The Tavern at Spring Hill — Restaurant in Mansfield

There is much to write so I will.

You better make a reservation because it will be your loss if you don't, This place is going to be a local winner and its long-awaited opening will be a relief to many of us who have been waiting for someone to come in and rescue the beautiful, historic building that the restaurant sits in. It will be a gorgeous site for events and gatherings, I believe.

There is something for those of you who like casual dining (think quality clam chowder which is divine, thick, creamy rich and chock full of clams and mulligatawny soup (if you are lucky, it was soup of the day when I visited). The mulligatawny has a slight spice profile to it but if you stir the cream into it as it is served with a little container of whipped cream, it will be your next best friend. Chock full of chicken and hearty pieces of veggies. But there is so much more than this.

I sampled the Spring Bramble which is off the cocktail menu. Empress gin, Mathilde Cassis, lemon and simple syrup make this beverage easy to down and easy to love. The Grand Margarita, with its coarse and salty rim is a close second, but I really like the bramble best.

Head Chef Nathan Aldrich and Assistant Chef Tammy Goodwin pair up with excellent team member (and my server) Sean Kelley to bring some of the best to the table. I know because I enjoyed a number of things:

*the Pork Dijonaise is pan fried and has a crunchy outer Dijon and thyme crumb crusted cut of meat/pork chop. It is pan seared in sweet butter and finished in a stone oven, served with a Dijon cream sauce. Veggies of the day were a mixed zucchini mélange with sautéed red peppers with enough seasoning to bring out the veggie flavors. And dirty mashed potatoes made with red potatoes. I love things with some skin on them!

*the Haddock Casino had fresh fish and was enough for 2-3 meals for me. It was baked (for all you non-fried food peeps) with bell peppers, garlic, bacon and parmesan crumbs and finished with a sherry wine butter. This was fish cooked right- not overcooked and not rubbery! The liquid in the dish begged for bread to dip but bread isn't available, at least at this point, until the weekends. I guess I'll have a go back? :)

*The Buddha Beet Salad is a must try. Even if you don't like salad, this one will be your new fav. It is mine. This beautiful stacked salad has avocado, not-too-salty feta cheese in abundance, mixed greens and is served in an apple/ginger vinaigrette. I did not share this menu item much and ate the whole thing. No guilt here. Lots of avocado and generous portions of braised beets, perfectly braised.

*No meal is complete without dessert. The key lime pie was very tangy and had a thicker-than-usual graham cracker crust. Thank you! It is a drool-worthy ending to a meal (even though I had mine at the start!). The keto Swedish Almond Cake (made in house) had lots of toasty almonds on top, a tender, yellow cake and some kind of custard-like filling, Another winner.

*Prices are reasonable- like I already stated- each main course was enough for 2-3 meals for me. Very generous and reasonable if you think of things like I do.

Serving local Hosmer Mountain Soda gets The Tavern on Spring Hill brownie points. There's ample parking. Only a couple of steps to get into the building in case you were concerned about stairs.

I'm told that Sunday brunch is coming soon so be checking Facebook and their website for up to the minute, vital information.

Thanks for the opportunity to visit and review The Tavern at Spring HIll. I was invited to sample whatever I wanted to try from the menu, compliments of the house. This is my disclaimer. :)

But I DO say that I would go back again, even without the incentive offered. Check out my and Sean's photos on Google. They are hot off the press.

Here's to local and loving it. Best wishes to...

First let me just be open that I am a chef, and furthermore I have worked with the owner. Having said that here is my review, and I hope to return again soon.

This is a welcome, and I feel needed addition to Storrs as there are just a few pub type restaurants in the area.

First the menu is great because while it does have your typical tavern fare it has more upscale items too, and I think it's a perfect blend.

We went for my daughter's graduation from UCONN today, and had a table for eight. Several of us (not me) love mussels so we ordered two for appetizers. One was the green curry, and the other was the classic blanco. I was told that both were very good. I can't pass up good onions rings, and these ones were hand battered. They were perfectly crispy.

It seems seafood was on the menu as my three daughters all ordered the lobster, and penne a la vodka. I stole a bite, and the sauce was great. My wife ordered the fruit of the sea with spicy marina which had just enough without being overly spicy if anyone was wondering. The portions were huge.

One of us ordered the fish sandwich, and when it came I could tell it was hand-breaded. It was a huge piece of fish on a toasted bun. Someone got the fried clam strips. Again these were perfectly crispy, and another doggy bag went with us because of the portion size.

I love a good burger, and will have to to back to get one, but I was drawn to the pork dijionaisse.

I know what you’re thinking. Who goes out to eat, and orders a pork chop. Well I did, and you should. I don’t know how big this chop was, but I’d guess between between three quarters, and a full pound. It had a wonderfully flavored crust coating all over it, was seared to perfection. It came on top of mashed potatoes, and the sauce was perfect

The desserts are great. Normally I don’t go for chocolate lave cake, but this one was dense, and the sauce was thick. The key lime pie is amazing too.

There is something for everyone as prices range, but even the higher end items are priced perfectly reasonable. Also the portions are huge. I think everyone who ordered an entree walked away with a doggie bag.

My brother-in-law like it so much he’s taking my wife, and his mom back for mothers day. I look forward to my next dining...

I always want to be supportive of new restaurants that open up in our area so I was very excited to try the tavern tonight with my family. Unfortunately, our experience was opposite of what the other reviewers have said. My husband and son got the coconut shrimp for an appetizer and I had the tommozzarella. The shrimp, they said, wasn’t bad but my husband questioned a few pieces that may have been undercooked. My appetizer was in dire need of salt and pepper and the basil was too sharp; like it was past its prime. For mains, my husband and son each had a burger, and neither liked them—they were overcooked and tasted like the cheap patties you can buy at BJs, really just nasty cheap burgers. Neither finished their food. They did like the onion rings, but that’s all. I had the herbed chicken which was also overcooked and dried out. It had a strange herb sauce that just didn’t pair well with the dish. I had it with a side of mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. Both of the sides were lacking in any flavor whatsoever—very unbalanced with flavors; too heavy with the strange herb sauce but no salt and pepper on the sides. A very disappointing meal at a price point it definitely did not match. We skipped dessert. You can’t take shortcuts with food nowadays; you won’t last, not when Fenton River Grill is in the general area with its delicious burgers and entrees. I was very hopeful for the tavern and might try it again if they switch chefs or learn to improve their food. Otherwise, it’s a hard...