My friend Cathleen texted me: “We just went to Midtown Tavern the other day and Chase goes, ‘Has Danielle been here?’”
Gauntlet thrown.
I hadn’t had a chance to check out the new restaurant, in the former Soul City Pizza (previously Southbound Smokehouse) on Central Avenue across from Buona Caffe. But the menu looked great. It’s not huge, but there are appetizers, like twice cooked chicken wings with a sweet chili or buffalo hot sauce or hand-breaded fired oysters with a house remoulade (Cathleen reported that her Brussels sprouts appetizer, fried and tossed in a house ginger vinaigrette, were “yum.”)
There are salads that can double as entrees with the addition of chicken, tenders, salmon, oysters or steak. There’s a burger, a fried oyster BLT and a steak sandwich, plus entrees such as steak frites, grilled salmon with citrus dill, and buttermilk chicken tenders (Cathleen also gave the tenders a thumbs up).
That night, I invited my brother Mark to join our family for a midweek dinner at Midtown. Although the evening was on the warm side, we decided to sit outside on that fabulous patio, with a breeze courtesy of several judiciously placed fans.
I wanted to try everything, but we mapped out selections based on the some of the recommendations we’d received. Our server said her favorite appetizer was the spinach and artichoke dip, so we ordered it. For our entrees, Sean decided on the chef salad topped with the tenders that Cathleen suggested, and I decided to try something new that our daughter could share with me, the steak frites with chimichurri sauce.
The appetizer was spot on. While our daughter devoured the pita points — they were served warm, with plenty of salt and garlic — we dipped ours into the creamy, cheesy dip, mixed with plenty of fresh artichoke and spinach. It tasted fresh and surprisingly not too heavy.
Sean dived into his salad, a hearty mix of greens, topped with the tenders and sprinkles of blue cheese. Tender was an appropriate name — the chicken was super tender, with a delicate seasoned crust. The salad itself was so flavorful thanks to the blue cheese, strips of bacon, red onion and the house dressing, which was a sweet and tangy truffle honey mustard.
My daughter and I shared my steak. She pronounced it “chewy.” While it wasn’t the most tender, it had just a bit of a bite to it. I lavished it with the chimichurri, which was like a bright and tangy pesto (but without the cheese that Italians would add). It was vibrant and strong, with plenty of acid, I’m guessing either from lemon or a vinegar. It really transformed the steak dinner into something a little more exotic. And we both approved of the fries, which were the shoestring variety with lovely crisp edges.
“Dessert?” asked my daughter with a winning smile. Why not? Midtown Tavern offers a daily selection, and on that day, we decided to try the key lime pie and the peanut butter pie, with four forks.
The key lime pie was fantastic — tart and refreshing, but also creamy and rich. But I think we all agreed that the peanut butter pie was our winner. It was just as creamy and rich, but with that complex flavor you get when you mix sweet and salty. We liked it so much, in fact, that my husband made a peanut butter pie the next week!
I saw Chase recently at Surrey Center’s SolFood Kitchen. I didn’t get a chance to tell him I’d tried Midtown, but I’ve actually reviewed SolFood in the past. So my next text? To find out how he liked it. Gauntlet returned.
Make Your Reservation
Midtown Tavern
1855 Central Ave.
Midtowntavernaugusta.com
Entrée cost: About $15 to $20
