Livin’ The Vermont Way
March / April 2006
The Kitchen Table – A Delicious Outing Well Worth the Price
By Jess Robinson
When I was young, staring out of the car window as we drove back from skiing or the grandparents’ house, the site of the old brick house off the interstate in Richmond always signaled we were getting close to home. It therefore seemed appropriate that the restaurant I set out to review, located in that same old hose, was named The Kitchen Table Bistro.
I had heard good things about The Kitchen Table, but these compliments dealt exclusively with the Sunday brunch they offer. Since I am not a big brunch guy, and no one I asked had been there for dinner, I thought I would give it a try.
When I arrived with my wife and a couple of friends, we were greeted warmly, and though our table wasn’t ready, we were encouraged to wait in the bar area. The bar was warm and comfortable and we all managed to get stools and order drinks before our table was set. The wine list seemed to have many of my favorites as well as some old stand-bys on hand. Though it was a nice selection, I ordered a good beer instead.
We met our server, were seared and everything was going well. It was at this point that I looked at the menu. The food offerings looked great, but the numbers listed at the bottom of the entrees were momentarily shocking. When I eat at a nice restaurant, particularly in the greater Burlington area, I fully expect one or two premier entrees to hover in the mid to high twenty dollar range. Yet, here, nearly every entrée on the menu worth eating fell within or close to this price range. My friends didn’t seem visibly surprised and so I tried to play it cool, finish my beer and recovered. By the time the waitress returned, we placed our order, got a bottle of wine for the table, and everything resumed its cheer atmosphere.
Getting Started
My wife and I shared an order of mussels as an appetizer, and our friends shared an order of the fried calamari and a Caesar salad. The Caesar salad was served with broad, whole leaves of lettuce that covered over the other elements of the salad, and they said it was very good. My wife and I loved the mussels as well, though not big on mayonnaise, I scraped the little amount off my portion that was drizzled over them.
For our entrees, I ordered the evening special; rabbit served two ways. My wife ordered the sea scallops, and despite my protestations that they were taking the safe route, both of my friends ordered the salmon.
When our food arrived, we were pleasantly surprised. Everything was presented very well, and for the most part, the surfaces of the plates were well used, as opposed to a high column teetering in the center. This rabbit was served in a shallow skillet with a smaller iron plate in the center. The larger portion of the rabbit was grilled in the plate, raised above the white-wine broth in the larger skillet. In the delicate but flavorful broth stewed the smaller rabbit leg and onions and potatoes.
Not only was the meal presented perfectly, it was one of the best restaurant meals I’ve had in years. For me, they could have created nothing better to convey the intermingled feelings of a special night out and a holiday meal with the family. My wife’s scallops were perfect, and even the salmon was made special. They rightly treated it like a steak and asked how my friends each wanted it cooked, and then truly served it that way.
By the time the bill came, I had almost forgotten about the prices. When the fateful moment came to open the ominous black book on the table, I did it gladly and paid without regretting my decision to come.
I recommend this restaurant highly, and only suggest that you think carefully about how much you can spend before setting out. Unless you skip the entrees entirely, there is no way to eat at this restaurant on the cheap, but when you do go, be ready for a fulfilling and tasty meal.