While I can appreciate the perception, I must admit I grow weary hearing people bemoan that “there’s no place to eat around here.” Harvard is not Cambridge, of course, or Concord, or even Acton—but that’s why we live here, right? And so, on a recent cold Saturday night, our party of three ventured west (yes, further west!) to the Monument Grill in Leominster. I’d been introduced to the restaurant a couple of months ago by friends who were semi-regulars there, and whose appreciation for good food I trusted. I made a second visit, determined to return with ammunition for the next bemoaner.

We were seated promptly at our reservation time in the main dining area. The restaurant is in a restored historic building in downtown Leominster, and has a casual, welcoming atmosphere: booths line the brick walls, and tables and chairs comfortably fill the remaining space. The bar area provides additional seating, as does a second, quieter dining room.

After receiving our drink orders, we took time to review the menu—a little too much time, evidently, as our server repeatedly checked back with us every few minutes until finally offering to order for us. She later corrected this fundamental service slip by explaining that she knew the kitchen was “about to get busy,” and wanted to make sure our dinners were not delayed. We were clearly not in as much of a hurry as she, so we ordered appetizers to start.

We started with sweet potato ravioli ($7.95), served in a parmesan cream sauce and topped with toasted pecans. The flavors worked well together, although a smaller pool of the rich sauce (one guest presumed a bowl of chowder had arrived) would enhance the presentation. Next were delightful Maine crab cakes ($10.95), a generous portion of two large, crispy cakes—plenty for sharing—served with a caper aioli. Arborio rice added a unique texture to the cakes, replacing the more typical bread filler. Finally, we decided on beef carpaccio ($9.95), a special on that evening’s menu. Lean beef, shaved paper-thin, was fresh-tasting and beautifully presented, topped with chopped red onion, capers, and olive oil, and garnished with a balsamic-dressed baby spinach salad.

For entrees, we selected New Zealand rack of lamb ($23.95), which was cooked perfectly and accompanied by lemon herb–roasted potatoes and spinach and the duck confit ($18.95), two crispy duck legs topped with a shallot cider sauce, served with fingerling potatoes and roasted young carrots. The tangy sauce was a suitable complement to the duck, and mitigated the unavoidable greasiness of this indulgent treat. Our third diner opted for one of two soup choices offered—clam chowder or beef vegetable—and a grilled asparagus salad ($7.95). A bed of endive and mesclun greens, as well as local goat cheese, made for a nice presentation of the salad, although it was a bit heavy on the lemon basil vinaigrette. The soup ended up being a mistake for a number of reasons.

First, after a relatively lengthy gap from the time we ordered, our server informed us that “all the good stuff” was gone from the chowder and encouraged us to make another selection. Perhaps not picking up on a bad omen, we decided on the beef vegetable soup as a reasonable substitute. When it arrived, along with our entrees, our server apologized for having mistakenly offered us beef vegetable when, in fact, it was chicken vegetable, and hoped aloud that “this was okay” (as she placed it in front of us). Luckily, it was okay, in that we had no aversion to chicken; but, delivering the second substitution of the evening, with no prior warning, confirmed our growing uncertainties regarding our server’s level of experience. And the soup itself was deemed, ultimately, just okay.

For dessert, we chose the chocolate espresso torte and the warm chocolate cake (both $6.95), which were judged tasty by all. Our total bill, before tip, including three glasses of wine, a martini, and two coffees, was $136.00.

Overall, the food at the Monument Grill provides some interesting, quality menu choices, when compared with other nearby restaurants. While none of us had any strict dietary restrictions, it’s worth mentioning that the menu offers few options that will appeal to vegetarians, other than a couple of the salads and pasta dishes. The inconsistent service on this particular night (my introductory visit was enjoyable on all fronts) may have been an anomaly, and/or exacerbated by kitchen chaos, but did not spoil the evening for us. If experienced on my next visit, however, it would likely sour me on returning very soon.

The Food Whisperer is Mark Mikitarian, and you can email him at foodwhisperer@charter.net.