Summer 2010
Restaurants of Note
By Sky Barsch Gleiner
Restaurants of Note
Sky Barsch Gleiner
There was a time when high-caliber live music and satisfying fare were two very separate concepts in Vermont. Out to see the Starline Rhythm Boys? The choices used to be popcorn or peanuts. Our energized restaurant scene has changed all that. These days, some of Vermont's best eateries mingle with our eclectic music culture, mixing local food with global sounds and inspired cuisine.
Here's a sample of some of our hippest places to get a taste of both great food and great music.
The Black Door Bar and Bistro
44 Main St. (second and third floors)
Montpelier
(802) 223-7070
Dinner from 5 p.m. Mon. through Sat.
Music schedule at www.blackdoorvt.com/shows
The third-floor stage is a lot like the Black Door menu: showcasing the local, but globally inspired. Enjoy everything from honky-tonk to jazz to gypsy to klezmer while settling in at a table or the comfortable bar near the ample dance floor. The seasonal fare is super-tasty bistro food, including one of the best burgers in town (made of local beef), as well as full dinners, with offerings such as braised rabbit spaetzle with mint.
On the Rise Bakery
39 Esplanade, Richmond
(802) 434-7787
Mon. through Tues. 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; until 10 p.m. Wed. through Sat.; until 3 p.m. Sun.
Music schedule at
www.ontherisebakery.net, click on music
If you appreciate the power of flour + yeast + sugar, you will be in heaven at On the Rise, where you can snack on sticky buns, bagels, scones, wood-fired pizza and creative sandwiches (plus lots more). The music scene has a distinct community feel: twice a month, open-session bluegrass allows anyone who'd like to pick or jam to take the stage, and once a month the mike is open to other performers and musicians. Professionals take the stage other evenings, including the Pulse Prophets, Amapola, Red Hot Juba and The Burlington Jazz Quintet.
Positive Pie 2
22 State St., Montpelier
(802) 229-0453
11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun. through Thurs.; 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.
Music schedule at www.positivepie.com, click on events
The polished sister of Plainfield's Positive Pie, PP2 features thin-crust pizza and a full Italian-inspired dinner menu in a cosmopolitan environment. When bands take the stage, Positive Pie 2 turns into a dance party as hippie and hip-hop crowds mingle for rap, reggae, Motown and Afrobeat.
Flat Street Brew Pub
6 Flat St., Brattleboro
(802) 257-1911
Pub 4 p.m. until last call; restaurant 5 to 9:30 p.m., music from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Music schedule at www.flatstreetbrewpub.net, click on events
The Flat Street Brew Pub has evolved from a tiny bar where burgers were prepared on a George Foreman grill to an all-out restaurant that features such items as lobster ravioli and grilled mahi-mahi. The beer selection is something to say cheers to as well — with 20 taps upstairs and 30 downstairs that are heavy on Berkshire Brewing Co. brews but also include fancy Belgian delights. On Saturday nights, Flat Street clears away the downstairs tables to make way for three hours of live music. Jazz, dance and even progressive glam rock are all part of the lineup.
The Perfect Wife Tavern
2594 Depot St., Manchester
(802) 362-2817
From 4 p.m.; closed Sun. and Mon. Music 9 p.m. weeknights, 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat.;
music schedule at www.perfectwife.com/Entertainment.html
As if chef-owner Amy Chamberlain doesn't impress you enough with her cooking skills, she provides some of the entertainment too. Chamberlain, her husband, Geoff, and four others make up The Battenkillers, who play covers from Stevie Wonder to Pink Floyd. Other bands from New England and beyond play three to four nights per week and their musical styles range from jam to funk to what Chamberlain describes as 'crazy alt-country." And the food? Chamberlain has the chops there too. She has prepared Vermont products for a prestigious media event in Manhattan, and in the tavern, she features sophisticated pub fare such as 'miracle loaf" meatloaf, crabcake sandwiches and Boyden Farm burgers.
Parima Thai
185 Pearl St., Burlington
(802) 864-7917
Summer dinner hours: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Mon. through Wed.; 11:30 a.m. to midnight Thurs. through Sat.; 4:30 to 10 p.m. Sun. (bar is open late night)
Music schedule at www.parimathai.com,
click on events
Parima Thai offers up two areas for music — the intimate Acoustic Lounge and the bigger Main Stage. The 'Burgundy Thursdays" series presents performances and discussions with regional singer-songwriters; artist dug Nap leads frequent poetry nights; and jazz is a regular part of the mix. Parima's traditional Thai cuisine includes an array of curries, noodles, spring rolls and satays. Saketinis add to the cross-cultural currents.
