The Manor Tavern

Since it's beginnings as a stable in 1750, Manor Tavern has experienced many colorful transitions, from dirt-floor saloon to today's horse-country gem. You get the feeling that many of the diners at The Manor Tavern didn’t travel too far to get here. There’s plenty of tweed and jeans and table-hopping, a camaraderie that sparks longing in those who’ve come from the city. The locally driven menu is a perfect fit for the horsey setting, from artisinal cocktails served in Mason jars to bread pudding bursting with tart cranberries and topped with ice cream from a nearby farm for dessert. Not to be missed for sheer novelty is the beer-can chicken——an entire bird impaled on a half-full can of Natty Boh for roasting, and served balanced on the charred can, the tender, steamed meat falling off the bone. More conventional presentations include pan-seared scallops in a white-bean cassoulet with Swiss chard and a juicy tenderloin topped with spears of tempura-style beer-battered asparagus. The décor is unspectacular——’70s-style paneled wainscoting and framed horse prints on the walls. Parking is plentiful, and if the convivial vibe among the regulars didn’t already do the trick, the view of verdant, rolling hills may leave you yearning for country life.