Jay About Bluebird BBQ

It is funny, I love BBQ, and I tend to like the Bluebird group's offerings. So why is it I have never been to the BB BBQ joint over on Riverside? Well, it is just such an off the run location. After we had kids it became even harder to justify going to Riverside. I had also heard not great things, mostly having to do with a little much salt. So how did I finally get there after all these years? Well, my wife read that kids eat free and as my folks were in town and we needed to be out of my house for a few hours late one Sunday afternoon... well, f* it, let's check it out!  As usual, my special lady was spot on. We cruised in around 5PM and the place was lively but not packed. There was a party in the side room that looked fun and there were families everywhere. They sat us in a back room giving us plenty of space. Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. There were a ton of things we wanted to try so we went w/ several small plates, dinner for 2, and a couple extra sides.

The buffalo chicken on a biscuit was one of the big hits. Great flavor, well cooked chicken, delicious pickles and a sick biscuit. I liked the asian inspired pulled pork bun sandwich. We all thought the sweet potato pierogies were tasty. The pulled pork was pretty good and they have nice sauces to add flavor. The brisket was tender and delicious w/out having too much fat or gristle. The ribs W/ a maple BBQ mop sauce were great, lot's of meat, w/ a little extra vinegar sauce they really popped. The sides were good as well. The beans had nice flavor and were not mushy, the coleslaw was excellent, and the braised greens and ham almost made you think you were eating healthy. The beer list was pretty solid as well.

I thought the whole thing was pretty great as a stand alone and when you factor in the kid friendliness of the place... well sir, that is 1 3/4 thumbs up and covered in BBQ sauce!

Jay About Taverna Khione

Hey Jay... what the f*** have you been doing?!  F*** you!!! Whatever I want!! And by that I mean cleaning up after my punk kids. Well, last night they were w/ my folks so my special lady and I went for a date to the new Greek place in Shelburne. The last place that occupied the Cafe Shelburne space was a bust, a Greek joint?  Tough sell, but we had high hopes as we both like Greek food and feel like the area needs an infusion of ethnic fare. The first tentative steps were tough. I may have parked in a handicap spot... it was raining and hard to see what the sign was referring to. Also, at 7PM on a Thursday there was no one there. Uh oh. The new owners did do a nice job freshening the look up. It no longer felt like my Grandmother's favorite brunch spot but like a more updated and contemporary but very casually comfortable dining establishment. Service was new car smell as to be expected. Our guy did not tell us the specials even though we were the only people there. He also neglected to tell us they had beer. He also did not know other pretty relevant points to the menu but it is still new. How about the food? Excellent.

We started with stuffed grape leaves that were delicate and featured a tasty sausage filling that was not at all greasy. They sat on a nice fresh tasting yogurt sauce. So far so good. The Greek wines were very unfamiliar to us and our server was little help. The white my wife tried was not great but we settled on a big fruity red they considered like a house red. It was nice and approachable. Next up was the pistachio crusted feta with honey drizzle. What a treat. I would eat that shit all day long and double on Sunday! We also nibbled on grilled octopus that was solid and came on a fava bean hummus type spread that was delicious as well.

We finished up sharing a baked pasta dish w/ cinnamon tomato and ground beef and bechamel sauce. Whoa! Glad we were sharing as it was a decadent delight. Nice flavor, nice consistency, nice presentation.

Finished up with a Greek after dinner drink that was very much like Sambuca and was a nice way to finish. We took a desert home and I will not even get into it, was not the highlight of the evening.

By the time we left there were a few tables full and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. We thought it was great and with tighter service a real solid addition to the scene, 1 1/2 thumbs up with upside. I fear the unrefined palates in Shelburne who love the dumpster fire known as the Bearded Frog will not accept a small reach out of their dining comfort zone and that could be a real challenge but if you are looking for a good meal that is not the same old same old... give these guys a run, it is more than worth it!

Hey, is winter finally over?

After waking to snow last weekend it is nice to finally have sun and 60s even 70 degree temps. Of course one of my kids (or the other) has been sick for 285 straight days so it still sucks in the Bird household. We took the kiddos to La Villa early the other night for a dinner out. Yikes!!! While the people were very friendly and the place is set up to handle families they were not ready for our cranky brood. Spilling water, screaming, not sitting down, tossing food... we pretty much hit for the cycle. The other patrons were not impressed and I wished I had a hole to crawl in. Good times.

We signed up for the new HBO Now. It is not bad. Streams faster than actual Apple movies, not as fast as Netflix. It has also crashed several times on us in the first week. That said there is quite a bit of content. We watched The Way Way Back the other night and it was a nice little movie. Sam Rockwell is great. It is a little slow going but gets to a nice tempo.  I also have gotten in that show Silicon Valley. I like T.J. Miller... funny guy.

What the f*** is up w/ Gotham on Fox. It is on, then off, then on, then a long hiatus for no reason?  Hard to stay on board.

One thing I am on board with is Berkshire Mountain Distillery which we checked out while visiting the in-laws a couple weeks back. Cool building, Great tasting with a bartender who was friendly, knowledgeable, and put down a solid pour. There are plenty of things to like but the premixed gin and tonic was surprisingly delicious and refreshing. I hate most tonics so I hate mote G&Ts but this one is good, not too sickly sweet. The barrel aged bourbons are also nice. The Founder's was a little too heavy on the coffee for me but the Sam Adams Utopia was pretty solid as was the Hopzilla.  The highlight for us was the Ethereal Gin series. They make a new recipe for each bottling that is then destroyed so no too are alike. All three we tried were excellent with different herb and citrus notes. Great product. If you ever find yourself down in the Berkshires, check this place out. http://berkshiremountaindistillers.com/home/

We also went over to Big Elm Brewery around the corner. Fun place, the beer isn't great. The stouts are good and the imperial stout is actually an excellent motor oil of a beer. Again, it is a fun place to hang, taste some beer and maybe grab a bomber of six pack of cans for the beach.

Big Night Out

So my lady and I stepped out the other night for a fundraiser for CarShare VT. www.carsharevt.org I am pro my car but the fewer ya yos out there on the road the better. The organization also provides a valuable service for folks that need transportation but can't afford their own car or taxis everywhere. The event was a dinner at Pennycluse. Interesting as it is a pretty solid breakfast lunch spot not known for dinner fare. Good reason. The food was fine but not really as good as what I might make at home actually. The event was fun though and the restaurant had pretty good pacing and a nice space.

The big hit was our after party drink at the Lamp Store over by the OP. It is a speakeasy type space filled with vintage lamps for sale and a pretty awesome old school bar. It was not too busy and a very chill vibe. Plus I was able to get a nice pour of Fernet Branca neat. It was a little like getting a drink at the Lamp Shop on Pine Street... except it was open.

We have been watching the first season of Mash on Netflix lately. Great show. Very edgy even now.

I generally really hate fruit beers. Number 9 sucks, even with whisky in it. But this little gem is absolutely delicious and LB is spot on, superb summer sipper... if we actually ever see summer. It snowed up here again yesterday. http://21st-amendment.com/beers/hell-or-high-watermelon/