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Guild & Company
Great Food and Service
Reviewed by sarahlove on October 25, 2012
My partner and I were so excited for Guild to open and I can tell you we were NOT disappointed. The menu is ambitious and when the food arrived we were NOT disappointed. We shared oysters (always a treat in VT), Crudo and a crab dip to start. Both fish dishes tasted exceedingly fresh and the crab dish was the perfect creamy and rich compliment to the raw fish. My partner had the halibut which came in a broth and was tender and very flavorful. I had the dry aged ribeye and it was worth every dime. I understand some people don't want to pay the big bucks for a steak, but I would rather pay more for meat that wasn't produced on a factory farm and pumped full of antibiotics and god knows what else. I am more than happy to pay for quality food especially when it supports local farms. We shared a pot de creme for dessert and it was a little piece of Vermont maple heaven. The shortbread cookie that came with it was the perfect compliment, we took turns spooning little bits of the creme on to it and taking bites. The service was really great. The gal at the door - Holly? Molly? was so friendly and while our table wasn't ready exactly when we got there, she was so lovely about the whole thing that we didn't mind a bit. Our server was great as well. I asked her name, but can't remember it, she had a full sleeve of flower tattoos though, so she'd be easy to identify if you went. She was very knowledgable about the menu and steered us towards cocktails we might like from their (what seemed to me way too fussy) cocktail menu without being pretentious at all. She was fun and brought a free dessert to us when she overheard us talking about it being our anniversary. Above and beyond in the service department for sure. Overall, we loved Guild and will definitely be back.
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India House Restaurant
It literally could not have been worse.
Reviewed by sarahlove on July 25, 2011
I should start by saying that I have eaten some amazingly delicious and authentic Indian food so maybe I'm not a great judge of Vermont Indian food. That being said, everything was awful. We ordered a Paneer Makhani which they said they do make but just call it Paneer Masala. I asked if it was really the same thing and they assured me it was. My husband ordered a lamb curry - Rogan Josh. The Paneer Masala was NOT a Paneer Makhani. It was terribly acidic whereas makhani is smooth and creamny and delicious. The sauce was as think as water and may actually have been watered down otherwise I have no idea how they got it so runny. It was AWFUL. My husband's rogan josh was also very runny, the lamb was incredibly tough and even though he ordered it medium spiced it was very bland. I can almost guarantee that the naan we got was made the day before. It was completely rubbery and yet was blackened like it had been cooked in an oven which leads me to believe it had been reheated in a microwave or something. Naan is supposed to be light and fluffy and buttery. This naan was rubbery and dense. The service was no prize either, the guy who waited on us was really short with us and pretty rude when we told him we didn't really like the food when he asked us how we liked it. And did I mention it is INSANELY overpriced?!?! Two entrees, naan and no drinks - $45!!! Insane. We will NEVER go there again and suggest you don't either!!!
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A Single Pebble
SP can do no wrong
Reviewed by sarahlove on January 13, 2011
I come back to A Single Pebble over and over. The food and service are amazing. The menu at A Single Pebble is large enough that one can go back again and again and not feel bored. There are daily specials that are always exquisite. There are tons of vegetarian options and plenty of stuff for the meat eaters too. The service is always spot on. The servers are cued in to the nuances of the menu and specials and the service always feels friendly and never rushed. On a Friday night it can be a little noisy in there but nothing that can't be tolerated!
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My Little Cupcake — Essex
FInally! A cupcake bakery!!!!
Reviewed by sarahlove on January 11, 2011
I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for a cupcake bakery in VT. I had tasted My LIttle Cupcake's delights at the south burlington farmer's market over the summer and loved them. When I saw a piece on WCAX about them opening a bakery in Essex I was nothing short of thrilled! I went in about a week after they opened and they already have it nailed down!!! The space is SO cute, all pinks with a hilariously cute mural on one of the walls. In the bakery case they had TWELVE different kinds of mini cupcakes. We decided to get a dozen and just get one of each kind. Not a single one of those cupcakes missed the mark. Every single one was delicious! My favorites were the salted caramel, choclate/vanilla, red velvet and mint chocolate. None missed the mark though and we will definitely be back!!! The woman behind the counter reported she was a friend of the owners not the owner and she was so funny. We really enjoyed chatting with her. She knew all about the flavors and told us her favorites. All around, amazing!!!
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Bluebird Tavern
So, so, so good!
Reviewed by sarahlove on January 3, 2011
I do so love the Bluebird. The food is so fresh, the drinks are really creative and the service is spot on every time we go in. I can't say enough about how great the service is there. My only complaint is that since the new chef came there is nothing vegetarian on the menu. When I asked about it they told me I could get something that wasn't vegetarian and they could fix it so it would be. I don't think you can get away with having nothing veg on a menu in this town.
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Cupp's
Pretty Disappointed
Reviewed by sarahlove on January 3, 2011
I went to this bakery three times over a period of a couple of weeks because I didn't want to judge it too harshly when they first opened, but it just never got better. The first time I went I got a latte and a muffin. The latte was a 7 out of 10 so it was fine. The muffin on the other hand was really soggy on the bottom. When I was telling a friend about it he told me (he's a baker himself) that the muffins were left to cool in the pan and the moisture got trapped underneath them and that was why there were so soggy. I was disappointed because it wasn't cheap and I had to throw it after one bite. The second time I went I got a coffee (good regular coffee) and a cupcake. The cupcake was just awful. The cake itself tasted like it had been sitting out for three days - dry and crumbly. The frosting was a buttercream but it tasted like I was eating a stick of butter with nothing else in it. I'm a girl who LOVES buttercream and this one was terrible. The third time I went I was the only person in there and it took them 20 minutes to get me a bowl of soup and roll to go. I had the Cheddar Ale soup and it was so thick the spoon could literally stand on it's own in the spoon. It was gross. I am done with this place now. I gave them three chances but it just isn't good.
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