Jay About the Bluebird Tavern

Here we go, 2 posts in 1 day... back in the game!!! Last night my special lady and I head out after work to a party celebrating the 1 yr birthday for our friends' little girl. Needless to say there were several small people at the party. We don't have kids... nothing against kids, we want them in the future, but it is unfamiliar territory. Oh baby! Things started out cool w/ funny kids doing funny kids and parents chasing around. Then cake came out, Then the noise increased, chaos erupted, and we bolted like scared deer! It was a nice party, we are wusses. To celebrate our status (such as it is), we decided to roll over to the Bluebird Tavern on the way to Winooski for a bight to eat. It is a totally revamped building that used to be Tortilla Flats and id billed as a "gastro-pub". I am totally down w/ a casual pub serving solid food, but it is a little out of our way so it took awhile for me to get there (Lady-Bird had already been). The space itself is nice. Dark pub like atmosphere w/ a cool bar and several eating areas surrounded by large screened in windows overlooking the Winooski River and woods behind. I had heard that one issue was that the servings were often small and too expensive so we had to plan accordingly for the 2 of us. First up was a cocktail... there were many interesting choices but we were both tired and a little wiped out so I went for an Ommegang seasonal which was very nice (a Belgian wheat ale), and my wife opted for the Rare Vos, another Ommegang that is a darker Belgian ale. On to the food. We started w/ the fluke crudo w/ radish and a sweet tomato popper. Excellent flavor and consistency but the fluke was cut a little thick. We also had a chicken liver smeared toast w/ crispy chicken skin. I liked it, the lady less so. The texture was very rich and creamy. Both of us wished it was served on the side for us to spread and also wish the toast had not been a tad burned.

The main course was a salad of greens and herbs which was good but needed a little more dressing and possibly a dash of sea salt, and Parpadelle pasta w/ lamb sausage which was outstanding. We also hit up a side of chard in brown butter that was also very good. For desert we were talked into a dish of homemade ice cream... plum and buttermilk sorbet. The plum ice cream was ok, very rich though. The buttermilk sorbet was fantastic w/ a creamy but still tangy almost citrus like flavor. It was very good.

All in the meal was solid but not spectacular. The service was very good, the price was not egregious (under $80), we had plenty to eat, and it was a nice atmosphere. 1 3/4 thumbs up!!

http://bluebirdvermont.com/