After an investment of more than $2 million, Tavern 1757 is open for business at 371 Roosevelt Drive in Seymour.
The Italian restaurant is owned by Tony Mavuli, who owns the venerable Inn at Villa Bianca next door.
Tavern 1757 was built on the site of the old Smith-Tomlinson House, a salt-box-type structure.
While that old home was torn down to make way for the new, 4,900 square-foot restaurant, the home’s old soul is still very much evident.
Mavuli restored and reclaimed the home’s old wood, giving the restaurant an authentic rustic feel. There’s a brick oven pizza made from bricks from the old home.
The central support beams from the old Smith-Tomlinson house serve as the interior’s focal point.
In short, it’s a nice place. Upscale without pretense.
Entrees at Tavern 1757 range from $15.95 for orecchiette broccoli rabe pesto garlic conifit to $31.95 for a 16-ounce grilled rib eye.
The Valley Indy spent a few minutes Monday with Mavuli and his son, Tonino, to talk about the Valley’s latest restaurant.
(Note: Tonino Mavuli owns the building where the Valley Indy has an office).
The Q&A starts after this photo gallery:
Valley Independent Sentinel: What’s it feel like to finally be open?
Tony Mavuli: “It’s feeling good. Now we have to work on getting the kinks out. Right now we’re open for dinner, but we’ll be open for brunch, lunch and dinner in two weeks.”
VIS: I’ve never worked in a restaurant or food service. What are the kinks that have to be worked out?
Tony Mavuli: “A restaurant is complicated. All the employees have to get along. You have to place the food when the chef calls for it. All my chefs, by the way, are all from Italy. It’s not like every other restaurant. The food is very complex, but you can come here without breaking the bank.” Click here for a menu. (Note — the ‘soft opening’ menu may slightly differ)
VIS: The wood floor and the old beams are something to behold.
Tony Mavuli: “We saved every piece of lumber from the old house. We saved every stone from the old house. A woman, Anna, from the original owners, the Tomlinson family, stopped by the other day. She was visiting from Washington state. She was very pleased.”
VIS: Describe the food.
Tonino Mavuli: “We hired Nicola Maggioni as our executive chef and he is very good. He worked in restaurants all over, including Europe and the Caribbean. He did the rounds in New York. The food isn’t classic Italian — it’s Italian with a twist. But you can still come in and if you want a chicken parmesan and we have it in the kitchen, we’re going to make it for you and it is going to be good.”
VIS: How many people can you sit here?
Tony Mavuli: “About 120 people.”
Tonino Mavuli: “There are two floors. The second floor has a room that can be used for private parties and meetings.”
VIS: Meetings?
Tony Mavuli: “We have state-of-the-art drop down screens business people can use for meetings. Two screens drop down from the ceiling. If you’re an office and you want to do some training, we can offer a space that is private and useful.”
VIS: Who had the idea to market the room for area businesses and corporations?
Tonino Mavuli: “There’s not many places around that offer something like this.”
Tony Mavuli: “We get a lot of requests from at the Villa for that kind of space, but it’s too large over there. We can fit 70 people up here.”
VIS: Why do this in addition to the Villa? It seems like a ton of work.
Tony Mavuli: “I love restaurants. I love when people come in to say hello and have a glass wine. I’ve run restaurants in the past and I miss it.”
VIS: Have you been sleeping at all? You have to oversee everything.
Tony Mavulli: “I sleep a few hours.”
Tavern 1757 and the Villa employee between 40 and 50 people, Mavuli said. An official ribbon cutting for the restaurant is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 16.
Right now the restaurant is open seven days a week, from 5 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. The bar stays open longer.
A Sunday brunch and lunch hours will be commencing in a few weeks. Call Tavern 1757 at 203 516 5461.
