Carlson Orchards, one of several orchards in Harvard, is a bit of an institution. Their Cider Barn offers a great casual dining option right here in town. It seemed as if it was high time for a Food Whisperer column, so here goes.
Over the years since the Cider Barn has been open, I have visited several times. Some visits have been like “old home week,” running into many people we know from around town. When I think of the Cider Barn, I think of pizza, and to me, theirs is great. In recent years, the menu has expanded and is continually tweaked, though the flatbread pizzas remain the centerpiece offering.
As readers probably know, in the summer and fall, food trucks are available as another option. In peak apple-picking season, the place is packed, with long lines of people hungry after an afternoon in the orchards. In the fall, Carlson’s awesome apple cider donuts and apple crisp are available for dessert. They are sometimes available in other seasons.
This past summer, on a weekday afternoon, we took my English husband’s brother and sister-in-law to enjoy a pint—of hard cider, not lager or ale. (I had been advised by one of the Carlson brothers on an earlier visit that their license allows only for sale of their ciders.) We sat outside, played a bit of cornhole (new to my in-laws) and had a few nibbles—pretzel bites, which were tasty but now seem to be replaced on the menu by pretzel rods, and fries served in one of their pint glasses, which was a fun touch. We spent a very pleasant hour or so hanging out, chatting, and enjoying the views of the orchards.
But when I recently visited on a Friday evening around 6 p.m., the place was set up in offseason mode, with some of the outdoor picnic tables brought onto the patio, which has a tented side. We sat at the tables in the main part of the building, which also houses the bar.
I advised my friend that we should order pizza, specifically the “Big Apple,” a Carlson’s speciality. We also ordered another favorite, sausage and hots. The apple pizza was as great as I had remembered, featuring brie and thinly sliced apples, along with mozzarella, red onions, and basil (no tomato sauce), and embellished with a balsamic drizzle. It’s a flavor combination that might not be obvious for a pizza, but it really works. In peach season, Carlson’s has offered a peach pizza as well—equally good. The sausage and hots was a less exotic choice, yet also delicious, with plenty of tasty sausage rounds with an almost meatball texture. The hots were not overly so.
Carlson’s flatbread pizzas are 12 inches, so one can be enough for two people. In fact, we left with half of each pizza for lunch the next day. Gluten-free crust is available, as is a kiddie-sized cheese pizza.
For drinks, my friend went for the classic flight. I chose the Peach Festival, which I’ve enjoyed in the past. Like the menu, the flights at Carlson’s change over time. They currently offer a “Legends” flight featuring six “legendary” varieties: Oak Hill Blend (their original), Honey Crisp, Jamaican Sunshine, Peach Festival, Harvard Harvest, and Kingston Black. There was an option to add two more varieties, for a flight of eight. As the Jamaican Sunshine and Kingston Black are newer cider offerings, it may be a bit of stretch calling them “legendary,” but I’m probably nitpicking. Kingston Black is closer in taste and dryness to a beer than some of the other ciders. It’s made from Kingston Black apples, which originated in the west of England, a region well-known for cider. Cidercraft Magazine explains that in the 1990s cider makers in many parts of the United States started planting orchards of well-known European cider-specific apples like Kingston Black. It was a refreshing and very drinkable cider. Yes, I stole a few sips of my friend’s flight! I also sipped the Jamaican Sunshine and wished I had ordered it; it has a real tang of ginger, which I love. That said, I did enjoy my Peach Festival. Its light taste of peach was not overly sweet.
Carlson’s is a gem of a place, right here in Harvard, so if you are looking for someplace close to meet up with a friend, grab a casual bite, or enjoy a pint of hard cider, check it out, if you haven’t already. And if you have, check it out again!
Alice Bartram leaves much of the cooking to her husband, though has many Instagram-saved recipes that she’ll get to one day as, really, she finds eating out more fun than cooking.
