There’s karaoke -- where people sing along to prerecorded music -- and then there’s “carol-oke,” where the songs are holiday-oriented. At Tavern on the Hill it’s a special tradition that co-owners John and Kathlyn Egan just celebrated for the 14th time in as many years.
This year, the favorite performances were carols written and sung by Steven Hart, Ed McTague, John Burkhauser and Joe Ryan. Many of the lyrics are parodies of Tavern on the Hill. Reverend Chris and his keyboard led the merrily assembled in song; he’s been playing at the Tavern for years and entertains on Fridays …
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There’s karaoke -- where people sing along to prerecorded music -- and then there’s “carol-oke,” where the songs are holiday-oriented. At Tavern on the Hill it’s a special tradition that co-owners John and Kathlyn Egan just celebrated for the 14th time in as many years.
This year, the favorite performances were carols written and sung by Steven Hart, Ed McTague, John Burkhauser and Joe Ryan. Many of the lyrics are parodies of Tavern on the Hill. Reverend Chris and his keyboard led the merrily assembled in song; he’s been playing at the Tavern for years and entertains on Fridays several times during the month.
The carol-oke event, Ms. Egan said, “has grown in popularity and participants include family, friends and great fun.”
The Egans bought into the Chestnut Hill business about 15 years ago but when their partner died, they became the primary owners. “So it’s been kind of a fluke for us,” she said, because she thought she was going to retire after a long career in the airline industry, and her husband as a lawyer.
“But this was my retirement,” she added with a laugh.
There are other familiar faces who have worked at the Tavern for years, like Jeff Marvin as host/manager on weekends and busy holidays. “He has the Tavern warmth everyone knows,” Ms. Egan said. And there are David Coyle and Madeline Hart, whose “expertise has helped greatly.” They met at the Tavern and were married in October.
Tavern on the Hill, at 8636 Germantown Ave., with its cozy pub atmosphere and dark wood paneling, is well known for its food and bar. Customer favorites include portabella mushroom fries, salmon burgers, baby back ribs, filet mignon, chicken wings (made in a four-step process and gluten-free, Ms. Egan notes) and thick, crunchy homemade potato chips.
Ms. Egan credits their chef, Gerard Stringer: “He is such a lover of food and the chemistry of food.”
And what does the chef have on the menu for New Year’s Eve? There are several specials, starting with fried oysters; poached pear and bib lettuce salad; snow crab cocktail fingers; and wild mushroom soup. The entrees will be grilled New York strip steak topped with oyster, mushrooms and frizzled leeks; pan-roasted duck breast with strawberry arugula salad and fingerling potatoes; and broiled flounder with crab brown butter.
“He’s a real genius,” Ms. Egan said.
