Two months ago another eatery became part of Middletown’s diverse restaurant scene, which includes Thai, Italian, Mexican, and Tibetan cuisines. On Dec. 10, The Tavern at the Armory opened at the new Inn at Middletown on Main Street. The restaurant serves traditional New England food in its wood-paneled tavern-style lounge and adjoining dining room.
“We are trying to keep a traditional look and have New England fare,” said Kris Young, a manager at the Inn.
Both the Inn, which opened in October 2003, and the restaurant are owned by Interstate Hotels and Resorts. The restaurant can seat about 100 diners, and there have already been a number of regular customers who dine there, according to Brian Hall, another manager at the Inn.
The building that the Inn and restaurant occupy used to be the National Guard Armory and therefore has historical significance for the city. Young said that a number of people who live in the area have visited the restaurant and told stories about when they had their proms or other social functions there.
“A lot of people prefer to see things renovated now as opposed to demolished,” Young said.
According to Young, the restaurant has a strong affiliation with the University already, including a group of physics professors who came and ate there recently. She said that both the Inn and the restaurant have received a lot of support from the University.
“There has been overwhelming support from the community, more than we expected,” Young said. “They really want this place to succeed.”
The Tavern is open until 11 p.m. on weekdays, midnight on weekends, although the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. all week. The tavern-lounge half of the restaurant has a fireplace and a full bar. Both sides serve dinner, and the dining room serves breakfast and lunch.
“They are still working out the bugs. When it first opened, we didn’t think it would be this busy,” Young said.
The Inn has 100 guest rooms that, according to Young, are decorated in a colonial design. The Inn also has banquet space, which Hall says has been very popular and is typically sold out. Young said she expects the Inn to be filled especially at times that the University is having events like graduation and Homecoming.
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