The Crown Tavern says its concept was based on two simple principles. “Never forget where you came from, and never forget where you came to eat,” it proclaims on its website.
The sister restaurant to Steven Clutter’s more upscale Hanover Chophouse right up the street also does not forget where it came from. During our recent visit, our server tried to tempt us with the wine special, which was going for $25 a glass, several bucks cheaper than usual. While I’m sure it was a great vintage, it reminded me of the kind of price point you might expect at a fancy steakhouse, not a place that features pizza and burgers on the menu.
We were honored to be asked, but we opted for something a little less pricey from the drink list, a Grey Goose Cosmopolitan ($13) for My Lovely Dining Companion and a Great Gatsby ($15) for me, a drink that featured High West Double Rye and was great for sipping.
For starters, we ordered the Wood Oven Asparagus ($14), which tempers the health benefits of eating roasted vegetables by surrounding them with slices of charred pepperoni and a big dollop of mascarpone cheese. We’ll take our green veggies like this anytime. Asparagus never looked or tasted so good.
Wood Oven Asparagus from Crown Tavern’s starters menu.
Maybe that $25 wine offer got us thinking because neither one of us was in the mood for pizza or a burger, though I almost settled on the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich ($16), which was listed as one of the Tavern specialties.
Instead we opted for entrees that veered closer to that fine dining experience you can expect at restaurants like the Chophouse.
My dining companion chose the Filet Mignon special ($36), a petite steak that was served with roasted fingerling potatoes and a roasted vegetable medley that included asparagus, zucchini, corn and tomato.
At our server’s recommendation, she ordered the steak medium, which provided the perfect amount of pink and tenderness.
While the cut was not as thick as some filets my dining companion has enjoyed, she savored every bite.
Our server helped me to choose between a few options I was considering, saying the Parchment Salmon ($30) was her favorite.
The salmon filet, roasted in paper with edamame and miso butter, was served with pickled cucumber, sticky rice and spicy mayo. Like the filet special, the presentation was artful, and the dish was delicious.
Crown Tavern’s Parchment Salmon
We paired our entrees with a glass of Educated Guess Cabernet ($13) for my dining companion and a Broadside Cabernet ($13) for me, still not tempted by that $25 special.
With tax, our meals plus two drinks each totaled $134, not the price you would expect to pay at a burger and pizza joint but certainly a good value for the quality of the entrees we chose.
If the point is to whet appetites for the Hanover Chophouse, mission accomplished.
The Crown Tavern 99 Hanover St., Manchester; 603-218-3132; thecrownonhanover.com Cuisine: Pizza, seafood, burgers, steak Hours: 5 p.m. to close Tuesday-Friday; 4 p.m. to close Saturday. Pricing: Appetizers, $11-$34; salads, $9-$12; pizza, $15-$20; burgers/sandwiches, $14-$16; entrees, $22-$44. {related_content_uuid}43920cbd-59af-41d7-929f-1262eda79edd{/related_content_uuid}
Scores for The Crown Atmosphere: 18/20 Menu: 17/20 Food: 19/20 Service: 18/20 Value: 16/20 Total: 88/100 {related_content_uuid}b2bbed91-663a-4798-af58-f37e80622421{/related_content_uuid}
