Local Lansing Flavor - Tavern on the Square (Review)

(I had the pleasure of joining Mensch on one of her two trips here, and I think she's done a dandy job with her review.
Have you eaten there? What do you think? We'd love to hear from you! ~LL)

Tavern on the Square
206 S. Washington Square
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: (517) 374-5555
Web: www.tavernonthesq.com
Review By LLP's Very Own Resident Food Critic - Mensch71

Downtown Lansing has a large number of locally owned restaurants but sadly, few are open for dinner. That trend is changing and the latest entry is Tavern on the Square, a tapas restaurant with a roaring fireplace and a hip loft meets Americana decor. *Make sure you check out the impressive wrought iron chandelier from the second floor.

Tapas traditionally describes Spanish appetizers served as a complimentary offering with drinks. It has evolved into a distinct cuisine where diners order multiple dishes and share with one another. Despite the casual nature of tapas, Tavern on the Square is a bit more upscale and caters to the "suit and tie" crowd.

Tapas generally focuses on Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine but this menu touches on Caribbean, Polish, Asian, Italian, Greek and American classics. A narrower menu focus along with more vigilant sourcing of materials will raise Tavern on the Square from a "it's new, try it" to a "sheesh, you haven't been there yet?!?!".

The menu is cleverly divided into sections, "To Eat While Drinking", "Finely Chopped Tapas Salads & Soups" and "Food for Sharing". Sadly, there are no soups in the soup section, just salads.
The Apricot Wings ($4.50) were sticky, sweet and overly smoked, but the hot dipping sauce cut much of the cloying apricot glaze.
The Square Meat & Cheese Plate ($7) is a composed plate with various meets and cheeses. The Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar was neither Tillamook or cheddar and the prosciutto slices were thick and tough. The drunken goat cheese and the salami were the surprising all-stars of this dish.
Quality is absolutely imperative when offering cheese courses and the Baked Brie with Apples ($7) features a pasteurized version of the great French cheese. It's very mild but a nice accompaniment to the crisp, Michigan apples.
The Square Chicken Salad ($5) and the Spanish Chicken Salad ($5.50) both contain long lists of ingredients with strong flavors including gorgonzola, olive tapenade, fried leeks and drunken goat cheese. The salads come chopped into very small bits and are dressed very lightly. Both salads needed supplemental salt and pepper to bring out the flavor.
A West Coast phenomena, the Fish Tacos ($5) were outstanding. The crispy fish contrasted nicely with the crunchy coleslaw and the creamy guacamole. A quick squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce made this the perfect entree.
Pierogies ($6) were filled with mashed potatoes and served with a paprika sour cream. The pierogies had some nice carmelization from pan searing but it wasn't able to disguise the mass produced, artificial taste.
The best part of the meal was the warm cinnamon donuts ($2). Warm and flavorful, these donuts were cakey and moist.

As with any new restaurant, much of the first year is spent working out the kinks in the menu and service. Our service was slow but reasonably attentive. Make sure to order one of the many Coke products offered by Tavern on the Square - the bottles are completely charming.

A return visit in a few months is in order and there will be an updated review at that time.

Rating: 1 STAR (out of 5)

Mensch's Rating Scale

1 STAR - An OK dining experience. OK quality service, food and decor. OK wine list. (Includes new restaurants open less than a year.)

2 STAR - A good dining experience. Good quality service, food and decor. Adequate wine list.

3 STAR - A very good dining experience. Very good quality service, food and decor. Staff with good wine/spirits knowledge. Good wine list.

4 STAR - An excellent dining experience. Excellent quality service, food and decor. Staff with strong wine/spirits knowledge. Excellent wine list.

5 STAR - A superb dining experience. Highest quality service, food and decor. Sommelier or staff with extensive wine/spirits knowledge. Superlative wine list.