It's been ages since I've been to the Mill at Spring Mill Heights. It's been so long, the restaurant was actually called the Old Mill Inn the last time I was there. I was excited to go back with my family to celebrate my dad's birthday recently.
We started off at the bar to have a drink since we arrived during happy hour. We took a spot by the door so that we could face the lake. During happy hour, martinis were $6 and craft beer bottles were $3-$4. I went with a martini that included vodka, sparkling wine and pineapple juice. For something with so much liquor it wasn't super strong. It wasn't as bubbly as I would have thought and the flavor was a little flat. I had a sip of the lemon drop martini and that was much better.
Moving along to the dining room, we were seated at the perfect table next to the window overlooking the lake. We were able to watch the swans, ducks and geese swim and fly during our entire visit. As animal lovers and amateur bird watching enthusiasts, this was definitely a nice bonus. The lake view was picturesque and can be enjoyed by anyone, even if you don't enjoy birds.
Our visit lined up with Jersey Shore Restaurant week, although half our party was enticed by their regular Sunday prix fixe menu. The soup of the day enticed me enough to go with the Sunday prix menu which consisted of your choice of a select appetizer, entrée and dessert.
The soup was a spicy corn chowder with shrimp and chili, which actually turned out to be my least favorite part of the meal. It came to me lukewarm and I had to double-check to see if it was supposed to be served that way. It actually was supposed to come out hot, so I ended up sending it back to the kitchen. By the time it was served to me, the rest of the party was well done their appetizers. The soup itself fell a little flat. There weren't many pieces of shrimp and it wasn't spicy. It was also more like a broth than a chowder. I'm hoping I misunderstood the description and it was meant to be more broth like. It was also a little frustrating that my soup was originally brought to the table, but a spoon was forgotten.
I had a bite of the Seared Duck Breast with rhubarb, strawberry and charred spring onion and thought it was excellent. The duck was juicy and tender and the preparation was unique.
The entrée redeemed my meal. I opted for the seafood crepe and was happy with my choice. It consisted of crepe stuffed with scallops, crab meat and shrimp, topped with a lobster sherry sauce. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes and some grilled squash and carrots. The crepe was nicely prepared and the sherry sauce was rich and creamy. The crepe wasn't overly stuffed so this would be a good option if you aren't looking for a huge entrée. The veggies were a little overdone and lacked seasoning, but the mashed potatoes were great.
I also had a tasting of a Petite Filet Mignon (medium rare) salsa verde, potato cannelloni and watercress salad from my mom's plate and thought that was really nicely prepared. The salsa verde was an interesting accompaniment to the steak and I thought it added a great, unique flavor.
I can't continue the review without mentioning the bread. We were served this great sourdough bread sliced up into pieces with oil, chive butter and honey butter. The butters were phenomenal and the bread came fresh and hot.
Finally for dessert, I opted for the cheesecake. The slice was absolutely ginormous. We all had our own dessert, but there was more than enough to share. It came with a side of raspberry and raspberry sauce, and was good to the last bite. I also had a bite of the Key Lime pie and Grilled Coffee Cake vanilla ice cream. The coffee cake had a nice crisp to it and excellent cinnamon flavoring.
Aside from the soup incident, the service was pretty good. Our server and busser were friendly and attentive and professional.
While I didn't love every aspect of my experience, between the overall satisfaction of my family and the scenic atmosphere, I will give the Mill a four star rating. read more