I didn't think much when hearing that Kelly Clark's (pro snowboarder and 2002 Olympic gold winner in Halfpipe) parents owned a retsaurant near Mount Snow Ski Resort in West Dover. I initially thought of it as more of a tourist trap trying to sell her fame rather than good eats. But as we drove up to the restaurant, it was very humble, and far from pretentious. Just a house along Route 100 with a small TC's restaurant sign and a dated antique gondola from the 20th century, adjacent to a small graveled parking lot fitting 15-20 cars.
The layout of the restaurant is quite cozy. Walking through the front door is a small waiting area with a tabletop Pacman arcade machine, an old trail map of Mount Snow, some of Kelly's memoribilia, and the doorways to the restrooms. Just beyond is the dining room stretching to the left and right portions of the house. The 15-20 tables were closely situated together in the narrow layout, so that you would be almost shoulder-to-shoulder and back-to-back with your neighbor, cozy enough without being too intrusive. Tables were covered in red tablecloth, topped off with articles of Kelly Clark and trail maps from across the country, and tempered glass on top for safekeeping. Lighting was supplied by numerous mosaic lamps hanging from the ceiling. Just beyond the dining area, is a small square-shaped bar area, seating ~15 people and additional tables along the perimeter of the room. It only took us 5-10 minutes before our party of 7 were seated. Strewn across the walls were various Olympic memoribilia, old Burton snowboard gear, and more articles of Kelly Clark. You can also catch Kelly's Olympic outfits framed in boxes on the wall. But enough of the ambiance, I'm sure you came here for reviews of the food.
For appetizers, we ordered:
- Chicken Wings with Jack Daniel's Sauce ($9.95) - 10-12 wings with blue cheese and celery. Perfectly cooked wings, crispy skin and tender meat. The Jack Daniel's sauce was pretty tasty, similar to that of TGIF's.
- Artichoke Dip ($8.50) - served sizzling hot with a basket of tortilla chips. The dip was a bit disappointing. The dip was simply made with the majority consisting of gooey/stringy cheese (mozzarella?), large pieces of artichoke, and butter.
- Mozzarella Sticks - 6 sticks served with marinara sauce. Crisp on the outside, and gooey on the inside. Your standard-fare mozzarella stick.
For my entree, I ordered the Chicken and Sausage Chipotle Pasta ($18.95), which includes chicken, Italian sausage, and roasted red peppers in a spicy Alfredo sauce served over penne pasta, and two pieces of Italian bread. Mmmm, just thinking about this dish is making my mouth salivate. Generous portions of al dente penne pasta, tender pieces of chicken, and tasty sausage that was well-seasoned. The Alfredo sauce, well proportioned with butter, garlic and cheese, also had subtle heat, though not overbearing, bringing the dish up one notch. Add that to the roasted red peppers which brought out a subtle sweetness, and you have a killer dish. The Italian bread, soaked in all its buttery goodness, just brought me to heaven. Yum!!
I also tried the Fish & Clams ($13.50). The clam strips were tender and meaty, without just the right amount of batter. The deep-fried Icelandic haddock was filleted and brought in all its glory, no head or tail but I you can see the skin and possibly a fin. But don't worry, the haddock was deep-fried making it crispy yet still maintaining its moistness and flakiness. Delicious!!! Also included was a bed of fries, a side of coleslaw and tartar sauce.
Service was great as our waitress was friendly and attentive. Throughout our meal she came over several times to refill any drinks and clear any dishes promptly.
Overall, I enjoyed TC's quite a bit, with its cozy ambiance and delicious entrees. I'd probably skip on the appetizers as they were a bit of a letdown. Prices were slightly on the high side, but the generous portions did help to ease the wallet. Everyone seemed to have really enjoyed their dishes, and most had leftovers to go home with. TC's is definitely a place I'd come back to time and time again. My only gripe, please add some more beers on tap (Sam Adam's, Killian's, and Miller Lite). read more