Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Then my girl Jess Wisloski sent me a link to her piece on the place from the Colchester Sun. When a reader sent me yet another recommendation for Berdas last week, my fate was sealed: It had to be the next Alice Eats.
I liked the old-fashioned branding on the trailer (omitted apostrophe and all), but the food was anything but. Indeed, so much of it was idiosyncratic, it was hard to know if I was making the right choices.
Among the hot dogs, should it be the Whistlepig, deep-fried in a jacket of bacon and drizzled in maple syrup? Or the Jalapeño Dog, grilled and then topped with maple-flavored jalapeños and onions and settled into a bun "that's been loaded with cream cheese?" Yes, I could have just ordered a plain hot dog, but it wouldn't have shown me what Berdas is about.
Tags: restaurant review , alice eats , berdas roadside eatery , macaroni and cheese , mac and cheese , sliders , hot dog , onion rings. food trucks , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
The idea is a novel one, not just in Montpelier but in the Green Mountains. This is true fast food, with dishes mostly served in take-out containers.
But that doesn't mean the service felt rushed when I visited. Owner Sam Thongjanthoug had an easy smile and a fatherly air. He seemed a little surprised that my friend and I decided to enjoy our soups in bowls at the restaurant, rather than taking dinner to go.
Tags: alice eats , pho , thai , noodles , vietnam , vietnamese , somt tam , bubble tea , restaurant reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
That's not so much the case at Burlington's new East West Café, at the corner of North Winooski Avenue and Pearl Street. There's no pad Thai or krapow on the menu. There are tom yum, som tam and a selection of curries. But there are far simpler dishes that have the homespun feel of dining in chef Samran Kaewkoet's kitchen. Though not particularly complex, every dish is unfussy and fresh.
Tags: alice eats , east west café , soup , mango sticky rice , thai iced tea , thai , cha siu , duck , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Despite that, this is not going to be an upbeat review. I had high hopes for St. Paul Street Gastrogrub. I've never had a bad meal at its more upscale South Burlington sister restaurant, Wooden Spoon Bistro, so I was confident this meal would naturally follow suit. The menu was appealing. But, with little exception, the pub grub fell flat in execution.
Tags: gastrogrub , pub fare , crostini , sliders , tacos , Brie , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
There's no formality to the fluorescent-lit, 18-seat spot with its lavender walls and wooden parrots hung from the ceiling. Most customers on Sunday night were picking up take-out, but we took a seat to try a sampling of the new/old restaurant's menu.
Tags: ocha thai , thai , khao soi , sticky rice , som tam , waterbury , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Legend has it that the lost city of gold could be anywhere in the Americas. You just have to look for it. I discovered El Dorado deep in Jeffersonville, with the help of my GPS. It's inside the former Red Fox Alpine Lodge, a former skier's dorm, in turn repurposed from a historic church in the 1960s.
The quiet bar within still has the worn feel of après-ski ragers past. Locals might have already discovered the walls aren't gilt; we were the only diners for most of our Sunday evening meal. Still, the server seemed overwhelmed and apologetic at first.
Tags: Mexican pub fare , Mex-style , burgers , fish tacos , Jeffersonville , tortilla chips , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
This weekend, I fell in deep lust. Don't worry, my other half knows. In fact, he shares my feelings. The object of our affection: a Slavic market in Montréal.
One of the most overused phrases in food journalism today is "the Eataly of" to refer to a comprehensive, food-hall-style experience of a particular cuisine. But Krazy Cmak, in Montréal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) neighborhood, bears no resemblance to Mario Batali's famed all-encompassing Italian market. It's on the small side, but I still found lots to love. In fact, I was able to cart home several items I hadn't seen since visiting Poland in 2011. So, yes, high points for the E. Wedel chocolates, rose-petal jam and linden tea.
But what really makes Krazy Cmak stand out is the prepared food.
Tags: russian , polish , montreal , krazy cmak , oscypek , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Tags: north country saloon , milton , bar , taxidermy , dumplings , mac-and-cheese , burgers , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Three-and-a-half years later, only one is left standing, Burlington's El Gato Cantina. Its second location opened in the former Belted Cow Bistro space in Essex Junction last October. Since then its margaritas, ranging from the $7 house version to the $37 Don Julio's 1942 Dream, have attracted crowds eager for something more authentic than quesadillas and nachos. El Gato has those Americano classics, but also more traditional options. Do they pass Mexican muster?
Tags: el gato , taco , tacos , tamales , salsa , chile relleno , tostada , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Tags: brewery , beer , stout , tacos , nachos , charcuterie , pretzels , Restaurant Reviews , Image , Web Only