Neighborhood Services Tavern

As you may have heard, Neighborhood Services Tavern on Henderson has been open since last Thursday. Naturally, this was on the top of my list for trying - especially since it is within walking distance from my apartment. We decided to go early so that we could get in some good patio time before the sun went down. The patio is small, but has some inviting touches. It has about 6 tables with umbrellas and all tables are surrounded with fresh foliage. At dusk, white lights kept the patio cheery and bright. We started with cocktails. The orange drink (left) was called the El Camino and it was wonderfully refreshing. The other choice (right) was their version of the margarita. Both drinks made for lovely choices on a warm day.

Having gone to the Lovers Lane Neighborhood Services a few times, we already knew what to start with. We have had the lobster fritters before and now we were presented with the option of trying the shrimp fritters. Yes, please. The two are very similar in taste. For being fried, they managed to be light. They are filled with shrimp, risotto and delicious melted cheese and then sprinkled with shredded Pecorino. These fritters are simply delicious and a wonderful way to get the evening started.
You may notice some similarities between the two restaurants. They both have nightly specials, but they are different. Some choices are offered on the regular menu at one and some are offered as specials at the other. A few differences between the menus leave you with just enough curiosity to keep you coming back.

We ordered the chop salad. This came with colored tomatoes, a wedge of iceberg, pecans, and applewood smoked bacon. I am not a huge fan of blue cheese, so I asked for the cucumber ranch instead. All of these flavors blended nicely for a cool summer salad. We also ordered the schnitzel and spatzel. This is offered only as a special at the Lovers Lane location and is definitely a special dish. The schnitzel is pounded thin and lightly breaded. It is served over a bed of swiss chard and spatzel. The dish itself is simple, but done perfectly.

Finally, we headed into the bar to try one more drink before leaving and we were feeling adventurous! We tried a drink made with egg whites and topped with bitters and nutmeg. We tried a Pimm’s cup as well. Having had neither of the drinks before, we were both pleasantly wowed. The bar tender added a nice touch to the place and seemed to be very knowledgeable and friendly.

I am thrilled to welcome this new spot to the Henderson neighborhood.