Welcome a-board at Myril
Eatery and wine bar offers fine dining and views of Newport Marina
By Elizabeth Scott Ulmer
For the TODAY
Myril Eatery and Wine Bar, located inside Newport’s Embarcadero Resort, blends table sharing and community in an inviting destination in the heart of a bustling marina. Owners Jen Gilroy and Staci Carlston have harmonized a theme of family at the table with their Northwestern, Southern-influenced comfort food and atmospheric pleasures.
The heartbeat of Myril is executive chef Maximilian Metzger, who shares the foundation of the owners’ desire to give back to the community.
“I was heavily involved in the Scouting program growing up,” he said. “And I was taught that when the community gives to you, it’s a give-and-take relationship.”
He firmly believes that he should always reciprocate within the community where he finds himself.
“From our catering events to in-house dining, our greatest focus is partnering with our coastal community,” he said.
Myril has a congenial relationship with the Newport Theater Group, helping to provide concessions for productions. Metzger also recently met with Oregon Coast Community College to discuss assisting with its small business management program, which specializes in hospitality.
“People come here and give us the ability to own and run a restaurant,” he said. “We must give back to the people who support us.”
He does this by building relationships and pursuing perfect ratios in the food he prepares.
Metzger worked in a casino with an open kitchen early in his career. This experience captured his attention.
Maximilian Metzger
“Being able to see out into the dining room and actively watch people enjoy my food absolutely hooked me,” he said. “I fell in love with everything in that open casino kitchen. It kind of came naturally, and I realized I was having a lot of fun.”
As Myril’s executive chef, Metzger runs his kitchen with an understanding that lessons are gained from the occasional mistake.
“I don’t want my team to let mistakes dominate their lives,” he said. “I want them to realize that in order to learn, you are going to fail. The key is to learn from each failure.”
Just recently, Metzger struggled with an unruly roasted bell pepper soup.
“I was trying to figure out how to get it to not taste like enchiladas, and I struggled very hard to try and change the base flavor,” he said. “It took me about three weeks of running different types of combinations to get it right.”
The reward came as a result of his ongoing pursuit to keep adjusting flavors to achieve what he was looking for. This kind of calculated intent for the appetizing is what Myril is all about.
The finest local ingredients and seasonal delicacies from Newport fisheries dominate Myril’s menu. There is always a fresh catch of the day, and the menu includes signature international charcuterie picks, small and large plates and burgers.
“I like to visit the local farmers markets, and if we see any vegetables that we like, we always make an effort to incorporate them into our fresh catch,” Metzger said. “We also consistently work with Gathering Together Farm out of Philomath for the organic spring mix in all of our salads along with any other fresh peak season options.”
Then there are the libations, including featured wines from Oregon, California, Washington and as far away as Italy.
“I try to meet with some of our Oregon vineyards a few times per year to taste any new wines or find out if they made any changes to their existing products,” Metzger said.
He regularly communicates with the vendors he works with to find the right wines for upcoming menus. This also goes for the Oregon ciders, signature cocktails and mocktails and featured local beers that range from hazelnut-influenced IPAs to gluten-free lagers.
Happy hour, from 3 to 5 pm, features $1 off beers, $7 wines and daily drink specials.
Thanks to the variety of small plates and meat-and-cheese board options, including the “Grand Board,” with six cheeses and salami, house warm olives, honey tajin nuts and more, sharing the savories at Myril delightfully satisfies the palate.
Myril Eatery and Wine Bar is located in the Embarcadero Resort at 1000 SE Bay Blvd., Newport, and is currently open daily from 3 to 9 pm. Reservations are recommended but not required. For more information, go to myrilnewport.com.