Vermont Maple Syrup

 
Greg and I went to Vermont last weekend and had a great outdoorsy vacation. We hiked, saw some beautiful lakes, streams and waterfalls, and on the last day we went to a beautiful golf course with mountains and lakes all around. We had high expectations about dining out, but we realized once getting into the town, that our selection was limited. It was a one horse town. And that one horse was actually more like a reindeer who only came around between October and April. Yes, a ski town in July definitely has a deserted feeling. All of the ski shops were closed down for the summer. There were no chain stores or restaurants - not a Target or Home Depot for miles. There were family owned hardware stores and antique shops run out of old barns. It was very picturesque. On our first night, we went to a restaurant that kind of reminded me of a Ruby Tuesday. It was dark inside with a not-been-renovated-since- it-opened-in-1982 look. The waitress actually leaned the whiteboard with the specials against the booth next to us that another couple was sitting in, so we had to inconspicuously try to look over so they didn't get super uncomfortable at us staring them down. I had shrimp baked with crab "crumbles" and Greg had fried clams. Both were too rich, but tolerable.


Seeing as this restaurant was the one that came recommended by our hotel (and seemed to be the most popular hangout in town) I was a bit concerned about feeding ourselves for the rest of the week. By chance, we walked past a tiny shop that caught my eye. It was called the Downtown Grocery. I was surprised that a grocery store could fit into such a small space, but then I realized that it is actually a brand new casual fine dining restaurant in the town.  It ended up being a lovely meal. They served seasonal local food, so their menu changes daily. I had Gnocchi and Greg had Chicken Confit. We ordered a side of brocolini, which had a vinegary dressing with Parmesan on top. The best part, though, was the homemade warm pound cake with strawberries, which was one of the best things I've ever tasted in my life. The bottom had a bit of a crunchy crust like it had just been baked and the inside melted in our mouths. I also had their raspberry ice cream which had fresh raspberries in it. Delicious!

Photo Source

(BTW: I hate taking a camera into a restaurant to take pictures because I feel uber tacky but afterward I'm always disappointed that I didn't. Therefore, I stole this picture from the internet)

I did however, have my phone out snapping a few shots of this "breakfast shop." It was absolutely delicious, but it was actually built out of of someone's house which is why, as you'll see in the pictures, it looks like we're in someones living room. (With the kids' school pictures and all).

 I had spinach quiche and cornbread.

  Greg had apple cinnamon pancakes with Vermont maple syrup.

The kitchen was up the stairs from the split foyer. It was hilarious to me, although no one else seemed to notice or care. It was really quaint, and the food was literally homemade and incredible.

We had a couple other awkward moments at restaurants, like on Sunday night when the restaurant we went to was closed, so we went to the only other restaurant in town and they sat us in this TINY room with one other family and no music on.  The other family kept making comments about not being able to talk about some big family issue because we were sitting there. So awkward!!! Finally they left and our food came. Greg had the "Vermonter Burger" brushed with maple syrup, which was his favorite meal of the trip. A cheeseburger with maple syrup - of course that was his favorite. That's all I would ever have to make to satisfy his taste buds, apparently.

I thought that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Mrs. Butterworth's syrup and the "real stuff," but I definitely could. We bought some to bring home and I made pancakes last night for dinner.  Yum!