The decor is antique, dark and welcoming. It's the little touches like the velvet and lace curtains you walk through to get in, to the glass candy dishes that act as candle holders on all the tables that envelope you in a very romantic and cozy atmosphere. They serve you water from chilled old wine bottles and the menu design is simple but aesthetically pleasing.
The food feels like something fresh from the farmer's market - which it is! On the menu they list all their local suppliers and groups that they support (such as spring Creek Ranch, Pinocchio Ice Cream and Mighty Trio Organics). Eating there makes you feel like your supporting the community, and it's great local fare that's quality is far beyond any high caliber restaurant in Edmonton.
Along with great food they also have a concise but well thought out wine list. You're meant to buy by the bottle, which I think is great because it's definitely the atmosphere to overindulge in wine (and we've done so many a time), but you can ask the server for what wines they are offering by the glass for the evening. With Valentine's day being a Monday we decide just to go by the glass. On the recommendation of our server, Nick got Kim Crawford's Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). I was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of peaches when I brought the glass to my lips, and had refreshing grapefruit notes. I chose the Grey Monk Pinot Noir (Okanagan) which was a beautiful ruby red and had the taste of blackberries and raspberries. Both were very pleasant and complimented our meals well.
For dinner Nick and I took advantage of their specials. We started with their crab and ricotta stuffed crepes that were served with a lemon and dill cream and arugula salad. These crepes were light but full of flavour - the cream enhanced the taste of the crab and the peppery arugula gave the dish a weight to the light ingredients, making it very well balanced.
For my main course I chose their special, bison tenderloin with a saskatoon demi-glaze, served with bacon fried spaetzle and fresh asparagus spears. The bison was the most tender I've ever had and the savoury meat was complimented by the sweet saskatoon demi-glaze. The salty spaetzle also worked well with the glaze and the asparagus was fresh and bright in flavour. Nick ordered their free-range roasted chicken with a garlic mustard sauce, spinach, buttermilk biscuit and topped with a cranberry chutney. It was a really unique take on the "chicken and potatoes" comfort food, with a great spicy kick from the mustard sauce.
To finish the night off I had their fruit cobbler, which was a starwberry and apple crumble with a vanilla burbon ice cream. It came piping hot and full of those comfort flavours. What really enhanced this crumble was that the strawberries were vibrant and full of strawberry flavour, so rare in any produce we have in Alberta at this time of year. Nick had their chocolate pate which was dark, rich, and as I described it as he was eating it: "the essence of romantic desserts." I finished dessert with a cup of Organic Mint tea blend from Cally's teas (also local!) which was unique and a great finish to the evening.
The experience there is always a relaxed and throughly enjoyable one, and I will continue to be a great supporter of this group!
As a note: my favourites at Mill Creek are the Line Caught Wild Salmon (smothered with an amazing almond goat cheese and served with a fresh cucumber and tomato orzo) and their flourless chocolate tart (amazing - just amazing).
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