The now well-established Harvest Thyme Tavern (open for two years) is a worthy dining option. It’s not hard to find, slotted on Central Avenue. On this visit, the U-shaped bar was full, as it’s a friendly and popular place to stop by for happy hour (which runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.). The large, main room is divided, but still feels quite open without being noisy. The red brick wall behind the bar and facing the front of the display kitchen—where the pizza aroma originates—gives the vibe of a casual place. We knew as soon as we walked into the Italian trattoria-themed establishment that wine is a big deal: there’s a wall-length wooden rack displaying intriguing options. Polished cement floors, tables and cozy booths, light colored wood top tables, and cloth napkins conveyed an open convivial place. Quinton, our server, introduced himself and gave us a quick overview of the menu and some of his favorites.
There’s a nice selection of wines by the (generous) glass, and a lengthy list of varied domestic and imported bottles. It’s a very welcome option for the adventurous or undecided to try 2-ounce, 4-ounce, or 6-ounce pours. Many people don’t realize it is the alcoholic beverages that make the most money at a restaurant. Owner and chef Rik Squillari has a wine program, which allows you to purchase a bottle at retail price to consume with your meal for a $10 corkage fee. There’s a wine club with exclusive access to some top choices. Not a wine drinker? There are 16 craft beers on draft with seasonal changes, and several inviting craft cocktails, including some novel herb-infused concoctions.
It’s tough to narrow down a food choice to accompany those drinks. My companion selected a glass of very good Acacia Pinot Noir and chose an Italian starter: the meatball for two. It’s a tasty behemoth that we split. The meatball is stuffed with a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, and romano cheeses in a bright, chunky house-made tomato sauce and a side of Italian dipping bread with coarse texture and crunchy crust. We asked if this same delicious sauce would be used in the pasta dishes and our server said no, explaining the chef varies the sauce for different dishes. For example, he noted the pizza sauce is a bit less spicy to please both adults and kids, while dishes like grilled seafood cioppino or plates of pastas have yet other spins to complement them.
We shared the classic, yet hard-to-find, panzanella salad with croutons, each with a nice robe of fresh goat cheese and capers. It is a bestseller at Harvest Thyme. The tomatoes on a winter salad added color to the field greens dressed with a very tangy red wine vinaigrette. We devoured every bite.
Next up were the entrees. The entree menu offers seven choices, but each day, the chef adds new selections in the categories of butcher’s cut, fresh catch, and pasta of the day, which Quinton recited. The butcher’s cut tonight was what Quinton described as airline chicken breast (breast plus wing), stuffed with herb cheese and topped with prosciutto and a bread crumb coating. Salmon en Papillote was the catch, while the pasta selection included angel hair with grilled chicken, red bell peppers, and mushrooms in an alfredo sauce. We vowed to return for a pizza sometime, since the aroma is tempting. It’s clearly a house favorite with toppings that seem different than most places. I chose the Airline Stuffed Chicken. The golden boneless breast (complete with wing) had a pocket of cheese stuffing, while the prosciutto, breadcrumbs, and herbs rode on the top. The stuffed zucchini accompanying the bird was actually a three-inch cut of a half zucchini boat.
Harvest Thyme’s desserts are made in-house, and are nust-try. We were tempted by the bestseller Harvest Smash, a great-sounding riff on apple crisp. But in keeping with our Italian mood, we chose the tiramisu. A large slab was perfect for sharing. This version had a delicious blended topping of whipped cream and, perhaps, cream cheese, which gave the layered dessert more body. Unlike many variations that use rum or coffee liqueur, this was far from the heavy-handed boozy versions elsewhere. We liked it. And it paired magically with the coffee Americano (espresso and hot water). Smooth and perfect without the bitterness of many espresso coffees. Perhaps our next visit will be for Sunday brunch, and we will go Americano.
