New American Grill & Taproom: where past, future converge

RUTLAND - It's time to welcome an exciting new restaurant in the Diamond Run Mall. It has an atmosphere of casual dining for family and friends; a place where you can sit and relax at a fully stocked bar and watch five, large screen televisions with your crew.

The New American Grill and Taproom officially opened Dec. 3 in the Diamond Run Mall with a seating capacity of approximately 135. Owner Max Turner is excited about the possibilities for Rutland 's restaurant industry.

With six years under his belt with a restaurant in Londonderry, Vt., Max Turner is confident about his newest growth opportunity. "the New American Grill and Taproom makes me want to work everyday. It's fun," he said.

Turner has considerable experience in resort towns in Connecticut and Utah as well as internationally in the Caribbean. He graduated from a culinary institute with a degree in management, so he has a solid grounding in creating many tempting dishes.

Open from 11a.m-10 p.m., the area's newest restaurant serves burgers, salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts-to name just a few menu items. Offering fresh, quality fare at an affordable price (in a friendly comfortable environment), this restaurant is setting new standards for casual family dining in Rutland County. Diners can enjoy comfort foods from around the world.

"It was nutty in here the first three weeks with the holiday season. Now it's the end of January and the post holiday hangover provides some downtime that we can use to concentrate on fine tuning," Turner added.

The restaurant business is a tough business according to Turner. But they are working diligently to be flexible to a wide demographic.

"You could come in a few times a week and always eat and drink something new," said General Manager Eric Christensen. He pointed out that the New American Grill and Taproom is exploring promotional events and activities to bring in people to gather and socialize. Remaining is the private banquet room that holds between 40-50 people and will be used for birthday parties, retirement gatherings, Super Bowl party time and other social events as needed by the community.

Every Thursday will be "Thirsty Thursday" and from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Uncle Dave from 94.5 the Drive will be on hand to D.J. a "Rock n Roll/ Sports Trivia Game" with giveaways and broadcasting live. In addition, New American Grill and Taproom Acoustic Challenge will take place every Thursday. Open to about 25 groups or soloist musicians, the winner of this event will have a spot on Uncle Dave's show and play two songs on air! To sign up for the competition, contact Eric Christensen at 747-2444 or e-mail newamergrill@gmail.com.

Open Mic Night starts at 8:30 p.m. and every Sunday.

The New American Grill and Taproom is a member of the Chamber of Commerce so community members can receive a discount with the PERK card. Mall employees are eligible to receive a 10 percent discount.

The staff welcomes everyone to stop on by and check out their menu, taste the delicious food and enjoy the ambiance. Turner's words as we parted: "Feed the masses and dine with the rich."