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  1. #16
    Howie, Its interesting to me you would focus on steak. Steak outside of NY is just not the same, like pizza, so you cant have the same expectations or standards. Me, I'm not a steak man, so I have been selecting other options on the menu and they have been generally very good....particularly considering the whole package of convenience, setting, service and price.


  2. #17
    Surprised no one's mentioned Bongiorno's yet. Easily the best burger in the Valley IMO - huge piece of well-cooked beef on really nice French bread, and excellent fries that are both a little crispy and a little meaty. They also have KILLER wings, and a good variety of nice pasta dishes. Their pizza isn't Midtown NYC (and whose is in VT really), but it's solid as well.
    Ithaca is (not) Vermont (but it is gorges)

  3. #18
    Hawk's Avatar
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    The picture in that article is wild. Can you emagine the feeling seeing that in your resturaunt.
    Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
    Got two good eyes but we still don’t see!

  4. #19
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    Been coming to the valley forever and I have never been in Bongiorno's but will have to try it.

    With all this talk of Pizza I am surprised no one has mentioned Flatbread. Now some call it expensive pizza with an attitude but I love that place. Mind you we only go it there in the elbow seasons and occasionally with friends who we know won't mind waiting. Our staple is a bottle of good wine, the revolution salad with goat cheese and a 1/2 & 1/2 of whatever is on special. We love a table for two up front close to the oven. Friday nights on the way up in the spring and fall is our regular spot. Love the outside fire. The only problem is that by the time we make it in for dinner we have a hard time walking into the building on an emptyl bottle of wine and an empty stomach.

    Hawks Rating: A
    Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
    Got two good eyes but we still don’t see!

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Strat View Post
    Surprised no one's mentioned Bongiorno's yet. Easily the best burger in the Valley IMO - huge piece of well-cooked beef on really nice French bread, and excellent fries that are both a little crispy and a little meaty. They also have KILLER wings, and a good variety of nice pasta dishes. Their pizza isn't Midtown NYC (and whose is in VT really), but it's solid as well.
    I had never been in Bongiorno's until last Sunday evening. The pizza was filling, but disappointing in its' blandness. However, until then, I never knew the extent of their menu & I would be interested in trying something else. How does a place like this survive when the two of us were the only people in the joint at about 7:45 PM in the evening. There were maybe 2 or 3 take out orders while we were there.
    Stan

    "There's No Cure For Life"

  6. #21
    Thanks for the update on The Common Man 3.0, always liked Michael, and the couple that followed. Wait staff was good & friendly, glad to hear Jean-Anne (thought her name was Claire-Anne) is still there.

    Have been skiing at Sugarbush for 20+ years, like the changes. Still miss The Warren House as an alternative, and really miss the Mushroom for lunch. John behind the bar hustling to get you a drink and feeling confident that the host or hostess would get you seated, no matter how big your party.

    Have come to appreciate the slopeside ambience of Timbers for lunch, dinner and drinks. Will look forward the new dinning area in front of the fire .

    Coming up for a week in January, any suggestions for intersting dinning experiences?
    (Pitcher Inn for a family of 6 (young adults) gets a bit pricey.) In light of their recent plight might reconsider.
    "Common sense is not so common."
    Voltaire

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Dellwood View Post
    Thanks for the update on The Common Man 3.0, always liked Michael, and the couple that followed. Wait staff was good & friendly, glad to hear Jean-Anne (thought her name was Claire-Anne) is still there.
    Unless you are talking about someone different altogether, it's actually Chris-Ann and she has been a crackerjack waitress for quite a long time.
    Susan Klein, Director, MRV Chamber of Commerce

  8. #23
    Also worth noting, MINT in the Bridge Street Marketplace in Waitsfield has just re-opened following Irene. They serve only vegetarian, but you sure don't need to be one to appreciate and thoroughly enjoy their food. It is fresh, inventive and Iliyan's sauces are wonderful. They are open for dinner only Fri/Sat/Sun and lunch Weds-Sun.
    Susan Klein, Director, MRV Chamber of Commerce

  9. #24
    Because New York is the only place you can get a good steak. Of course. I mean why would I expect the same grade of beef to be able to be delivered anywhere else in the world except the hub of the universe. Nor how could it be possible for anyone but a NY chef to be able to master the hidden intricacies of beef. I hope all you Jets fans are enjoying your delicious steaks this weekend. Reminds me of someone I met on the lift this weekend. She asked where I was from. I said Boston. I returned the question and she said "The City". In my head I was thinking. "Barre? Montpelier? South Royalton?" Where else. New York. The BIG City. Classic.

    Anyway on to restaurant reviews to stay on track.

    The Common Man - Always tops my list. Great food. I haven't been under new management this year, but I'm looking forward to it. Prices are a little high, but I think reasonable given the quality and quantity of food. I.e. I didn't walk out thinking I paid too much for what I got. Usually the best menu in the Valley in my opinion. Had an outrageous cassoulet with duck confit there last year that blew my friggen mind. Blew it right off.

    Chez Henri - I'd agree with previous posters. Great food. Pricey, but expect it going in and it shouldn't bother you. The food makes up for it. I'm curious how the new development is going to effect this and Mutha Stuffers as it will be using their parking lot to build. Dino at Mutha Stuffers has an "opinion sheet" he's asking people to sign. Almost like a petition asking for some parking allowance for their business.

    Mutha Stuffers - My wife loves this place. She buys 2-3 sandwiches to stock up for the week. Dino's a great guy to talk to while he makes them and they're great quality. Have a beer while you wait for them.

    Pine Tree Pub - I'm not sure why this location, whether it's the Mad Mexican or any other iteration, can't get things right. It's a decent location. Good size and the service is pretty good, but that's it. I had the Philly steak sandwich which was OK, but the fries were soggy. Hearing from others on different nights this wasn't an isolated incident. The menu is a bit sparse too. Not a lot of options. My wife did like her Tortellini Alfredo which actually was pretty good.

    The Den - My go to place on any given weekend. Good beer selection and the burger is the best around. Though I plan on doing the taster's choice challenge against Bongiorno's given a prior post. Even given equal burgers though The Den will win out with their mac and cheese. Maybe the best Mac & Cheese I've ever had in a restaurant. I have no idea what other items on the menu taste like because I'm a loyal burger man.

    Village Smoke House - I refer to this place as the Village Suck House. The food is pretty bad. Sorry. Nothing nice to say here except it's a decent place to shoot pool and play Buckhunter while kicking back a Long Trail.

    Timbers - I haven't been in a year or two, but my experience when I went was good. I spend so much time on the mountain sometimes I just want to get away from it. Nothing against the restaurant. A bit pricey. As someone else pointed out though it's a ski lodge so what can you expect. If you're staying there it's a great atmosphere and the food is good.

    Pitcher Inn - High end, white table clothes, decant your wine. No 2 buck Chuck to be found on their wine list. That being said the food is outstanding. Well worth the price. The wait staff is friendly and not pretentious. If you have a special occasion go there. You won't be disappointed, but make a reservation. For some reason they have trouble coping with walk ins. I've walked in to it empty and tried to get a table and they turned us away. Probably because it was me. Who can blame them.

    The Warren Store - Definitely pure Vermont. If you have 40 minutes to spare and $30 to spend for a sandwich go there. The sandwiches are delicious, but apart from the old Littlest Donut Shop I have never seen a slower sandwich made in my life. Perhaps it's just quality craftsmanship and making sure every piece of lettuce is exactly in its place, but don't expect to walk in and walk out.

    Paradise Deli - Make sure you wear your ski boots in. I'm pretty sure they allow it. Best steak and cheese. Soups are good too. My wife harbors long grudges if I don't come home with a Paradise Bar and I'm pretty sure they put pure Columbian cocaine in their deviled eggs.

    CRP - Let's not forget the CRP. Pretty good bar food. The jerk chicken wings are great. Not sure about the move to Irish Nachos with potato chips instead of standard nachos. Every ski bar needs good nachos. They haven't figured that out since opening. Keep trying. The rest of the food is pretty good though. Just tossing this out there but how about switching out the rental shop with the current CRP location? So put the rental place in the dungeon by the boot room and move the bar to the nice, large, open, high ceiling room with a view of the mountain. If for nostalgia sake you miss the cramped place you can have someone move that support beam from the current CRP and put it some where right in the middle of things in the new location. Definitely bring the architect that designed that lodge back for the move. I think he could possibly reduce the size of the boot room while he's at it. I get agoraphobia when I walk in there.

    The Grill Down Under (In the Sugarbush Inn) - Yikes. Walked in. Waited 7-8 minutes before anyone spoke to us. They said it would be a wait. Not how long. just a wait. So as the 6 of us sat there and wondered in amazement at how it could be a wait with 3-4 empty tables we grabbed a drink at the bar. And waited. And waited. My favorite moment was when I watched the cook in the open kitchen lay out 4 empty plates and then stare at them for about 2 minutes memorized at how shiny and white they were. My entire time in there was like an out of body experience. On to food. The menu looked ok with options. Ordered a soup and a burger. I got a 1/3 full cup of cold soup and no spoon. Nice start. Since our waiter was scarce I went out on the great spoon hunt. (can you get a hint of my opinion of this place yet?). Fortunately I was able to procure one from an overfed long haired leaping gnome. My 1/3 cup might have had a chance if warm. The burger was tiny with a huge bun. To their credit it was cooked perfectly. I have no idea apart from maybe channeling Julia Child herself how they got such a thin piece of meat to a perfect medium rare inside. The toppings? Lettuce and the two smallest tomato slices I have seen. i think they cut up a cherry tomato. One of the slices was the butt. Now I'm not particular. I eat the end piece at home, but I've never seen it served at a restaurant as garnish. The sides were 7 stale potato chips. I'm pretty sure I saw the "chef" open a Wise Fun Size snack pack to load our plates. The rest of the food around the table was mediocre at best. Sorry Grill Down Under.

    The Big Picture - Haven't been up this year yet, but hit it over the summer. Good food, good prices. Can't really say anything else. Nice breakfast there as well.

    The Hyde Away - Nice cozy atmosphere. Good hearty foods. The prices and quantity are all right on par. This place single-handedly changed my opinion on meatloaf. If you don't order it when you go it's like hitting on a 20 at a blackjack table. Anyone who doesn't go straight to the meatloaf would have a tough time beating Mike Tyson at Trivial Pursuit. Enough said.

    Sorry no grading used. Enjoy. I'm off to eat a horrible Boston steak. I don't know what it is. We just can't get it right here. I've tried yelling at. I've tried punching it. I've even tried burying it. For some reason we just don't know how to cook as good a steak as the City. Wonder who the Pats will play next week. Cheers.

  10. #25
    ^^^^^^Best Review Ever!!!! I laughed, I cried.......great job!
    "Quietly Heartbroken Tennis Player."

  11. #26
    +1 on that review. Hilarious. Also big fan of flatbreads. I do miss the salad bar at The Den.

  12. #27
    Mtn man,... That was one of your best posts evah! Tanks for the chuckle.

  13. #28
    Turns out the smell at Terra Rosa was a broken sewage pipe.....all fixed.
    www.firstlightphotographics.com
    Sugarbusher since 1970
    Skiing is a dance, and the mountain always leads.

  14. #29
    thanks for the reviews Mtn Man. i found most of it handy, really. too bad about that boston steak, stick with the chowdah and go giants.
    Last edited by random_ski_guy; 01-07-2012 at 12:09 AM.

  15. #30
    Mtn Man nailed it - love Pizza soul - Jason has been around a while and has always been good to my kids. He made pizza in Gate house and Valley House for years. Love the comment about the sewer pipe - I would hate to think that someone really thought it was cheese!

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