Mill’s Tavern
For Chef Cara Mourning, nothing compares to watching someone’s face light up at their first bite.
“I really love to be able to watch people enjoy a meal. You can see the look on someone's face when they take their first bite of a dish, and just their entire expression changed. It's how I show love. It's so much of how my heart functions. Getting to explain what I do and what I live for.”
And you can taste all of that love in every dish at Mill’s Tavern.
Set in the century old Pilgrim Mill’s Building in downtown Providence, Mill’s Tavern is a sophisticated yet cozy spot, with a vibe that hits you the moment you step foot in the door.
“The best part of this is being able to walk in and seeing crisp white tablecloths and polished China and a huge open kitchen with the wood fire grill. It's like walking into a wood cabin and you smell the wood and you feel comfortable and at ease immediately. We just want to make everyone feel like they're going to be dining in their own perfect little heaven.”
And Chef Cara and her team take full advantage of that wood fired grill.
“It's very much you can create magic on a wood grill because you have the ability to control where the heat is going, where you're directing it, what you're cooking on it. And you can create this beautiful version of whatever protein you have on it.”
And while Mills is known for its steaks, Cara brings so much more to the menu.
“If you have a group of friends that's all coming in for dinner, I can feed you all. And that sort of challenge is accepted.”
Every meal at The Mill should start with a complimentary bread basket, made onsite by baker Vanessa Nowicki.
“I affectionately referred to her as the Bread Fairy and she has created this incredible bread program that is able to have you start your meal with something from scratch, to be able to give you a taste of what your entire meal is going to be like.”
From there, you can opt for steakhouse classics like this decadent Wagyu tartare served over roasted bone marrow with stone ground mustard. A nicely composed flatbread topped with mustard green pesto, maple celery root puree, marinated onions, house made duck sausage and goat cheese. And since you’re in the Ocean State, some Point Judith calamari.
“It is Point Judith calamari caught right off the coast. And it is Frito Misto style and we have castle olives and artichoke hearts. And it is tossed with baby arugula and a little bit of heirloom cherry tomatoes. And it's all put on top of a bed of our house made pomodoro sauce. You definitely have to try it.”
Steaks should be top of mind when you’re dining at Mill’s Tavern, all made on that massive wood fired grill. And no cut quite tops their 16 ounce Black Angus Ribeye.
“It is all the things that a ribeye eater wants. It's got the fat, it's got the big eye, it's got the cap on it and it's just tender… You actually get the flavor and the taste from the wood and the charcoal and the steak. And I think that that creates a world of difference.”
Other chops include Mill’s Grilled New Zealand Rack of Lamb.
“We marinate them with I want to say it's like the colonel’s amount of spices. And it's actually crusted with goat cheese and bacon because I was like, what else can we do to this lamb? Let's add bacon.”
And nothing goes better with either the ribeye or the lamb than a side of lobster mac and cheese.
“It is a sweet potato and bacon mac and cheese. Lots of cheese. And then we actually add some claw and knuckle lobster meat to it too. If you come in and get a steak, you have to get the lobster mac and cheese.”
If steak isn’t your thing, Mill’s Tavern offers a stunning selection of seafood dishes like the Fennel Pollen Crusted Scallops.
“I'm a bit of a size queen and a snob when it comes to a scallop, so we only feature U10 here over a bit of our sweet maple celery root puree. And we have wilted baby spinach with caramelized onions. And then the whole thing is topped with pomegranate. And the fennel crust on the top just sort of amplifies it.”
Lobster lovers will want to try their risotto, slow cooked in a wagyu bone broth with braised fennel and apples and loaded with all of that sweet meat.
“It's topped with a maple buttered lobster tail and then there's lobster meat in the risotto as well. So it's a decadent amount of lobster.”
Since Cara herself is a vegan, she wanted to give some thoughtful options to her herbivore customers, including hearty options like Walnut & Cauliflower Bolognese and the delicate yet delicious Earl Grey Panna Cotta. This creamy dreamy dessert comes topped with raspberry cream, chunks of olive oil cake, and pistachio crumble with a dollop of blood orange rosemary sorbet.
“The Earl Grey panna cotta itself is show stopping beautiful.
“It's just meant to be this bright, acidic, sweet, creamy, delicious thing. It's 100% a great way to end your meal, vegan or not.”
And whether you’re there for steak, seafood or just to see Cara, you’ll always feel special at Mill’s Tavern.
“I think that what we're doing here at Mills is being able to create an experience from the minute you walk in the door until the minute you leave. It's always a great reason to be able to go out and enjoy a meal where somebody else can make you feel special for just an hour.”
