Burlington’s Bluebird Tavern

Until about a week ago, I had not been to Bluebird Tavern in 2010. I had asked friends and family to make the trip with me, and each time they had previous plans or were not in the mood. I was quite persistant as I had the menu on my mind. I had been craving the head to tail cooking, the clean and well developed flavors that I remembered, and the comfortable tavern atmosphere. So last week I finally gave up on going with company. I had driven from Middlebury to Burlington in a snowstorm, arriving a little tired and without any desire to cook. I decided to head over by myself.

With the snow continuing to pile up on top of the foot and a half that had already fallen, the restaurant was a little quiet. I sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and looked over the menu. My focus was on the small plates section, as I was fairly certain I was in the mood for a burger. After some deliberation, I ordered the steak tartare. It comes with a fried egg and frites. I asked if it was possible to have some of their grilled bread served on the side as well. The bartender happily accommodated the request. I also ordered their double burger, asking if I could have a side of their pumpkin polenta in place of the fries (already coming with the tartare), also not a problem.

The tartare came out shortly after I ordered, and it was well presented. Two slices of charred bread, a mound of french fries, and a dome of deep red tenderloin, glistening with olive oil and speckled with capers and grated cheese. I was astounded by the look of the meat itself. It was very fresh and chopped by hand. I enjoyed each spoonful of the stuff, deciding not to eat it on top of the bread, but by itself. I wanted to be able to savor the beefy flavor brightened by the chef’s additions. I did also eat the bread, pleasantly oily with a nice char. The fries made the dish quite a large portion, and most of them were crispy and well seasoned. A few suffered from being on the bottom of the pile, losing a bit of that crispness. My choice for dip was their sharply acidic house ketchup, also a nice addition to the burger.

The burger came with a nicely charred, soft bun next to a cast iron dish of pumpkin polenta. Inside the bun was two charred patties topped with melted Boucher blue cheese. The bun held up well and did not get soggy, and the cheese did well not to overpower the flavor of the meat. Properly fatty, the meat had good flavor, but I found that the two thin patties were a little more cooked than I would have liked. This led to meat that was a little more dry and tougher than one would find in medium rare patties. This is not always the case. My friend ordered the burger last night and the meat was cooked through, but it did have a nice pink center. Next time I order the burger, I may just make sure to mention that I like my burgers on the rare side. The pumpkin polenta served alongside my burger was successful in every way. The polenta had a strong and sweet corn flavor. It was topped with toasted pumpkin seeds that added nice texture and flavor the outrageously creamy polenta. It was a great trip to a quiet restaurant on a snowy evening.

The food satisfied the craving I had been dealing with for some time, but the quality of the food left me wanting more. Lucky for me, after being away for most of the weekend, I made it back on Sunday while they were still open for brunch. Another plus was that this time, my roommate would be joining me. I arrived adequately hungry, and my roommate and I decided to share three dishes. We ordered corned beef and hash, the mushroom toast, and poached eggs with house ham and brown butter hollandaise. In each dish, the eggs (fried with hash/mushroom toast) were cooked perfectly, the whites just set but not tough, and the yolk runny and golden. The corned beef and hash was flavorful, the meat well cured and salty. The poached egg dish came with a large serving of salty and smoky ham and charred bread underneath. On top was a brown butter hollandaise sauce that added a little moisture but its flavor was difficult to detect in the presence of the ham and eggs. Alongside the dish were ping pong ball sized potatoes, expertly crisped. The vegetarian option is something that is also served as a small plate on their dinner menu. It was a mushroom toast served alongside those perfectly crisp potatoes. The charred bread served as a base, sauteed mushrooms with sage resting between the bread and a perfectly fried egg. The earthy flavor of the mushrooms were able to shine in this simple dish, the drizzling yolk adding richness as it worked its way through the mushrooms into the bread. My roommate and I left very satisfied. I think one would be hard pressed to find a better brunch in Burlington.

With this taste, I found my roommate much more willing to put off other obligations when I asked if he would like to head to Bluebird Tavern soon after our brunch. Every Tuesday, they offer their complete menu, but the double burger, boudin dog, and mussels are only ten dollars. We showed up around seven o’clock and had a very difficult time finding a parking space in either of their two lots. Eventually squeezing in to what very clearly was not meant to be a spot, we got out of my car and entered the restaurant. The place was packed. I don’t think I have ever seen a restaurant this lively ever in Burlington, and it was a Tuesday night. I was impressed by this not only because of the night of the week, but also because the restaurant is nowhere near Church St. and is less than a year old. Word has spread quickly. My roommate and I were hungry but happy to wait for a seat at the bar.

It had only been maybe ten minutes before we had a seat and were ordering drinks. We both had plans to study when we got home after dinner, so we could not drink too heavily. We do like to have a beer with dinner, and we usually like to try something new. Bluebird has twelve beers on tap, and they offer most of them in small glasses for just about half the price of a pint. This was perfect for us, and we actually ended up ordering four small beers between the two of us.

For dinner we decided to share two small plates to start. We ordered the warm testa and the bone marrow. My roommate hadn’t had the burger and wanted to try it, and I ordered the boudin dog. The testa was a dish of thin slices of head cheese draped over creamy, sweet polenta in a cast iron dish. They throw it in the oven briefly so that the testa is heated through, blanketing the polenta with a nice crust. Overall the dish was a success, the silky, sweet polenta pairing nicely with the addition of pork flavor and texture from the testa. With this we were also served the bone marrow which came with four slices of their excellent grilled bread and some chopped parsley and pickled onions. The dish came with two marrow bones and a butter knife to scoop out the fatty, gelatinous center. Unfortunately, the two bones had very little to offer. Initially disappointed, I asked Sue at the bar (she had introduced herself when we came in, having recognized us from brunch) about it. Without hesitation, she had the kitchen fire two more. They do take some time to prepare, so she came back twice to check up on us, but soon delivered two more sections of bone and four more slices of grilled bread. This time around, my roommate and I had more than enough of what can be described, in this dish at least, as the meatiest butter you have ever tasted.

When the entrees arrived, we both were thankful that we substituted a salad of greens and herbs for the frites that would normally accompany the burger and dog. We had both had their fries before, and we had both eaten a fair amount up to this point alone. My roommate ended up being very happy with the burger, and I was equally pleased with my dish. The boudin dog is a housemade sausage surrounded by cheese and covered in their 21 day sauerkraut, sitting comfortably in a toasted sesame seed bun. The boudin had a good pork flavor, the cheese added a creaminess that I found surprisingly comforting, and the saurkraut added another layer of saltiness along with an acidic tang.

Both my roommate and I left very happy once again, and I think it is safe to say that we will return again soon. There are items on the menu I have yet to try, and I am not entirely comfortable with that  fact.

Weekend Events. 2/18-2/21

This weekend was my roommate’s “white coat ceremony” at the UVM medical school. His family was coming to town to attend, and this meant that we would be doing a good deal of eating out. On Thursday evening, before his parents were in town, we spent a couple of hours at the Daily Planet in Burlington. We started with a round of beers, then proceeded to order. Having enjoyed a few of the dishes I had in the past, I was somewhat hesitant to try something new. In spite of this feeling, I was confident that there were other options that I would take significant pleasure in trying.

I ordered a first course of smoked ham with a lentil stew and some grilled bread. The ham was shaved, pleasantly salty, but may have benefited from a more significant smoky flavor. The lentils were cooked well, holding on to some of their texture, and the stewing method produced a well developed flavor. The grilled bread, pickles, and mustard provided an excellent vehicle for the ham, allowing the customer to build your own open face sandwich if you chose to do so.

My favorite part of the meal was the New York style cheesecake. It is usually served with a cranberry orange sauce, and on another night I am sure I would have liked that very much. But I was sharing the dessert, and our interest in the doughnuts was piqued by the thyme honey served alongside the doughnuts. So we decided to ask them if we could have the cheesecake served with the honey, and they seemed to happily oblige. The cheesecake was very light with a creamy texture that had me thinking of something between whipped cream and ricotta cheese. The honey provided the necessary sweetness, I found the dish a satisfying way to end the meal.

Friday night, my friend’s parents were around and were kind enough to take me out to dinner at The Kitchen Table Bistro in Richmond, VT. The four of us met my friend’s uncle and cousin. The six of us walked in a few minutes before our reservation and were immediately seated upstairs. The atmosphere throughout the restaurant was comfortable. It remained somewhat intimate in spite of the number of seats due to the fact that there are a number of different rooms. One would not easily forget that they are in Vermont, as the refined yet rustic ambience is reminiscent of an old farmhouse.

But the atmosphere here is something that compliments the food, for without satisfying the customers gustatory desires, the restaurant would not survive. I ended up, thanks to the generous group who had brought me along, trying a number of different dishes.

Among my favorites were the macaroni and cheese, the braied short ribs, and the salmon. The macaroni and cheese is orecchiette pasta with a three cheese sauce made with vermont cream and an herbed breadcrumb crust. The orecchiette was well cooked, not overdone after being baked, the breadcrumbs provided a nice crunch, and the cheese was melted and creamy. Each forkful pulled away from the baking dish reluctantly, strands of cheese clinging to pasta left behind. The short rib dish was a straightforward braise served with a sauce made from the braising liquid and some root vegetables. The short ribs were tender, again only a fork necessary to pull away each bite, and the fat had melted, making the dish fit for a young child in the middle of losing his or her baby teeth. Finally, the salmon served with creamed spinach and a lemon beurre blanc was perfectly cooked. The soft, tender salmon was a joy to ingest, and the sauce provided some necessary and welcome acidity.

Saturday night, and another group of six of us headed out for the evening. My parents would be joining us this time on our trip to Vergennes, VT and The Black Sheep Bistro. The restaurant seemed slightly cramped as there were a few different tables of five or six. The seating area is fairly small which created this feeling. Once we were seated, the cramped feeling disappeared and the restaurant staff made us feel at home. By the end of the meal, I would tend more towards describing the space as cozy. Many dishes here were served in a rustic fashion, and substantial portions were placed in front of all of us.

To start, I was impressed by the short rib stew with garlic crostini and a seared scallop dish. The short ribs were tender and delicious, and the toast was a perfect means by which to soak up the thick, rich stew. The entree that stood out to me was the braised lamb shank. It came out topping white beans, the bone protruding about eight inches above the plate. The shank was cooked until the fat had softened, and the meat seemed in a hurry to be consumed, practically jumping off of the bone. The dish was rich but did not seem too heavy, and the long braising allowed the lamb flavor to fully develop. Along with the main dishes, two large portions of garlic mashed potatoes and french fries were served to the table. The mashed potatoes retained some texture, were not overwhelmed by butter or cream, and held a strong garlic flavor. I am not usually one to be impressed by potato side dishes. I did, however, have a very difficult time stopping myself from continuing to eat these far beyond being full. The french fries were served with ketchup, basil aioli, and a garlic aioli. The fries were thin, crisp, and well seasoned. They were fun to eat, especially with the selection of dips, each distinctly flavored. This trip to Black Sheep Bistro was enjoyable from the atmosphere to the staff to the food, and I plan to return in the near future.

Finally, the weekend of eating out ended with a late Sunday brunch/lunch. My friend’s parents treated us to a meal at Magnolia Bistro in downtown Burlington. It is a certified green restaurant that caters to the significant vegetarian and vegan population of Burlington. I had the Huevos con Diablo. The dish was two fried eggs served on top of polenta and chipotle black beans with salsa and sour cream. Everything came together well and the elements were cooked as I wished, but I feel as though some cheese, perhaps parmigiano reggiano, would have enriched the polenta and the dish as a whole. On a recent trip to New York, I had the famed Clinton St. Baking Company pancakes. On this trip to Magnolia, I tried their oatmeal pancakes. The large pancakes were surprisingly light and fluffy with a touch of texture from the rolled oats added to the batter. These pancakes, in spite of containing whole grain, had a more pleasant texture and overall flavor than the pancakes I enjoyed in New York. And I did enjoy them, but today’s pancakes were more than I had expected to get here, and were surprisingly enjoyed more than those I found in the heart of Manhattan.

Overall, this weekend was both entertaining and enjoyable. I was in good company for nearly all of it, and I was in the presence of good food nonstop. Frankly, I feel a little worn down from it all. Not that I would turn down an invitation to a nice meal right now, but I am certainly going to be able to enjoy a quick and easy meal at home. Perhaps I will enjoy it on the couch, in front of the television.