Mills Brewpub

I felt like Bananas Modern American Diner was doing pretty well, however the owners recently closed it in order to open up a new concept. It is now called Mills Brewpub, and they specialize in Bar Food and Beer.

The new flooring and decor is a major improvement and the bar area that they have added looks terrific.

I have been there twice.

My first visit I went with someone who had dined there a couple of times already.

We started with the Housemade Mozzarella Sticks (with garlic beer-infused marinara sauce $8)

An order comes with three and I must say they were really good.

 

Then I decided on the Beef Pub Burger (Duck fat infused ground beef, Wisconsin cheddar cheese, crispy bacon $9)

This was served with their Belgian Fries, which I had heard were incredible so I was even more excited.

After eating the Burger I felt like it was just OK. Although it tasted decent I didn’t notice anything special about the Duck Fat infused Beef, and the Fries were not all that either. Still I did finish my plate and the price was great.

For this first visit the service was also decent.

Now on to my second visit.

This time I was with a different friend, and we were seated and then waited for quite some time before anyone came to check on us. As we sat there we saw another table of two being seated and then never followed through with and they both got up and walked out. We however sat and waited and finally they came to take our order.

We also could hear one of the staff members yelling at another staff member in the back, not really a fun and welcoming environment.

Now on to the food.

We started with the Spiced Almonds ($4). They were so good, oily (in a good way) and tossed with Rosemary. Unfortunately I just checked their website and they no longer have them listed on the menu.

We also got a Soft Pretzel with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce ($4), this tasted pretty good too, the presentation could use a little work but the flavor was nice.

For my meal I had the Nutty Monkey Salad (mixed greens, apples, almonds, spicy onions, bleu cheese crumbles, creamy garlic dressing $9)

Now this salad I really loved. The crispy fried onions were a nice touch and the combination of flavors was amazing.

So overall I think both the Food and the Prices at Mills Brewpub are very good, however they need help in the customer service department. Not sure if I will give them another chance, which is a shame because I really have enjoyed everything that I have eaten there.

Winter Garden Pizza Company

We were talking to a friend of ours who lives in Winter Garden and she told us the next time we were in the historic section of downtown that we simply must eat at Winter Garden Pizza Company because they had the best Pizza in town. We were there to see a play at the Winter Garden Theatre and decided to give it a try and see if she was right.

At first you walk in and it seems kind of small,

But then we were seated in the much larger room off to the left and we realized that this place actually takes up two store-fronts.

We noticed that they do not offer complimentary Bread of any kind, which is unusual for an Italian Restaurant but OK no big deal.

We decided to split a large Primavera Pizza (Fresh Garlic, Spinach, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta and Romano Cheeses $17.95) and we each got a (One Trip Only) Salad Bar ($3.99 each).

The Salad Bar was actually rather dismal however we each managed to create a Salad that was “Good Enough” however I feel like the price is too high for what they have to offer, especially since you can only go up once.

The Pizza arrived in adequate time and I must say that for the most part it was pretty good. The overall taste was nice, the crust was good and crispy, and most of the toppings were fresh.   

My only complaint was the Tomatoes. What they use is regular sliced tomatoes like you would have on a Sandwich and they cannot hold up to the pizza over temperatures causing them to wilt and become very unappetizing in both flavor and texture.

I don’t foresee myself returning to the Winter Garden Pizza Company. The next time I am in this historic section of Winter Garden I will either try somewhere new or return to one of the other places that I have enjoyed more.