Going to Old Talbott Tavern made for an afternoon of haunting ghosts and hosts.

After hearing harmonious Stephen Foster music pleasing to the ear and enlightening to the soul, some friends and I ventured into historic downtown Bardstown to dine at the Old Talbott Tavern.

Located on the town square, an authentic 1700s simplicity on the outside gave way to intrigue on the inside. This intrigue could’ve been the haunting spirits that put Talbott’s on the map as a nationally recognized haunted eating establishment, according to the staff. During the day though, it’s all about country charm, as we meandered through the gift shop and the three dining rooms: the pub room, the Audubon room and the Walter’s room.

What was not so pleasant was our initial encounter with the hostess. It took some convincing to be &#8220allowed” to sit in the sunny Walter’s room instead of the darker atmosphere of the Audubon room. Fortunately, once seated, the professionalism and enthusiasm of our waitress more than made up for it.

Talbott’s menu is mainly Southern home cooking, but includes a few unique twists to some Southern favorites, like the option of blackened seasoning on your cornmeal breaded catfish or the burgundy sauce on Uncle Bill’s chicken Phillipe.

Opting for one of the few contemporary menu selections, I had the grilled chicken Caesar and a dining companion ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, topped with Swiss cheese, mushrooms and mayo. The sandwich was dry and lacked flavor. The Caesar dressing was tasty, but this was overshadowed by wilting lettuce. The chicken (with both meals) didn’t have a grilled flavor. I’m not sure, but to us it seemed steamed.

My two other dining companions, enjoyed slow cooked pot roast: a sliced sirloin roast, slow simmered, with carrots, potatoes, celery and onions, topped with rich house au jus gravy. All four of us decided the Southern style meals were preferable. But one dining companion, whom I know to be an amazing home chef for her family and friends, described the flavor as &#8220good, but needing seasoning and tenderizing.”

As I noted before, our waitress was a true pleasure, however the rest of the staff lacked professionalism. Twice, crashing sounds interrupted our engaging dining experience. No one dropped anything; it was the dishwasher dumping eating utensils into a tub at the wait station nearby. Atmosphere is what brought us in, and it needs fine tuning. The hostess apologized later, but only to one of us in passing.

On the bright side, the Walter’s room was bright, cheery and steeped in history. The fried green tomato appetizer (beer battered slices topped with red and green peppers, shaved parmesan and creamy ranch dressing), as well as the delectably dense bread pudding dessert topped with bourbon sauce and pecans, were satisfying highlights after venturing so far.

Talbott’s is also a bed and breakfast with five guest rooms and a Bardstown Ghost Trek every Saturday night. The adjoining Bourbon Bar has live entertainment with special events during the Bourbon Festival in September and the local amphitheater’s Live At the Park series has scheduled events through Sept. 19. With the cost of gas (the most haunting thought of all), Old Talbott might be too far to go for the day, but just right if you’re looking for a weekend getaway.