Crystal Tavern
We dined at Crystal Tavern on Friday, March 4, 2022, and the attractive restaurant was bustling with guests. The restaurant has a long wall of windows, and we had a coveted table overlooking the rolling hills that was perfect for watching the sunset. High-backed comfortable chairs flanked wood tables softly illuminated with candles invited leisurely dining.
The restaurant area has a long wrap-around bar, and we had the pleasure of listening to the renowned guitarist and Latin Grammy winner Hernan Romero performing in the restaurant before his show later that evening at the resort’s Crystal Cabaret.
The resort has as an excellent wine cellar which houses 45,000 bottles with wines offered by the glass as well as by the bottle, however as we had started our evening by attending a very informative and delicious Wine Tasting given by Wine Director and Sommelier Suzanne Wagner in the Wine Cellar, we decided to switch gears and go with cocktails to pair with our dinner. (Read about the Wine Tasting in the Wine Cellar section.)
The Libations list consists of Sangria, Signature Cocktails, Classics, Neoclassics, Free Spirited, Seltzer, H2O, Draft, and Bottled Beer, in addition to their wine list. Interesting to note is that they list the years for their Classics cocktails (examples, the Sazerac dates to 1850’s, Americano dates to the 1860’s, and the Boulevardier dates to the 1920’s, to name but a few), which makes for interesting cocktail trivia conversation.
Snow Angel Late Harvest
We ordered two of their Signature Cocktails, the Snow Angel made with Tanteo Chipotle Tequila, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, and sage syrup, attractively garnished with fresh sage leaves dusted with confectionary sugar, and the Late Harvest made with Sagamore Rye, Laird’s Applejack, St. George Spiced Pear, Cinnamon Syrup, Lemon, and temptingly garnished with thinly sliced apples lightly dusted with cinnamon. Both cocktails were creative, well-crafted, and very balanced.
Raw Oysters
The menu is divided into Raw, Caviar + Tots, Small, Large, and Sides. We began our dining experience at Crystal Tavern from the Raw section with an order of a half-dozen oysters. The restaurant rotates their oyster selection and on the night that we dined at the restaurant they offered Beausoleil oysters, farmed oysters from the cold waters of Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick accompanied by the traditional condiments of horseradish, mignonette, cocktail sauce, and a lemon wedge. Beausoleil oysters are smaller oysters with a nice, light brine and a clean melon-like finish, and they were delicious.
Crispy Octopus
We also sampled the Crispy Octopus from the Small section of the menu. The octopus was beautifully presented with beluga lentils, lardo, and heirloom carrot. The lardo added layers of flavor, while the small, black beluga lentils were the perfect foil to showcase the delectable crispy octopus as well as provide taste and texture. A basket of very delicious rolls and butter accompanied our appetizers.
Halibut
For our entrées, we selected two items from the large section, the Halibut, and the Short Rib of Beef. Both dishes were delicious and well presented with the crispy-skinned halibut nestled on a bed of mashed potatoes with a generous pool of Bordelaise sauce. The Short Rib of Beef was fork tender and presented on a bed of aligot potatoes (mashed potatoes with cheese), cipollini onion, and baby carrot.
Short Rib of Beef
We ended our evening by sharing a dessert of Apple Crumble served warm in a cast iron skillet accompanied by three scoops of ice cream. Paired with two espressos to enjoy while listening to the music by Hernan Romero made for a memorable dining experience at Crystal Tavern.
Apple Crumble
Crystal Tavern is open daily for Breakfast from 8:00 am until 11:00 am, Lunch from 11:30 am until 4:30 pm, and Dinner from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm. The Bar is open until 1:00 am. Reservations are required. To make a reservation please call +1-855-977-6473 or visit their website.
Read more about Crystal Springs Resort in theHotels and Resorts,Chefs’ Recipes,Wine Cellar , andAdventuressections.
Chef Aishling Stevens
Learn more about Executive Chef Aishling Stevens by reading our interview with the chef in theChef’s Recipes section where she also shares her oh-so-tasty recipe forBison Short Rib, Sassafras, and Sunchoke .
For more information or to make a reservation at Crystal Springs Resort, please visit their website: www.CrystalGolfResort.com or call them at: +1-973-862-4351.
Crystal Springs Resort
1 Wild Turkey Way
Hamburg, New Jersey 07419
United States
Telephone: +1-973-862-4351
Website: www.CrystalGolfResort.com
Facebook: @CrystalSpringsResort
Instagram: @CrystalSpringResort
YouTube: Crystal Springs Resort
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