Long gone are the days of a video store in every neighbourhood and in this particular spot in Arlington, on the Cambridge line, an old video store has been replaced with a big, modern, metropolitan Tavern with touches of an old vibe but the comfort, food and style of a modern restaurant. Today, I sat fireside with group of bloggers to get a taste of lunch at the tavern. We were guests of the Menotomy Grill and Tavern, but all of our many opinions are our own- especially mine.

Fried pickles with a tangy, nicely spiced dipping sauce. It tasted like a spiked Caesar salad dressing.

Unlike the pickles, which we relished (pun intended) these had nice heat but lacked flavour and crispness.

The flatbread was nice and crisp. I loved the flavour of the mozzarella which reminded me of my favourite from The Mozzarella House.

These meaty ribs were perfect for those who prefer a dry rub but lacked sauce for those who like sticky, lick your fingers ribs. Under the ribs was a tasty jalapeño slaw that really complemented the pork.

The food at Menotomy Grill & Tavern is not old fashioned, but on the menu are so many classics. The wedge salad had nice pieces of blue cheese and crispy bacon cubes. As you can see, the portions are quite huge.

This side of potato and sausage stuffing had some instant fans. Similar to a sausage and vegetable hash, it was seasoned nicely and there was no skimping on sausage.

Another crowd pleaser was the burger, which had a good bun to patty ratio and a slight sweetness from the tomato jam.

It is so easy to over cook these little haricots vert but the roasted chicken was served with perfectly cooked green beans. The chicken had a nicely crisped skin and was juicy. The roasted chicken was served in top of that earthy sausage stuffing and the leftovers were packed up and will make a great dinner for my husband and I so all I need to do is make a salad.

I was impressed with the lunch crowd and love the space. There is also a fairly good beer selection with an entire German beer section.

M