Ale to Archer's

Take good appetite to popular pub

Stacee Sledge

Oct 17, 2002 — I have always loved the Archer Ale House, but not for its food. I adore the atmosphere the underground pub evokes — and the fact that it's only a few steps from my home hasn't hurt.

I was a regular for years, until ownership changed in 2001 and a bizarre wine-ordering mix-up put me off (the bartender couldn't figure out whether Cabernet was a white or red wine). I took it as a sign that the new owner needed some time to settle in, and I didn't return for many months.

Recent visits have won me over again in a big way. So much so that I've been there three times in two weeks and am looking forward to tucking in again this weekend.

Many menu items have been held over from the previous ownership, but some amiable additions have popped up.

I was happy to see the smoked salmon basket still available, as well as the deep dish Ale House pizza by the slice or by the pie. But its nightly specials have improved immensely. One of these new specials is my current favorite sandwich in town — focaccia dip. I'm hoping it will become a regular menu item.

Descending the stairs to Archer's underground locale reminds me of a favorite bar from my college days in Iowa City called the Dublin Underground. But one thing is quite different: The Archer Ale House is smoke-free.

Archer Ale House

Location:  1212 10th St., Fairhaven Phone: 647-7002 Hours: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 3 p.m. to midnight Thursday and Friday; 1 p.m. to midnight, Saturday; 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Serving: Pub grub that's far more upscale than you'd find in most taverns, served in a welcoming, relaxed, smoke-free atmosphere. Menu items sampled:  Fish and chips $7.95  Baked ravioli $6.95  Focaccia dip sandwich $8.95 Bratwurst $6.95 Chicken hot wings $7.95 Wyder's peach cider $3.50 Oktoberfestbier $3.75

I would have scoffed at patronizing a smoke-free tavern during my undergrad tenure, but now I prefer it most of the time. It's great to stop in for a quick ale and not have to go home and change out of cigarette smoke-infused clothes.

The first time my husband and I popped in to get reacquainted with the place, we were pleasantly surprised to see new menu items, including pan-fried oysters served on the second Friday and Saturday of each month, and nightly specials that include sirloin steak as well as fish and chips.

I chose the baked ravioli, which offers options galore: cheese or beef ravioli covered with marinara, pesto or Alfredo sauce, accompanied by soup of the day or salad. I settled on the cheese ravioli and marinara, with a small Caesar salad on the side.

The preparation of the ravioli takes what would be a somewhat unremarkable dish and makes it worthier of attention; The pasta is tossed with olive oil and baked to a crispy crunch. The accompanying marinara was fine, but didn't really speak to me. The Caesar salad on the side, which can also be served with smoked salmon, was exactly right.

My husband went with the fish and chips special. Three generous pieces of cod were battered and fried, served atop a pile of crisp French fries and partnered with tartar sauce. The only thing missing was a malt vinegar for the fries, which would have made it feel like we were truly in a British or Irish pub.

A few nights later found us again clomping down those stairs with a group of my husband's co-workers to sample the requisite ales. But one of our cohorts, Grant, opted for pub grub to go with his pint.

Grant is a long-standing fan of Archer's hot wings, which he pointed out are not wings at all but drumettes, with a considerable amount of meat on them. They fill you up, making the $7.95 price tag a fair one. The 12 made-from-scratch drumettes have just enough spicy kick, but are reserved enough so as not to completely mask the flavor of the chicken. They're served in a basket piled atop Archer's old standby potato wedges, with veggies and homemade ranch dip.

Another visit just a few days later found us stopping in for dinner before a reading at nearby Village Books.

The special that evening was a focaccia dip sandwich, thin slices of roast beef topped with roasted strips of green pepper, red pepper and onion finished off with a melty slice of Swiss cheese, all resting between chewy triangles of fresh-baked focaccia bread. This sandwich sent me over the moon. The peppers lended a spiciness that was cooled by the springy bread and the au jus added just the right salty slant.

The soup selection has also changed under new ownership. Carrot dill was on the menu the night of our first visit; this time, Archer's offered a garden vegetable to accompany my sandwich. It shared the same base as the au jus, but was chockfull of potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms and cubes of roast beef.

My husband had the bratwurst in a bun, beer-braised traditional mild sausage served on a roll. He could have chosen to top it with sauerkraut, but skipped it since he isn't a fan. His Caesar side salad was served with a lemon wedge.

Our friend Heather went with the same baked ravioli I'd tried on our previous visit. She wanted it served with Alfredo sauce, but it wasn't available. Her second choice of pesto was also unavailable, so she had marinara by default.

Like me, she found the sauce fine but nothing spectacular. Still, the golden crispness of the ravioli also won her over. Her side salad of leafy lettuce was piled high with generous slices of ripe tomato and cucumber and topped with a pub-made red wine vinaigrette that she raved over.

I've gone on about the food, with nary a mention of the real reason to go to Archer's: its rotating menu of brew — from ale to stout to porter. The often fetching food is really just an excuse to drink another round to wash it all down.