What do you know, it is a Friday night, I am 26 years old and it is 9:38 PM...What am I doing you might ask, I am doing work and now taking a break from work to enter a new restaurant. This past week I was in Milwaukee from Monday through Wednesday. On Monday, October 22, 2007, I went to Devon Seafood Grill. This trip for me was different because I was with a co-worker, Melissa. She took over a few of my sites in Milwaukee so we planned the visit together.
The restaurant is owned by the Houlihan's company (whatever they are called). We arrived after some brief shopping (all women's stores) at around 8:10. The restaurant was very nice looking, more zen like and contemporary. We were quickly seated which was nice since we were cold from the newly/truly fall weather. The menu was large and we listened to our waitress explain the style of the menu and the specials. After she was finished explaining things, she mentioned the Prix Fixe menu which ran for $28.95. Melissa and I both opted for this so we could enjoy a nice bottle of wine as well. We had $100 to spend from work so we had a nice little bill planned. We ordered a bottle of Trinchero Cabernet Sauvignon. Melissa allowed me to decide but I forced her to express her favorite grape, er go Cab.
The Prix Fixe menu came with an appetizer (salad or soup), a main dish and a dessert. Melissa and I both chose the chef's salad which was very large and honestly very good too. There was feta on the salad and they created their own dressing. For the main dish, Melissa chose the halibut with vegetables and a lobster risotto. She stated the halibut was very good but she absolutely loved the risotto. It was interesting to see her Halibut. In my last entry, I had Halibut at Butler's. This halibut must have been baked for the entire time it was cooked. It still looked good but I prefer the intense sear which creates this unbelievable crust on the outside of the fish, prior to finishing it off in the oven. Nonetheless, Melissa liked it so all was fantastic.
I ordered the Talapia which was was served with a crust, rice and some veggies. The fish was very good, though slightly oily. I have to admit, it anywhere I would have gone after Butler's will not receive the same review I may have given had I not gone to Butler's prior. The Talapia was good though and the meal with filling which was nice. We worked out before the shopping/dinner and I was famished.
For dessert, Melissa was limited in her options...she has celiac disease so she must eat gluten free food. Ironically enough, Devon's creates a gluten free creme brulee which Melissa had never tried. I got the Key Lime pie which was huge, tart and fresh. It was actually a good choice for me because it was so cold outside so for a moment, I heard Bob Marley in the background while I sipped on a fruity drink. I tried Melissa's and her creme brulee was very good.
All in all, I would go back to Devon's. It was a good restaurant and the menu was absolutely huge so I know there is more I could try later on. Once again though, I am somewhat reserved on my review because I am instantly comparing this restaurant to Butler's. In a way I wish I would have never gone there because now I want that sort of dining experience every time I go out. I know this is unrealistic though.
The one thing that my trip to Devon's brought was company. I am so used to eating on my own and my company consists of my waiter/waitress (maybe), my USA Today (always), my computer (when the battery is not dead) and my people watching (always). This meal lasted far longer then my normal meals because I was engaged in good conversation. Melissa and I were literally the last one's out of there and for about an hour we were the only one's present in the restaurant as consumers.
This made me begin to think about the dinning experience in general. To date I view the dinning as the food that comes out, the wine I consume and the attentiveness of the waiter/staff. The fact is, a meal can be completely enhanced simply by the company you are with. Melissa made this meal far more enjoyable and I thank her for that. The same could be said about Sara, my waitress at Butler's. She was fantastic and really provided me with that "other personality" which was physically lacking when I was sitting by myself.
The fact is, food is fantastic. I love food. But the point of food, to me, is to bring people together. This can be a family during Thanksgiving or a co-worker in the middle of a soggy/cold Milwaukee. This can always be experienced with the staff "waiting" on you in the restaurant as well (which so many people overlook or ignore).
One of my favorite things to do, which I have not done enough of, are dinner parties. I decided I am going to start sharing some of my own food on this blog as well. I hope they are through dinner parties I throw but honestly, I doubt that will occur because the individuals close to me that would enjoy those types of parties, are physically NOT close to me. The point is, enjoy your food, be happy and enjoy the people around you. I mentioned that couple last week that was just sitting (the lady with the large mammories). Melissa and I barely knew each other and we were far more engrossed in conversation. It was fun to learn about someone, have funny conversations and laugh. The thing that brought us together though was food. That is why we were able to share those times. So, make those most of your experiences with food whether you make it yourself or you head out. Just be happy, smile and be thankful you are living. So many people get caught up in the crap out there that is negative, sad and honestly, depressing. There are far worse places you could be then enjoying a meal with someone who may be very important to you....
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Butler's -- Essex Junction, VT
Ok, I may pass out in the middle of this post because I am literally so incredibly full right now. I was planning on writing this over the weekend; however, this meal was literally that good so I had to begin right when I got back to my hotel room.
So, a little background, Butler's is located within The Essex Inn in Essex Junction, VT (just outside of Burlington). I looked up restaurants in Burlington the other night on Opentable.com and there were literally 4 restaurants that came up. Two of these were located over 30 miles from Burlington so they were automatically out. I went to the website for Butler's and found that it was operated by the New England Culinary Institute. This automatically intrigued me. I came to find out, after speaking with one of the staff members delivering dishes, Blair (who is a second year culinary student as well) that there was actually a class that was going on in the kitchen just steps away from me. The students cooked all the meals but there was always a member of the NECI staff watching over them to make sure the product that went to the consumer was perfect. So, with that preface I will begin to describe my night....
I showed up slightly late (9 minutes) to my reservation because I was caught in Burlington "rush hour." Mind you this is nothing like Chicago. This was 1, 4 lane road which ran through the main city of Burlington and also out southeast to my hotel. The hostess was very nice and gave me no trouble.
The Essex Inn was a beautiful set of buildings, all older and to be honest, I wish I could have gotten there a bit earlier to walk around the grounds since Vermont has such a beautiful fall season. It was truly amazing. I am talking about seeing 5 trees in a row all of which were different colors (Reds, Greens, Oranges, Yellows, Golds, and even trees which were a combination of the above). It was really gorgeous. Butler's has a main, more intimate dining room and then a pub. It was actually nice to know that you could find whatever you would like there. However, I was feeling "intimate" and I opted for the more homey main dining room. There were roughly 20 tables and I had a nice booth for two (or , ahem, one since I was alone). I was given a menu and I instantly knew that I wanted to go with the Chef's tasting menu. All their dishes were three course meals ranging from $44 to $49 which allowed the diner to choose their main dish and then add an appetizer from the menu and a dessert at the end. Since the tasting course was 5 courses (or so I thought) and it was priced at $57 I went with that. Moreover, there were some really intriguing things on this tasting course which I had never tried and I was really excited to sample.
I showed up slightly late (9 minutes) to my reservation because I was caught in Burlington "rush hour." Mind you this is nothing like Chicago. This was 1, 4 lane road which ran through the main city of Burlington and also out southeast to my hotel. The hostess was very nice and gave me no trouble.
The Essex Inn was a beautiful set of buildings, all older and to be honest, I wish I could have gotten there a bit earlier to walk around the grounds since Vermont has such a beautiful fall season. It was truly amazing. I am talking about seeing 5 trees in a row all of which were different colors (Reds, Greens, Oranges, Yellows, Golds, and even trees which were a combination of the above). It was really gorgeous. Butler's has a main, more intimate dining room and then a pub. It was actually nice to know that you could find whatever you would like there. However, I was feeling "intimate" and I opted for the more homey main dining room. There were roughly 20 tables and I had a nice booth for two (or , ahem, one since I was alone). I was given a menu and I instantly knew that I wanted to go with the Chef's tasting menu. All their dishes were three course meals ranging from $44 to $49 which allowed the diner to choose their main dish and then add an appetizer from the menu and a dessert at the end. Since the tasting course was 5 courses (or so I thought) and it was priced at $57 I went with that. Moreover, there were some really intriguing things on this tasting course which I had never tried and I was really excited to sample.
So onto the Chef's Tasting Menu which consisted of:
- Mussel and Panzonella salad with Saffron, caper vinagrette
- Cream of Onion and Pear Cider Soup with Chive and Tomato Oil
- Seared Sweetbread and Duck Foie Gras
- Campari Graefruit Granite
- Seared Halibut, Cured Tomato Fondue, Creamy Stonground Grits and Sauteed Spinach
- Artisan Fine Cheese Plate
- (My choice of dessert from the menu) Pumpkin Creme Carmel, Fall Spice Cake, Whiskey Chantilly and Pepita Brittle
So I need to head to bed for now since I took a Tylenol PM right when I got home...I will continue tomorrow.
Ok, now, I am back after a long, delayed flight from Burlington into Chicago and I am ready to paint a mental image of each dish and my dinning experience.
So, I started with a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir which was soothing and warming. I didn't really need warming since it was very warm out for this time of year but with the calm, subdued setting, it just sort of seemed natural.
Shortly after my wine came, I received my Mussel and Panzonella salad. Panzonella is a typical tuscan bread salad. Butler's version was a bit more "whimsical." It was served in an over sized spoon and made to be eaten in one bite. It was amazing because for such a small "plate" there was so much going on. It was fantastic and refreshing. I wanted more, but then I remembered this was just the beginning.
I sipped my wine, enjoyed the scenery, did a little people watching and a couple (probably in their 50's) sat next to me. I brought out my Wall Street Journal and began to read while I patiently waited for my next course. Relatively quickly, I was served my soup. This was a generous portion of the obviously fall inspired soup. It was thick and creamy and once again fantastic. I tried to find out if I could taste a difference in the soup if I integrated the chive/tomato oil and I could honestly could. It was subtle but it the flavors actually did add a different dimension to the soup. I scarffed this soup down and now that I am writing this 24 hours later, I wish I could have savored it a little more. Live and learn.
I sipped the last bit of my wine and glanced over at the obviously medically enhanced woman with the skinny man next to me. They were barely talking. Please, all of you, spread the word, if I ever am a couple that is not enjoying a fine conversation (no matter how idiotic or refined) with the woman I am married to, just shoot me. Really, poison my third course during a fabulous dinner or the wine I am terribly enjoying and off with Jim Watson. Though this woman did not like to talk, she clearly was not shy about showing off her twin investment. Touche, good for her, just bring a little convo about your day to the table, literally.
So, I got back to my paper, so many things going on in the world, yet, here comes my seared sweet bread and duck foie gras, which was served over a stewed cabbage salad. This is literally the reason I ordered this tasting course. I had never tried sweet breads or foie gras. For those who don't know, Foie Gras is duck liver. There has been controversy in Chicago because of the style in which the liver is obtained. Typically, it is stated that the ducks are force fed to enlarge their livers and then killed and jerks like me get to eat it. So, it may be outlawed in Chicago now, I don't know what legislation occurred. I know you are all looking to run out and eat some right now. Sweetbreads on the other hand, sound lovely, don't they? They actually are not sweet, nor bread. My server, Sara, informed me that sweetbreads are typically calf thymus gland. However, they can also sometimes be Calf pancreas or calf.......TESTICLE!!!!! After I was done enjoying my calf/duck parts, I asked Sara which of the three types of Sweetbreads I just consumed. She informed me it was the Thymus gland. If you cannot tell yet, sweetbreads, especially is a very English/Irish dish.
So to describe this experience for those who have never walked down this road....I will start with the more common Foie Gras. It was a darker brown/purple color and it was seared on the outiside. Once I attempted to cut into it I could tell it had literally only been seared for seconds as it felt like a sack that was going to burst. Alas, it did not burst. It cut and stayed in one peice. It was very rich. That is the best way for me to describe it (and I don't mean that just literally since it is very expensive). It just sort of melted in my mouth. It was honestly lovely. I paired the second bite with some of the dried raspberries that were accompanying my plate and wow, the berries just sort of added a tart shock to the smooth, rich flavor of the foie gras. The sweetbreads were a lighter tan color and were seared on the outside as well. They were more compact and more solid then the foie gras but equally as tasty. Who knew?!?!? They had to have been sauteed in butter because the experience reminded me of eating Skate wing. Skate is a quasi fish in the stingray family. From the butter, both literally melt in your mouth. I guess I will end that there since most of you are probably grabbing your garbage bag and profusely vomitting in it (God, I know my family well).
So, time to cleanse the palate with some Campari Grapefruit Granite. This did just the job. I actually received an overflowing dish of the Granite and was afraid the lady with the twin towers was going to look down on me if I spilled. I very daintily (can you imagine that) ate my granite and I was looking at the wine menu shortly there after to decide what I would pair with my halibut.
Sara, suggested either an un-oaked Chardonnay from Oregon or a Riesling. She brought me two samples and they were both great but I think of Riesling as either a dessert wine or a warm summer day wine since it is more sweet. So, I went with the O'Reily Chardonnay from Oregon.
The Halibut came and WOW. This thing was so crispy on the outside you would have thought it was fried yet it was so delicate on the inside. The grits were a fantastic accompaniment and the spinach made me feel somewhat healthy. This dish was marvelous. I really can't say anymore about it. I literally struggled to finish it but I had to, I could not imagine leaving any of it. The Chardonnay was perfect with it because it was full and soft. The tomato fondue was great as well and got me thinking. I only had thought of a fondue as the 70s thing you dip bread into Cheese or strawberries into chocolate. In fact, a fondue is a preparation of vegetables cooked over low heat until very soft and reduced to a pulp. It is commonly used as garnish with meat or in my case, fish.
After my main dish I spoke with looked over and the lovely couple to my right was still not speaking, though I wanted to ask them for a bite of their food since mine was so good. Then Blair, the 2nd year culinary student came to talk to me again. He was a super nice guy and we literally talked for about 20 minutes. I had requested my Cheese plate come prior to my dessert and shortly after I finished speaking with Blair that arrived. I requested Sara bring me a glass of that great Riesling. I honestly do not know how to spell the vineyards name but it was something along the lines of Dr. Lucen. Once I find the vineyard I will update this blog.
This lead to a brief pause before my cheese course. I surveyed the room to see if there was anyone to "stare" at. There were two younger women who had come in about 30 minutes prior. They had just gotten their main dishes. They were both enjoying their dinner but I could not help but stare at them while they scarffed. They were attractive but that was not what I was staring at. They were both holding their forks in their right hands but they held their forks in their hands like Jack Nicholson holding a butcher knife ready to strike. Do you know what I am speaking about? I have always found this to be one of my pet peeves. HOLD YOUR FORK LIKE A CIVILIZED HUMAN BEING!!!!!! I am sorry if you are reading this and you hold your fork like you are about to stab someone but this has always bothered me. I do not know why but if I were on a date with a girl, say she is beautiful and smart and fantastic...yet she holds her fork like that...that is a deal breaker.
Ok, back to the food, I had four cheeses (1) a Cows milk cheese -- very creamy and soft, (2) a Chevre -- your standard goat cheese, ripe and pungent yet subtle and not overbearing, (3) the Graft Cheddar -- very intense and sharp, this was by far my favorite and then (4) a blue cheese -- I am still adjusting to blue cheeses, this was my least favorite but it was interesting to taste the cheese plain and then try it mixed with the honey provided, very different tastes. To add to this, my server Sara was very friendly and we exchanged emails. Here a far more detailed description of the cheeses (I hope she does not mind me using this):
"Constant Bliss": an evening milk, cow's milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm. The evening milk part is key because for the evening milking the cows have been out grazing all day (instead of hanging out in the barn all night) and the milk reflects a brighter, more herbaceous character than morning milk. Next: "Valence": an ash rubbed chevre from Lazy Lady Farms (they only produce goat's milk cheeses). The 4-star Grafton Cheddar: an award winning cheddar, the 4 star has been aged in cloth for 4 years. Finally, the Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm, a raw milk blue cheese named after a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed on a road near the farm. Yes, I'm a geek. And I love cheese. So, for a fellow cheese head...have you ever tried the Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove in CA? It's an ash layered chevre, one half is made from morning milk and the other half is made from evening milk, so you really can sample and discern the difference in character of the milks.
I finished my took a drink of my Riesling and I looked up to my right. There were two women, probably in their 50's there and they were getting ready to pay the bill. They caught my eye because the woman facing me was in a wheel chair. I went back to my Wall Street Journal and my wine for a few minutes and then looked up again. Just at that moment the handy capable lady reached out with her left arm and grabbed the wine glass from the table and put it under her coat. I thought she was just joking but, no way sir, she was not....she did her best speed racer impression and wheeled on out. I had to have another drink of wine. Was I drunk, no, did I really just see that? I woman in her 50's, maybe 60's stole a wine glass from a fine establishment?!?!?! Do I tell on her, do I make a citizens arrest? I almost hit her on the way by with my newspaper but she was far to quick for me.
About five minutes later Sara came back and I told her, not that she could do anything now but at least I could feel better about myself. I felt like I had just seen a legitimate robbery. Sara told me the women asked if they could have the glass and she felt awkward so she said, if you are tricky about it, I did not see anything. WOW. Mind you, these were just regular wine glasses, not the Ridel kind or something cool like that. That is all I have to say about that.
So my coffee came and so did my dessert. It was great, as is the theme at this restaurant. The pumpkin creme caramel was like eating a more light and far better pumpkin pie filling. I did not know what a Chantilly was so I asked Sara and she informed it was Whipped Cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. This lovely concoction also had whiskey implemented, which never hurt anything. A bite of the spice bread and I almost passed out. Literally, had I been in Chicago where they have cabs, I would have called one.
So, in conclusion, my trip to Butler's was fantastic. I hope I get to go back one day because the menu changes daily based on ingredients, seasons and the class that is making your dinner. I could only wonder if my dinner was being prepared by the next Bobby Flay or Alton Brown?!?!?! So, if you are ever in Burlington, VT, go to Butler's. Moreover, stay at the Essex Inn so you only have a short walk back to your room (which I heard all have fireplaces) so you don't have to drive back. The drive was successful but I felt like I might need to pull over and lay down on the side of the road (not from the wine but from the food). The only downside of Butler's comes in my coming dinning experiences...will they measure up? Probably not, but I still think I will be able to enjoy them. :)
Ok, now, I am back after a long, delayed flight from Burlington into Chicago and I am ready to paint a mental image of each dish and my dinning experience.
So, I started with a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir which was soothing and warming. I didn't really need warming since it was very warm out for this time of year but with the calm, subdued setting, it just sort of seemed natural.
Shortly after my wine came, I received my Mussel and Panzonella salad. Panzonella is a typical tuscan bread salad. Butler's version was a bit more "whimsical." It was served in an over sized spoon and made to be eaten in one bite. It was amazing because for such a small "plate" there was so much going on. It was fantastic and refreshing. I wanted more, but then I remembered this was just the beginning.
I sipped my wine, enjoyed the scenery, did a little people watching and a couple (probably in their 50's) sat next to me. I brought out my Wall Street Journal and began to read while I patiently waited for my next course. Relatively quickly, I was served my soup. This was a generous portion of the obviously fall inspired soup. It was thick and creamy and once again fantastic. I tried to find out if I could taste a difference in the soup if I integrated the chive/tomato oil and I could honestly could. It was subtle but it the flavors actually did add a different dimension to the soup. I scarffed this soup down and now that I am writing this 24 hours later, I wish I could have savored it a little more. Live and learn.
I sipped the last bit of my wine and glanced over at the obviously medically enhanced woman with the skinny man next to me. They were barely talking. Please, all of you, spread the word, if I ever am a couple that is not enjoying a fine conversation (no matter how idiotic or refined) with the woman I am married to, just shoot me. Really, poison my third course during a fabulous dinner or the wine I am terribly enjoying and off with Jim Watson. Though this woman did not like to talk, she clearly was not shy about showing off her twin investment. Touche, good for her, just bring a little convo about your day to the table, literally.
So, I got back to my paper, so many things going on in the world, yet, here comes my seared sweet bread and duck foie gras, which was served over a stewed cabbage salad. This is literally the reason I ordered this tasting course. I had never tried sweet breads or foie gras. For those who don't know, Foie Gras is duck liver. There has been controversy in Chicago because of the style in which the liver is obtained. Typically, it is stated that the ducks are force fed to enlarge their livers and then killed and jerks like me get to eat it. So, it may be outlawed in Chicago now, I don't know what legislation occurred. I know you are all looking to run out and eat some right now. Sweetbreads on the other hand, sound lovely, don't they? They actually are not sweet, nor bread. My server, Sara, informed me that sweetbreads are typically calf thymus gland. However, they can also sometimes be Calf pancreas or calf.......TESTICLE!!!!! After I was done enjoying my calf/duck parts, I asked Sara which of the three types of Sweetbreads I just consumed. She informed me it was the Thymus gland. If you cannot tell yet, sweetbreads, especially is a very English/Irish dish.
So to describe this experience for those who have never walked down this road....I will start with the more common Foie Gras. It was a darker brown/purple color and it was seared on the outiside. Once I attempted to cut into it I could tell it had literally only been seared for seconds as it felt like a sack that was going to burst. Alas, it did not burst. It cut and stayed in one peice. It was very rich. That is the best way for me to describe it (and I don't mean that just literally since it is very expensive). It just sort of melted in my mouth. It was honestly lovely. I paired the second bite with some of the dried raspberries that were accompanying my plate and wow, the berries just sort of added a tart shock to the smooth, rich flavor of the foie gras. The sweetbreads were a lighter tan color and were seared on the outside as well. They were more compact and more solid then the foie gras but equally as tasty. Who knew?!?!? They had to have been sauteed in butter because the experience reminded me of eating Skate wing. Skate is a quasi fish in the stingray family. From the butter, both literally melt in your mouth. I guess I will end that there since most of you are probably grabbing your garbage bag and profusely vomitting in it (God, I know my family well).
So, time to cleanse the palate with some Campari Grapefruit Granite. This did just the job. I actually received an overflowing dish of the Granite and was afraid the lady with the twin towers was going to look down on me if I spilled. I very daintily (can you imagine that) ate my granite and I was looking at the wine menu shortly there after to decide what I would pair with my halibut.
Sara, suggested either an un-oaked Chardonnay from Oregon or a Riesling. She brought me two samples and they were both great but I think of Riesling as either a dessert wine or a warm summer day wine since it is more sweet. So, I went with the O'Reily Chardonnay from Oregon.
The Halibut came and WOW. This thing was so crispy on the outside you would have thought it was fried yet it was so delicate on the inside. The grits were a fantastic accompaniment and the spinach made me feel somewhat healthy. This dish was marvelous. I really can't say anymore about it. I literally struggled to finish it but I had to, I could not imagine leaving any of it. The Chardonnay was perfect with it because it was full and soft. The tomato fondue was great as well and got me thinking. I only had thought of a fondue as the 70s thing you dip bread into Cheese or strawberries into chocolate. In fact, a fondue is a preparation of vegetables cooked over low heat until very soft and reduced to a pulp. It is commonly used as garnish with meat or in my case, fish.
After my main dish I spoke with looked over and the lovely couple to my right was still not speaking, though I wanted to ask them for a bite of their food since mine was so good. Then Blair, the 2nd year culinary student came to talk to me again. He was a super nice guy and we literally talked for about 20 minutes. I had requested my Cheese plate come prior to my dessert and shortly after I finished speaking with Blair that arrived. I requested Sara bring me a glass of that great Riesling. I honestly do not know how to spell the vineyards name but it was something along the lines of Dr. Lucen. Once I find the vineyard I will update this blog.
This lead to a brief pause before my cheese course. I surveyed the room to see if there was anyone to "stare" at. There were two younger women who had come in about 30 minutes prior. They had just gotten their main dishes. They were both enjoying their dinner but I could not help but stare at them while they scarffed. They were attractive but that was not what I was staring at. They were both holding their forks in their right hands but they held their forks in their hands like Jack Nicholson holding a butcher knife ready to strike. Do you know what I am speaking about? I have always found this to be one of my pet peeves. HOLD YOUR FORK LIKE A CIVILIZED HUMAN BEING!!!!!! I am sorry if you are reading this and you hold your fork like you are about to stab someone but this has always bothered me. I do not know why but if I were on a date with a girl, say she is beautiful and smart and fantastic...yet she holds her fork like that...that is a deal breaker.
Ok, back to the food, I had four cheeses (1) a Cows milk cheese -- very creamy and soft, (2) a Chevre -- your standard goat cheese, ripe and pungent yet subtle and not overbearing, (3) the Graft Cheddar -- very intense and sharp, this was by far my favorite and then (4) a blue cheese -- I am still adjusting to blue cheeses, this was my least favorite but it was interesting to taste the cheese plain and then try it mixed with the honey provided, very different tastes. To add to this, my server Sara was very friendly and we exchanged emails. Here a far more detailed description of the cheeses (I hope she does not mind me using this):
"Constant Bliss": an evening milk, cow's milk cheese from Jasper Hill Farm. The evening milk part is key because for the evening milking the cows have been out grazing all day (instead of hanging out in the barn all night) and the milk reflects a brighter, more herbaceous character than morning milk. Next: "Valence": an ash rubbed chevre from Lazy Lady Farms (they only produce goat's milk cheeses). The 4-star Grafton Cheddar: an award winning cheddar, the 4 star has been aged in cloth for 4 years. Finally, the Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm, a raw milk blue cheese named after a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed on a road near the farm. Yes, I'm a geek. And I love cheese. So, for a fellow cheese head...have you ever tried the Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove in CA? It's an ash layered chevre, one half is made from morning milk and the other half is made from evening milk, so you really can sample and discern the difference in character of the milks.
I finished my took a drink of my Riesling and I looked up to my right. There were two women, probably in their 50's there and they were getting ready to pay the bill. They caught my eye because the woman facing me was in a wheel chair. I went back to my Wall Street Journal and my wine for a few minutes and then looked up again. Just at that moment the handy capable lady reached out with her left arm and grabbed the wine glass from the table and put it under her coat. I thought she was just joking but, no way sir, she was not....she did her best speed racer impression and wheeled on out. I had to have another drink of wine. Was I drunk, no, did I really just see that? I woman in her 50's, maybe 60's stole a wine glass from a fine establishment?!?!?! Do I tell on her, do I make a citizens arrest? I almost hit her on the way by with my newspaper but she was far to quick for me.
About five minutes later Sara came back and I told her, not that she could do anything now but at least I could feel better about myself. I felt like I had just seen a legitimate robbery. Sara told me the women asked if they could have the glass and she felt awkward so she said, if you are tricky about it, I did not see anything. WOW. Mind you, these were just regular wine glasses, not the Ridel kind or something cool like that. That is all I have to say about that.
So my coffee came and so did my dessert. It was great, as is the theme at this restaurant. The pumpkin creme caramel was like eating a more light and far better pumpkin pie filling. I did not know what a Chantilly was so I asked Sara and she informed it was Whipped Cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. This lovely concoction also had whiskey implemented, which never hurt anything. A bite of the spice bread and I almost passed out. Literally, had I been in Chicago where they have cabs, I would have called one.
So, in conclusion, my trip to Butler's was fantastic. I hope I get to go back one day because the menu changes daily based on ingredients, seasons and the class that is making your dinner. I could only wonder if my dinner was being prepared by the next Bobby Flay or Alton Brown?!?!?! So, if you are ever in Burlington, VT, go to Butler's. Moreover, stay at the Essex Inn so you only have a short walk back to your room (which I heard all have fireplaces) so you don't have to drive back. The drive was successful but I felt like I might need to pull over and lay down on the side of the road (not from the wine but from the food). The only downside of Butler's comes in my coming dinning experiences...will they measure up? Probably not, but I still think I will be able to enjoy them. :)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
New entries this weekend
Hello,
Thank you for the comments. I have to admit, I have not had time lately for a new entry. The past three weekends I have been in LA, Wisconsin at a wedding and Atlanta for a wedding. Couple that with trips to Iowa City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Arkansas yesterday and now Vermont on Thursday and you understand my lack of entries lately.
I am home this weekend though and taking care of the dogs for my parents on Saturday so I will have plenty of time to get a few new posts on new restaurants out there. Thanks again for the comments.
Much love,
JAW
Thank you for the comments. I have to admit, I have not had time lately for a new entry. The past three weekends I have been in LA, Wisconsin at a wedding and Atlanta for a wedding. Couple that with trips to Iowa City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Arkansas yesterday and now Vermont on Thursday and you understand my lack of entries lately.
I am home this weekend though and taking care of the dogs for my parents on Saturday so I will have plenty of time to get a few new posts on new restaurants out there. Thanks again for the comments.
Much love,
JAW
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