Smokejacks, at the corner of Church and Main Streets in Burlington, is closed. There is a hand printed piece of paper on the door of the restaurant stating it is closed and there is a “For Lease” sign in the window. The restaurant had a fire last year, which resulted in its closure for a time, and it never quite recovered.
Smokejacks will be remembered for its excellent mixed drinks and fine cheese selection.
3 years ago • 0 notesAh…summer! Long days, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the drive-in for a movie.
In some places, people are not blessed with the opportunity to go to the drive-in, to partake in a movie directly under a starry night sky. In Vermont, we are blessed with several drive-ins, including the Sunset Drive-In.
The most obvious benefit of the drive-in is price. Two movies, generally both first run, for one admission price. It’s also a fun environment where you can be comfortable and amongst friends while watching a movie, and the Sunset has four screens, as well as a playground and a miniature golf course to make it happen. One also might consider one other important benefit of the drive-in to be the ability to bring one’s own food. Unlike a walk-in theater, the Sunset will allow you to bring in your own food. Sure, you can bring your own popcorn, pizza, or ice cream, but you shouldn’t.
The Sunset Drive-In has one classic snack bar. They have hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, pizza, French fries, onion rings, ice cream, the all important popcorn, and more. It’s dinner and a movie, on the cheap.
The snack bar is self-serve, meaning you walk along the counter, grab your prepared and wrapped items from out of their heated bins (or the ice-cream freezer or glass case of mini-pizzas), and then pay the cashier. If a menu item is not in one of the bins, don’t be shy; tell them and they’ll make it for you.
The Sunset makes their own French fries. Hand cut, skins on. They are crispy with warm, buttery insides. The Sunset sets the fry bar high, and it will be difficult to find another place that serves fries like this that are so good that you can’t stop eating them. The Sunset further enhances your French fry experience by offering bottles of vinegar for those fries, in addition to its condiment staples of mustard and ketchup. Onion rings are another side option, but they’re probably not a menu highlight. While certainly far better than Burger King, they’re really just ok. If you love onion rings, you might actually feel let down. The French fries though…simply some of the best fries you’ll find.
The Sunset then goes even further by offering you that one item of deep fried goodness that is often (wrongly) relegated to fair-only status: the corn dog. We’ve had to wait for this item before due to a sell out, but it was well it. The corn dogs were crispy outside, especially down on that little bit of batter that clings to the stick at the bottom of the dog. The cornmeal batter was browned nicely on the outside, steaming and moist inside. The hot dog at the center was perfectly heated through, juicy, and possessing a nice meaty taste. In all, the corn dog was a sublime piece of deep fried goodness.
Speaking of hot dogs, they come in the bun wrapped in a foil envelope, allowing the bun to become steamed by the hot dog as it warms. Not soggy, but steamed with a little bit of hot dog flavor to it. It makes for a perfect hot dog. Again, juicy and meaty with condiments waiting for your to add to per your tastes.
The hamburgers and cheeseburgers receive treatment similar to the hot dogs, and it’s not often you get a steamy warm hamburger bun. The hamburgers are simple, but that’s exactly what you need, and they taste great.
Movie theater popcorn seems to have developed a bad reputation. Many theaters carry leftover popcorn over from day to day, and sometimes, even if your popcorn was made that day, the popcorn has been sitting in a bin or under a counter most of the day creating a chewy bag of blech to which you add topping in an attempt to rehydrate. The Sunset Drive-In’s popcorn is fresh, crunch, and easily recognizable as popcorn. It’s just as good as any you could make on a stove top (and not a microwave). Allow movie popcorn a chance at redemption by trying some at the Sunset. You’ll love it.
If, after all that or any of the other items the Sunset offers, dessert is what you’re looking for, the Sunset offers frozen treats such as ice cream sandwiches (Chessters!) and popsicles. All single serve and at reasonable prices.
While not exactly spa cuisine, the Sunset delivers good, tasty, quality food and entertainment at low prices. There’s still time left to enjoy a nice summer night out, and the Sunset Drive-In is the perfect place to enjoy dinner and a movie.
Summer is waning, and the Sunset is currently only open Friday through Sunday. There’s still time to grab onto one more piece of summer a few more times with some fine snack bar items and a movie at the Sunset Drive-In.
The Sunset Drive-In is located at 155 Porter’s Point Road in Colchester, Vermont. Snack bar items prices are very inexpensive. Admission to the drive-in is $8.00 for adults, $3.00 for children under 12, with children under 4 free. The box office currently opens aat 7:00 with movies at approximately 8:10. Times may vary as the season gets closer to ending, so check their website or call if you have questions: (802)862-1800.
3 years ago • 0 notesWe here at Nosh Vermont used to be weekly regulars at Blue Cat Cafe and Wine Bar. Every Tuesday we’d get a cheese plate, maybe some panini, and drink many glasses of wine. Then summer came, schedules changed, and we just didn’t get in like we once did.
During our absence, Blue Cat changed its menu. They went from a panini, small plates, and salad dominated menu to more a more steakhouse menu, with several types of steak available, including a Kobe Ribeye, and a more “high end” menu with higher priced food, but maintaining an emphasis on their large wine selection. One questions if something is not broke, why fix it? However, sometimes changing course can be a good thing.
I went to Blue Cat recently to give the new menu a try. The atmosphere had not changed; it was still inviting and intimate, with low lights, candles, and a friendly greeting from the owners Ozzy and Mariasha. The wine selection was still huge, and seating at the bar still available. A review of the menu did show a number of steaks available, as well as a tempting prawn dish of grilled prawns with vegetable and a chili lime glaze, and items for vegetarians, a couple of starters and salads. I had never tried Kobe beef before, so I ordered that with the “dirty garlic” mashed potatoes and the house salad, as well as a frozen berry margarita. Their wine selection is tempting, but it was a margarita kind of day.
The frozen berry margarita was made with fresh raspberries and blackberries, and was very refreshing. The salad soon followed, and, honestly, it was an improvement over their previous house salad. Perhaps it was the construction or ingredients, but it was tasty, with fresh mixed greens, a flavorful tomato wedge, carrots, daikon radish, and a drizzle of house balsamic. It was light, but satisfying, and the ingredients looked and tasted fresh.
Then came the Kobe ribeye. A Kobe ribeye does not look like your standard ribeye. Rather than being long and marbled with fat, it resembles a filet mignon, small, rough and thick. I was provide with a knife, but it wasn’t really necessary, as the meat was so tender I could cut it with my fork. I had also ordered the steak medium rare, and it arrived in that state of perfection. The flavor? Oh buttery, meaty goodness. It was hard to not eat it quickly, and the necessity of savoring every bite prevailed. I allowed it to rest in my mouth, the flavor spreading across my tongue and ending right at the point of sublime happiness. It was amazing, and they prepared it wonderfully. The mashed potatoes were quite delicious as well, red skin-on potatoes with a subtle garlic flavor, a perfect accompaniment to the steak. There were also grilled yellow squash and zucchini, which were tasty, although a few more than three slices would have been nice (because they were good, it’s like a big tease to only give me three).
So, what is the verdict on the current state of affairs at Blue Cat? Honestly, it’s not cheap. It’s not the sort of place I would go on a regular basis for dinner, but I would definitely go there when I wanted a good steak. It remains an excellent place to just go in for a nice glass of wine, or maybe even just a salad. The service is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxing. It would be easy to just spend an evening sitting at the bar, siping wine, chatting with Mariasha and Ozzy. Incidentally, if you want to learn about wine, this is also the place to go. Not only do they have periodic wine tasting “classes”, just ask about a wine and they’ll give you more information than you can get at most places. Blue Cat is still a great place to go, it’s just for different reasons.
Total for drink, steak (including salad and potatoes), with tax: $44.48 (before tip).
Blue Cat is located at One Lawson Lane in Burlington. One Lawson Lane is a landlocked building in the middle of the block surrounded by Main Street, Pine Street, College Street, and St. Paul Street. If you walk across the gravel parking lot (parking by permit only) at the corner of College of St. Paul towards the Center of the block, then down the brick stairs, One Lawson Lane is the building in front of you. Once you enter, Blue Cat is to your right, just down the hall.
Good for: Having a drink, dates, celebrations, quiet meals with friends.
Hours: 4:30 pm-midnight, M-F
Full bar, extensive wine selection, some beer.
One Lawson Lane, Burlington, Vermont (802) 863-0349
-Yva
3 years ago • NotesDespite his attorneys’ complaints that he suffered harsh through interrogation tactics, Salim Hamdan, one of Osama bin Laden’s drivers, was convicted on part of the charges against him yesterday.
This is not terribly newsworthy on its surface, because there are terrorism trials ending in convictions all the time. What is notable is that Mr. Hamdan flipped easily. He became putty in the palms of his interrogators as a result of an all-American product: McDonald’s.
Despite all the stories you hear about maltreatment of prisoners/detainees or whatever you want to call them, Mr. Hamdan enjoyed one of America’s finest culinary traditions while in custody, and warmed to investigators quite quickly when presented with McDonald’s French fries. In fact, he even appreciated the fact they were not cold.
Because, as we all know, cold McDonald’s fries taste similar to diesel.
It gets even better, Mr. Hamdan was also given and enjoyed that deep fried, tarter sauce-covered beast known as the Filet O’ Fish. Say what you will about McDonald’s, but apparently it has become an important tool in the war on terrorism. It opens doors and rapport with suspects without the use of any violence beyond that which fast food might bring down upon the suspect’s digestive system and arteries. McDonald’s (and a call between Mr. Hamdan and Mrs. Hamdan) helped investigators do their jobs and gain an almost cooperating suspect.
That’s right, Hamdan flipped for fries and a Filet O’ Fish. Everyone has a flip point, and for him it was a bit of the culture his boss wanted to destroy. What would you flip for?
-Yva
3 years ago • 0 notesTwo Vermont organizations, the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging and Spectrum Youth and Family Services will benefit from your eating.
On Friday, July 25, 2008, Papa John’s will donate 25% of the proceeds from sales at their Essex Junction and Burlington locations to Spectrum Youth and Family Services. If you are not familiar with Spectrum, it provides services to youth who are homeless, at-risk, or in foster care to help them into a successful adulthood. Order a pizza (or two), and Papa John’s will send a donation to this excellent organization.
Papa John’s, 10 Main Street, Essex Junction, 878-5777
Papa John’s, 135 Pearl Street, Burlington, 652-5222
Top Chef of the Champlain Valley benefiting the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging is happening on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. Three Champlain Valley chefs, David Hoene of Pauline’s Cafe, Connie Jacobs-Warden of Chow! Bella, and Sam Palmisano of Pulcinella’s, will compete for the title of Top Chef and for a mere $35.00 you get to watch, eat, and there will also be wine and beer sampling, and a silent auction. This event benefits CVAA’s Meals on Wheels and Case Management Program.
For information click on the link above or call 1-800-642-5119 or 865-0360.
3 years ago • 0 notesToday until 8:00 p.m. you can get a free regular size burrito at the Boloco on Church Street in Burlingon (this location only).
Boloco is a the most recent addition to the burrito market in the Burlington area. Based in Boston, Boloco opened this location a bit over a week ago. The Boloco menu offers flexibility. There are eight base models (Classic, Cajun, Teriyaki, Mediterranean, Summer, Caesar, Bangkok, and Buffalo) to which you can add grilled chicken, grilled steak, carnitas, organic tofu, or fajita vegetables, as well as a “build your own” option. Yva has had three burritos from Boloco since the opening, and they were all delicious. First was a summer burrito, consisting of black beans, mango salsa, cilantro, rice, and cheese in a flour tortilla. It was very fresh tasting, and the mango salsa had fresh, ripe sweet mangoes that worked well with the spicy kick of the peppers. Next up was the buffalo burrito with chicken. It was also quite good, with a peppery tasting buffalo sauce, bleu cheese dressing, celery (clever!), and rice in a flour tortilla. Finally, there was a Cajun burrito with chicken, Cajun spices, black beans, roasted corn salsa, sour cream, and rice in a lour tortilla. It wasn’t overwhelmingly “Cajun,” but it was good, and the corn added a nice nutty sweetness to the mix. Their burritos are reasonably priced with regular sizes starting around $5.00 and larges starting around $6.00.
Boloco’s burritos are really good, and quite filling, even the regular sized. Get yourself down to Church Street today to get your free burrito.
3 years ago • 0 notesLulu and Yva had the opportunity to eat breakfast at One Flight Up, the sole restaurant at Burlington International Airport, recently. Opportunity is probably far too positive of a word; perhaps “misfortune” is more accurate.
They had some time to kill before Lulu’s plane departed, and hadn’t eaten anything, so they decided to give this place a try. It’s not much to look at compared to restaurants in most other airports. It looks like a conference room in which they’re placed some tables and chairs and then hastily thrown some airplane and airline-related art up on the walls. However there are some seats which overlook the tarmac, so it’s not all bad. After a bit of a wait in the relatively empty restaurant they were seated at one such table.
The breakfast menu is pretty standard. There are omlets, pancakes, French toast, some benedicts, and a breakfast burrito, along with some standard sides. Lulu ordered the breakfast burrito and Yva ordered the eggs Benedict, both of which came with a side of fresh fruit.
The food arrived in a decent amount of time. The presentation was not particularly attractive, just a large white plate with a small, lonely entree sitting on it, seemingly adrift and overwhelmed by the large sea of plate. The fruit was in a small bowl placed on one corner of the plate.
Lulu’s breakfast burrito consisted of scrambled eggs, black olives, scallions, tomatoes, and onions with salsa and shredded cheddar wrap in a flout tortilla, cut in half, and then the halves held together with toothpicks a la club sandwich. She was pretty underwhelmed by the burrito. It was somewhat bland, surprisingly. It was also interesting to note that for whatever reason the shredded cheddar did not melt in any way within the burrito. It was as if the eggs and vegetable mixture had cooled entirely prior to the filling being put into the tortilla, and as a result the cheese didn’t even consider melting in its cool environment. Yes, the burrito was not terribly warm. There were also some interesting brown areas within the eggs, the source of which we could not determine. The side of fruit that accompanied the burrito was made up of honeydew, cantaloupe, grapes, and pineapple chunks. Rather standard fare, and nothing to complain about. The pineapple was actually fresh, firm to the bite and nicely ripe.
Yva’s eggs Benedict was overwhelming. Overwhelming with saltiness. Rather than using the standard Canadian bacon in its Benedict, One Flight Up uses thin slices of Vermont ham, which is nice, but that may have been part of the salty problem. The salty problem was further exacerbated by the Hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce is supposed to contain lemon juice. The lemon juice is what makes it so attractive for a Benedict; because the Benedict is supposed to be a little salty from the bacon/ham, the acidic tartness of the lemon juice will cut the saltiness, as well as the Hollandaise simply adding creaminess to help bring the poached eggs, meat, and English muffin together. There was no lemon juice, or even any acidity, detectable in this Hollandaise sauce. There was more salt though. The poached eggs were overcooked, with hard yolks, but that was honestly the least of the plate’s problems. The Benedict was pretty much inedible, and the plate was only saved by the fruit that accompanied it.
We are uncertain what went wrong at One Flight Up. It could be the captive diner syndrome. There are only a couple of snack bars within the airport, so if someone wants to kill a bit more time or dine a little more formally this is their only option. It could have simply been an off morning or perhaps breakfast is not their forte. The restaurant is only open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., so they have plenty of opportunities to master breakfast. Regardless, we wouldn’t risk it again for another meal. When you have two entrees and they’re both questionable, you don’t want to risk any additional investment.
Breakfast for two (including two soft drinks): $22.38. One Flight Up, Burlington International Airport, South Burlington, Vermont. Hours are 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. There is a lounge which opens later and closes early as well.
3 years ago • 0 notesNectar’s is a bar with a long history. It is also known as the birthplace of the band Phish, but we don’t hold that against Nectar’s. Nectar’s is not only a restaurant, but also a bar and has live music. As far as food, Nectar’s has recently tried to change its menu, and is leaning heavily towards barbecue type food. Given our adventure at Curtis’, we felt capable of giving it a try.
We started with sliders. Nectar’s had pulled pork, pulled chicken, and beef brisket available. They were served naked, with barbecue sauce and cole slaw available on the side. We liked the idea of being able to put these items on in an amount and distribution to our liking. We tried them naked, with the sauce on the side so we could taste the meat both ways. The chicken and pork were really nothing special. There was no smokiness or particular flavor discernable in either. They were both cooked over a hickory fire, per the menu, but honestly we couldn’t really tell. With the barbecue sauce, they perked up, but that was solely because the barbecue sauce was good. It was a thin tomato-based sauce with a subtle burn to it, and we liked its zip. The beef brisket, on the other hand, was a total winner. Tender and smoky, with a bit of sweetness from the onions that accompanied it, it was something to go back for more of. We tried the cole slaw on the side, and it was not particularly memorable. It tasted fresh and wasn’t soupy or anything, but it was just kind of “meh” and unexciting. We wouldn’t bother trying it on a slider. Nectar’s offers Vermont Maple Baked Beans as a side. The flavor of these was very nice, just a subtle hint of maple, which was nice because maple can easily overwhelm. Unfortunately the beans were undercooked and chewy. It was like they had been rushed through the rehydration process or simply not cooked long enough.
Wait, have you ever had a fried pickle? Nectar’s had slices of fried dill pickles available, and they were just amazing. Lightly battered, hot(but not greasy) on the outside and crispy, cool dill goodness on the inside. They were just indescribably good. These could easily become a hard habit to break, addictive in their taste a texture.
Our next plates were hickory smoked spareribs with potato salad and macaroni salad. First, the good news: The potato salad was amazing. It was not what one would consider a “traditional” potato salad that one would expect to find at a barbecue place; Nectar’s uses skin-on red-skinned potatoes, and contrasts them with crunchy chopped celery, bell pepper and other vegetables. The result is like a garden salad in the form of a potato salad: very green and fresh tasting. The dressing was light tasting and held it all together nicely. The macaroni salad was dismal. It lacked any specific flavor, although the dressing looked like it might have contained mustard seeds. The salad lacked body and just kind of fell apart on the plate, a little trail of elbow macaroni and celery. We were very excited about the ribs. The menu describes them as “rubbed with Nectar’s secret BBQ spice blend and cooked ‘til it falls off the bone,” however they too lacked any hickory flavor or rub flavor. All you could taste was the barbecue sauce. What’s this trend with Nectar’s hickory smoked meats not tasting smoky? A bit more of that rub, might have saved the ribs, or even a little more time in the smoker (which also would have helped make them “fall off the bone” tender). The ribs came with sauce on them, and the sauce was again quite good. Nectar’s is getting the sauce right and while scraping the sauce off the ribs to discover if the ribs had any flavor of their own, we were quite happy to lick it off our fingers.
Oh yes, the sauce on our fingers. Just as we were lamenting the lack of availability of handi-wipes on the tables or nearby a Nectar’s employee appeared like an angel from barbecue heaven with two handi-wipes for us.
Nectar’s had three desserts available that evening: maple pecan pie, maple buttermilk pie, and black-bottom mud season pie. We loved every one of them. They all had what appeared to be pre-made tart shells to them, but they tasted just fine, and were flaky and not made mushy by the pie contents. The maple pie was very buttery, with a hint of maple, and the filling was rich, but not overwhelming. The maple buttermilk had a tanginess too it from the buttermilk, and the maple added an slight earthy sweetness. It was topped with a dollop of real whipped cream, which smoothed the pie out beautifully. In an act of extraordinary creativity, the black-bottom mud season pie was not topped by the typical whipped cream, but by marshmallow cream. It was a journey to childhood decadence: a dark, not too sweet, chocolate pudding-like filling with the sweet creamy texture of the marshmallow providing both complement and contrast. It was delicious, and, not that it needs any change, if the crust were a graham crust, it would taste like the most decadent s’more ever. Although it might not have been its intention, Nectar’s has created a couple of dessert devotees in us with these three items. Combined with their super-strong coffee, we would stop by for dessert alone.
Would we go back to Nectar’s? Sure, if we didn’t feel like making the drive to Chester for barbecue. For dessert? Absolutely.
INFO: 188 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont, (802) 658- 4771. Nectar’s still has a bar vibe and is good for outings with friends, sitting alone at the bar, or an informal lunch or dinner. Beverages include Coke(tm) products, beer, mixed drinks, and wine. Open Seven days a week, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
3 years ago • 0 notesI’ve never had a good experience with sucralose. It’s nasty, and more products are sneaking it into their ingredients without warning. Remember the years of “THIS WILL GIVE YEAR CANCER” (or a slightly more subtle warning) being emblazoned on anything that contained saccharin? No such thing with products containing sucralose, no “THIS WILL MAKE YOU THINK VOMIT TASTES GOOD” warning, which is sad and has created many moments of shock for me. In particular, the specific brand of Splenda(tm) (which is sucralose blended with maltodextrin and dextrose) has been the bane of my existence. Remember when they came out with those flavored Dasanis? Sadly, I did not check the label carefully enough and thought I had just purchased lemon-flavored water. Nope, it was liquified lemon-flavored earwax, because really that is what Splenda(tm) tastes like: a slightly bitter and earwax-like aftertaste that is IMPOSSIBLE to get out of your mouth. I’m not adverse to artificial sweeteners, I just think they shouldn’t sneak up on you unlabelled and they should actually taste sweet. I decided to ask the biggest pusher of sucralose, the makers of Splenda(tm), if they had any plans to improve their product.
On June 12, 2008, I sent the following to McNeil Nutritionals, the makers of Spenda(tm) via their website:
“Generally I (and others with whom I have consulted) find that Splenda starts out sweet, like sugar, but then finishes with a bitter, earwax-like aftertaste. Any plans to reformulate to solve this problem? Thanks.”
It took them a few days to process my question. Today, I received the following response:
“Dear Yva:
Thank you for contacting McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, makers of Splenda® No Calorie Sweetener. It is always important to hear from our consumers, and we appreciate the time you have taken to contact us.
Although we were sorry to learn of your disappointment with your package of SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, we appreciate the confidence in our company that prompted you to contact us.
We’d like to assure you that each complaint is reviewed seriously and personally not only by the Consumer Relationship Center’s management, but also by managers in other divisions such as Quality Assurance, Research, Operations and Marketing.
We hope we have restored your faith in us. In the meantime, if you reply to this email with your full mailing address, we will forward a coupon via regular mail should you wish to purchase one of our products in the future.
Again, thank you for your interest in our company. Should you have any comments or questions in the future, please contact us via our website or by calling our toll-free number 1-800-962-5357. Our specialists are available Monday through Friday between 8 AM and 8 PM EST and will be happy to assist you.
The Information Center”
In other words, their product will still taste disgusting and they’re happy to send me coupons so I can relive that experience repeatedly, but at a discount. Kudos to you McNeil Nutritionals!
-Yva
3 years ago • 0 notesHmm…I tried both the Moosewood Moroccan Stew and the Macaroni and Three Cheeses. The macaroni wasn’t bad per se; it suffered the same fate as most frozen macaroni and cheese in general blandness. For whatever reason, frozen food purveyors can’t seem to mix together cooked macaroni with any sort of cheese sauce and get any results that have flavor. The Moosewood recipe contains cheddar, neufchatel, and parmesan. It was creamy, but the only thing that made me think there might be cheese involved was the orange color. On the whole, it was not great, but not terrible.
The Moroccan Stew? First, I think it falls more into the soup category. I tried it twice, prepared in two separate microwaves and both times it was a liquidy mess. There was no fork involved in its consumption. In fact, such an endeavor would likely be impossible. The other failing on this particular dish was that it lacked any real ingredients beyond the broth-like liquid, a lot of couscous (which merely takes up space) three raisins, two small squares of sweet potato (comprising less than one cubic inch in total) and a few possible chunks of tomato. Wait…there is a piece of cabbage measuring one by two inches. There were no recognizable chickpeas or peppers to be found either time. It tastes okay, but it might be time to reformulate this one to include more solids in the recipe.
Now I know what it’s like for baby birds to eat stuff their mother has regurgitated.
Yva
3 years ago • Notes