A Preview of Spring Inspiration at Mill's Tavern, 101 N. Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island

A beautiful space on a quaint neighborhood block on College Hill in Providence, RI, Mill's Tavern is an upscale cozy steakhouse that would easily be my local watering hole if I were a local resident.

High ceilings accented with brick, finished, dark hardwood and dancing sunlight, Mill's Tavern feels romantic and cozy with a quiet, comfortable grace paired with warm, friendly management and serving staff.  Our server, James, easily became one of my favorite New England restaurant personalities in just the couple of hours spent during dinner.

It was an early Sunday evening and the sun was making cameos for most of the day.  We decided to be seated near the front windows.  The blinds were immediately adjusted for our comfort.  James thoroughly reviewed the menu with us.  My friend has been a patron on a few occasions, but we were both excited to learn about their new Spring menu!

The menu design is a la carte with offerings "From the Pantry", "From the Wood Burning Oven", "From the Wood Rotisserie", "From the Stove", and "From the Wood Grill".  Described by some outlets as a steakhouse, Chef Edward Bolus' vision and talent goes well beyond the beautiful steaks offered on the menu which range from a 10 oz. Filet Mignon to a 16 oz. Porterhouse.  The vast majority of his contemporary dishes embodies French influence.   

Chef Edward serves some of my favorite proteins as components of numerous options, including braised rabbit, rack of lamb, duck, and ostrich!  Check out the Spring 2013 menu here.

We began with a few Jamestown oysters served with beautiful pickled grapes and shallots and a creative mignonette in addition to the traditional accoutrements.

"From the Pantry"

The creamy veal sweetbreads were lightly battered and fried.  Thymus sweetbreads are a favorite of mine.  I am used to them prepared seasoned and pan-fried sans batter, but I did enjoy the layered texture of Chef Edward's.  The generous portions were set upon roasted sunchoke rounds and served with sweet, buttery, nutty vanilla sweetpea puree, and a cool red quinoa and whole spring pea salad draped with a single farm egg.

We ordered a couple of classic cocktails:

 
I enjoyed a couple of "Providence Manhattans" throughout the meal made with Bulleit rye (my top 3 favorites), Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, and blood orange bitters - a classic elevated with the blood orange notes - it was smooth and balanced overall with a sweet and herbaceous midpalate, and spicy, slightly acerbic finish.

Their Moscow mule was lovely, made with Russian Standard vodka, Gossling ginger beer, and lime (the norm).

A few of Mill's interesting, ginger, berry, and aromatic cocktails:

Millsberry Russian Standard Vodka Infused with Mixed
Berries, Shaken Straight Up or On the Rocks

 

The Royce Soul Cachaca Infused with Pears, Cinnamon, Star
Anise & Clove Shaken with Freshly Shaved Ginger,
Pear Nectar and Vanilla Syrup

Luxurious Lingonberry Grey Goose Vodka, Lingonberry, Domaine De
Canton, St. Germaine, Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

My friend enjoyed the Caesar salad, to which she requested blackened scallops be added.  Now, I am a true believer in great salads.  

Some people may find them to be too simple, but this means you have not sampled a truly tremendous dressing or interesting toppings or additions.  I have actual cravings for salads that have seriously blown my mind!  

The Caesar dressing at Mill's was just the beginning of what makes it one of the simple yet magnificent salads in the running.  
The dressing: authentic, briny, creamy.   
The toppings: a crisp baked Parmesan chip and two white anchiovy beignets!  
Yep!  White Anchiovy Beignets!!  I was luck to enjoy them as my friend's fried food proxy and James actually took me seriously when I asked for a whole doggie bag full of the beignets alone!  Now I'm thinking I should have went along with it (wink).  They were seriously amazing!

Parmesan chip and white anchiovy beignet!

"From the Wood Burning Oven"
I moved on to the immaculate short rib...the fall away tender, braised overnight with local Yacht Club ginger beer black angus short rib!  Served over a white bean cassoulet, which I expected would be a bit more smoky due to the menu description of "house made bacon lardons" and topped with crispy leeks, the short rib won me over!

We had no room for dessert (and left with doggie bags), but the pear or the blood orange sorbet surely was sure to be a fantastic simple ending or perhaps the Portuguese bread pudding made with Madeira caramel, currants, and chantilly cream or the Pine Nut Pain de Genes with strawberry curd, whipped goat cheese, and 18 year balsamic with strawberry ice cream (who doesn't love a bit of sweet and savory?)

We were, however, treated to Moscato to whet our sweet tooth.

With my mother coming to visit this week, I'm thinking a "Rhode" trip is definitely in order.  Hope to see James and the gang at Mill's Tavern very soon!

"Crazy French" Fondue Dinner @ The Wine Cellar...Ostrich, Kangaroo, Boar, Oh My!

The Wine Cellar offers deliciously authentic fondue from a Frenchman's perspective.  The always jovial and gregarious, Chef/Owner Thierry Chares is as much a part of the atmosphere as the open brick and iron decor and the sizzling oil or the Pierrade (hot stone) entree preparation in the background.

I visited The Wine Cellar, located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston at 30 Mass Ave., a couple of year ago (prior to beginning this blog) and enjoyed myself immensely.  The restaurant can easily be overlooked in its subterranean locale and I consider it a jewel on the block with its quaint and romantic space, fantastic service, and delicious options.


I suggest, if beginning with a cheese fondue, keep in mind how filling the rich cheese, savory meat/seafood is along with the standard baguette bits and potato accompaniments can be.  It seriously can serve as a meal for two and you may want to move on to dessert!  Also select from The Cellar's impressive wine list.  We enjoyed a bottle of Malbec.





We began with the Gruyere and Emmenthale "Savoyard" pot, dipping our bread, fried potato wedges, and ham cubes into the creamy, melted contents accented by flavors of white wine, brandy, herbs, spices, and mushroom.

Additional cheese options include...

 

Classic
gruyere & emmentale cheeses melted with cracked black pepper in white wine & brandy

French Gruyere
gruyere cheese melted with sauteed onions, roasted garlic, spices with cracked black pepper in white wine & brandy

Formaggio
mozzarella & gruyere cheeses, roasted peppers, black pepper, lemon juice, white wine & brandy

Brittany
artichoke hearts, shallots, white wine & brandy

Queso
cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, roasted peppers, sweet onions, white wine & brandy 

...and many more!

We decided on the "Crazy French" fondue entree which included marinated kangaroo, ostrich filet, and boar sausage (substituted, by the restaurant, for the rabbit loin).  I adore rabbit, but was very much pleased with the boar sausage!

 My favorite dipping sauces:  BBQ, tomato, and the creamy chipotle!

The ostrich and kangaroo were both very lean with nice flavor.  We cooked them in the basic oil pot.  The sausage was tender, perfectly seasoned, with great flavor!  This was only my second "kangaroo tasting", my first time was with Chef Poe, and I am a fan of even this simple preparation.  It's simply a great lean meat!

Though our stomach could not handle much more, Chef Thierry gifted a lovely chocolate fondue - a Belgium dark chocolate, "tamed" with heavy cream and brown sugar to "appease the American palate".

 

 

We were also treated to a piping hot, flaky, buttery, perfect croissant!  No image can do it justice!

 

 

Be sure to check out the rest of The Wine Cellar's amazing menu, here.

 

Before leaving, we were invited back to sample The Wine Cellar's inaugural brunch menu.  That review will be posted soon.

I'd like to thank Chef Thierry and our gracious and friendly server, Kenisha, for showing us such a great time!

 

Kenisha and Chef/Owner Thierry

 

 

 

Disclosure:  A portion of this meal was provided gratis.