This was actually the second time I had been here. The first was this past August when it was The Mansion Inn. Currently, during the famous Logan Inn’s massive restoration project (which includes adding an entire wing to the hotel), this business now operates as The Logan Inn at The Mansion Inn. They have apparently purchased or are leasing the Victorian structure so that they can keep the bar and restaurant going. Either way, this is certainly an interesting place to have dinner, or a drink and app like we did last month following the same thing we did at GreenHouse.

During the summer, they had a beautiful side patio where we grabbed drinks and played checkers following our friend Walter’s birthday party. On this night, though, we would be inside. I have always wanted to see what it looked like, but over the years it was either closed and under restoration or open for dinner only when I was there in the afternoon. As someone who works at a museum housed in a Victorian mansion, visiting here was a must.

It was deathly quiet when we walked in but the crowd soon picked up. I figured I would stick with an Old Fashioned (they used Bulleit bourbon and a Luxardo cherry) while Justin needed a pick-me-up and asked if they could make a latte and spike it with Bailey’s. The coffee was brewed fresh in front of us, and the bartender added a hefty pour of the Irish cream. Both drinks really hit the spot. Justin was craving brie and so we ordered it without even wanting to see a food menu.

The platter of brie and accouterments was nicely presented, but the actual amount of brie left a lot to be desired. It was perfectly warm, gooey, and in a delightfully light puff pastry, but it was so tiny! The accompanying fig jam, crustini, and candied walnuts were all delicious (especially the walnuts), but the $18 tag for this amount of cheese was over-the-top. Perhaps for that price, they could increase the size of the brie and ditch some of the fruit which included an unnecessarily large amount of craisins.

My first experience at The Mansion Inn was a good one, as was my first experience a couple of years ago at the actual Logan Inn. Our bartender was friendly and prompt, the food and drinks were good, and the ambiance here is a beautiful one, but I would probably stick to just cocktails next time for the reasons listed above. That aside, I look forward to the new vision of the Logan Inn being realized and wish them the best of luck with this extensive undertaking. 3.5 out of 5 stars.