Stowe, VT Weekend Vacation Getaway
Where To Dine
To us dining is a total experience; food, ambiance and service. Miss one and it just isn’t that special. Have them all and it will be a night you’ll remember for some time. Good food is a given in our recommendations, but alone it is just not enough. Our recommendations include all three elements and hope your experience is as good as ours.
The Pitcher Inn
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Hen of the Wood
Michael's on the Hill
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Blue Moon Cafe
Trattoria La Festa
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Santos
The Pitcher Inn
275 Main Street, Warren, Vermont
SPECIAL OCCASION
I think there must be a "perfect storm" for dinners when everything comes together to create an amazing evening. Such was the case when we went to the Pitcher Inn in Warren.
We were visiting friends whose vacation home is outside of Middlebury about a 30 minute drive over the mountains. It was one of those softly snowy nights in March, no wind, with a kind of hush over the small village we got to over a quintessential Vermont covered bridge.
Tray ceiling lighting and two large stone fireplaces cast a warm golden glow over the two dining rooms. Wide plank pine floors and crisp white walls adorned with striking oil paintings were set against sage green trim, doors and Windsor chairs. Fireplace flames flickered in crystal stemware and flower filled vases. Both dining rooms overlook a brook rushing to a small waterfall.
With Sinatra in the background we were ready for what the evening had to offer...and it was quite spectacular.
Our server was a young woman whose extensive knowledge of both the menu and wine list helped us navigate the waters and resulted in some great selections. She even had us taste an open bottle of the wine we selected to be sure we would like it, then asked if we preferred a marble sleeve or a wine bucket to keep it chilled. Never had that happen before.
The menu changes often dictated by the availability of fresh local products. On this night we started with truffled potato ravioli with fall-off-the-bone braised short ribs, butter poached lobster with a warm vanilla sweet potato salad and seared foie gras with a caramelized apple-sweet potato gratin, pistachio brittle and Calvados sauce. Each so good we were reluctant to share.
For entrees we selected a pan roasted duck breast with leeks served with roasted sweet potatoes, pistachios and a cipollini onion jus; braised lamb shanks with a Flageolet bean ragout; parmesan gnocchi with baby carrots, mushrooms, spinach and roasted peppers and a grilled Vermont grass fed beef tenderloin with Colcannon potatoes and a blue cheese fritter.
We ended with a delightful Vermont cheese course, a decadent chocolate pot, an apple tart and a maple crème caramel.
The wine list, a Wine Spectator's "Best of Award of Excellence," is quite extensive with some 600 bottles and choices from all of the major wine regions. They offer about 30 wines by the glass and about 20 ½ bottles. We found a delightful Italian white imported by Joe Bastinach, son of famed TV chef Lydia Bastinach for @$40. Sadly, as with many wine lists, there is not much at all under $50 and most bottles are pretty expensive.
The intimate Wine Cellar is the first choice for seating, but truthfully you will enjoy just about any table. All credit cards accepted. Dress is upscale casual. Appetizers $9-$18, entrees $26-$34.
You can make dining reservations by going to our Weekend Planner for contact information. Dining reservations are part of our Trip Planning Services.
Hen of the Wood
92 Stowe Street, Waterbury
SPECIAL OCCASION
Using locally raised meats and game, organic produce and artisan cheeses they have created a menu that is both creative and so flavorful you will find yourself savoring every mouthful.
The owners have certainly learned from their experiences because everything from the setting to the food to the wine and the service has been artfully conceived. Set in an old grist mill, the restaurant has retained the charm of the historic building with its huge beams and stone walls and red wall accents, dark wood mission chairs, crisp linens and flickering candles bring elegance to the room. Add a rushing waterfall just outside the window and you have a most romantic ambiance.
I had to try the Hen of Woods mushrooms and they didn’t disappoint. Mixed with garlic, parsley and pancetta and served with grilled red hen bread the flavors were quite delicious. Jen had perfectly grilled asparagus, wrapped with proscuitto and served with a mustard crème fraiche.
I am somewhat of a short rib aficionado; it’s one of my favorite dishes. The ones I enjoyed here are among the best I have had. Braised in red wine with roasted shallots, they were perfectly seasoned and fall-off-the-bone tender. Served with garlic mashed potatoes, I was in heaven. Jen’s tender NY strip was accompanied by fingerling potatoes, braised chard and a rich and flavorful cabernet sauce. Wonderful texture and depth of flavor.
Hard for me to pass up a cheese course and I was delighted to find such a wonderful selection of unusual cheeses. I picked two, added a glass of vintage port and that completed one of the best meals I had in quite some time. Jen, who seldom has dessert, had a strawberry rhubarb crisp with house made buttermilk ice cream that she talked about for days.
I love this 60-some bottle wine list for a lot of reasons that many other restaurants just don’t get. Someone really took the time to think about what constitutes a good wine list. There are nearly 20 selections by the glass, about 10 ½ bottle choices, very interesting selections in each category and most importantly reasonable pricing. On the whole list only 9 bottles are priced over $60 and frankly those are bargains themselves…how about a Groth Cab at only $85? We asked for a recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed a Duckhorn “Decoy” Bordeaux blend at $48.
DO NOT miss this wonderful gem when you are in the Stowe area.
Appetizers-$6-$11, entrees-$15-$27. All credit cards. Dress: smart casual.
You can make dining reservations by going to our Weekend Planner for contact information. Dining reservations are part of our Trip Planning Services.
ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: Very high.
Michael's on the Hill
Rt. 100, Waterbury
SPECIAL OCCASION
It's now been a couple of years since Michael's took over the space occupied for years by Villa Tragara. The cosmetic changes have made for a more cozy and intimate restaurant and the menu changes have made it one of our favorites in Stowe. This is the most romantic restaurant in the area.
You enter the old converted farmhouse down a stone walk bordered by colorful flowers (or snow!). The livingroom, has comfortable seating while waiting for your table and it's where a pianist entertains behind a baby grand on weekends.
The walls are a soothing taupe, arched doorways and wall openings provide a line of sight from room to room and fresh flowers and vivid artwork provide the color. Stickel style tables and chairs are set with crisp linens, silver, crystal and china.
Delicious, warm crusty bread, fresh butter and olives precedes your meal which I started with a sweet corn chowder with potatoes and herbed crème fraiche. A spot of chili oil gave just the right kick to this wonderful soup. That was followed by a wild mushroom gnocchi that had been cooked then lightly browned. It was served in a light broth with mushrooms, chives, garlic and parmesan. Wonderful.
My entrée was a perfectly cooked pork tenderloin in a light sage cream sauce with zucchini and pancetta.
I was too full for dessert, but they had a cheese course, a selection of fresh sorbets, a decadent sounding chocolate fondue with pound cake and fresh fruit and a maple crème brulee. There's a good selection of ports and dessert wines and an interesting sweet black coffee with plum brandy.
There are about 25 wines by the glass, priced reasonably at $5-$12. The rest of the list is varied and interesting. Only 4 wines are over $100, the rest under $60.
The 4 table patio is the place to sit when the weather cooperates. The sunset over the mountain range is breathtaking.
My waiter Doug, was excellent, actually one of the best servers I have had in some time. Perfectly attentive and helpful.
Appetizers range from $6-$19 (Fois Gras) and entrees from $18-$35.
Dress is upscale casual. All credit cards accepted. Closed Tuesday.
You can make dining reservations by going to our Weekend Planner for contact information. Dining reservations are part of our Trip Planning Services.
ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: High. In the nicer weather sit on the patio. Otherwise opt for the side porch.
WHAT OTHERS SAY...
"For all the delicious food in Vermont, it is still rare to find highly ambitious three-four star restaurants in the small towns. Quite the opposite is true in Europe, so it is no surprise that Swiss born Michael Kloeti has set the bar so high for his epoynymous restaurant in Waterbury Center, just south of Stowe." Yankee Magazine 2004
Blue Moon Cafe
35 School Rd.
SPECIAL OCCASION
Rich gold and deep red walls accented by light pine accents and furniture, beamed ceilings, local art and soft lighting create and intimate atmosphere conducive to a romantic meal.
The ever changing menu while short in length is long on innovation and flavor. On my last visit I enjoyed oysters on the half shell with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy, an unusual but delicious combination. I followed that with a grilled free range chicken with a somewhat hot chipotle barbeque sauce and corn fritters and I ended my meal with an outrageous Belgian chocolate pot that was so rich and wonderful, I felt guilty for indulging.
The 100 bottle wine list has some excellent choices and is priced fairly. Blue Moon has won the Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for the last few years.
The front corner table and its mirror on the other side of the room are our favorites, secluded in a corner, apart of the rest of the room, facing the road. It’s particularly romantic when it’s snowing. Ask for table #14 or #22. The truth is though, the entire room is comfortable and anywhere you sit will be enjoyable.
Appetizers range from $6-$12, entrees from $17-$26. Dress is upscale casual. Open 7 days. All credit cards accepted.
You can make dining reservations by going to our Weekend Planner for contact information. Dining reservations are part of our Trip Planning Services.
ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: High, particularly with our recommended tables.
WHAT OTHERS SAY...
"The Blue Moon Café, rated 5 stars by many, offers creative cuisine, attentive service and small town New England ambiance." SKI Magazine
Trattoria La Festa
Mountain Road
EXCELLENT
Picture barn wood and red walls, checkered tablecloths, wine bottles with candles, wonderful music, the aromas of Tuscany and you can imagine Trattoria La Festa. Not romantic in the sense of our other choices, but equally worth the trip. Chef owned by Antonio and Giancarlo DeVito and Patty Hammer, this wonderful spot with homemade breads and salad dressings, old family recipes and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is like coming home to your big Italian family. It is rumored that “Mama” still rules the roost in the kitchen.
There are so many good things to eat here. Try the bruschetta, homemade crusty bread with a number of different toppings. Worth it for the bread alone. Then get an appetizer portion of Ravioli di Pollo - Raviolis filled with grilled chicken and smoked mozzarella in a delicate rose sauce with peas. The penne Bolognese is also a great appetizer choice. For an entrée, I like Mama’s chicken, a 1/2 chicken that has been marinated in herbs and then cooked over a wood fire. I also like the veal marsala, with just the right amount of sweetness from the wine.
Finally for dessert, I can never resist the cannollis, filled with fresh ricotta and chocolate chips and flavored with sambuca.
In nice weather sit out on the porch overlooking the mountains. In colder weather, the side room (you have to go through the kitchen to get there) is more private and has its own fireplace.
The wine list is outstanding, understandably focused on Italian wines, and lovingly assembled. While there are wonderful choices at the high end, there are many reasonably priced wines under $50.
Appetizer $6-$13, entrée $15-$20. Dress is casual. All credit cards accepted.
You can make dining reservations by going to our Weekend Planner for contact information. Dining reservations are part of our Trip Planning Services.
ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: Medium, can be noisy, but this is a fun place.
WHAT OTHERS SAY….
"Like in the movie The Big Night, everybody is clinking glasses of Chianti and having fun. Dark barn-board walls are decorated with celebrity photos. Passion and care arrives with every plate. A fine meal can be assembled just with the many appetizers but do not miss the entrees or dessert. The DeVito brothers' exceptional entrees and desserts are inspired by regional home cooked specialties from all over Italy. These are the kind of dishes you might have eaten as a child if you had an Italian grandmother. An award winning wine list will accompany every meal, Antonio, Giancarlo, and Patricia will always be there to greet you. Buon Appetito" Gourmet Magazine
Santos
311 Mountain Road
NEW!