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New
England dining >>> Anne's Lakeview Farms, Bellingham, Mass.
 Ann's Lakeview Farms delights the young
and old with its fresh turkey dinner
Article and photo
by Eric H.
BELLINGHAM, MASS. -- Ann's
Lakeview Farms Family Restaurant proves the old cliche "You
can't always judge a book by its cover."
Easily mistaken on the outside
as another ice cream stand with a restaurant attached, Lakeview
Farms, in the rural Blackstone Valley community of Bellingham,
Mass., goes against the grain by serving food every bit as good
as the fantastic Bliss Farms ice cream they serve at walk-up
windows to countless children of all ages. Besides the ice cream,
the main draw at Lakeview Farms is the fresh, delicious turkey.
They have their own turkey farm, and that means turkey every
bit as good as your Thanksgiving Day feast. Moist, flavorful
and abundant, Lakeview Farms' turkey is the real thing -- not
the slimy kind found in the supermarkets, or the dried-out disappointments
offered at some high-caliber restaurants that should know better.
The turkey dinner ($9.95), along with homemade stuffing, fresh
vegetables, real mashed potatos and top-of-the-pack gravy is worth a special
trip from anywhere in New England. The same can be said for the
equally fresh turkey pie ($5.95), which is prepared to an art
form with its perfectly baked crust and enough turkey and vegetables
to feed the surrounding Blackstone Valley.
On a recent visit, we found Lakeview
Farms's New England clam chowder as good as any we've tried in
Maine, which is the clam chowder heaven of New England. A veal
piccata special was on par with the best Italian restaurants
in the region, and the meatloaf, prime rib, fried clam plate
and chicken broccoli alfredo all looked marvelous at other peoples'
tables. We can hardly wait to try them.
Regarding the desserts... all
is we can say is try the forest berry pie with a scoop of vanilla
ice cream. Forest berry consists of a blackberries, raspberries
and strawberries in a freshly made pie crust. Although the serving
is generous, the overwhelmingly great flavor leaves you wanting
a second slice. New England may have its share of great pie places,
but Lakeview Farms forest berry pie is a "slice" above
the rest.
As mentioned the ice cream created
by Bliss Farms, of Attleboro, Mass., is terrific, especially
the coconut almond, vanilla and rich chocolate chip. The soft
serve is not just a little ice cream and a lot of air -- it is
thicker than the norm and tastier.
Lakeview Farms is a friendly
place with a pleasant staff, informal surroundings (wood floors
and walls), picnic benches outside, a goat farm that will delight
the kids (no pun intended), and hayrides by appointment. The
takeout section does a great business and a viable option for
those who do not want to wait in line for a table. Lakeview Farms
also serves breakfast on the weekends. One local told us with
eyes bigger than Rodney Dangerfield when asked about the breakfast,
"It's good, it's really good."
Lakeview Farms is a thoroughly
enjoyable experience from the great food and prices to the family
atmopshere. We'll be going back many times, and suspect you will
too, once you try the fresh turkey dinner, or anything else for
that matter.
Ann's Lake View Farm, 1048
South Main Street (Route 126,) Bellingham, Mass., Tel. (508)883-5003
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