Restaurant Week Diaries « p.43
KAtHRYN FL AGG
Even in the relative wilderness of Addison County, where I lived for the past several years, I heard about certain Burlington-area restaurants: L’Amante; Juniper; Bluebird Tavern. So when my first Vermont Restaurant Week as a Burlington resident rolled around, it was the only excuse I needed to sample one. Joined by friends and colleagues Ethan de Seife and Andrea Suozzo, I kicked off VTRW at Bluebird Tavern on St. Paul Street. The house was looking a little empty at 6:30 on a Friday evening, but the handsome, wood-accented interior was warmly lit, and the enthusiastic front-end staff showed us right to our table.
04.30.14-05.07.14
SEVENDAYSVt.com
A Bite of Burlington: Bluebird Tavern, Burlington
X I A N c H I A N G - WA R EN
Moose on the Loose: The Elusive Moose, Waitsfield
cOurtesy OF xian chaing-waren
My first course — a blackened rare tuna loin, served with minted cucumbers — arrived artfully arranged in a martini glass. I unceremoniously dumped the entirety on the small plate where the glass had perched and dug in. Colin’s Caesar salad was crisp and delicate, and we agreed that the fresh, silvery anchovies were among the best we’d ever sampled. When it came to choosing an entrée, I felt a little guilty passing up the grilled-asparagus-and-pickledramps tacos — especially after our quirky waitress told us she’d gathered the ramps herself. But the Misty Knoll Farms “angry” chicken tacos didn’t disappoint; pleasant spice followed up the initial sweetness of the pulled meat. Colin and I made short work of one taco apiece, then turned our attention to the house-cured pastrami he’d ordered. It may have been the most sublime sandwich I’ve tasted in years. How, after all that, I managed to eat an entire banana pudding for dessert, I’ll never know. Midway through our meal, the restaurant was full, bustling and still cozy. Antidote may not have the refinement of big-city restaurants up the road, but it manages a rare feat: Just about everyone seems at ease there. Two tipsy women out for a night on the town, a father-and-son duo in matching ball caps, couples meeting up for double dates — I was charmed by our dinner companions, and by the inclusiveness the restaurant seemed to cultivate. Full and happy, Colin and I agreed, as we ascended back to the street, that Antidote was a fitting choice for our rare night out together. Just what the doctor ordered.
should have added zip, but the flavors were lost amid that sauce and the starchy strozzapreti. Dessert was more of a success. My chocolate panna cotta, topped with pretzels, satisfied my sweet tooth. Andrea’s “Velveteen Rabbit” dessert of carrot and red velvet cake with rich cream cheese ice cream was a hit. All told, though some of our dishes bore out Bluebird’s glowing reputation, I think Ethan best summed up the experience the following day when he called the meal “good but not great.”
Chocolate panna cotta at Bluebird Tavern
Andrea and I opted for the $35 fixed-price menu, while Ethan ordered the cod from the regular menu. Our Plaid Salad starters arrived with an appetizing snack platter of cheese, fermented onions, candied walnuts and mustard. (Pro tip: You can score the platter by checking in with Bluebird on social media.) The salad amounted to a heaping dome of raw kale, attractively adorned with thin slices of apple and a healthy sprinkling of red onions, both crispy and fermented. I’ll happily eat a full head of raw kale, but I had to admit that these salads were on the dry side. I got several bites that were all kale and none of the delicious honey-shallot dressing. My dining companions fared better on their main courses. Ethan’s à la carte cod entrée was deemed a wellbalanced dish. Andrea’s schnitzel was fried in a crisp, buttery batter and served with a succulent juniper jus over buckwheat spaetzle. My lobster strozzapreti was the dud of the evening. The hand-rolled, al dente pasta was served with a thick cream sauce. Mint, fava beans, jalapeño peppers and cubes of pear
Few films induce hunger quite as effectively as Tampopo, the 1985 Japanese comedy that was this year’s Vermont Restaurant Week “Foodie Flick.” Depicting the concoction of a perfect bowl of ramen, the film really concerns the sensory richness of gustation. Post-screening, five of my coworkers and I were cinematically sated, but our bellies were a-rumblin’. We decamped for the Elusive Moose, a 3-month-old restaurant located near the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield. There was no ramen on the menu, but this thoughtful moose offered tasty, well-prepared dishes that satisfied us all. I was the rogue of the group, ordering not from the VTRW menu (which had too many mushroomy foods for my taste) but from the regular bill of fare. The New England fish chowder was terrific, larded (literally and figuratively) with salt pork and beautifully sweet haddock. I did not share. For my main dish, I opted for the cider-braised pork shank, which, nestled in a bed of cheddar grits, stood upright on the plate, a presentation that drew oohs from my tablemates. Easily a two- if not a three-meal portion, the meat was sweet and tender and fell off the bone with the merest prod from my fork. The grits would have benefited from a little more salt, seasoning or fresh vegetables, but that didn’t detract from the succulence of the meat. I brought the shank bone home for the doggie. Every one of my coworkers sampled this year’s VTRW featured cocktail, the Champlain Sunset, and they all loved it. I stuck with Citizen Cider’s Unified Press in a can, which played very nicely with the cider-braised pork. Our kind waitress diagnosed Empty Glass Syndrome and
more food after the classifieds section. page 45
Daily specials! outside tent with bar & live music 6–9 on may 5th 879.9492 · MAPLE TREE PLACE · WILLISTON
SEVEN DAYS
May 1st $4 House margaritas May 2nd $5 sangria
May 3rd $7.50 Sauza Blue Shorty Margaritas May 4th $3 Dos XX drafts
May 5th
$5 House margaritas $4 Dos XX drafts $3 corona + corona light $7.50 Sauza Blue Shorty Margaritas
starline rhyt
44 FOOD
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4/28/14 10:41 AM