Renovation and New Menu at The Milton Inn

The Minx and I first went to The Milton Inn for my birthday several years back. I had never been there before and was curious after doing some research on the building's rich history. We had a wonderful dinner and the service was lovely, but somehow I felt a bit out of place with the equestrian paintings on the walls and the heavy Colonial-style ornamentation. Some time later, we were invited to experience Chef Brian Boston's new c. 1740 Lounge and small plates menu. The lounge has a more rustic charm than the otherwise formal restaurant, and the new menu of smaller portions demonstrated a more modern vibe.

Today, The Milton Inn has undergone an extensive renovation. The wallpaper is lighter, the curtains are of lighter fabrics and no longer weighed down by tassels, and many of the equestrian paintings have been replaced with other subjects, although there is a beautiful equestrian mural painted on all four walls of one of the upstairs dining rooms. The rooms are brighter, and while still elegant, the overall look says "classic" rather than "old-fashioned."

The menu, too, has received a face-lift in the form of fall flavors. It's quite extensive, covering all manner of fish, fowl, meat, and vegetables. Many of the items are available on the restaurant's small plates menu, albeit in smaller portions. Most small plates are $12 while some that use pricier ingredients have an up-charge. Make sure to read the menu carefully.

We were invited in to experience the changes. Everything that we tasted during our visit was quite delicious, including the items pictured below.

The four-ounce crab cake with wild mushrooms and fava bean succotash...

...the flatbread of the day: tomato sauce and cheese with caramelized onions...

...the Pasta of the Moment: on our visit it was spicy penne pasta with shrimp...

...the Fall Harvest Salad with mixed greens, maple vinaigrette, roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, and pistachio nuts...

...the Braised Beef Short Rib with plum barbecue sauce,  root vegetable, and white cheddar mashed potatoes...

...and the Blackened Beef Tenderloin with barbecue sauce and béarnaise cheddar grits.

We finished off the meal with a sampling from their dessert menu: a seasonal berries tart with blackberries, raspberries and strawberries; macadamia torte with a caramel-laced chocolate cookie base studded with macadamia nuts, cream cheese mousse, and topped with chocolate ganache and macadamia nuts; and a chocolate truffle.

All next year, The Milton Inn will be offering a special menu to celebrate their 70th anniversary, which will also be Chef Brian Boston's 20th year with the restaurant. The menu is full of turn-back-the-clock classics like chateaubriand and shrimp remoulade, and includes hors d'oeuvres, mignardises, and coffee, plus a bottle of champagne or wine, for the bargain price of $130 per couple. The Minx and I look forward to dining there at some point after the first of the year, perhaps to celebrate our own anniversary.

The Milton Inn
14833 York Road
Sparks, MD 21152
410-771-4366



Posted on Minxeats.com.