Bright, airy Town Tavern offers casual and upscale dining offerings in laid-back setting
Chef Lee Turano and his team are pulling out all the stops at the new Town Tavern eatery on Restaurant Hill in Copley Township.
He's the culinary director for both the new Town Tavern as well as the restaurant's original location in Green.
The Copley restaurant, which had its grand opening Aug. 21, is the result of an extensive, $3.5 million renovation to the building that formerly housed TGI Fridays at 125 Montrose W. Ave. That includes a 2,500-square-foot addition to the back of the original building, which features a four-season dining room with a dramatic, wood cupola ceiling and glass nano-doors that fold open accordion-style to give the space an open-air feel.
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Town Tavern, co-owned by Tim Adkins and James House, also has a large back patio that includes fire pits at some tables as well as front patio seating. Adkins, who owns all nine Basement Sports Bar & Grills across Northeast Ohio, had originally considered putting a Basement in at the Copley spot. But because Hooley House next door has a similar concept, he decided to go for a more upscale Town Tavern.
The restaurant, open daily, seats 504. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. Town Tavern, whose kitchen is open until 1 a.m. every day, serves lunch, dinner and an abbreviated late-night menu after 10 p.m.
Chef Lee said he wants the bright, airy restaurant to offer something for everyone, from girls' night out to family dinners to sports enthusiasts enjoying late-night food and drinks around one of the restaurant's two large bars and more than 20 TVs.
The main dining room features a rustic accent wall referred to as "the log wall," numerous art pieces featuring live moss that's framed or within large wall designs, and handmade tile from Indonesia in striking red-and-white and black-and-white patterns.
The large main bar features a live-edge wood design, which features the actual outside of the tree, as do a number of the dining tables. Each table has handblown glass candle holders made by Akron Glass Works.
Earthy accents include hanging basket lights throughout and a huge, lit bird cage that hangs above the bar in the four-seasons room.
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What's on Town Tavern's menu
Town Tavern's menu features casual starters from wings to lettuce wraps, four salad choices, five varieties of burgers, sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and soups.
Higher-end entrees include a double-cut pork chop for $27.99 and an 8-ounce filet for $36.99. The pork chop, which is a higher-end Duroc pork, is hand cut in-house, as are all the proteins at Town Tavern. The pork, brined for 24 hours before grilling, is served with a maple bourbon demi glaze, whipped potatoes and caramelized pork belly Brussels sprouts.
"Chef Lee has brought fine dining to a casual atmosphere," Adkins said Wednesday.
Turano also makes an slow-roasted Amish half chicken ($23.99), which is brined for 24 hours and served with mashed potatoes and pan sauce.
"It's to die for," Adkins said.
Desserts are made in-house, too, including cheesecakes and a huge slice of three-layer chocolate mousse cake ($10) with vanilla bean ice cream, berries, strawberry coulis and chocolate sauce.
"We like wow factor," Turano said.
The restaurant keeps its prices down by bringing in large sections of everything, including whole salmon and whole chicken, and cutting everything fresh in-house. Town Tavern also cuts primal sections of steak and pork and uses whole slabs of pork to create its smoked pork belly.
"We want you to feel like you're getting your money's worth here," Turano said of the restaurant's generous portions and affordable prices.
Happy hour, which runs 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, includes appetizer bites that are discounted $1 to $2 as well as a half-dozen featured drinks. Town Tavern also offers a DJ starting at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The restaurant also offers a special brunch menu from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The menu, which Turano said is completely different from the brunch in Green, offers 11 entrees, including a house-made, giant cinnamon roll glazed with cream cheese icing and topped with hand-breaded chicken tenders and hot sauce maple syrup ($14.99). Brunch cocktails include bottomless mimosas for $14.
A kids' brunch menu also is offered and lunch items are offered during brunch, too.
Copley's new Town Tavern is bigger and has later hours than the Green location. The restaurant, which accommodates private events and offers catering, is expected to take online orders soon.
The restaurant employs about 90, including 30 in the kitchen.
For more information, see towntavern.com or call 234-466-0227.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Town Tavern now open in Copley on Restaurant Hill
