Tavern Meals (Pre-Fall)

This post is about typical tavern meals in taverns and inns before the Fall. It’s of course outdated now – but it’s still good historical info for the regions that will eventually follow.

Simple Meals: A simple meal is generally made from the leftover ingredients from a previous day’s meal; the ingredients themselves are simple and often lower in quality. The meal itself leaves no choice for the patron: there is whichever dish the inn/tavern is serving that night and that is it. Patrons may of course add their own seasonings if they have them. Because of the leftover nature of simple meals, most often they are some variation of a stew.

Decent Meals: Taverns generally have a selection of 3-4 meals that they are serving a given night (out of perhaps 10 rotating dishes total), and patrons can order from the list. The meals themselves are generally not made to order, but are more interesting and have more variety than simple meals do. The ingredients are of a reasonable quality, and most dishes are lightly seasoned.

Fine Meals: Fine meals typically include multiple courses – appetizer, main dish, and dessert. While most taverns and especially inns are still limited in what they offer nightly for fine meals, these meals are cooked and seasoned to order. They use the freshest ingredients in the kitchen and are more flavorful and complex than decent meals.

Prices for these meals are listed in the rulebook; these are meant to be examples of what such a meal might entail.

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Ardel

Simple Menu

• Fish Stew (May Include: Shellfish, Pollock, Herring, Sea Bass, Mackerel, Sardine)
  • Drinks: Chicory or Beer

Decent Menu

• Clam Chowder
• Crab Cakes
• Ratatouille
  • Sides: Sourdough Bread, Marinated Olives, or Artichoke w/ Garlic-Butter
  • Drinks: Local Ardellian Wine, Whiskey, Bitters, Lemonade

Fine Menu

• Appetizers:
  • Marinated Mussels, Oysters, and Octopus
  • Dolmas (Stuffed with Mussels, Beef, or Zucchini)
• Main Dishes:
  • Surf and Turf (Lobster Tail and Filet Mignon)
  • Seared Swordfish Steak
  • Assorted Squid-Ink Ravioli (Cheese, Crab, Scallop, Beef, Greens, Mushrooms)
• Desserts:
  • Cherries Jubilee
  • Tiramisu
• Drinks: Fine Ardellian Wine, Brandy, or Eldspeli Coffee/Sweet Chocolate

Eldspel

Simple Menu

• Fish Gumbo (May Include: Tilapia, Catfish, or Eel)
  • Drinks: Fruit Juice

Decent Menu

• Jambalaya
• Fish Tacos
• Fufu or Mofongo
  • Sides: Fresh Fruit (Mango, Papaya, Soursop), Fried Plantains, Guacamole
  • Drinks: Coffee, Bitter or Sweet Chocolate, Tea, Rum

Fine Menu

• Appetizers
  • Fresh Fruit (Mango, Passion Fruit, Cherimoya)
  • Chili-Lime Marinated Avocado
• Main Dishes:
  • Citrus-Marinated Grilled Shark with Mango Chutney
  • Tea-Smoked Ostrich Egg
  • Enchiladas with a Bitter Chocolate-Chili Sauce
• Desserts:
  • Bananas Foster
  • Bonbons (Liqueur, Fruit, or Cream)
• Drinks: Coffee, Bitter or Sweet Chocolate, Tea, Margaritas

Falnin

Simple Menu

• Potato Hash (May Include: Onions, Garlic, Eggs, Mushrooms, Sausage, Greens)
  • Drinks: Beer, Vodka, Ale

Decent Menu

• Potato-Leek Soup
• Quiche with Onion, Mushroom, and Spinach
• Sandwich of the Day (Club, Burger, Cheesesteak)
  • Sides: Focaccia Bread, Sausages, or Hash Browns
  • Drinks: Light Beer, Syeni Wine, Whiskey

Fine Menu

• Appetizers:
  • Dumplings or Egg Rolls (Stuffed with Cabbage, Carrot, Meat, Chilis, and/or Mushrooms)
  • Stuffed Mushrooms (Cream Cheese, Garlic or Onion, Cheese, Spices, or Rice)
• Main Dishes:
  • Coq Au Vin
  • Steak Dinner with Baked Potato, Grilled Vegetables
  • Lamb Chops with Sautéed Figs
• Desserts:
  • Creme Brûlée
  • Cherry Cheesecake
• Drinks: Fine Ardellian Wine, Brandy, Cognac, Coffee

Gildmar

Simple Menu

• Lentil Stew (May Include: Onions, Goat or Beef Scraps, Chilis, Chickpeas)
  • Drinks: Dark Beer, Sour Ale

Decent Menu

• Kebabs (Goat, Chili Peppers, Onion)
• Chili Peppers, Stuffed (Couscous, Ground Meat, Cheese, Onion)
• Spicy Sea Turtle Soup
  • Sides: Stuffed Flatbread (Chickpeas, Onions, or Dates), Pickled Fennel Cabbage, Eggs
  • Drinks: Stout, Sour Ale, Kumis

Fine Menu

• Appetizers
  • Pickled Chili Peppers
  • Pistachios
• Main Dishes
  • Prime Ostrich Steak with a Honey-Orange Sauce
  • Rack of Spicy Barbecued Beef Ribs
  • Horse Tartare
• Dessert
  • Stuffed Sweet Dates (May Include Cheese, Honey, Orange)
  • Sweet Marzipan or Cardamom Bread
• Drinks: Fine Ardellian Wine, Coffee,

Oldmin

Simple Menu

• Root Vegetable Stew (May Include: Potato, Turnip, Parsnip, Carrot, Onion, Celery)
  • Drinks: Lager, Medium Beer, Milk, Vodka

Decent Menu

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Fry-Up
• Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Sides: Rye Bread, Sweet Corn Mash,
  • Drinks: Lager, Mead, Pale Ale, Cider, Apple Juice, Milk

Fine Menu

• Appetizers
  • Cheese-Onion Biscuits
  • Scotch Eggs
• Main Dishes
  • Rosemary-Sage Whole Roast Chicken
  • Beef Wellington
  • Baby Pumpkin, Stuffed (Bread, Vegetables, Meat, Fruit, Nuts, Spices)
• Desserts
  • Apple or Peach Pie
  • Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Drinks: Fine Oldmin Mead, Fine Apple Juice,

Syenon

Simple Menu

• House Salad (Mixed Greens, Fruits, Nuts, Cheese, Hard Boiled Egg)
  • Drinks: Ale, Herbal Tea

Decent Menu

• Wild Rice Pilaf (with hazelnuts, cranberries, onions, celery)
• Venison Stew
• Spring Rolls with Plum Sauce
  • Sides: Multigrain Bread, Stuffed Mushrooms, or Roasted Asparagus
  • Drinks: Mead, Syeni Wine, Apple or Cranberry Juice

Fine Menu

• Appetizers
  • Brie Wedge with Apricot Preserves
  • Caviar or Salmon Roe
• Main Dishes
  • Roast Quail with Poached Quail Eggs and Wild Rice
  • Wild Boar Sausages with Sautéed Morels and a Berry-Wine Reduction
  • Fresh Nettle Soup with Sautéed Fiddleheads and Creme Fraiche
• Desserts
  • Sweet Berry Crepes with Cream
  • Maple Eclairs
• Drinks: Fine Ardellian or Syeni Wine, Fine Oldmin Mead, Tea