622154 Sat May 23 18:23:52 -0700 2009 18 12 Boston Area 0 4709789 For those of you CHOWS who are fans of the (in)famous Dudley Chateau (aka "The Chat"), you'll be pleased to know the pub is now reopened after a complete kitchen remodel and major housecleaning. Currently a soft-opening menu which will be expanded to a full pub menu in 2 weeks. Full time chef (formerly at Blue Coyote/Maynard) for lunch and dinner. HUGE portions.....10oz angus burger....salads can feed two...panko coated onion rings easily shared by 4...excellent veggie burgers for those of that persuasion For the past 4 years most of us regarded the menu to be slim jims and chips....and some nights not even that. The thought of now being able to take the kids for an early dinner is almost incomprehensible. Plus eight micro-brew style beers on tap with a solid selection of bottles. New plasma screen TV's in virtually every corner of the building. Credit cards accepted and WiFi if you need air cover during business hours ! Despite the new family friendly attitude, the character of the Chat remains the same. This still a small local neighborhood drinking establishment with the look and feel of a fisherman's hangout....and rightfully so. This was Ted Williams secret fishing and watering hole. And the place is still an"everyman bar" where tradesmen, tech geeks, soccer moms and hedge fund managers can blend together to watch the Sox and debate politics...all on equal footing. Sat May 23 18:23:52 -0700 2009 145071 pondrat 1 4709803 Did Sully sell? Sat May 23 18:31:21 -0700 2009 4709789 27342 trufflehound 2 4709866 It's very complicated, but technically yes. Ken Phillips, a Natick lawyer and his wife Mandy are managing the Chat now.. and they're also funding the improvements. Sat May 23 19:08:16 -0700 2009 4709803 145071 pondrat 1 4721130 I remember being dragged here at night after a wedding years ago, loving the place and then wanting to go back, but never being able to find it again. Please! Where is it in Wayland? Thu May 28 04:03:31 -0700 2009 4709789 10917 Kat 2 4721694 dudley rd of 27 look forward to checking it out. haven't been in years. been going to da chat since high school and have had many friends who have bartended there over the years. at one time they made a good burger but this was always a beer and a shot and buy some drugs spot and always will be. Thu May 28 08:19:29 -0700 2009 4721130 68614 Bighead 2 4736379 http://www.chow.com/places/52558 Tue Jun 02 12:43:29 -0700 2009 4721130 145071 pondrat 3 4736390 That's the ticket; I'll tell TC we're going for drinks at "A tavern on the water".... Tue Jun 02 12:46:21 -0700 2009 4736379 11108 galleygirl 4 4736406 Sounds better than "The Pub on the Puddle" Tue Jun 02 12:48:37 -0700 2009 4736390 145071 pondrat 1 4733986 Okay, I can't believe TC and I haven't been. Sounds like a place we could afford to drink...Anything but burgers? (Not that a veggie burger wouldn't make me pretty happy...) Mon Jun 01 17:38:42 -0700 2009 4709789 11108 galleygirl 2 4734054 My wife is a veg-head and she loved the grilled veggie burger. They also have salads...and some deep fried mac & cheese thing that I hear is excellent (albeit not from a cardiologist) Pabst Blue Ribbons on tap are $2.00 Mon Jun 01 18:03:32 -0700 2009 4733986 145071 pondrat 1 4735671 Is this place in someone's basement? see attached photos... http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/3BIaMR5S6CJ3ZtZC4HSqOw?select=6q8DutPdU25QauKz9rLoKA Tue Jun 02 09:23:41 -0700 2009 4709789 11108 galleygirl 2 4736159 You have to ignore the siding and walk up a flight of stairs to get the full character. Tue Jun 02 11:43:42 -0700 2009 4735671 145071 pondrat 3 4736223 Er, (raising hand hesitantly) would one be able to order a glass of wine, or would one enjoy a similar fate? Tue Jun 02 12:05:06 -0700 2009 4736213 11108 galleygirl 4 4736286 Wine is available but keep your winery and vintage expectations very low. To nsenada's point, you're not going to get anything that requires a bartender's guide or an umbrella. I have seen an occasional cosmo and martini. The high speed tours of the stairs are also a thing of the past as the crowd is now mellowing and self policing. That said this is what famous writer Jim Atkinson called a "bar-bar". in his seminal work on serious drinking establishments, "A View from Nowhere". http://www.amazon.com/View-Nowhere-Only-Guide-Youll/dp/0060960582 You don't go for frilly drinks or fancy food...It's beer and pub-grub...and lots of it. Tue Jun 02 12:21:37 -0700 2009 4736223 145071 pondrat 5 4902027 I'm about as average a Joe as they come, but this place looked from the outside like it might be Fred Sanford's "Chateau". I wouldn't even venture out of my car. Is this place really open for business??? Growing up (in NY) there was this bar we went to that we only went to after dark - when I saw it in the light of day, it was pretty scary. Is that pretty much the story here? Wed Jul 29 19:18:17 -0700 2009 4736286 261803 Chowzmeister 6 4905302 Went last night for the first time and, aside from the lack of a/c, liked it. I don't know if the a/c was broken or if they simply don't have any, but you might want to call before heading there on a steamy night. You have to have a sense of humor about the outside. There is more paint that's chipped off the building than is still on. Also, I climbed the stairs to what looked like the entrance, and when I got there, realized there was no knob or handle on the door. I wondered if you had to knock and give a secret code to get in. (The entrance is on ground level, to the right.) Once inside and upstairs, it's just what a bar should be. Wood floors, stools, booths (two of which have a great view of the pond), lots of flat-screened TV's. There were more young folks there than I expected, mainly couples and groups of young men, with a couple of older blue collar guys having an afterwork beer and watching the Sox at the bar. The place was clean. There weren't many people there at dinner time, but it pretty much filled up later, around 9:00 on a Wednesday. What surprised me was how good the food and service was. They were friendly, down-to-earth, eager-to-please, but unobtrusive. I had some great "gourmet onion rings", the breaded kind, which I don't usually like, but they were perfectly browned, hot, crispy and delicious. My DC had the turkey tips, grilled on a skewer, which he said were great. I tasted his margarita, and based on that, I'd stay away from cocktails here, although the bartender was helpful and pleasant. (They have no lemon or lime juice.) Don't judge a chateau by its cover! Thu Jul 30 20:31:45 -0700 2009 4902027 105892 pollystyrene 6 4907512 Chowmeister.....exactly the same as your NY experience...definitely don't judge this place by its exterior. The Chat has made an amazing comeback. Nice balance of young and older regulars. The college-aged crowd has rediscovered the place and it can be packed on some week nights. Air conditioning is up and running fine as of last night. The bar selection is expanding. I asked them to order Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and they started serving it last night as a summer selection. As pollystyrene said the customer service has improved dramatically. Would have never dreamed they'd have table service all but 6 months ago ! Fri Jul 31 15:16:35 -0700 2009 4902027 145071 pondrat 7 4909626 Thanks for filling me in. You can't always tell a book by it's cover. Sounds like business is good. I guess it's one of those places that locals tend to go to and support. It's a little off the beaten track too, so regulars have the place all to themselves. I will head to the Chateau when in Wayland! Sat Aug 01 17:08:48 -0700 2009 4907512 261803 Chowzmeister 8 4909684 Chowzmeister...And after you do go to the following Facebook links ! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20621577751&ref=ts or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20621577751&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=37638563806&ref=ts Sat Aug 01 17:38:25 -0700 2009 4909626 145071 pondrat