Hasslein Blog: The Pandorica in Beacon, N.Y.: The Best Eats This Side of Gallifrey

By Rich Handley

If you're a Doctor Who fan and are looking for a fun place to eat while watching Who episodes from recent years, then The Pandorica might be just the place for you. Located in Beacon, N.Y. (in Dutchess County, right off Route 84), The Pandorica (visit its Facebook page) features a menu offering Who-worthy appetizers such as Fish Fingers and Custard, mini-corndogs appropriately known as K-9s, and stuffed potato heads called the Sontaran Brigade; entrees such as Are You My Mummy Bacon Bound Meatloaf and Thymey Wimey Beef Cottage Pie; sandwiches like the Madame Vastra Po Boy; and sweets like the Madame de Pompadour Cake.

This past weekend, Paul Giachetti and I took the opportunity to visit The Pandorica, view its décor and sample its culinary treats. We met owner Shirley Hot, a warm and friendly Who fan, and dropped off a few copies of Hasslein Books' two Who titles (Lost in Time and Space: An Unofficial Guide to the Uncharted Journeys of Doctor Who, by Matthew J. Elliott, and Who Beyond 50: Celebrating Five Decades of Doctor Who, by Brian J. Robb and Paul Simpson) for Shirley to share with her Whovian diners. While we were there, we enjoyed a meal and made sure to snap some photos of the restaurant.

The food was delicious and well worth the price. I ordered the Gallifreyed Potato Pancakes with apple sauce, while Paul tried the Sontaran Brigade (hilariously enough, it turns out that potatoes sitting in small cups look just like Sontarans). My son, who came along for the ride, feasted on the dessert version of Fish Fingers and Custard (battered French toast strips—the appetizer version is actual fish), and they were fantastic. Meanwhile, David Tennant episodes played on a wall-mounted TV, perfectly setting the mood.

Photo: The Pandorica

There's a TARDIS-themed bathroom (yes, it's bigger on the inside, similar to—though smaller than—the one built at Brookyln's The Way Station), as well as a small display case of collectibles, a large Pandorica coming out of one wall, and a great selection of original Who-related artwork. All in all, it was a fun and tasty experience, and we both look forward to going back. (Especially me, since Beacon is the home town of my youth. In fact, I took a drive around town after dinner and found the houses I lived in as a child with no trouble—even though my family moved away from Beacon in 1980 when I was 12 years old!)

If you're planning to be in the Beacon area, make sure to stop at The Pandorica and tell Shirley that you heard about it from Hasslein Books. But even if you're not, it's still worth taking a day trip to Beacon because the town's Main Street is loaded with wonderful shops selling antiques, toys, clothing, food and more, and there's also a beautiful waterfall. Fez caps are optional (but cool).