One of the newest restaurants in Mill Creek is Tablas Woodstone Taverna. Located at 15522 Main Street in Mill Creek, it is a Spanish Mediterranean tapas restaurant which is a welcome addition to the Town Center.
My sister and I recently went for lunch. I love appetizers and small plates so I was really looking forward to this. This was the third visit for me and the first for her. We started out with a glass of the Carra Prosecco. It was a sip of crisp tart apple with a dry finish and just the right amount of bubbles — the perfect apéritif for lunch.
Tablas has several pages of tapas & small plates to layer and/or share. Decisions, decisions. We started with the Tomato, Basil and Mozarella flatbread drizzled with balsamic vinegar, a variation on the classic Margherita pizza. It arrived hot and the crust was perfectly crisp — a nice foil to the melted cheese and hot juicy tomato. We also ordered the Salmon & Dungeness Crab terrine, light and airy served with a garnish of greens and brandy aioli. We both thought it could have been served with crackers or crostini on the side.
After finishing those, we agreed that we wanted a little something more, a meat perhaps and decided on the Chicken Mignon. Described as “tenders” it arrived as four “rolls” of chicken wrapped in bacon with a demi-glace. They were okay, but we expected something a bit lighter, a thinner cut perhaps. They seemed heavy and a bit dry. Feeling satisfied, not stuffed we passed on our server’s offer of dessert.
On a previous visit with a friend, I ordered the Mediterranean Garlic, Parmesano, Oregano Flatbread and Spicy Garlic Shrimp to share. Both were delicious, and my only comment: it’s an order of 3 shrimp and was awkward for 2 to share. On all visits, service has been attentive and orders come out in a timely fashion, but I’ve never felt rushed. It’s been relaxed sipping, conversation and “grazing” as one would expect with tapas.
I love the ambience of Tablas Woodstone Taverna. It’s a big improvement over other attempts at locating a restaurant in this spot. Previously the space felt cavernous and empty. They were “franchise, order at the counter and take a number to the table” style. The owners of Tablas [also the owners of long-time local favorite, Kafé Neo, btw] opted to divide the space making a separate bar area including the ubiquitous flat screens. Mental note: come back for “Happy Hour”. Tables line the window and raised booths cozy up to the inner wall. Down the center, there is a long table for groups. Hmmm, another mental note. A free-standing gas fireplace near the center of the space adds warmth, literally and visually. Candles dot the walls. I know I will return again and again for a variety of occasions and to sample more from the extensive menu. Do tell.
Phone: 425-948-7654
Yes, I liked this place, the ambiance and layout is warm, cozy and “Milano” style. The service is good and the servers are really nice and attentive. But the menu needs some work, it is a little confusing and it is necessary to keep flipping through the pages.
Small plate, Tapas restaurants have been around the West coast for a couple of decades now so the kinks should not persist for too long.
The food is pretty good, the flatbread we ordered was tasty but my impression was that it was a tiny bit soggy, probably due to the moisture of the tomatoes. The terrine was fab but it should have been accompanied by some kind of thin toast or crackers, because a terrine is somewhat like a pate’. The Chicken Mignon was a little heavy handed, wrapped too tight and a little tough.
Overall, I would go back, though it is not yet a destination for me, great if you are in the neighborhood and with not a lot of work it will be terrific. Oh! and compared to other Tapas restaurants I have been to, I think they need to sharpen their pencils in regards to the pricing and adjust the plate servings to 2 or 4 pieces to ease the awkwardness of sharing.