One of the greatest material comforts in life might be a meal cooked by someone else paired with a refreshing libation poured by another. A perfectly char-grilled burger and a crisp, cold beer; a creamy pasta dish and a glass of wine; buffalo wings and a martini (this is a judgement-free zone); add friends, warm and knowledgeable staff and good music, and you’d have had any given night at Fody’s Great American Tavern.

Unfortunately, we can’t indulge in time spent at this local favorite these days, but they are still open every night to provide us with their amazing appetizers, entrees, and yes, beer and wine collection. Located in the historic “tavern,” or more formally, Greeley Building, on Clinton Street, it is a landmark within the iconic downtown area known as Railroad Square. The “About” tab on the website outlines the Tavern’s rich and colorful, and at one point, sordid, past.

But we are really here to talk about the food and spirits- of the alcoholic persuasion- that make Fody’s Tavern famous today. From the appetizers to the desserts and everything in between, any selection is assuredly a good one. Roasted Chicken Meatballs (hand-rolled meatballs served with a sundried tomato pesto), a gluten-free Canadian Poutine (“squeaky” cheese curds and gravy over hand-cut fries) and Ginger Soy Potstickers (pork & veggie dumplings with ginger soy sauce) are just a few appetizers that open the flood gates of a truly intriguing dinner menu. Fody’s burgers are famous for a reason, and are such crowd-pleasers that they have their own day of the week to be celebrated: on Sundays, enjoy $5 off of any burger. During the rest of the week, you can enjoy full-yet-reasonably-priced burgers such as The Tavern (their classic, with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and onion), The Kimchi (American cheese, a special sauce, and kimchi), and the California (avocado, slow-roasted tomato, American cheese, arugula, and aioli). There are five other specialty burgers on the menu, so make sure you give yourself ample time to choose one for your main course. Not to be outdone, handfuls (literally) of sandwiches could be worthy of their own article: a Lobster BLT (grilled sourdough, bacon, lobster claws & knuckles, arugula, slow-roasted tomatoes, and a smoked pepper aioli), said to have “started it all,” a Grilled Reuben (corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing on grilled marble rye) and a Grilled Chicken Sandwich (with Swiss cheese, house cole slaw, bread & butter pickles, lettuce, onions and thousand island dressing) are all vying to be your newest favorite sandwich. Burgers and sandwiches all come with fries, or you can substitute them for any one of Fody’s equally famous sides, which range from White Truffle Tater Tots to Vegetable Risotto. Marinated Steak Tips (with horseradish and herb butter), Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Biscuits (with scalloped potatoes, green beans and b&b pickles) and Tavern Mac n Cheese (smoked bacon and fondue, topped with toasted bread crumbs) perfectly encapsulate what the Tavern Fare section of the menu can offer us. Desserts such as Peanut Butter Cup Bread Pudding, Frangelico Creme Brulee or a Homemade Brownie Sundae may have to wait a few hours to be consumed after any given meal, but certainly should not be skipped. Beer and wine are available for take out and delivery, and prices appear to have been reduced by 50%, which is an especially exciting revelation. Be sure to inquire before you order. From thoroughly browsing the Facebook page, prepared cocktails do not seem to be add-on options. Fody’s Tavern has launched an inspiring fundraising campaign by using any donation you add on top of your order to provide meals to our local army of healthcare workers. So if you were hoping to get a gallon of pre-made Espresso Martinis, go ahead and tack that subtotal on to help provide amazing food to some amazing people in our community.

Fody’s Great American Tavern will surely open their doors again to welcome us in for nights of delicious food and drink, live music, karaoke, stand up comedy, and so much more. In the meantime, let’s support them and our local healthcare heroes by ordering dinner soon.

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– Contributing Staff Emily Vassar. Email suggestions to evassar@nashuatelegraph.com.

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