Restaurants on Vermont Trip 2017
As many of you know who read this BLOG, I have a bucket list item to eat at a new restaurant every other week, or in simpler terms, 26 new restaurants in a year. When I travel out of town, it becomes a little easier to hit new places. In past trips, I would get lazy and eat too much fast food even though I knew it was not good for me. This trip I tried to get better at going to unique restaurants.
My first stop on Sunday was in Wilson North Carolina. I was staying at The Holiday Inn Express, and there was a McDonalds across the street. I asked the desk manager about local establishments and she gave me a coupon for an Italian place. My problem is I do not like to eat tomato sauces late at night. So I saw out the window there was a Cracker Barrel within walking distance of the hotel. I do not consider it a new restaurant for the bucket list, but I did have a great home cooked meal with meat loaf and mashed potatoes.
Monday was rainy weather all through Virginia and Pennsylvania. I made it as far as Montgomery New York on Interstate 84. Again, I was at a Holiday Inn Express and again there was a McDonalds across the street. This time I looked up in the local book in the hotel room, and found there were some nice places in downtown Montgomery, about 1.7 miles away. Not in the mood, I drove down to the town using my GPS and I found Garrison's Tavern & Wine Cellar. It was dark but i took this photo of the sign...
When I walked in, there were people having a smoke on the steps and there food was sitting there. I asked if it was good and they said it was great. Inside I found an old bar with about 8 stools, all open but two. No need to hit the dining room, I will just sit at the bar. I saw that they had a few beers on tap and some bottles. She said they had the Brooklyn Summer Ale and I ordered that.
The menu was full of sandwiches and meals but I was not too hungry. I saw they had a shrimp scampi flat bread and that is what I asked for.
There were four slices with plenty of shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms. I found it very delectable and a little rich in flavors. I ate two slices at the Tavern and brought the other two back to the Inn. I figured eating it all was going to put me to sleep so what better place to finish it than a hotel room. This was my 15th new place of the year and I give it a 3.0 (Great). Montgomery was a quaint little town, I parked at the municipal parking lot next to the band stand. Reminded me of a small Vermont town.
The next day I continued my drive to Vermont and hit Middlebury right before noon. I stopped at Tom's house and then walked downtown for lunch. I wanted to stop at the Storm Cafe, but it was crowded with people waiting to get in. So I continued through Frog Hollow and went up to one of my favorites, Two Brothers. It is not new for me but I like the menu which I knew would be different. My view from the bar stool I had plopped my big butt into...
The first thing I noticed were all the beer taps, but I am doing a separate post on beer flights. I ordered a pint of Switchback and knew I was home. But I needed food. I ordered the cheddar ale soup and the plaid salad. I can pretend that I was eating healthy...
Of course the first to come out was the soup. It was delicious and went well with the Switchback ale.
Doesn't it look delicious? Next to come out was the plaid salad. Simply scrumptious looking...
That is a sliced apple on top. What you do not see is the chunks of red and golden beets underneath, making it look like a plaid pattern. Baby kale, Vermont cheddar, candied walnuts with a shallot dressing. It was excellent tasting and I admired the presentation. And they also serve flights of beer, but more on that later.
Since it was not a new restaurant, it did not count, but it did satisfy!
After my golf tournament was over, I took a trip up Route 7 to Burlington. I took a walk on Church Street and found Ken's Pizza and Pub...
It said it was established in 1973, and I went to UVM from 1975 to 1979, so there is a chance I have been here before. But the good thing about turning 60, it was new to me now. The menu is extensive. They call themselves Multi-Cuisine. There was also a "Today's Specials" menu. All looked good but I settled for the Italian Grinder!
I almost got the poutine. But the grinder was very good...
I did not go inside. Most restaurants along Church Street have outside dining. It was a beautiful day to be outside. The first picture is taken from my table and the second is one I took after I left. Very nice...
Since I am considering this a new restaurant, it will be #16 of 2017. Only ten more to go. I give the place a 2.5 (good to great). I docked it some because the beer was served in a plastic cup. I like my beer in a glass. My brother Tom said it might be some law on Church Street. Could be but I still disliked it...
I will continue in another post the rest of my Vermont dining experience...
My first stop on Sunday was in Wilson North Carolina. I was staying at The Holiday Inn Express, and there was a McDonalds across the street. I asked the desk manager about local establishments and she gave me a coupon for an Italian place. My problem is I do not like to eat tomato sauces late at night. So I saw out the window there was a Cracker Barrel within walking distance of the hotel. I do not consider it a new restaurant for the bucket list, but I did have a great home cooked meal with meat loaf and mashed potatoes.
Monday was rainy weather all through Virginia and Pennsylvania. I made it as far as Montgomery New York on Interstate 84. Again, I was at a Holiday Inn Express and again there was a McDonalds across the street. This time I looked up in the local book in the hotel room, and found there were some nice places in downtown Montgomery, about 1.7 miles away. Not in the mood, I drove down to the town using my GPS and I found Garrison's Tavern & Wine Cellar. It was dark but i took this photo of the sign...
When I walked in, there were people having a smoke on the steps and there food was sitting there. I asked if it was good and they said it was great. Inside I found an old bar with about 8 stools, all open but two. No need to hit the dining room, I will just sit at the bar. I saw that they had a few beers on tap and some bottles. She said they had the Brooklyn Summer Ale and I ordered that.
Shrimp Scampi Pizza - Baby spinach, roasted red peppers, garlic butter & fresh mozzarellaIt took awhile for the order to come out, but I was sipping on my beer which I found very refreshing...
There were four slices with plenty of shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms. I found it very delectable and a little rich in flavors. I ate two slices at the Tavern and brought the other two back to the Inn. I figured eating it all was going to put me to sleep so what better place to finish it than a hotel room. This was my 15th new place of the year and I give it a 3.0 (Great). Montgomery was a quaint little town, I parked at the municipal parking lot next to the band stand. Reminded me of a small Vermont town.
The next day I continued my drive to Vermont and hit Middlebury right before noon. I stopped at Tom's house and then walked downtown for lunch. I wanted to stop at the Storm Cafe, but it was crowded with people waiting to get in. So I continued through Frog Hollow and went up to one of my favorites, Two Brothers. It is not new for me but I like the menu which I knew would be different. My view from the bar stool I had plopped my big butt into...
The first thing I noticed were all the beer taps, but I am doing a separate post on beer flights. I ordered a pint of Switchback and knew I was home. But I needed food. I ordered the cheddar ale soup and the plaid salad. I can pretend that I was eating healthy...
Of course the first to come out was the soup. It was delicious and went well with the Switchback ale.
Doesn't it look delicious? Next to come out was the plaid salad. Simply scrumptious looking...
That is a sliced apple on top. What you do not see is the chunks of red and golden beets underneath, making it look like a plaid pattern. Baby kale, Vermont cheddar, candied walnuts with a shallot dressing. It was excellent tasting and I admired the presentation. And they also serve flights of beer, but more on that later.
Since it was not a new restaurant, it did not count, but it did satisfy!
After my golf tournament was over, I took a trip up Route 7 to Burlington. I took a walk on Church Street and found Ken's Pizza and Pub...
It said it was established in 1973, and I went to UVM from 1975 to 1979, so there is a chance I have been here before. But the good thing about turning 60, it was new to me now. The menu is extensive. They call themselves Multi-Cuisine. There was also a "Today's Specials" menu. All looked good but I settled for the Italian Grinder!
I almost got the poutine. But the grinder was very good...
I did not go inside. Most restaurants along Church Street have outside dining. It was a beautiful day to be outside. The first picture is taken from my table and the second is one I took after I left. Very nice...
Since I am considering this a new restaurant, it will be #16 of 2017. Only ten more to go. I give the place a 2.5 (good to great). I docked it some because the beer was served in a plastic cup. I like my beer in a glass. My brother Tom said it might be some law on Church Street. Could be but I still disliked it...
I will continue in another post the rest of my Vermont dining experience...
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