Tavern on
the Hill
109 Howard, Enola, PA
717-732-2077
By Dawn & Andy Eckenrode
This month’s epicurean adventure found us venturing, for the
first time, to Tavern on the Hill, a steak and seafood house in Enola. And yes, it really
is on a hill. Take 11&15 North from Harrisburg, past the town of West Fairview. You
will see their sign on the left. Just go up the hill, and just down the road to the left,
you will see the Mediterranean-style, white building with a green awning. This restaurant
is certainly a popular Harrisburg favorite, and you pretty much need to make reservations
if you intend to dine at prime time. Instead of the usual troop of six, this time it was
just the two of us, so we couldn’t sample the majority of the menu like we usually
do!
The interior of the restaurant is very pleasing to the eye, done mainly in white and not
overly-adorned with artwork, mirrors, and candle-lamps. We were seated and our server
appeared right away to take our drink orders.
From appetizer, my companion and I decided to share the smoked trout. It was one of the
moderate selection of cold appetizers listed on the menu; there were several hot
appetizers listed, also. It was ample for two, served with cream cheese, thinly sliced red
onions, and capers, atop toast. It was quite good; it would be rather filling for one
person, alone.
As the first course, I selected the Cream of Wild Mushroom soup, listed as a special for
the evening, while my companion picked the Roasted Garlic soup from the menu. I was quite
thrilled with the mushroom soup; it was tasty and creamy, just what I had hoped for. As
for the Roasted Garlic soup, it was quite a bit like a French onion soup in taste, but
somewhat thicker in consistency, with a not overly pronounced flavor of the roasted
garlic.
For my meal, I picked the rack of lamb done in a Mediterranean style. The menu had two
lamb choices; the other rack of lamb listed was the more traditional style, with the mint
jelly. My companion picked the fresh grilled tuna, also under the Mediterranean offerings.
With the dinners, one had choice of salad (garden style or Greek) and another side. I
chose the ‘Tavern potatoes’ which were roasted in broth, while my companion
picked linguine. The rack of lamb was a prodigious thing: an entire rack of at least eight
(or was it nine?) ribs, encrusted with sundried tomato & feta, all atop a very
generous serving of freshly cooked spinach. I was just thinking about how I was going to
get through that and have any room, at all, for dessert, when I looked at my
companion’s plate, which was no less astounding. Well, to make a large story short,
the lamb was lovely, and so was the fresh tuna steak. I found the potatoes to be average,
but I had little room to worry about them, anyway. As we ate our dinners, I spied around
at the meals being delivered to the other happy diners and think I detected a trend - very
generous portion sizes. I saw an absolutely lovely prime rib that, although I didn’t
get to taste, I would have wagered was superb.
Well, we made it through dinner well enough, and had a good bit of both meals put ‘to
go’, as I asked to see the dessert tray. I had earlier spied a chocolate pecan pie
that, unfortunately, had already departed the premises. There were three cheesecake
choices, a pumpkin cranberry pie, a carrot cake, a Tiramisu pie, two Greek pastries, a
Bailey’s Irish Creme cake, and a rice pudding. We decided to share the Tiramisu pie
over a cup of coffee. The pie was quite good; we chose it, as it looked like the lightest
of the dessert offerings.
If you plan to go to Tavern on the Hill, bring your appetite, and think about choosing
something off of the mixed grill. It looked rather interesting, with your choice of two
grilled items (steak, shrimp, salmon, etc.) for $18.95. The entrees ranged from about
fifteen to twenty five dollars, and there were also several pastas offered. With the
exception of the four or so Mediterranean-style entrees, the majority of the menu was your
fairly straightforward steak and seafood fare. Their specialty is steaks, of which there
were several choices. Overall, the food was consistently good, perhaps a bit pricey, and
perhaps a bit too generous, in regards to portion size, but if you are searching for an
elegant, pleasant atmosphere, a little out of the city, this should prove to be an
enjoyable evening for you, and for your dog, later. |
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Checklist
This Meal’s Total: $80.00
Average Dining Time: 1-1/2 hours
Location:
Somewhat Hidden
Parking:
Self Serve
Handicapped Access: No Specific
Exterior Appearance: Impeccable
Initial Interior:
Double Door Foyer
Reservations Necessary:
Preferred
Preferred Dining Attire:
Neat & Clean
Wait (to be seated): 5-10 minutes
Wait (for service):
None
Lighting:
Romantic
Meal-time Music:
None
Dining Area Appearance:
Well tended to
Noise:
Light Chatter
Climate:
Fine
Tables:
Cloth covers
Chairs:
Comfy
Booths:
None
Table Setting:
Full with cloth napkins
Your Meal:
Entree from Dinner Menu
Appetizers:
Moderate Selection
Salads:
Mixed Greens
Dressings:
House Specialty
Vegetables:
House Specialty
Desserts:
Wide Selection
Coffees:
Fresh and hot
Staff Attitude:
Very Professional
Staff Appearance:
Dress Uniform
Hospitality:
Served Efficiently
Cleanliness:
Above Average
Wash Rooms:
Well Maintained
Crowd (Qty):
Busy
Crowd (Attitude): Casual/Stuffy
Food (portions):
Left with Take-Home
Food (prices):
A Tad Pricey
Overall Service: Attentive
Total Dining Time:
60 minutes
Payment Accepted:
All Major Credit Cards |
