Wedding reception at the 1761 Old Mill, an early test "For Better or For Worse"...
It's challenging times for restaurants and diners alike. Space is limited and revenues are down. Some restaurants are pulling out all the stops for their clientele, others have decided to go the other way. My visit to the 1761 Old Mill in Westminster this past weekend was, unfortunately, on the "we just don't give a (fill in your favorite word)"
The worst part of the whole experience is that it was a wedding reception. With all the new rules, attendance was limited to 50, and those 50 guests were separated into two outside dining tents. Not necessarily a bad thing unless you are wearing high heels and dressed to the nines. In that event, it is bark mulch hell. But happy celebrants can get over that kind of thing so let us divide this review into 2 parts food and service.
Starting with service. C- The restaurant was not ready for the guests. We were early by almost 30 minutes so some of that was excusable. What was not was the curt and rude reception by the "hostess" team whose primary job seemed to be to tell everyone in the line waiting to see them that they were sold out until much later that evening. Being a reception guest, I was told to gather people and wait outside and come back later. When we did just that some guests were shown through the restaurant to the upper area where the tents were set up. Others, including my party, we're told to just walk in that direction (outside and uphill) until "you can't miss it" Finally we can sit down for some cocktails and appetizers, that is if you can corner the ONE server assigned to the entire event that delivered drinks. She delivered to her credit, a heroic level of service, but one person for a party of fifty??? The food was served sporadically. The best word I can use to describe the staff was confused. I would be really surprised if they were dedicated to the function and not just pulled from their sections in the restaurant.
Let's talk about food. Presentation A, quality C. The typical wedding cocktail hors d'oeuvres. In true Covid style, a selection was placed on each table rather than passed by serving staff. Nice approach. The fruit plate was ok, it is hard to mess up grapes and melons. There was a selection of cheeses on another plate, and hot hors d'oeuvres on a third. The first problem is that not all the tables received all the plates. As the waitstaff brought them in they cast about looking for an empty spot to drop their load, again confused. The second issue was the taste. The hot appetizers were indeed hot but overcooked beyond belief. Given the level of dryness, I expect they spent an extended amount of time under a heating lamp. The "teriyaki" (I had to ask) steak tips had a metallic liver-like flavor that was noticed by several guests. At first, I thought it was me so I asked around. The bacon-wrapped scallops had just started degrading into the "jerky" stage. The stuffed mushrooms were uninspired but tasted like a button mushroom stuffed with instant stuffing. The main courses were not much better. The portions were generous, and the food came out reasonably warm, but the salmon wrapped in filo dough was overcooked and dry. The filet mignon was medium well leaning towards well and the accompanying shrimp was as dried out as the salmon. The stuffed chicken seemed to be the shining star in the culinary darkness.
Dessert: A for effort F for execution. Dessert was a 50% good 50% horror show. The house-made apple crisp was a pleasant surprise, piping hot and tasty. The wedding cake was also a surprise, attested to by the look of horror on the bride's face when she saw it. The Bride and Groom bought into a "package" sold by the restaurant which included a wedding cake provided by the Old Mills "partner" The Dutch Kitchen in Fitchburg Massachusetts. The cake was two tiers of navy-blue rounds with a cheap bride and groom wedding topper. That is it. No decoration, no flowers, no pipping, no nothing. Soon the cake was whisked away and returned decorated with fresh flowers. Someone was trying to think quickly. So, you may ask, did it taste good? It tasted ten times better than it looked and got a "not bad" from my Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef daughter who happened to be sitting at my table.
In summary, if you want to have dinner at a place where you can sit by a millpond and listen to the ducks and geese, or watch the beautiful ice formations of the pond's waterfall, and you don't; have super high expectations for the food, the Old Mill is your spot. I have hosted several business dinners there with a high success rate. My wife and I also enjoy having a drink and a light dinner in the Pub where the atmosphere is king, and the menu is low risk.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a place to celebrate your once in a lifetime wedding, look someplace else. read more