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What Doc Ordered Doc Ponds, Stowe
BY AL IC E L E VIT T
SEVENDAYSVT.COM 10.07.15-10.14.15 SEVEN DAYS 46 FOOD
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t both the Waterbury and Burlington locations of upscale Hen of the Wood, the $29 hanger steak is a major attraction. At Doc Ponds, the beer bar that Hen of the Wood’s owners opened in August, the bavette steak is blanketed in garlicky chimichurri and cooked to an ideal medium rare. There’s little difference between it and the version served at HOTW, except that, at $17, it’s little more than half the price. Such is the genius of Doc Ponds. Think of it as the food equivalent of a “diffusion line,” the less expensive line of clothing for a high-end fashion house. (Doc Ponds is to Hen of the Wood what Miu Miu is to Prada or CK is to Calvin Klein.) But the lower prices and eminently approachable food don’t mean a drop in quality. Last Wednesday night, Doc served up Hill Farmstead Brewery favorite Edward for $4 a pour. Chef Justin Wright says other specials from local breweries will soon become regular affairs. And that steak didn’t rumble off the Sysco truck, either. It grew up on a New England farm, though suppliers are still changing regularly as Wright nails down the best fit for his menu. None of this is anything new. Brandname restaurateurs have been following a similar path for years. San Francisco icon Hubert Keller is known for opulent Fleur de Lys, but Burger Bar is keeping his career alive more than a year after closing his famous restaurant. “Top Chef” fans can taste a sandwich with Tom Colicchio’s name attached at any of the nine ’wichcraft locations in New York City without going near his $95 rib eye at Craft. But, like most culinary trends, Vermont’s culture of chef-as-personality was slow to erupt and is still fairly new. Eric Warnstedt, who owns Hen of the Wood with William McNeil, is inarguably the scene’s biggest star. Despite his seven James Beard Foundation Award nominations, he can be found many nights personally spinning the Stones on the record player in Doc’s entryway. Warnstedt, of course, did not invent the downscale wheel in Vermont, either. Fellow Beard nominees Steve and Lara Atkins of
Half chicken
Justin Wright
Eric Warnstedt
WARNSTEDT AND HIS TEAM HAVE MADE IT
COOL TO EAT IN STOWE.
Richmond’s Kitchen Table Bistro opened bakery and café Parkside Kitchen in late 2014. Michael’s on the Hill chef/co-owner Michael Kloeti and his wife, Laura, took over Crop Bistro & Brewery in Stowe last summer. But with his culinary street cred and youthful, energetic aesthetic, Warnstedt and his team have made it cool to eat in Stowe. The former Vermont Ale House’s library room is now filled with leather couches and woodwork. A mural by Lance Violette is outside the loos. Once inside the ladies’ room, the many faces of Lon Chaney bring hipster horror to sitting on the toilet. All the while, the records spin. Whether Warnstedt or a staffer plays DJ, the sound of a needle hitting vinyl conjures times spent in the basement of a slightly older, and cooler, teenage friend. But the friendly service at Doc Ponds makes you feel welcome, even as you hear the first side of David Bowie’s Heroes for what feels like the first time. Then there’s the excellent comfort food. I started my first for-review meal at Doc with Bayley Blue Balls, a $5 bowl of three tiny arancini that, when penetrated, oozed Bayley Hazen Blue cheese. Honey rested at the bottom of the bowl for a dip that contrasted sweetly with the salty, fatty treats. A sophisticated cauliflower-salad starter arrived with the balls. For $8, the crisp brassica and cucumbers were served tumbled in a horseradish-flavored yogurt dressing, then topped with crunchy and aggressively spiced chickpeas, pepitas and shaved radishes. It would have made perfect sense at an upscale Middle Eastern spot; at a beer bar, it was a disarming delight. About those beers: There are 24 on tap, extending from $3 Schlitz to uncommonly flavored cult brews such as Dieu du Ciel’s Rosée d’Hibiscus and Femme Fatale Yuzu Pale from New York’s Evil Twin Brewing. The bar boasts nearly 60 choices between bottles and cans, with a focus on Vermont and Québec breweries. Seven Daysies 2014 Best Bartender winner Kate Wise mixes up cocktails, too.
Cauliflower salad WHAT DOC ORDERED
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