Shelburne News

Cucina Antica: Come for fresh new entrees... stay for dessert

In the mood for a specialty pizza but don't want to leave the comforts of home? Cucina Antica distributes partially baked pizza in 50 variations on white and wheat dough for sale in the surrounding area. The widely popular pizzas are the same product that is served in the restaurant except that the crust has only been cooked half way to enable it to rise. The pizzas are made with fresh toppings and delivered every other day to the Shelburne Supermarket, Healthy Living in South Burlington, The Fresh Market on Pine Street, Natural Food Coop in Middlebury, Hunger Mountain in Montpelier, Brattleboro Food Coop, Upper Valley Coop in White River Junction, The Sweet Clover in Essex, and City Market in downtown Burlington.

Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at Chef Leu's ~ Jan. 22 - Feb. 5

What a treat - to have a chef select and specially prepare my meal - it wasn't even something on the menu (yet). This was the case at Chef Leu's last weekend. Owner Mei Wang asked if I would like to try some of the truly special plates to be featured during the restaurant's two-week Chinese New Year celebration. And the beautifully-plated steamed whole tilapia that was placed before me was a clear indication that a true celebration was being planned.

Everyone's a local at Archie's Grill

Do you know the happy feeling you get when you go to an establishment so often that you can consider yourself a local because the owner knows your name and your typical order? That is the feeling you get after the first time you go to dine at Archie's Grill and meet owner Dick Hess.

When in Richmond...do Toscano!

It feels just like sitting at a table in a dear friend's house - well, as long as the friend is a remarkable cook with a flair for charming interior decor! That's what came to mind last Tuesday night as we settled into a cozy corner table at Toscano Café and Bistro with friends Dawn Schmidt and Norm Blais to enjoy one another's company and some truly elevated comfort food. While still contemplating the night's menu, our server Margaret brought over a plate of beautifully crisp goat cheese ravioli as an appetizer for us to share.

The Dutch Mill keeps turning out good food!

I can't remember the first time I stepped foot in The Dutch Mill. It was even before moving to Shelburne. What drew me in was the kitschy calling of the distinctive 1940-esque Dutch-inspired architecture on Route 7. Come on...who can resist walking into the door of such iconic design?

It hit "The Spot"

I was looking for an excuse to visit The Spot, a renovated 1950s gas station repurposed as a hip and healthy casual restaurant on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. Particularly appealing was the authentic retro vibe and the al fresco bar between the pumps that seemed too much fun to be missed.

Ole! Amigos - a fiesta at Miguel's

New Mex, Old Mex, Tex Mex, Cali Mex... Mexican food is likely one of the earliest examples of "fusion cuisine": the native Incan, Mayan, and Aztec staples such as corn and beans, met with Cortez and Spanish rice in the early 1500s.

The Bearded Frog: an epicurean prince

A recent dining experience at the Bearded Frog convinced me of this: Chef Andrea Cousinea is the Queen of Umami. The taste sensation known as umami comes from the Japanese words umai, meaning delicious, and mi, meaning taste. Specifically, it refers to a pleasant savory taste that is now included among the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and since 1985, umami. Technically, that means there are particular natural occurring amino acids and ribonucleotides in many veggies and certain seafoods and meats that balance taste.

Marco's: The line starts here

It was Thursday lunchtime and the employees at Wind Ridge Publishing were tired, hungry, and in need of a treat. I went upstairs and asked who would like to order take out from Marco's. "Oh I love Marco's and I already know what I want to order," said Sheri Duff the Shelburne News sports editor and Charlotte Citizen editor. "Me too," said Cheryl Bodette our advertising department director. "Count me right in," added Margo Callaghan, Shelburne News editor.

Barkeaters ~ Good neighbors: Vermont fresh food and Adirondack atmospheres

As many readers may know, according to its menu, the Shelburne restaurant Barkeaters gleaned its name from the English translation of the Mohican word Adirondack. Step up to the front door and you begin to see a theme unfold: canoe paddle door handle, birch tree branch curtain rods, canoe shelving in the bar ...you get the picture. It feels like a cozy Adirondack lodge although the cuisine is rooted in farm fresh Vermont.

Shelburne Farms: Rain or shine — open for the season

The Farm Effect begins in the driveway to the Inn at Shelburne Farms: the curving dirt road makes its way through lush fields and under the watch of open-armed trees. In just a couple miles, the slow drive and gentle curves lead you through the trees near Church Woods to the Inn, where the frenetic world has dropped away.

Armchair travelers' delight: Leunig's Bistro & Café

I walked a little faster and stepped a little lighter to make my way across the windy brick walkways of Church Street Marketplace to reach my anticipated destination: Leunig's Bistro & Café. I arrived a bit earlier than my reservation, but was received with ease and ushered inside to a cozy corner table perfect for people watching.

Paulines Café serves out-of-this-world food from the Green Mountain state

Out-of-this-world food hardly seems an appropriate epicurean hyperbole when most of the food served at Pauline's Café is thoughtfully sourced close to home. Committed to procuring fresh local foods, including a variety of local meats and artisan cheeses, Pauline's Chef-Owner David Hoene also enjoys using fruits and vegetables cultivated in Vermont farmers' fields.

The Windjammer Still Shines

As Tim, my husband and dining companion, and I pulled into the Windjammer parking lot on Friday evening before 5 p.m. we were surprised to find a place to park. Truth be told, Tim and I are regulars of the Upper Deck Pub, the 100-seat restaurant within a restaurant, and finding a parking space on a weekend night, no matter how early, is not usually that easy.

For fresh fish daily visit Shanty on the Shore

There is a bit of snobbery in those of us who have lived near the sea: we don't eat restaurant seafood unless we are within an easy drive from one of King Neptune's large estates. Fortunately, Kim and Al Gobeille, the owners of the Burlington seafood restaurant Shanty on the Shore share this point of view. Although Kim is a native Vermonter and used to the catch from our inland sea, Lake Champlain, her husband Al originally was a Rhode Island boy. Al grew up near the ocean and landed his first job in a seafood restaurant by the time he was just 14.

La Villa Bistro Delizioso!

My family has eaten at La Villa at least twice a month for the last 16 years, since it opened in 1995, and to date, not one of us has tasted everything we desire on the menu...yet. We have gone there in the evening for quick and healthy (Vermont Farm Fresh) family dinners, for special occasions, with neighbors and with out-of-town visitors.

Cucina Antica - Save us a seat

We had pizza to-go nearly every Friday night when our children were growing up. That translates to about 20 consecutive years of pizza eating. We would make the local rounds to fit our moods, thin crusts here this week, thick crusts there the next week. We were usually tired and in a rush to get home to relax...

Score one for the Flatbread Factory and Tap Room

Before dining at the Flatbread Factory in the Shelburne Bay Plaza with my friend Cherie on Friday evening, I had some assumptions and biases to overcome. First, I had heard about several (seven to be exact) TVs in the restaurant to watch sporting events while you down a cold beer. I rarely watch TV, and have never watched sports on TV (not ever!).

Junior's Italian in Colchester

Before my teenage daughter Scarlett and her friend Annie went to a dance on Saturday evening, I corralled them into joining me for dinner at Junior's Italian in Colchester. Mum's offer of pizza was not a tough sell. However, to accommodate the girls' plans we had to go early.

Lake View House - home to a fine evening

Typically before I venture in to do a story on a restaurant, I'll call the chef, owner or manager of the establishment, and ask that age old question, "What's new?" When I spoke to Lazarus Coep...

Leunig's for summer romance and martinis

The reason for this article's title was my observance of fellow diners at Leunig's last week. It was a heavy couples crowd of all ages. There were a few friendly larger groups sprinkled throughout the inside dining rooms, as well as those taking advantage of dining al fresco in the midst of a bustling (but steamy) Thursday evening in the big city. But couples were prevalent, no doubt taking advantage of the open air and European-inspired spirit of the popular bistro.

The exquisite experience that is The Inn at Shelburne Farms

Sitting on the veranda of the Inn at Shelburne Farms, overlooking the rolling lawns and shoreline of the lake is in itself something of a magical experience. Couple that with the anticipation of having dinner served...