Nectar’s: Bar food gets an upgrade
Nectar’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.
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