Neighborhood vibe pairs with bar food
City Tavern believes its approachable, largely house-made fare is the recipe for success.
The tavern, which has taken over part of the old Wonder Bread factory in Italian Village, celebrates its two-year anniversary in March.
“We just wanted good, traditional bar food but done well and served in a friendly environment,” manager Rachel Frye said. “We’re definitely going for that neighborhood vibe.”
The City Shrooms appetizer ($9) is a warm dip featuring button mushrooms, ground pork, fresh jalapenos, melted cream cheese and Parmesan, served with toasted crostini.
“It is creamy, cheesy, spicy — very good,” Frye said. “It’s a staff favorite, for sure. It’s definitely unique to us.”
Hungarian peppers ($8) are stuffed with house-seasoned Italian ground pork and cheese. The dish is baked in the oven until soft, but there's still a little crunch in the vegetable. It is finished with mozzarella and provolone and served with marinara on the side.
The Reuben sandwich ($13) is a little unconventional, as the corned beef is slow-cooked until The City Shrooms appetizer
it’s fall-apart tender. It’s layered with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on marbled pumpernickel, with Thousand Island dressing on the side.
“It’s more like you’re eating pot roast,” Frye said of the meat. “It’s thicker. It’s a big sandwich.”
There’s more than one spicy dish on the menu at City Tavern. A popular choice is the Fire Bird chicken sandwich ($13), a grilled breast covered in a sambalsriracha aioli, cheddar, house-peppered bacon and pickles cured in a jalapeno brine.
“Anybody with a general spice tolerance is usually fine with it, but I’ve had people say, ‘Ooh, it’s got some heat to it,’” Frye said.
Another is the 670 Burger ($13), made with fresh, never-frozen beef and topped with a hot-and-sweet jalapeno pickle mix, peppered bacon, cheddar, barbecue sauce and onion straws.
One of the heartier salads ($10) combines quinoa, shredded Brussels sprouts, baby kale, carrots, kohlrabi and red cabbage, tossed in a house-made lemon vinaigrette and finished with sunflower seeds and shaved Parmesan. Add chicken for $4 or salmon for $5.
“It’s very filling while being light,” Frye said. “Everything in it is pretty good for you.”