Restaurant Review: The New Tavern

 in Bala Cynwyd is a restaurant from another time.

I mean that in the best way possible. The restaurant looks deceptively small from the front but is quite large once you set foot inside.

We parked in the spacious lot out back and entered the restaurant. It felt like we were either in someone's large manor or a posh inn of some sort as we walked in. There are white tablecloths, white cloth napkins, wooden fixtures, soft lighting and all the servers are clad entirely in black.

We were escorted to a cozy table in the corner and our gracious host not only pulled the table out for easier seating but he also pushed in my chair after I had sat down. I can't remember the last time someone did that for me at a restaurant. It's such a gentlemanly touch and I really appreciated it.

The menu features plenty of chicken, steak, fish and pasta options as well as old favorites like clams casino, french onion soup and burgers. The bread service was decent with crusty slices of white bread and jazzed up olive oil. I had a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir and my companion had a Heineken which came with a frosted glass—also a nice touch!

We started off with a house salad, panko crusted goat cheese salad and the mussels in white wine and garlic. The house salad had mesclun greens, peeled cucumbers, tomato wedges and diced red onion. It was cool, refreshing and the side of Russian dressing was creamy and satisfying. 

The goat cheese salad featured a warm hockey puck of goat cheese lightly crusted with bread crumbs. It, too, sat on a bed of mesclun greens tossed in a raspbery vinaigrette.

While it wouldn't be my first choice to have raspberry vinaigrette with goat cheese, the combination did work. The greens were a tad overdressed towards the bottom of the plate. Though it was tasty, if I were to order this salad again I would opt for a more savory dressing on the side.

The mussels were steamed nicely and emerged from the shell tender and not rubbery. I enjoyed the flavor of the mussels resulting from the white wine, garlic, herb and lemon broth. I love to dip my bread in the mussel broth but this broth was a touch too lemony. My companion actually called it "sour" and he was dismayed that he couldn't slurp up the broth like he usually does.

For our entrees we had the filet mignon with scalloped potatoes and steamed vegetables, the seared tuna special and the rigatoni with grilled chicken, tomatoes and broccoli rabe. The filet mignon was the biggest filet I have ever seen. Mignon is French for "cute" or "dainty" and this particular piece was neither cute nor dainty much to the delight of the diner.

The meat was ordered medium rare, and it was cooked a perfect medium rare. The scalloped potatoes were lightly seasoned and very tender. I prefer a bit more bite to my potato but my fellow diner enjoyed the potatoes immensely.

The steamed vegetables were a nice variety of broccoli, bell peppers, summer squash and green beans. At under $25, this entree was quite the bargain. 

The tuna special was a thick ahi tuna steak crusted in black and white sesame seeds with a rich mustard sauce on a bed of greens. Again, the portion of fish was quite large and the visual contrast of the sesame seeds was stunning. The tuna was expertly seared on the outside and rare on the inside. The bright pink flesh of the fish was fresh and delicious.

Sesame and tuna flavors go hand in hand so it's no surprise that this dish was so tasty. The mustard sauce had plenty of butter for an added decadence and richness. A perfect bite had sesame crust, tuna and a dollop of the sauce. Even the greens tasted good with the mustard sauce.

The pasta dish could easily feed two people. The platter of rigatoni, chunks of grilled chicken, broccoli rabe and tomato was quite hearty. The pasta was slightly overcooked but the grilled chicken was cooked well and I loved the abundant amounts of broccoli rabe and tomato.

The simple pan sauce with chicken stock, butter and garlic was earthy and satisfying. This tasted like it had soul. We were beyond stuffed and passed on dessert but we had plenty of leftovers for the next day.

I touched on the decor a bit in the beginning, but I want to add that it was a warm dining room where a family could enjoy a dinner together. It would be an ideal place to have a reunion or celebration with loved ones. 

The service is excellent. Everyone we dealt with was overwhelmingly professional and polite. Water glasses were filled in a timely fashion, dirty plates were cleared immediately and we had to wait very little between courses. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly.

The host wore a suit and checked in on us numerous times. He caught me snapping photos and offered to take some of my mom and me. As we were leaving we were told good night and told to come back soon. We truly felt like valued guests.

It amazes me that more restaurants don't offer good service like this. Good service is free, and it literally brings people back to your restaurant. Our food was tasty and portioned for giants. The service and ambiance were quite inviting and we were were made to feel so welcome.

Dining at The New Tavern is akin to dining decades ago when people would get dressed up for dinner, relish the outing as an event and good service was the norm. I wish more places were like this; I can't wait to head back. My parents are already talking about bringing my brother and his wife here the next time they are in town.