When Burlington’s Greenhouse Café and Frozen Gnome ice cream shop reopen in April, guests may be surprised to see a third option on the well-manicured grounds — a full-service restaurant and bar. The casual seasonal eateries now have a year-round sibling, Greenhouse Tavern, which opened in November.
The property along Route 4 once served as a gardening center — business partners and childhood friends Christian Gombos and Glenn Staubley are professional landscape designers by trade — and over time, their focus has shifted, in part, from horticulture to gastronomy.
Amid economic downturn eight years ago, Gombos said, they began thinking of new ways to boost business beyond flowers and hanging baskets.
“We said, ‘Let’s extend our season with ice cream, create some impulse buys.'” They launched the Frozen Gnome, serving scoops and cones with several flavors of Gifford’s ice cream.
When the ice cream venture took off, they took a leap of faith four years after that and expanded the food options with the Greenhouse Café, a takeout spot with lobster rolls, fried clams and burgers. On sunny days, visitors enjoyed the summer treats at picnic tables, overlooking the bucolic landscape with a scenic little pond.
The café finished its fourth season on Oct. 25, but just a few weeks later, the Tavern — in a newly renovated building that once served as the gardening business’s retail space — was welcoming guests with cozy seating for nearly 40, a warming wood stove and inviting bar. The restaurant’s menu expands well beyond snack bar fare, featuring everything from wings and tacos to elegant entrees of pan-seared Stonington scallops and grilled Angus sirloin.
Starters ($7.50 to $12) include mozzarella-stuffed arancini with tomato basil sauce, brined and house-smoked wings and flash-fried fresh calamari — a point of pride for Gombos and the kitchen. Shareable plates ($5 to $18), intended to serve a whole table, feature poutine, smoked bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, roasted garlic bulb and a local cheese board with sausage.
Tacos with beer-battered fish, grilled shrimp or carnitas make up a significant fraction of sales, said Gombos, and Taco Tuesdays feature specials on accompanying Coronas and Espolon margaritas. Casual tavern specialties ($10 to $18) include burgers, IPA-battered fish and chips, sandwiches with balsamic-marinated grilled chicken or thinly sliced flank steak and a rich lobster macaroni and cheese dish with three cheeses, chives, cognac and butter-toasted panko crumbs on top.
Other pasta dishes, made with products from Avon’s New England Pasta Company, include butternut squash with fettuccine, fresh pumpkin mascarpone ravioli and a fisherman’s pasta with an assortment of seafood.
In early February, Greenhouse Tavern introduced a Sunday brunch, with a build-your-own bloody mary bar, customized omelets, eggs Benedict, bananas Foster French toast and huevos rancheros breakfast tacos. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with entrees priced at $6.50 to $18.
Local farms and producers factor prominently into the menu, with greens from Maple Knoll Farm in Somers, organic chicken from GourmaAvian Farms in Bolton, cheeses from Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, and fresh seafood from Connecticut and Rhode Island waters. Fellow Burlington residents Hogans Cider Mill and Lamothe’s Sugar House supply cider and maple syrup. And with a greenhouse on the property, the restaurant will grow a significant amount of produce on site, Gombos said.
Tavern guests gravitate to the large selection of Connecticut beer at the bar, with a half-dozen local breweries on tap and more available in cans and bottles. “We’ve been surprised and pleased at how many people are coming in to try the local draft beers,” Gombos said. Firefly Hollow of Bristol is among the best-sellers.
Luck was on Greenhouse Tavern’s side in its first few months, with a winter of milder-than-normal temperatures and minimal snow.
“I think if we did this last year, we would’ve been in trouble,” Gombos said, but the relatively calm season helped them welcome new guests from Farmington, Avon, Canton, New Hartford, Torrington, Bristol and beyond.
“Everybody’s very happy. I couldn’t be more pleased with the feedback,” Gombos said. “It’s very complimentary. There’s a lot of growing pains; we made our trips and stumbles, but for the most part, it’s going as well as I could’ve imagined.”
Greenhouse Tavern, 511 Spielman Highway, Burlington, is open Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight. Closed Mondays. 860-673-8111, greenhousecafeandtavern.com.
