Although we had plans for at least the last month and a half to try this place out, we had yet to get there… On a Saturday afternoon, we had been in Hershey, PA with the intention of meeting up with some relatives of mine but those plans fell through – so I needed to feed my sweet tooth with a batch of chocolate chip cookies from Chocolate World before we headed back out. We were starving and decided to take a drive down to Shady Maples Smorgasbord straight from there so we plugged in the info on the GPS. So, following the GPS’s directions, we made a turn off of Hersheypark Drive and at the end of the road, where we were being directed to make a left turn, sat a beautiful brick building with a small sign in front of it labeled The Mill. Located at 810 Old West Chocolate Avenue, Hershey PA 17033.  Surprised to have found it by accident, the decision to veer off and go inside instead was a quick and easy one. This building previously served as the historic Curry Feed Mill, established in the 1880’s. And while it now serves as a restaurant, it still holds onto its old interesting charm with its exposed brick and stone walls, steel bar tops, hardwood floors, wooden beams, aluminum pipe venting, modern track lighting and fireplace.  Also, in keeping with authenticity (in my opinion), the ingredients used here are fresh from local farms, the sauces, etc. are made fresh and the meats are smoked in-house everyday.

When we walked in we were quickly greeted by a hostess who escorted us to the lower level for seating. Our waitress was soft-spoken yet swift and knowledgeable. We got there during their lunch time frame (3:00 pm) which offers a somewhat shortened set of menu options and lighter faire. While studying the menu some and in addition to the water and sodas we ordered, Jonathan and I decided to try a couple drinks from the bar – I had a White Russian and Jonathan tried the Apple Cider Martini. Both were mixed perfectly. Very tasty. We also wanted to try an appetizer or two so I went with the Deviled Eggs. These aren’t the usual white eggs with the yellow deviled yolk.. Theirs is what is usually referred to as a pickled beet egg – dark pink in color and the deviled yolk was somewhat of a lavender color. They were garnished with bits of bacon, micro greens and beets – and off to the side was a spicy honey dipping sauce, or perhaps a drizzle(?). The flavor of the egg was also much more like that of a pickled egg – more vinegary. I like pickled eggs, so I enjoyed them, however I can’t eat very spicy foods so I didn’t use the dip/drizzle. Jonathan chose the steamed Johnny’s Blues Wild Maine Mussels for his appetizer, which also include (for flavor and garnish) red curry, garlic cloves, The Mill’s own house smoked sausage, lemon oil, basil and wontons.

Since I was still lunch-minded, I went the sandwich route and chose the Mill Standard Burger, which is a Brioche-Certified Angus Beef burger usually topped with Porter Cheddar cheese, bacon, an onion ring, and house-made dijonaise and barbecue sauces. It’s also accompanied by a side of fresh-cut fries. It was SO good, that I literally could not put it down. LOL! Maybe I was extra-hungry, I don’t know but after the first bite, my plate never saw it. 🙂 Jonathan chose the grilled-to-perfection, 6 oz. Chateau Steak which is listed to be served with mushrooms, Mill-cut fries and a red wine reduction sauce, however he chose to substitute his fries with the mashed potatoes. Here I say again, kudos to the grill chef, this steak was perfect! Medium-rare with just the right amount of pink, wonderfully seasoned, already-sliced and presented beautifully with the mushrooms, mashed potatoes and sauce. My daughters love grilled salmon and it happened to be listed on the kids’ menu, so they both chose that, while my youngest chose a garden salad for her side and my oldest chose the mashed potatoes. I had a small bite of the salmon and mashed potatoes and loved both.
We indeed enjoyed everything we tried on this visit! Our compliments to Executive Chef Joe Mishler, Line Cook Frank Hadley and the ladies at the bar on the lower level. For the delicious food, great service, comfortable atmosphere and reasonable price, I’m quite satisfied with our experience here and I’m certain that we’ll be making trips back and bringing others. 😀

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