Stowe, VT: Blue Moon

30 Jan

After a day of running around Stowe playing tourist, we made a reservation at Blue Moon for dinner. Blue Moon changes their menu each month and they keep it very seasonal.

I loved the aesthetic, with the exposed beams.

And everything on the menu sounded great.

I went with the smoked jowl with Fuji apples and maple labne (they kindly left off the kimche). This had all the right flavors and textures. Very balance and was rich yet not too heavy,

We also tried the parmesan custard with romaine lettuce and crostini. Excellent flavors and textures again.

The Maine crab cake with fennel slaw and kalamata olive aioli was flavored wonderfully.

One of our friends had the black bean stuffed Delicata squash with smoked tomato sauce with cheddar. They really enjoyed it.

Our other friend got the grilled swordfish with roasted eggplant caponata and asparagus, and also said it was fantastic.

Mike got the crack pepper seared venison with celeriac puree, port wine, and dried cherries. This was very earthy without being overly gamey and the cherries and port wine added a lovely sweetness to the meat.

I got the grilled tenderloin of beef with leek compote and sweet potato gratin. I was blown away by this dish. The steak was perfectly cooked and nicely beefy. The leek compote added a touch of sweet and texture. And the sweet potato gratin was a slightly crunchy, mostly soft, awesomely executed sweet potato dish. I loved it.

This was my favorite meal of the trip. Each dish was composed well and had an extra little oomph that really pushed a good looking menu into a great tasting menu. The heartiness of the meal left me quite satisfied and quite happy. Great meal.

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

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Tags: asparagus, blue moon, crab cake, delicata squash, jowl, parmesan custard, restaurant review, restaurants, seasonal, steak, stowe, stowe vermont, sweet potato gratin, swordfish, travel, venison, vermont

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Categories Eating Out, Travel

Stowe, VT: Harrison’s

28 Jan

Our first night in Stowe, VT brought us to Harrison’s. It had that local feel where you immediately felt comfortable.

Especially over a beer.

Or a cup ‘a’ chowdah.

We tried the spinach and artichoke dip,which I really enjoyed. The swiss and mascarpone cheese combination was really great.

Our friend got the salmon, which he enjoyed.

I got the Butternut Squash Ravioli and added scallops to it. This was described as Vermont fresh butternut squash & pumpkin stuffed ravioli, cranberry, apple cider & port wine pan sauce, fresh sage, crispy pancetta, sauteed baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, shaved Fontina cheese.

This dish was… confused. I thought maybe it was my having added scallops to a dish where they probably didn’t belong, however, one of our friends had the same dish without the scallops and we agreed. The balance of sweet was just not right. It had a very strange flavor that just didn’t work. I couldn’t put my finger on it, and I really can’t describe it, but it was not an enjoyable dish.

And that was a shame. I really wanted to like this place.

But I didn’t.

Damn.

Total Nom Points: 6 out of 10

Tags: butternut squash ravioli, chowder, harrison's, restaurant review, restaurants, salmon, scallops, spinach artichoke dip, stowe, stowe vermont, vermont

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Categories Eating Out, Travel

Stowe, VT: Brass Lantern Inn Bed & Breakfast

23 Jan

Heading up to ski in Stowe this winter? Thinking about spending some time in VT even if you’re not a snow buddy? These next few weeks I’ll post a wrap-up of all the great places we visiting in and around Stowe, Vermont.

We were invited up to Stowe by some friends who go up almost every year around Christmas time. Even though none of us are skiers, we all looked forward to a relaxing weekend in a beautiful part of this country.

Our friends have been guests at The Brass Lantern Inn Bed and Breakfast a number of times before, and we were excited to join them. We went up on a very icy weekend.