Flavorful and delectable dishes, award-winning wines, stellar service at incredible value - all these are yours to enjoy at the new VILLAGE TAVERN. It is a place for food lovers who are discerning in taste, serving and price.
The newest member of the Bistro Group of Restaurants, Village Tavern offers the best in classic American cuisine served in a warm, comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Located at the 2nd level of Bonifacio High Street Central, the Philippine branch is the 11th Village Tavern restaurant and the first international store outside of the USA.
UPSCALE CASUAL DINING
Established in 1984 in North Carolina, Village Tavern was inspired by the tradition of the Old World tavern, viewed as the heart of the community and a hub for information, entertainment and nourishment.
“Our restaurant is here to satisfy many occasions- personal or otherwise. And we have a variety of dishes for different tastes and preferences. There is no veto vote when groups of people dine here because there is something for everyone,” says Anthony Santarelli, Village Tavern’s President and COO. “As we always say, we’re all about great food, great service and great value everyday!”
The nucleus around which everything revolves in the restaurant is, naturally, its food. Village Tavern celebrates classic American food with elevated twists and at great value. “When we say ‘elevated twists,’ we refer to the quality of ingredients we use, the attention to details that goes into each dish and the extra care we take in the preparation of our food from sourcing to cooking to presenting them to the guests’ tables. And value for us does not only refer to the serving size but the flavor, the quality and integrity of the food and the satisfaction one gets when he dines at the restaurant,” explains Santarelli. “Take cheeseburgers for example. At Village Tavern, we make sure that we use premium Rastelli’s Pureland Black Angus Beef and cheese that complements the meat. We are also known to use fresh mozzarella, not any substitute, for our Flatbreads and other dishes.”
CELEBRATING CLASSIC AMERICAN CUISINE
“Classic American fare is a melting pot of cuisines in the same way that Filipino food has European and Chinese influences,” says Filipino Chef Mary Grace Viado-Howard, Village Tavern’s Alabama-based Corporate Executive Chef. “Our dishes are full-flavored. There are different flavor profiles that come together for craveable and memorable food,” she enthuses.
The dining experience unfolds from the first bite of Village Tavern’s Flatbreads which are unique to the restaurant. They are made with all-natural, 100% whole wheat flour. “We combine our made-from-scratch flatbread dough with the finest and freshest ingredients and bake them at 600 F in our custom made coal-fired oven. They are great meal starters since they are light and not too filling so they “keep your taste buds going,” Chef Grace explains. There are several Flatbread variants, the most popular being the Gruyere and Applewood-Smoked Bacon (an appetizing combination of Gruyere cheese, Applewood-Smoked bacon and caramelized onions).
Following on the list of appetizers are Hot Crab Dip (backfin crab meat with toasted garlic bread); Blackened Shrimp (served with Bayou cream sauce and toasted garlic bread) and Village Tavern Sampler (a combination of popular starters: Calamari, Spring Rolls, Crab Cake and Pulled Pork Quesadillas).
For salads, Chef Grace recommends her version of the Grilled Chicken Spinach and Mixed Greens which has fresh spinach, seasonal greens, bacon, apples, cranberries, spiced pecans, blue cheese, sliced eggs and grilled chicken in sweet vinaigrette.
Now, the steaks. Inspired by the great steakhouses of New York and Chicago, Village Tavern’s steaks are aged 28 days, hand-cut and grilled to the perfect temperature. Starting this June, the restaurant will serve Rastelli’s Pureland Black Angus Beef from superior beef cattle from the United States. Used exclusively by some of the finest Steak houses in New York City, all cattle that enter the Pureland Black Angus Beef Brand, are fed on a high moisture, all vegetarian corn-based diet along with other grains to ensure the most flavorful tasting steak around. In addition to steaks, burgers are ½ lb. and use Pureland Black Angus Beef for the juiciest, most flavorful burgers.
Tavern specialties are up next. Have a taste of Chef Grace’s take on the Maryland-Style Crab Cake. The taste of freshly-caught, premium lump crab meat with homemade tartar sauce is hard to find anywhere else. Or dig into a plateful of Maple Cured Pork Tenderloin served with homemade apple chutney, garlic mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Another dish that is unique to Village Tavern is the Crispy Chicken Tacos (chicken tender with mango slaw and chipotle sauce, served with black beans and rice pilaf).
Chef Grace invites guests to also get a serving of the Shrimp Portofino Pasta (shrimps sautéed in garlic, fresh basil and parmesan cheese in fettucine with homemade Tuscan sauce or the Snapper Hemingway (fresh fillet of snapper sautéed with white wine, lemon, tomatoes and capers, served over angel hair pasta), among other entrees.
Desserts provide the perfect ending to a memorable meal. Village Tavern boasts of its delicious Banana Crepes and the indulgent St. Barths Chocolate Torte.
Just as Village Tavern is passionate about its food, so it is with wines. “We have excellent choices some of which are from our award-winning from the US. Drinking wine is all about fun and having a good time; so wines are a big part of our menu. We are building up our list to include those that we believe will cater to the Filipinos’ evolving tastes in wines,” Santarelli says.
VILLAGE TAVERN’S UNWAVERING PROMISE
Village Tavern carries on the trademark of its sister companies (T.G.I.Friday’s, Italiannis, Fish & Co., Flapjacks, Krazy Garlik, Bulgogi Brothers, Pig Out, Ma Maison)- hearty portions of great-tasting comfort food made from premium ingredients and the best customer service.
“The Bistro Group and Village Tavern share the same philosophy and values. We both believe strongly on our people. Building bricks and setting up a restaurant is the easy part; people bring it to life. We also have the same dedication to and passion for the food industry. It is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate again with the Bistro Group. I knew them when I was with TGIFriday’s and Italianni’s in the ‘90s. And I couldn’t think of working with anybody else except with them,” Santarelli says.