English food sounds like a double whammy--not only is it that godawful limey crap, it's olde. The Bors Hede, though, offers authentic, intensely flavored selections that prove what medievalists have known all along: English food has actually gone downhill since the Middle Ages.
The Bors Hede offers a prix-fixe menu for $15.71; desserts and drinks are extra. In the spirit of a medieval banquet, the dishes are brought out in courses. First we were served Rastons, a round white bread loaf hollowed out and restuffed with bread chunks tossed in butter, poppy and fennel seeds, and currants. This delightful appetizer prompted a frenzy of activity as we scooped out handfuls of the bread's crumbly innards. Though we had spoons and knives (no forks), much of the food here is best eaten with the fingers.
Next, our "servant" brought us a round "trencher" bread, which she deftly sliced in two, with the halves to be used as plates. Upon these we heaped an assortment of English Shire Cheeses, Almond Fritures, Fressh Fruyte, and Herbs & Greens Salat. The Cotswold Double Gloucester cheese is rich and smoky, and the emerald-colored Sage D'Arby cheese lives up to its namesake, bursting with the flavor of sage. The assorted greens ("for good humours"), however, were the real stars of this course. Loosely arranged atop a tiny puddle of oil and vinegar, they first appear to be a lackluster pile of leaves. The daunting prospect of eating this compost with your fingers suddenly changes into a delightful culinary safari as you explore one new taste after another: mint, basil, thyme, mustard greens, romaine.
From a selection of five entrées, we chose the Chicken in White Wine Sauce and the Fenberrie Pye (a pork, chicken, and cranberry pie). The chicken breast was moist and tender, covered with a mysterious green sauce, thick and spice-laden. The meat pie, though it had a well-crafted crust and an interesting combination of meat and dried fruit, was a bit on the dry side for our tastes. The entrées were accompanied by Buttered Worts, a mixture of lightly sautéed greens (cabbage, leeks, garlic, rhubarb, and others)--simple but delectable.
There are two Swete Dishes available: the Erbowle ($2.77) and the Crustade Lombard ($3.70). The first is a hot dish of plums in a sauce of red wine, honey, anise, and cloves, which vaguely reminded me of my old potpourri-huffing days (but in a pleasant way). The second is a decadent combination of butter, cream, eggs, sugar, and dried fruit. This custard was smooth and flavorful without being overly sweet.
Having sampled all five of the excellent "fermented beverages" ($3.70 glass), we voted for the Mede (Chaucer's Mead, made from fermented honey), hands down. Fortunately, we saved the mead for the end of the meal--otherwise we would have had to be fished from the moat. The sole non-alcoholic beverage--Muste ($1.85), a spiced juice--is an acquired taste; play it safe and stick with the booze.
The Bors Hede experience suggests that for modern America, the "medieval spirit" is wherever you choose to find it. And dinner at the Bors Hede is well worth the drive to do just that.
