Tag Archives: swordfish

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.

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And everything on the menu sounded great.

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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,

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

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

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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

Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10

 

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Florida Noms: 32 East (Delray Beach)

3 Jun

On our free evening in Florida, Mike and I decided to check out Delray Beach.  Now THIS was more like what I was expecting from Boca.  It was a beautiful walking downtown that ended in the ocean.  A combination of fantastic looking restaurants, touristy shops, high-end boutiques, and LOTS of people.  It was alive and kicking even on a Sunday night.

We checked out a few restaurants, and 32 East tickled our fancy with some really interesting sounding dishes.  It also had a nice look to it.

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We couldn’t help but try the antelope skewers.  I mean, how often do you get to try antelope?

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They were gamey and good in all the right ways.  And it came over some baked fruit which was delicious.

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Then we checked out the crispy truffle (fried) raviolis, which sounded quite good but were a little… bland.  Lacking in truffle flavor.  Bummer.

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Mike got the sword fish was good… but not great.

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I got the scallops which were also good… but not great.

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They heavily sauced the plates but the sauces were overall just lacking in flavor.

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This place had all the necessary pieces to be GREAT.  It had a great sounding menu, creative dishes, excellent aesthetic, and great placement in the town.

But it just wasn’t great.  It was just okay.  I’m not sure what went wrong.  Under-seasoned? Product that just wasn’t as fresh as it could have been?  I’m just not sure… but it was a let down.  Don’t get me wrong… it wasn’t bad at all. In fact it was quite good… it just didn’t live up to the expectation that the ambiance and menu led to.

Total Nom Points: 6.5 out of 10