FEBRUARY 17, 1993
“We’ll meet at the Barleycorn,” Marilyn Lundberg said. It was her turn to make arrangements for the monthly meeting of friends who used to drink coffee together on Cottonwood Street.
When we got there, the special for the day was Cajun chicken salad, so Marilyn and Ruth Barney went with that. Estelle Graham and Crystal Rice ordered No. 3, which was chicken salad and onion soup. I ordered a Reuben sandwich. And when Geri Ouradnik breezed in, she ordered a half lavosh supreme with mushrooms, green pepper, tomato and red onion.
Then the discussion began. The lavosh, we agreed is the trademark of John Barleycorn. Not everybody likes it, but many do. And many people go to the Barleycorn with lavosh in mind. Lavosh is a thin bread that originated in Armenia.
As always, the service was top-rate. Overall, the food was good. The Cajun chicken salad plate was ample and served with good, warm breadsticks. My Reuben was OK, but a little on the skimpy side, I thought.
We had separate checks, which was no problem. It sure beats a bunch of women digging in their purses and asking who had coffee and who had only water. My check, for the sandwich with fries and a diet cola, came to $6.29 with tax. That’s a little heavy for lunch in Grand Forks. But the Barleycorn is a cut above the average eating places in shopping malls. It’s been a star performer in the Grand Forks dining scene since 1979.
It’s laid out like an old-time town. To the left, there is a livery section with semiprivate nooks and corners for dining. Straight ahead, set off with light wood latticework, you find a gazebo. Surrounding it, on a lower level, you have the park area with green carpeting. At the right, there is a dining room called the general store which can be reserved by larger groups.
Along with its unique design, it has established a reputation for consistently good food. The Barleycorn has long been a popular place to meet for lunch, because it’s convenient, and because the staff is accommodating to people who want to linger longer and discuss business or play bridge.
Dinner is a special occasion at the Barleycorn. The filet medallions drew raves recently from a co-worker, Molly Blue. The dinner, for $16.95, features two center cuts of tenderloin with Béarnaise and Hunter mushroom sauce. Blue, a fan of the Barleycorn, also praises the shrimp oreganata ($13.95) from the seafood section.
The new menu, introduced in October, adds pastas and variations of chicken to the offerings. The restaurant also is serving stir-fried vegetables. Mainstays are steaks and seafood.
John Barleycorn no longer operates in Columbia Mall.