7 Nights Guide to Vermont Restaurants and Bars

Improving with time: Reviewed by daniels on May 3, 2012; We tried El Gato during their first month open last year, and were disappointed. We tried it again May 2012 and feel the food and service improved greatly. We were there during Restaurant Week, and they had some good special dishes (red snapper) which impressed. The snapper had perfect spice levels, cooked perfectly and the black beans were a nice compliment. The amateur waitstaff from opening month seems to have learned what's on their menu now, although they did forget one appetizer during the meal. The cake tres leches was a great dessert- flavorful and moist.; read more about this restaurant

Continuing the Average Trend: Reviewed by daniels on January 27, 2012; At least the reviews here are consistent! My wife and I had our annual dinner here care of a coupon. We expected mediocre food, and we got what we expected. Calamari: Small portion, lacking flavor, over fried and tasted like a stale potato chip. Bland bland bland. Maybe they had been sitting under the heat lamp for a while? Or maybe the ratio of batter to calamari was off? Bass: The actual fish was pretty good. However, the restaurant (true to form) killed a well cooked piece of fish by adding bacon bits. Bacon bits have very strong flavor and overpower things around it, in this case the bass. I tried to brush off the bacon but I couldn't get it all. Topped off with some bland potato slices, it was underwhelming. Steamed Mussels: It's hard to mess up steamed mussels, and these were acceptable. Some garlic and spinach were nice touches for the dish. The space is nice and the service is good, but this isn't food worth the price. If you're the type of person who picks a restaurant based on parking, you'll like this place (they have free parking below). If you like to eat good food, there are better places in BTV.; read more about this restaurant

Average Food at Overwhelming Prices: Reviewed by daniels on December 14, 2011; My wife and I tried out Bluebird in their new St Paul Street location. It was completely full on a Tuesday evening, but we had a reservation. The space is well decorated and the service was good, in spite of the crowd. The food was disappointing, especially at these prices. My pheasant was $29 for a small portion, and it wasn't especially good. Maybe I didn't know enough about pheasant, but this pheasant was tough and gamey. I'm supportive of the buy-local movement, but not when it compromises quality. Many of the items here seemed to be based on things that one can find in Vermont in December...pheasant, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrot, potato. My wife's burger was cooked correctly, but nothing special in terms of taste or presentation. Like Church and Main, this place seems to be vying for the expense account crowd with average food at sky high prices in a nice setting. However, there's only so many people who can afford a meal that costs $50 a person after an appetizer and a drink.; read more about this restaurant

Ethiopian Night a Great Success: Reviewed by daniels on August 10, 2011; My wife and I decided to try this place again after many months on a recent Tuesday evening, and happened to wander in on Ethiopian night. I've never had Ethiopian food, but was happy to order a large sampler plate (only $15) and try a bit of everything. I don't know the names of the dishes I ate, but I enjoyed nearly everything on my plate. It was great to try interesting food using a blend of new spices. The service and window table were both very good. We'll be back!; read more about this restaurant

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