Nosh Vermont

Curtis’ BBQ - Selectively Sassy

Curtis’ BBQ is a seasonal favorite in Putney, Vermont. Unfortunately the craving for barbecue is not seasonal, so when we found out there was a year round location in Chester, Vermont we decided we had to pay it a visit. The Chester location is located just off Route 103 in Chester. The sign announces it as “Curtis’ All American Restaurant,” but the large smoker in the parking lot and the fragrant scent of smoking meats lets you know that this is more than just American food. It’s an inviting building with a neon “Bud Light” sign in the window.

There is a large menu up on the wall at Curtis’, and you place your order and pay at the window next to it. The menu is standard barbecue fare: pork ribs, chicken, and chopped pork or chicken available on their own or in various sandwich, wrap, or quesadilla form. There are platters available for the ribs, 1/4 chicken, and chopped pork, all served with cornbread and either one or two sides. Available sides include cole slaw, potato salad, collard greens, corn, green beans, and baked beans. On Fridays after 6:00 p.m., Curtis’ serves beef brisket. There are also daily specials, and on the day of our visit, a Saturday, the special was a beef brisket sandwich, likely left over from the previous day. Tracey ordered the chopped pork platter with collard greens and baked beans and Yva ordered the pork rib platter with potato salad and baked beans. Curtis’ have a very inviting casual environment, with two walls of booths and several tables scattered around the room. The walls were covered with photos of Curtis Tuff, the Curtis of Curtis’, his business, and articles, as well as a large chalkboard noting the wine and beer service, as well as a Sunday “all you can eat” option.

The tables invited us to take our time and have a little fun, with decks of cards, mini Mr. Potatoheads, and tubs of modeling clay. In a wise move for a place that serves barbecue, Curtis’ also had the foresight to provide rolls of paper towels on each table.

We didn’t have time to play with the toys, because the service was fast (and friendly) and we soon had before us on our table two plates covered with food. The main items and cornbread were directly on the plate while our side items were presented quite cleverly in teacups on the plate. The cornbread was warm and of the slightly sweet cake-like variety, very tasty. Curtis’ gets bonus points for providing Cabot butter pats that were not cold and rock hard, but slightly warm so the butter could be spread on the cornbread.

Yva’s ribs were pink and smoky tasting, literally fall off the bone tender. Curtis’ does not use any rub or seasoning on the rubs, but smokes them in their pure form; the sauce is poured onto the ribs to order. Unfortunately, the sauce was cold, but it was good and the coldness did not detract from the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness of the ribs. The potato salad that accompanied the ribs was the best Yva had ever tasted that was not prepared by one of her elderly relatives. She left craving more ribs and salad, but not for a lack of serving portion but rather as a craving for more of their tremendous flavor.

Tracey’s chopped pork was incredible, smothered in the tangy mild sauce, and were sided by collard greens (which weren’t as zesty or savory as she expected), a perfect cake of cornbread, and … the beans. We both had baked beans as one of our sides. It was definitely the low point of the meal. The beans lacked flavor or any sort. Yva did notice there was some onion in her baked beans, but even that tasted like nothing, not even onion. We noticed that when the people in the booth behind us left, they had ordered baked beans and had left most of them in the cup uneaten. Honestly, we would have been happier eating a cold can of Bush’s baked beans. Baked beans are a standard item that any barbecue restaurant should be able to master, if not innovate. We ordered the 1/4 chicken platter with mild barbecue sauce with cornbread and potato salad to go. The chicken, a leg and thigh, was juicy and the meat had an intense, but not overwhelming, smoky flavor and richness that left mouths watering. While the baked beans were a disappointment, we loved our Curtis’ experience and it was well worth the two plus hour drive to Chester to experience it and are already planning a return visit (this time with more items to enjoy at home). INFO: Total cost for dinner for two with two large beverages (w/tax): $29.97. Curtis’ is child friendly, and even has an area for kids to hang out. They take cash and major credit cards. Beverages include Pepsi(tm) products, beer, and wine. Open W, Th, Sun 11-8, and F and Sat 11-9.

The Inebriated Traveler: Newark

Hunter is a some-time Vermont resident who spends a lot of time in airports. He spends a lot of time drinking and eating (especially eating) in those airport.  The Inebriated Traveler is our series on his eating and drinking experiences/

February 26, 2008 Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Newark Airport Terminal C3

So I once again am stuck in Newark for much, much longer than I had expected and once again I am hungry and in need of several obligatory airport drinks. It seems I wind up here quite regularly as I currently split my residence between Vermont and Houston. While Newark seems to be very convenient for the folks at Continental it’s not really my cup of tea. Knowing that the nicest restaurant in all three of the Newark C terminals happens to be Gallagher’s steak house I quickly head to C3. Gallagher’s is covered with pictures of old baseball players like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and…um, did I mention Babe Ruth or that I find baseball boring? It also features it’s aging meats right out in the restaurant through windows into it’s chillers. Nice mood lighting and window views out to the tarmac. Probably one of the finest views in Newark. This is definitely not your typical airport restaurant despite being filled with travelers and their luggage.

So I wanted to sit at the bar but it was completely full forcing me to sit at the secondary bar/trough across the walkway. Well, the bar is full if you count several seats being taken by small handbags which I assume belong to one of the travelers on one of it’s sides. Luckily, when people get in public, they free themselves of having to be concerned about what and who is around them so they don’t need to experience guilt brought on by inconveniencing other’s at the gluttony of their selfishness. Like the guy on my plane who slowly prepared all his carry on items, coat, belt, shirt, hat and carefully double checked them all again as he stood blocking the aisle of the airplane as the rest of us were trying our best to make our hopeless connections. Maybe he had it right? We are hopeless and don’t bother trying to make your proverbial “connections” in the airport of life. No wait a minute, that guy was a motherfucker who had his head up his ass. Anyway, that guy blocking the bar seat with his carry on just left and two other guys just took his (and his bag’s) seat as I sat here typing so I am still feeling like a second class citizen. Ya’ know, I wonder whoever must have designed this secondary bar here must be the same guy who decided to put in that middle seat on the airplane. It’s kind of saying “gee, I’d hate to have to sit here for any length of time and I pity the fool who will have to but, here ya’ go.” Did I mention I am in fucking Jersey again with same bartender who served me drink after drink for eight hours earlier this month as my connecting flight became ever more elusive? He does have a nice spray on tan and very finely gelled spikey hair, pierced ears and one ear with a barbell that connected his mid-ear to the top of his ear. Actually kind of reminds me of me when I was his age.

Oops burger is here, gotta eat now.

Ordered a 10oz prime burger - rare with crumbled bleu cheese, extra tomatoes and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Not sure what vineyard. I didn’t specify and the bartender didn’t care to ask me. He seemed more concerned that the floor was proprerly attended to by the bar-back. I assume this was ensuring his quick exit which is most likely gonna be before my flight’s departure. And after all, I was just some poor sap who couldn’t even get a seat at the bar

The burger was brought to me by the chef personally in his white chef’s jacket. He had to return to bring my silverware. Had I been sitting a few feet away at the actual bar facing the other direction the bartender would have served that to me but on a white napkin placed carefully like I was royalty. Oh well, not tonight. Tonight some other traveler’s satchel received that treatment while I sat with cattle eating nearly raw cattle. Holy shit I am a cannibal.

Burger was as good as any you would find at a local steakhouse and the service was as good as any you’d find in your local international airport terminal.

Now that I have finished my burger and cleaned myself up a little I turn around to notice that half the seats at the bar have opened up. I quickly gather my laptop, camera and carry on bag that are spread out everywhere and I relocate to the “proper” bar that the oblivious jackasses have just vacated. The kitchen has just closed. It’s 9:30 PM and I technically should have landed in Houston 15 minutes ago. The bar is closing soon. As I order my Stella Artois, I casually mention to the bartender that when I was here a few weeks ago I was here for almost 9 hours. The bartender, Danny, asked me if I knew…”who the bartender was?” I sat there very confused and thinking… “well he looked just like you.” But I didn’t want to say that because I figured that would should show my “geographical prejudice”, my “zip code racism” … my “all Jersey guys look alike”. Luckily, my silence was broken by Danny informing that the other bartender is his brother. Whew! Avoided another land mine covered in mousse and cologne. Anyway, Danny turned out to be a pretty sweet guy so I feel bad about my earlier feelings toward him even though he did come from the same parents. He is twenty-two and has two bad discs in his back either preventing (or excusing) him from bar-back work but he did have a smile on his face despite his recent car accident.

Blue Cheese Burger, 1 glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 Samuel Adams & 1 “dessert” Stella Artois…$40.21 …$47.21 with tip.

Quatre Bistro, 30 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont

The entryway to Quatre Bistro helps set the mood for what you are about to experience. You open the exterior door of the very business-like building and are greeted by a vase full of beautiful and fragrant fresh flowers. It’s friendly, and invites you to open the interior door, and enter a pleasantly intimate and warm environment, with low lighting, cream and red colored walls, hardwood floors, and a cushy red banquette down one side of the restaurant. There is a bar near the entrance, and it is charming and inviting, and if we were not there to eat a lengthy multi-course meal we would certainly consider the bar as a place to linger for an evening of drinks.

We were seated promptly and with a smile. Our server brought us water and menus, and was helpful as to any questions we had. We didn’t feel rushed or ignored. Quatre has a full bar, but we felt like we might like to enjoy one of the wines from their collection. Martin reviewed the wine list and felt that the selection was quite good. Martin lives in the Beaujolais region of France near Lyon, and worked in the vineyards as a summer job in the same way a teen the way American kids flip burgers, so we felt safe when he chose a Chardonnay, the Latour Grand Ardèche 2004 which was remarkably smooth and full-bodied, touting notes of oak and vanilla. From the kitchen, Chef Pace sent his compliments on Martin’s choice.

We decided to order three appetizers to start, and all three happened to be favorite selections of ours: a cheese plate, calamari, and escargots. In our opinion, these three dishes are like the touchstone for any French bistro. We can get a clear idea of whether a chef has good ideas or not and whether a kitchen can function based on the taste and consistency (not the texture, the regularity with which the kitchen can emit a good product) of one of these three dishes. We also hold these three dishes to be a mark of high standards because these dishes are so common yet seemingly so hard to master as far as the finer points are concerned. Above all, cheese plates, calamari, and escargots taste great when prepared and composed with skill. In the wrong hands, both escargots and calamari can be rubbery, calamari can be oily, and a cheese plate can be very boring or terribly unbalanced.

Our server brought us a basket of warmed Red Hen Bakery rolls, served with a small crock of butter. The rolls were crusty on the outside, and tender and moist when we bit into them. Unfortunately, the butter had been infused with a refrigerated taste that was completely impossible to ignore. As a butter lover, Tracey was nervous about the rest of the meal. Luckily, it did not inhibit the enjoyment of the rest of her meal.

Our cheese plate arrived soon after—a simple rectangular cutting board with thin slices of pear and green apple and three types of cheese from Vermont Butter & Cheese Company: a crumbling lump of Gorgonzola, a zingy peppered Chevre, and the table’s favorite, the heavenly Bonne Bouche. Everyone at our table appreciated the understated, yet clever, and distinctly country style in which the cheese board was presented on a cutting board with larger portions of fewer cheese and fruit selections. At $10, this is a fantastic value and a fine choice for anyone blessed with the ability to digest lactose. The VB&CC cheese board at Quatre Bistro is infinitely attractive and palatable in its simplicity when compared to a ceramic dinner plate cluttered with flavors that seem haphazard. We all absolutely loved this dish, and Tracey dominated this event, consuming more than her fair share.

The calamari was fantastic as well. The squid was not rubbery and the delicious breading featured ribbons of sage among other herbs, creating a fresh aroma and taste. It came accompanied by a spicy tomato aioli which was also delicious. We all enjoyed this dish very much as well, but our third appetizer was sort of a “bummer.” The escargots were “doubled snailed” (two snails in each cup of the traditional escargot dish) in each cup with some garlic butter and then covered with a sprinkling of melted cheese. They were tender, but they were not as flavorful as we had hoped they would be. We craved more garlic, more butter, more… everything. Tracey wonders upon retrospect if this non-taste of sorts was a result of the fridge-butter. This query leads to the larger question, which may rock the culinary world: Is the refrigerator taste the anti-taste? This was the first time Tracey and Yva have had escargot that was not finished. Usually, we’re so garlic-butter-hungry that we daub out the rest of the garlic butter with any bits of bread we can grab. In this instance, that did not seem worthwhile.

Our entrees were perfectly timed, something that Yva noticed. In fact, all of our courses came out at perfect intervals and we never felt rushed or a sense of “waiting” for the next course. All the entrees at Quatre Bistro are served with “starch and greens,” which in our case were sliced and roasted fingerling potatoes and a colorful mélange of red and Napa cabbages, green beans, and pearl onions. The potatoes were rich with a subtle sweetness, and the mixed vegetables were fresh tasting and perfectly cooked.

Tracey ordered the entrée special, the Poisson du Jour (Fish of the Day)—Roasted Scallops in Citrus Beurre Blanc. Tracey openly celebrated her decision to order this incredible special, and though the Poisson du Jour may vary, Tracey encourages all seafood-lovers to report directly to Quatre and order the Poisson du Jour because Chef Pace knows how to cook seafood! He had already proved himself on this front via the amazing calamari, but her scallops were truly exceptional. They were as tender as could be, and had a wonderful delicate, yet rich, flavor. The Citrus Beurre Blanc was perfectly balanced and complemented perfectly not only the scallops but the potatoes and the vegetables. As Tracey was beginning to be full after gorging on the cheese and everything that followed, standard operating procedure dictated that Tracey feed the rest to Martin, who is tall and eats 1.5 times the amount of food as an average human. Tracey only eats .8 times this standard amount, so it all works out and sometimes we have leftovers. Not this time; the entire entrée was consumed quickly and with joy. Yva did manage to get a few bites of scallop and felt this dish was sublime.

For Yva’s entrée, she immediately honed in on the roasted rack of lamb with a raspberry-pomegranate demi-glaze. It arrived beautifully arranged, with just the right amount of sauce so her vegetables did not suffer from any sogginess. The demi-glaze was a balanced blend of fruity sweetness and savory, and it complemented the buttery and tender lamb perfectly. Yva ordered her lamb rare, and it was served exactly as she requested. It was a wonderful dish and Yva had to restrain herself from grabbing it with her hands and devouring it in a most unladylike fashion.

Martin ordered the Canard a l’Orange, a “Vermont raised pan seared duck breast drizzled with an orange demi-glaze.” Sounds delicious, right? Martin felt that the sauce overwhelmed the duck, but said to the dish’s credit that the taste would be perfect if cooked to medium-rare temperature, rather than well done. Additionally, while all the other entrees and starters were presented in a carefully composed manner, his was a completely different affair. When this entrée arrived, the attention of the entire table was instantly drawn to it, ironically because it was not colorful or visually exciting in any way, making it somewhat of a paradox. It appeared to be a plate of brown. The vegetables did not have the colorful appearance they had with the other entrees and it seemed a little thrown together.

Despite the ample portions and a growing feeling of fullness, we pressed on in after reviewing a tempting dessert menu. Tracey ordered a raspberry sorbet, which came whimsically served in a martini glass with a curled wafer cookie. It was lovely, and a refreshing way to complete her meal. Yva ordered the apple tart. The tart had a lovely buttery crust and the artfully arranged apples were enhanced with cinnamon and perfectly cooked. The tart was accompanied by fresh fruit, including juicy, ripe blueberries and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Martin ordered the crème brulee, which was also accompanied by fruit. He felt the top of the brulee was not hard enough, and that he should have had to tap the crust hard with a spoon to access the custard within rather than simply digging into it with the spoon.

Martin and Tracey were happy to notice that an Irish Coffee and a Bailey’s Coffee are two different things at Quatre Bistro. All those that believe that an Irish Crème Liquor is the only ingredient necessary to “Irish up” a coffee are wrong; when rating the authenticity of a true Irish Coffee, it is the whiskey that counts. One can put some Bailey’s in there if one would like, but it’s still Irish without it—IF it contains at least one ounce of whiskey. Thank you, Manager Joseph Surrell, for refraining to take us for the fools we undoubtedly and now publicly are. Tracey’s Irish Coffee was lovely.

We spoke with Joe Surrell, Chef Pace, and our server, Tyler, after our meal. We were pleased to learn that Quatre is a member of Vermont Fresh Network, and they try to use Vermont products whenever possible. Besides Vermont Butter and Cheese, other Vermont suppliers include Arcadia Brook Farms and Misty Knoll. Chef Pace has been there for almost two months and has made some changes to the menu, and the changes taste good. They plan to keep the menu pretty much the same, but with seasonal additions particularly day to day specials with what is fresh and available. On the whole, we enjoyed our food and experience at Quatre, and would encourage you to stop in and give them a try.

Quatre Bistro, 30 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont (802) 865-9700

Closed Sundays

Parking: Free parking is available in the Gateway building parking lots. Ask for a token when you are at the restaurant.

Alcohol: Wine, Beer (bottle and tap), full bar

Payment: Cash, credit cards

Cost for Dinner for Two: $$

Ideal for: Dates, Quiet Celebrations. Not for kids.

Other Services: They currently offer onsite private events. Food is available to go.

Website: www.quatrebistro.com

 UPDATE: 4/23/08 We are saddened to hear that Quatre Bistro has closed.  

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