The Mill Kitchen & Bar

The Mill Kitchen & Bar Restaurant Review:

Calling their cooking at The Mill "modernized" Southern comfort food, co-owners and siblings Scott and Randy McCray created a comfortable establishment whose visual appeal depends on lots of rustic finishes, such as stone and wood, and generous fenestration admitting natural light. The menu emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. North Georgia's Riverview Farms supplies not only certified organic produce but also grass-fed beef raised on certified organic pastures, heritage-breed pork and corn products such as grits and polenta from non-GMO heirloom varieties. Chef Daniel Marteny makes a substantial version of Brunswick stew, a single serving of which satisfies as a main dish for lunch. Sandwiches, such as the Southern Reuben, are huge and shareable. The Cobb salad offers such a variety of ingredients that it, too, makes a substantial meal. A steak at dinner is a good way to go, although we also liked the braised short rib. Trout comes from a North Georgia producer. Dessert continues the Southern theme with pecan pie, bread pudding and layer cakes, some supported by local ice cream maker Jake Rothschild's fine flavors. A raft of fine bourbons, craft brews and handcrafted cocktails supplements the mostly New World-derived wine list. A glass-and-a-half option is available.