Thanks!

All of us at Seven Days would like to express our sincere appreciation to the restaurants, sponsors, individuals and local businesses who supported Vermont Restaurant Week 2011. Your enthusiasm, trust and good taste helped us showcase the best of Vermont food, and we are proud to have you involved.

We'd like to extend a special thanks to the following sponsors who not only made our events happen, but also to everyone who donated items for our gift bag, pub quiz prizes and giveaways. We love you all!

Bove’s of Vermont
City Market
Cupp’s Bakery
Farrell Distributing Corporation
Greater Burlington YMCA
Healthy Living Market
Kiss the Cook
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Madhouse Munchies
Christy Mitchell (S.P.A.C.E. Gallery)
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Nectar’s
The Point Independent Radio
Red Square
Small Dog Electronics
Speeder & Earl’s
Top Hat Entertainment
Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery
Vermont Federal Credit Union
Vermont Foodbank
Mark Waskow (SEABA)
WCAX-TV
Willard Street Inn
Woolen Mill Health Club

One last reminder to help our friends at Vermont Foodbank:

If you had a great meal this week, take two minutes and give back to your hungry neighbors. It's easy! Just text the word "FOODNOW" to 52000 and a $10 donation will be charged to your phone bill.

Long live Restaurant Week! (through art, at least)

Restaurant Week may be drawing to a close, but it will linger on in at least one significant way — and we're not talking about just your waistline. The whimsical, colorful and occasionally grotesque "A Visual Feast: The Food Art Show" will remain up at Pine Street's Backspace Gallery until May 28.

Judging from the 30 paintings and sculptures in the show, food — whether eggs, raw pork, candy or carrots— provides rich conceptual fodder for the 20 artists who work is on display here. Auto-minded artist Aaron Stein used Wisconsin license plates to render mangled bananas (which sold within minutes of the show's opening); Ansley West staged a surreal photographic still-life he aptly describes as Carrot Catastrophe.  For the more traditionally-minded, gossamer watercolors and lonely, Edward-Hopperesque oil paintings await.

If you haven't had a chance to catch it yet, the official reception for "A Visual Feast" is during tomorrow's First Friday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Backspace
266 Pine Street, Suite 106
(802) 578-2512
www.spacegalleryvt.com

 

Last Day to Dine!

All good things must end, and today is the day for Vermont Restaurant Week 2011. This is your last chance to get great lunch deals or have a prix-fixe dinner for $15, $25 or $35.

We're going to get in a quick lunch, then do dinner just to get every last drop of Restaurant Week. Tomorrow, the diet starts!

 

Read all about it!

Hot off the presses, our May 4 issue of Seven Days includes a tasty treat. The food section is filled by "The Restaurant Week Diaries," a collection of yummy tell-alls from our staff's weekend dining adventures. Click here to see where everyone went and what they said.

Alice has also been keeping track of everything she's eaten in the past few gluttony-filled days. Look for her "Restaurant Week Diaries" blog posts on Blurt: The Seven Days Staff Blog.

Want to share your own Vermont Restaurant Week experiences? Here's how:

• Post on our Facebook wall
• Tweet and add the hash tag #vtrw
• Write a review of the restaurant on 7 Nights (be sure to mention Restaurant Week in your review)

 

The Pub Quiz Hangover

It's me, Alice. I just want to thank everyone who came out for last night's Culinary Pub Quiz.

I've been a regular at Top Hat Entertainment's Thursday Night Trivia Mania at Nectar's since the beginning, so the one day a year I write the questions, I feel like I'm living out my Make-A-Wish dream. I was awed once again to see people join their friends in intense discussions about what the chicken is said to taste like in "Rapper's Delight" or what dish is created by a combination of cod, salt and lye.

The teams, which had a bluer bent to their foodie names than last year, ranged from "Wolfgang F*ck" to "Cock Soup" to a far tamer "Chicken Dinner," were so competitive that several rounds ended with ties. The victors collected spoils including dessert from Cupp's, Speeder & Earl's coffee, Bove's tomato sauce and unfortunately inedible Chill Pill speakers from Small Dog Electronics. Everyone got a sweet treat thanks to the Cotton Candy Connection.

In the end, Half Pint Farm's team, "Soft Pretzels" prevailed, winning a stay for two at Topnotch Resort & Spa in Stowe. Despite lots of tough questions, the events appeared to win over regular trivia folk and foodies alike. It was humbling for me to see all the fun. So humbling, in fact, I'm already thinking of questions for next time...

Culinary Pub Quiz - TONIGHT!

Get ready for seven rounds of delicious trivia — including questions about food in music and movies. Hosted by Nectar's and emcee'd by Top Hat Entertainment, the evening promises plenty of prizes and mountains of gravy fries.

What do you need to do? Assemble your friends! We have no limit on team size, so feel free to go it alone or invite the whole gang. The most successful trivia teams include members with diverse areas of expertise.

Sample questions from the last Seven Days Culinary Pub Quiz:

• This organization's website says that it, "encourages farmers, food producers and chefs to work directly with each other to build partnerships." The group also sponsors a series of "farmers' dinners" throughout the summer.
  
• Name this dish: Pepitas + chocolate + ancho chiles = ?
• Name this dish: Whitefish + matzoh meal + eggs = ?
• Café Mediterano in Essex specializes in cevapi, burek and kebabs. What cuisine does the tasty restaurant serve?
• This Edward Scissorhand star's grandfather invented the first cream of tartar baking powder. He himself published several cookbooks, including "A Treasury of Great Recipes" and "Come Into the Kitchen Cookbook."

Monday, May 17, 7:30-10 p.m. Map & Directions. Free at Nectar's. Arrive early, tables will go fast. Teams encouraged.

Say you're coming on Facebook!

Why are people so in love with Muddy Paw VT?

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'Cuz they like their coffee freshly ground and their breakfast made to order. Muddy Paw VT serves it up hot, fresh and fast, and you don't even have to get out of your car!
 
What's the best part? Muddy Paw VT is locally owned and independently operated. Drive through and say hello to your favorite barista today or grab fresh baked goods from Waterbury Center Bakery, local energy drinks from Mocean Mate, delicious sandwiches and salads from our village location and treats for your furry friends, too!
 
Check out our menu and specials at MuddyPawVT.com or find us on the Muddy Paw VT Facebook page to see our latest specials and the Muddy Paw Canine fan of the day!

Weekend Winners at Restaurant Week Events

¡Sangria Smackdown!

It was a gorgeous afternoon Saturday, and 15 minutes into the ¡Sangria Smackdown!, lines were forming at both of Red Square's back bars. The night before, the bar's staff had prepared each of the five finalists' recipes — three red sangrias and two white — leaving the flavors to mingle overnight. By the time the Smackdown arrived, fruit bobbed in each of the carafes as bartenders ladled out 2-ounce samples. The finalists sampled the competition as DJ Cre8 spun ambient and Latin-influenced tunes.

In the end, 120 people voted, tossing gold coins into the urns of their favorite recipes. Despite the tasty field, one blend won by a landslide: Congratulations to Laura Obuchowki (pictured), whose "Laura's Lighten-Up Sangria" wowed the masses with its berries, mint and zingy-sweet flavors. Laura took home a one-night stay at the Willard Street Inn and a pair of gift certificates to The Farmhouse Tap & Grill — a great prelude to her wedding this summer!

Big Night

More than 150 moviegovers flooded the lobby of Palace 9 on Sunday evening to catch foodie flick "Big Night" and get a taste of timpano from Velvet Catering Events. Samples from Vermont Butter and Cheese, Root:1 wines and Long Trail Ale rounded out a pre-screening cocktail party filled with conversations about Restaurant Week meals past and future.

One lucky winner took away the big prize from Kiss the Cook. Worth more than $300, the prize basket included loads of goodies inspired by the featured movie including and Atlas SS pasta maker and a Emile Henry 2-piece lasagna dish set. Congratulations to "Joan" (sorry, we didn't catch your last name!), originally from Naples, Italy and a big fan of Kiss the Cook. Also pictured, Sherwin Westover, manager, Kiss the Cook.

Missed out on these events?
Get your team together and meet us on Tuesday night at Nectar's for Culinary Pub Quiz!

Are you ready for a 'Big Night' at the movies?

Can you say timpano? Whether you've seen Stanley Tucci's cult foodie flick Big Night (1996) before or not, Sunday's "Big Night" at Palace 9 is not to be missed! Watch as a failing Italian restaurant run by two bickering brothers gambles on one special night to save the business.

The movie starts at 5:30 p.m., but come at 4:30 p.m. to enjoy samples from Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery and a free taste of the infamous Timpano prepared by Shawn Lipenski of Velvet Catering and Events. The cash bar features Root: 1 wines and Long Trail Ale. And, yes, you can bring your drinks into the theater!

All guests to this event will be entered into a drawing for a huge timpano-inspired prize package from Kiss the Cook including:

• Atlas SS Pasta Maker (Lasagna, Fettuccine, Taglionini)
• Emile Henry 2 Pc. Lasagna Dish
• Pasta Drying Rack
• and much more!

Sunday Brunch at Cupp's!

Sponsored Post

Cupp's, Winooski newest bakery and café, now offers a fabulous Sunday brunch! In addition to hand-sculpted cakes, memorable desserts and a brand new spring menu, diners can now enjoy Sunday brunch items full of bright flavors, baked and simmered in Vermont's freshest ingredients.

Try the Benedict Arnold: Maple Meadow poached eggs served on house bread slices with fresh asparagus, topped with house-made hollandaise, served with home fries and fruit salad. Or, to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth, try the Crème Brule French Toast: two slices of brioche bread drenched in crème brule, baked and topped with a generous helping of caramelized maple sugar. When the weather is nice, sit outside and enjoy the sunshine while you brunch!

Sunday Brunch is served 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more, visit the website!

Sangria Smackdown Finalist #5: Kat Russell

We just paid a visit to Red Square, where the bartenders are busily filling carafes with a melange of fruit and wine. It was hard not to drink some on the spot. But as everybody knows, it's best to let sangria sit and stew awhile, and let all of those flavors mingle and meld. 

One of the carafes was full of Kat Russell's Sangria de las Ventas. Kat fell in love with Spanish culture in high school, so much so that she ended up studying abroad in Madrid during college. She named her red sangria after a bullfighing arena in Spain's capital. "With the addition of lime juice and orange peels, it should taste slightly bitter byt also sweet, just like a visit to Las Ventas," writes Kat. And that ain't any orange y0u'll see floating in the mix: Kat harnesses the power of cara-cara oranges, a pinkish variety with complex notes.

If you can find Kat in the crowd tomorrow, ask her to defend her sangria in Español; she teaches the language to middle- and high-schoolers in Franklin County.

Saturdays' forecast is sunny and 64 balmy degrees — no excuse not to join us at the  Sangria Smackdown this Saturday at Red Square! See you there.

Tweet Your Restaurant Week

Want to get the word out about where you're eating for Vermont Restaurant Week? We've compiled a handy guide to all the participating restaurants who have their own Twitter feeds. Heading to a less tech-savvy spot? Just tweet the restaurant's real name.

And don't forget to include #vtrw in your tweet so that everyone can see your Vermont Restaurant Week posts. We're tweeting @VTrestoweek.

• 156 Bistro: @156bistro
• 3 Squares Café: @3SquaresCafe
• American Flatbread Burlington Hearth: @amfltbrd
• Bar Antidote: @barantidote
• Bluebird Tavern: @bluebirdtavern
• Caroline's Fine Dining: @carolinesvt
• Church & Main: @churchandmain
• City Market: @CityMarket
• Cupp's: @cuppsvt
• Das Bierhaus: @DasBierhaus
• Farmhouse Tap & Grill: @fhtgburlington
• Frida's Taqueria and Grill: @fridasvt
• Jackson's on the River: @jacksonsvt
• The Kitchen Table Bistro: @KitchenTableVT
• La Villa Bistro: @LaVillaBistro
• The Lake-View House: @LakeViewHouse
• Mary's Restaurant at The Inn at Baldwin Creek: @innbaldwincreek
• Mexicali Mexican Grill & Cantina: @Mexicali_VT
• Miguel's on Main: @MiguelsOnMain
• Morgan's Tavern at the Middlebury Inn: @middleburyinn
• Norma's Restaurant: @TopnotchResort
• One Federal: @OneFederal
• Pauline's Café: @paulinescafe
• Piecasso Pizzeria: @piecassopizza
• Positive Pie 2:@positivepie2
• The Reservoir: @thereservoirvt
• Salt: @saltcafevt
• The Skinny Pancake: @SkinnyPancake
• Solstice at Stowe Mountain Lodge: @StoweMtnLodge
• Three Penny Taproom: @threepennytap
• Tourterelle: @TourterelleVT
• Trader Duke's: @DBLtreeburlvt

College Graduates Eat Free at Norma’s!

Sponsored Post

Every foodie loves a good reason to eat out. Right on the heels of Restaurant Week, there’s another opportunity (whew!) — “Graduate’s Eat Free.” Debuting at Norma’s Restaurant (at Topnotch Resort and Spa) in Stowe, starting in May, area college graduates can enjoy a free meal when accompanied by their parents, friends, spouses or siblings. Norma’s features fresh, flavorful creative fare that celebrates the rich talent of Vermont’s local culinary artisans. In short, it’s a meal to remember and occasion never to forget. Come dine in Stowe and celebrate this amazing milestone at Norma’s Restaurant. Visit the Stowe Area Association webpage here for more details and for links to Norma’s menu and participating college’s “Graduates Eat Free” coupon. Then make a reservation and get ready to dine well — again!
 
Participating local colleges include: Champlain College, St. Michael’s College, Johnson State College, Burlington College, Norwich University, University of Vermont, Community College of Vermont.
 
Limit one coupon per family. Family must consist of at least one other (paying) person besides the graduate. Offer good on food only. Excludes alcohol and other beverages.

Menu Posted: 3 Squares Café

All of the Restaurant Week participants are offering something special, but as he did last year, chef Matt Birong is going the extra mile at 3 Squares Café. Once again, his entire menu was created especially for the occasion.

For the first Vermont Restaurant Week, 3 Squares served up three courses of fabulous Latin specialties. This year, the theme is Cajun and Creole. For $25, diners can sup on three courses of bayou-inspired fare, including cornmeal-crusted catfish, crawfish pie and beignets.

Click here to see the menu or to make a reservation.

Sangria Smackdown Finalist #4: Laura Obuchowski

Sangria Smackdown finalist Laura Obuchowski is a Vermonter through and through: she grew up in Shelburne, went to UVM, and this Labor Day weekend, she'll be gettin' married "up in the Islands." Maybe it was all of those Lake Champlain sunsets that inspired Laura's sangria recipe. The title, "Laura's Lighten Up Sangria," pretty much sums its up: a white sangria based on Sauvignon Blanc and stuffed with berries, lime and mint.

Besides mixology and a laid-back attitude, Laura is also fiercely proud of her Polish blood. "I love pieorogies and kielbasa!" she writes. And sangria. It's an unusual combo, but we can almost see it.

Come taste Laura's zesty concoction at  Sangria Smackdown this Saturday at Red Square.

Tomorrow we'll profile our last Sangria Smackdown, Kat Russell.

 

Menu Posted: Trap Door Bakehouse & Café

Quechee's Trap Door Bakehouse & Café looks like a stately Colonial home from the outside. Walk through the door, however, and you'll find a cornucopia of classic pastries and unusual baked goodies, as well as savory delights such as quiches, frittatas, panini and the occasional Greek special.

During Restaurant Week, owner Theodora Damaskos is harnessing her Grecian culinary prowess to roll out an amazing $10 lunch deal of Greek meze and pastries. There's spanakopita and Greek salad, sure, but also dolmathes, pastistio, Taramokeftedes  — fish roe cakes with fresh potatoes with herbs — and bourekia.

For dessert? Nosh on baklava, Greek cookies or risogalo (Greek rice pudding) and if it's a warm day, take it out to the back deck — Trap Door might have the most amazing view of any café in the Upper Valley.

To see the full menu, click here.

 

Menu Posted: Three Penny Taproom

Looking for lunch in Montpelier? Three Penny Taproom has a $10 lunch special composed of the freshest ingredients this suddenly warm spring has to offer.

The menu changes every day and includes soups, sandwiches and other creations perfect for pairing with one of 24 craft brews on tap. Diners can choose any two for a perfect localvore lunch.

To learn more or to see a sample menu, click here.

CCTA and Restaurant Week, an Unlikely Combination... Not Really!

Sponsored post

The combination may not be as obvious as say, peanut butter and jelly, but it’s just as natural. CCTA bus routes will get you to many participating restaurants in downtown Burlington as well as surrounding towns. Relax and enjoy your meal without the hassles of driving and parking. Many routes offer service into the late evening for convenience.

With gas prices reaching record highs, you can stretch your Restaurant Week budget further by choosing to ride CCTA! All local routes are just $1.25 for a one-way trip, local commuter routes are $2.00 and LINK Express routes are $4.00.

Make CCTA a part of your plan this Restaurant Week!
Visit our website for more information.

Menu Posted: The Kitchen Table Bistro

The Kitchen Table Bistro is already known as one of Vermont's top dining destinations. Few things could make the restaurant more appealing, but $35 for any appetizer, entrée and dessert on the regular menu just might qualify.

The bill of fare changes daily with the local produce coming into the kitchen, but click here to see a sample menu or to make a reservation.

Menu Posted: Morgan's Tavern at the Middlebury Inn

This classic New England inn is the perfect place to gather friends from a variety of income brackets. Why? Morgan's Tavern is offering a tantalizing menu in each price point. That means diners can get a three-course meal for $15, $25 or $35.

The menus feature lots of seafood dishes — and local ingredients. They combine in the fish and chips, which are dipped in batter made from Otter Creek Copper Ale.

To see all three menus or to make a reservation, click here.

 

Sangria Smackdown Finalist #3: Amy Tillotson

Amy Tillotson may be our sleeper finalist. She works by day as an office manager in a graduate program for educators, and at night as the mother of a 16-month-old son. But her secret love is cooking and baking, a passion she says she inherited from her father. "He was a foodie before such a term existed," she says. 

Amy's husband Leif calls her (lovingly) a food snob, but it's hard to believe that this sweet-seeming woman is anything but warm. Might she have a latent competitive streak, though? This Saturday, we'll find out!

As its name suggests, Amy's "White Passionfuit Sangria," harbors some luscious fruits and their essences, as well as a few bottles of Root:1 Chardonnay. Amy's insists it's a fine way to welcome spring after such a brutal winter. This weekend, we'll decide whether or not an untraditional white sangria can earn Amy the top prize during the Sangria Smackdown at Red Square.

Tomorrow we'll profile Sangria Smackdown finalist #4, Laura Obuchowski.

 

Menu Posted: Santos Cocina Latina

We can hardly wait to head to Stowe for Santos' four-course, $35 Restaurant Week menu. The feast will kick off with the amuse bouche of the day, followed by either a ceviche or vegetarian empanada. Maybe we'll then tuck into a grilled skirt steak in a roasted-red-tomato chimichurri sauce and, if we still have room, a cheese and coconut flan topped with Mount Mansfield Maple whipped cream. Worth the drive? Oh, yes.

To see the menu or make a reservation, click here.

Menu Posted: Black Sheep Bistro

Chef Michel Mahe lends his vision to The Bearded Frog, Bobcat Café and Up Top Tavern, but he cooks at the Black Sheep. His flair shows in his flavorful Restaurant Week offerings.

The $25 menu makes the most of stone fruits, which appear alongside a cumin-rubbed pork chop and in a dipping sauce with duck cigar rolls.

To make a reservation or to see the full menu, click here.

Three Stallion Inn closes its restaurant

We've found out the sad news that the Three Stallion Inn & Restaurant in Randolph has shuttered its restaurant,  as of today. Owner Sam Sammis broke the news to dining staff yesterday. "We knew we were struggling but didn't know it was that bad," says an employee. The inn remains open to overnight guests,  however.

Besides being terrible news for everyone who worked there, anyone who planned to visit the Three Stallion during Vermont Restaurant Week will need to retool their plans. Nearby options include a localvore dinner at Ariel's Restaurant in Brookfield and lunch at Quechee's Trap Door Bakehouse & Cafe, where a Greek-inspired spread entices diners. To the north, Montpelier restaurants Salt, Positive Pie 2, and  The Skinny Pancake are all offering Restaurant Week dinner menus, and Three Penny Taproom is holding a $10 lunch deal.

We wish everyone at the Three Stallion the very best, and look forward to seeing them at other eateries throughout the state.  

Menu Posted: Church & Main

Whether you're a vegetarian, pescatarian or meat-lover, Church & Main has an appealing option for you on its three-course, $35 menu.

Sit at the bar or on one of the comfy-but-chic couches, order a glass of wine from the massive cellar, and get eating!

We can't decide whether to start with the English pea and baby carrot risotto or the braised pork belly with Champlain Valley Apiaries honey-roasted turnips.

To make a reservation or to see the full menu, click here.

Sangria Smackdown Finalist #2: Jean-Marc "Marcus" Champoux

Jean-Marc "Marcus" Champoux is a recent transplant to our fair city, having just moved east from rainy Seattle. Yet while he may be new to Vermont, he's an old hand in the kitchen and behind the bar. Marcus got his start many moons ago under the tutelage of "an angry bartender named Mary," who showed Marcus the ways and means of classic cocktails.

Now an experienced mixologist, Marcus oftens blends fresh ingredients into his drinks and, in the spirit of Mary, loves sharing his innovations (sans anger) with fellow bartenders and guests at the myriad bars, restaurants and hotels where he has worked. "I've lived in so many cities and states that I forget most of them," says Marcus, a native Californian. But while you can take the man out of the bar, you can't take the muddler from his hand — Marcus is on the hunt for Burlington bar where he can "hang his tools." 

Marcus has enlisted Root 1 Cabernet for an elixir he calls "Far West Sangria."  His secret weapons? Ginger syrup and star anise. Both sound intriguing, but whether they'll send his recipe over the finish line during the Sangria Smackdown at Red Square this Saturday...well, that's up to us and you. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for the scoop on finalist #3, Amy Tillotson.

 

Menu Posted: Union Jack's

Cor blimey, we love the fish and chips at Union Jack's in Burlington. Apparently, the folks at AOL travel like it there, too. The chip and sandwich shop was just featured along with Bluebird Tavern and L'Amante as part of an article on why Burlington is one of the country's best small food towns.

Want to give it a try? For $15, two people can share three courses, including the famous fish and chips and a freshly baked cookie.

To see the full menu, click here.

Menu Posted: The Farmhouse Tap & Grill

The Farmhouse Tap & Grill takes local and seasonal to decadent levels, with the best craft beers around to wash it all down. Come Restaurant Week, at least one of those brews will actually make it into the food, alongside local greens, meats, and cheeses. Kick off with rabbit terrine with pickled ramps, a radish salad with Vermont pea shoots and Doe's Leap chevré in a rhubarb vinaigrette, or fried mushrooms battered in beer from Hill Farmstead.

The chef here builds a mean burger, so if you're not into a spice-rubbed Winding Brook Farm lamb burger with turnip slaw and herbed feta, maybe Nitty-Gritty Grain Co. polenta topped by local mushrooms, a poached farm egg and microgreens is more your style. Vegetarian or not, who doesn't love a salted-caramel milkshake for dessert?

To see the menu or make a reservation, click here.

 

 

Sangria Smackdown Finalist #1: Elisa Garcia-Rey

When Elisa-Garcia Rey submitted the recipe for her "Sangria Española," she wrote that her Spanish mother would hit her over the head with a wooden spoon if she didn't know how to make a proper sangria. "The best and most authentic version of sangria española is made fresh and quite simply with a few key ingredients," she added. 

Elisa is an emigré from Boston who moved to Vermont to indulge in its easy pace and outdoor pleasures — and it's Ben & Jerry's ice cream. She loves to snowboard, check out county fairs, and bike around Lake Champlain.

Using Root 1 Carmenere as a base, Elisa's recipe is utterly classic.  But despite her Spanish roots, can she make a winning sangria? We'll decide this Saturday at the Sangria Smackdown at Red Square. By 7pm, Elisa's "Sangria Española" will either top the field or she may have to shield her head from her mama. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for details on finalist #2, Marcus Champoux.

Menu Posted: Blue Acorn

Blue Acorn in St. Albans is putting its best food forward with three courses of quirky comfort food for $25. 

We're looking forward to trying a pair of dishes using our two favorite "F" words — "fruit" and "fried!" We'll start the meal with herb-crusted cheddar with blueberry cream and end it with bananas Foster fritters.

To learn more or to make a reservation, click here.

Menu $25 (American)

Appetizer:

• Southwest Spring Roll
  Southern flavors rolled into one with pulled pork, black beans and cheddar, served with chef Glenn's signature barbecue sauce on the side for dipping

Or

• Blackened-Shrimp Cocktail
  With Creole rémoulade

Or

• Herb-Crusted Cheddar With Blueberry Cream
  Garnished with vegetable pilaf

Entrée:

• Crêpe de la Mer
  Shrimp, scallops and crab simmered in sweet vermouth cream with leeks and fresh tomatoes

Or

• SoCo BBQ Steak
  Tender steak grilled to your liking, brushed with chef Glenn's signature sauce

Or

• Sun-dried-Tomato-Mushroom Risotto
  Medley of mushrooms with fresh herbs and sun-dried tomatoes, tossed in our al dente risotto with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Dessert:

• Warm Indian Pudding
  With caramel-brandy glaze and Chantilly whipped cream

Or

• Fritters Foster
  All the flavors of table-side bananas Foster, deep-fried inside a fritter and served with a rich Captain Morgan rum sauce

A really, really Big Night

Somewhere in between Bruce Springsteen, Tony Soprano, and Snooki, the Jersey shore was home to the Paradise, the restaurant run by two bickering Italian brothers, Primo and Secondo (played by Stanley Tucci and Tony Shaloub). Teetering on the brink of failure, the pair bank their restaurant's survival on one epic night, inventing a monumental baked dish called timpano.

Whether or not timpano can save the day is the premise of Big Night (1996), the foodie cult flick that launched a thousand real-life versions.  Chef Mario Batali has even baked one he calls "Timpano Di Maccheroni," or mythic pasta dome.

During Vermont Restaurant Week, we'll be dishing one up, too, during a special screening of the movie. On Sunday, May 1, at 4:30 p.m., join us South Burlington's Palace 9 theater for a free tasting of timpano created by Shawn Lipenski of Velvet Catering and Events. What's in it? You'll need to show up to find out — and if you do, you'll be entered to win a timpano-inspired prize package (including a pasta maker and lasagna dish!) from Kiss the Cook.  We'll also have noshes from Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, as well as a cash bar with Root 1 wines and Long Trail Ale. 

At 5.30 — drinks in hand — we'll settle in for a special screening of this uproarious film.

If you don't catch it with us, the Palace 9 will be screening Big Night all week long, from Saturday, April 29 to Thursday, May. 5. For more details, click here.

Menu Posted: Rozzi's Lakeshore Tavern & Restaurant

Restaurant Week is burger time at Rozzi's Lakeshore Tavern & Restaurant right on Colchester's Mallett's Bay. With lake views, diners can choose from 30 different burgers, including veggie varieties.

To learn more, click here.

Menu $15 (Traditional American; Pub Food)

Appetizer:

• Half-Dozen Wings

Or

• Mozzarella Sticks
  Served with marinara sauce

Entrée:

Your choice of half-pound burger. All burgers are served with french fries, pickle and coleslaw!

• Plain Jane Hamburger

Or

• Cheeseburger
  Choice of American, cheddar, provolone or Swiss

Or

• Hot Hamburg
  With gravy and fries

Or

• Jalapeno-Cheddar Burger

Or

• Cajun Mushroom Burger

Or

• Black & Bleu Burger
  With mushroom and blue cheese crumbles

Or

• Rozzi's Red Hot Cheeseburger
  Spicy Michigan sauce, onions, mustard and American cheese

Or

• King Quad Cheeseburger
  Covered with all four cheeses

Or

• Chico's Breakfast Burger
  Egg, bacon and cheese all on the burger

Or

• Buffalo Cheeseburger
  Buffalo sauce with blue cheese crumbles

Or

• California Burger
  Bacon, lettuce, tomato and guacamole

Or

• Tex- Mex Burger
  Salsa, pepper jack cheese

Or

• Western Burger
  Bacon, barbecue sauce and cheddar

Or

• K2 Burger
  Marinated in Rozzi’s own K2 Ale Beer and topped with cheese

Or

• Jamaican Jerk Burger
  Seasoned with Jamaican jerk seasoning, bacon and swiss

Or

• Northern Style Burger
  Canadian bacon and cheddar

Or

• Hawaiian Burger
  Topped with grilled pineapple and bacon

Or

• Fried Portabella Mushroom Burger

Or

• Fred Flintstone Burger
  Two half-pound patties with bacon and your choice of cheese (YABBA DABBA DOO!!!)

Or

• Flower Power Burger I
  Black bean veggie burger, lettuce, tomato and onion, with or without cheese

Or

• Flower Power Burger II
  100% vegetable burger, with or without cheese

Or

• Pizza Burger
  Pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni

Or

• The Islander
  Teriyaki burger, cheddar cheese, pineapple, sautéed onions and guacamole

Or

• Becky Melt Burger
  Grilled white bread with American cheese, sautéed onions and Thousand Island dressing

Or

• Escargot Burger
  Melted provolone cheese and snails on a burger

Or

• The Goober Burger
  A Midwest classic! Peanut butter, mayonnaise and pickles

Or

• The Elvis Burger
  Peanut butter and fried bananas

Or

• Green Mountain Burger
  Half-pound burger with cheddar cheese, sliced green apples and bacon, drizzled with Vermont maple syrup

Or

• Waggy's Southern Burger
  Half-pound burger topped with pulled pork and cole slaw

Dessert:

• Choice of Dessert

Menu Posted: Loretta's Fine Italian Cuisine

There's a taste of the Mediterranean Sea at Loretta's Fine Italian Cuisine in Essex during Restaurant Week. The $35, three-course menu is practically bursting with shellfish, from calamari in honey-balsamic reduction to creamy pink penne with shrimp. Dessert heads back to the States with red velvet cake and a puff pastry ice cream sundae.

To learn more or to make a reservation, click here.

Menu $35 (Italian)

Appetizer:

• Calamari Cellini
  Fried calamari with crispy spinach drizzled with honey-balsamic reduction

Or

• Mussels Posillipo
  PEI mussels served in a  light white-wine-garlic marinara

Salad:   

• Mixed Green Salad or Mesclun Mix
  With choice of homemade ranch, blue cheese or vinaigrette dressing

Entrée:   

• Penne a la Vodka With Shrimp
  Pink vodka sauce with penne and jumbo shrimp

Or

• Chicken Lenora
  Chicken sautéed with portabella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in sherry sauce, finished with a touch of cream

Or

• Veal Campagnola
  Veal stew with peppers, onions, mushrooms and sausage

Dessert:

• Linda's Delight
  Vanilla ice cream served over puff pastry with homemade hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts  

Or   

• Red Velvet Cake
  With cream-cheese frosting

Menu Posted: Bobcat Café

For a truly international experience, one need only head as far as the Bobcat Café in Bristol.  Start with a taste of Asia, head to India or Italy in between, then finish it off with a sweet treat from Austria, all for just $25. Pair it all with a house-brewed beer.

Tempted to globe trot? Click here to make a reservation or for more information.

Menu $25 (Contemporary American)

This is a sample menu. Restaurant Week offerings may differ from those listed below.

Appetizer:

• Roasted-Garlic and Three-Cheese Croquettes
  With tomato chutney and warm arugula

Or

• Steamed Shrimp Dumplings
  With soy-mushroom broth and baby bok choy

Or

• Daily Grilled Flatbread
  Made with Bristol Bakery dough

Entrée:

• Garam-Masala-Dusted Haddock
  In hot-and-sour coconut stew, over saffron basmati rice cake

Or

• Vermont Venison-and-Chorizo-Meatloaf
  With garlic-mashed potatoes and mustard-rosemary sauce

Or

• Braised Duck and Mushroom Lasagna
  With roasted duck breast, warm spinach salad and cherry compôte

Dessert:

• Choice of Dessert

 

Menu Posted: Miguel's on Main

Before you finalize your Restaurant Week reservations, check out the choices at Miguel's on Main. For $25, diners can sample three courses of fresh and innovative Mexican food. We're excited to try the duck confit quesadilla with dried cherries, and the Pollo Santa Fe. Just the right prelude to cava sorbet. Click here for more information or to make a reservation.

Apertivo:

• Ahi Tuna Ceviche 
  With cucumber and chopped jalapeño

Or

• Duck Confit Quesadilla 
  With dried cherries, green chiles and Monterey Jack

Or

• Swiss Chard and Portobella Empanada
  With Salsa ranchera and black-bean salsa

Entrada:

• Alambres ala Mexicana 
  Skewers of beef tenderloin, sweet peppers and shrimp served with rice and salsa tomatillo

Or

• Progressive Burrito
  With roasted veggies, brown rice, salsa ranchera and Oaxaca cheese

Or

• Pollo Santa Fe 
  Pinwheels of chicken stuffed with honey-pecan cornbread with bourbon demi-glace

Postre:

• Maple Flan

Or

• Dessert Nachos 
  Chocolate-covered tortilla chips, strawberry mango salsa

Or

• Cava Sorbet 
  Lemon sorbet sparkling with cava

 

Menu Posted: The Belted Cow Bistro

Having planned similar menus in some of Boston's top kitchens for that city's Restaurant Week, Belted Cow chef-owner John Delpha knows how to make a menu special for diners choosing between his and 80 others.

Great food for $35, includes spicy smoked agave-glazed wings from the New York, New England and world barbecue champ. There are more traditionally upscale offerings, too. We recommend the salmon with parsely risotto.  Click here to make a reservation or to learn more.

Menu $35 (Contemporary American)

First:

• Roasted Beets, Endive and Arugula Salad
  With blue cheese vinaigrette

Or

• Purée of Asparagus Soup
  With Vermont smoked bacon, roasted mushrooms and chives

Or

• Rubbed, Smoked and Agave Glazed Chicken Wings

Second:

• Seared Atlantic Salmon
  With parsley risotto and chived Vermont crème fraiche

Or

• Grilled Hanger Steak
  With blue cheese butter and hand-cut Yukon gold fries

Or

• Local Pea Shoot, Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto
  With parsley butter and Parmesan

Or

• 1/2 Barbecue Chicken Special
  Tuesday-only. Please call ahead to reserve

Dessert:

• Strawberry and Rhubarb Crostata
  With vanilla crème Anglaise

Flip through the Menu Guide On-Screen!

If you haven't yet seen the official 28-page menu and events guide that we published in this week's Seven Days, you can browse, download and share the whole thing right here! Flash is required — sorry iOS folks :(

Please note that we've updated a few menus to correct some regrettable mistakes made during the production process. These errors include:

• 156 Bistro: The second entrée offered should read "Seared North Atlantic Salmon: Served with roasted fennel, red onion, and tomato in a feta white-wine reduction."
• Chef's Corner Café & Bakery: The "portobello panini" is not on their current menu, but you can choose from any of their other sandwiches.
• Barkeaters Restaurant is closed on Monday. We incorrectly published "Choose Monday."
• Rustico's: The third entrée is "Housemade Penne With Traditional Bolognese." This dish is not served in conjunction with "Cheese Tortellini With Chef's Basil Pesto."
• Loretta's appetizers are called "Calamari Cellini" and "Mussels Posillipo" not "Calamari Fellini" and "Mussels Basilico."

Our apologies to the chefs!

Menu Posted: The Mad Taco

We're simply mad about the authentic Mexican fare at the Mad Taco in Waitsfield. For $15, Restaurant Week diners can get a great cross-section including  smoky tamales, ultra-flavorful tacos and warming tortilla soup.

To learn more, click here.

Menu $15 (Mexican/Latin)

• Tamale
  Choose al pastor, smoked chicken or roasted-pepper and cheese

• Taco Plate
  Choice of eight different varieties, including chile Colorado with avocado and onion; roasted squash with black beans and slaw; and fresh mahi-mahi with avocado and slaw

• One Pint of Tortilla Soup

Menu Posted: 156 Bistro

Spring is in the air at 156 Bistro — during Restaurant Week, the chef will be serving up breezy fare such as arugula salad with Vermont goat cheese and pan-fried tomato; ahi tuna carpaccio with spicy aioli, and linguini with peas, artichokes, and mint in a lemon-white wine reduction.

In fact, sauce lovers will find a lot to love on this menu: fresh plum sauce accompanies a duck confit spring roll; a feta white-wine reduction is served atop seared salmon, and a whole-grain mustard-bacon sauce comes with a free-range chicken breast. To top off this $25 menu, choose any dessert from the menu.

Click here to make a reservation or learn more.

Appetizers:

• Duck Confit Spring Roll
  Served with plum sauce

Or 

• Arugula Salad With Vermont Goat Cheese
  Served with breaded, pan-fried tomato and balsamic reduction

Or 

• Ahi Tuna Carpaccio
  With spicy aioli and asiago cheese    

Entrees:

• Seared North Atlantic Salmon
  Served with roasted fennel, red onion, and tomato in a feta white-wine reduction

Or 

• Housemade Fresh Linguini
  With peas, artichokes, and fresh mint in a lemon-white-wine reduction and topped with shaved Vermont romano cheese

Or 

• Free-Range Chicken Breast
  With grilled asparagus and roasted Yukon gold potatoes in wild mushroom, whole-grain mustard and bacon sauce 

Desserts:

• Choice of any dessert on the menu

Menu Posted: Windjammer Restaurant

There's a reason that The Windjammer has been around for almost 35 years — they dish up delicious, hearty meats and seafood at a great value. Carrying on that tradition during Restaurant Week, they're offering an appetizer, entrée and dessert, as well as a trip to the massive salad bar, for just $25. Some of the items — such as the Buttermilk Corn Fritters — are new to the menu.

Wine lovers will find another reason to visit. For an additional $15, have a glass of wine paired with each course — a white Bordeaux, a Torrontes and a late-harvest Merlot/Cabernet from Napa are among the pairings.

For more information or to make a reservation, click here.

 Appetizer:

• Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon 
  With citrus-cracked pepper sauce, balsamic drizzle and grilled lemon
  Suggested pairing: Chateau Magence White Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon) 

Or

• Tomato Fresco Bruschetta 
  Maple Brook Farms smoked mozzarella, San Daniele prosciutto, Vermont Herb Company basil & vine-ripe tomato relish on grilled crostini (vegetarian without the prosciutto)
  Suggested pairing: Ferrari Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Sonoma, CA 
  

Or

• Buttermilk Golden-Fried Corn Fritters 
  With Dutch honey butter and candied pecans
  Suggested pairing: Latitude 34 Torrontes, Mendoza, Argentina 

Entrée:   

• Pork Tenderloin
  Long Trail Ale brined with a black pepper bacon and cipollini onion relish, finished with Cold Hollow cider gastrique
  Suggested pairing: Windmill Zinfandel, Lodi, California  

Or

• Basil Phyllo Salmon 
  Atlantic Salmon fillet wrapped with VT basil and phyllo dough, finished with a blood orange-coconut coulis
  Suggested pairing: Martin Codax Albarino, Rias Baxias, Spain

Or

• Bleu Bistro Steak
  Seasoned with our house rub and topped with lump crab meat, grilled cipollini onions, fresh thyme and finished with gorgonzola cream sauce
  Suggested pairing: Chalone Merlot-Monterey, California

Or

• Three Cheese Tortellini
  Tossed with caramelized shallots  and bell peppers, roasted zucchini, and baby spinach in a basil pesto cream sauce garnished with shaved asiago cheese and crostini
  Suggested pairing: Four Vines Unoaked Chardonnay, California

Dessert:

• Pineapple and Grand Marnier Crème Brulee
  Infused with pineapple and Grand marnier
  Suggested pairing: St. Supéry Moscato, Napa Valley, California 

Or    

• Belgian Chocolate Kahlua Mousse
  A rich house made favorite with Belgian chocolate and Kahlua
  Suggested pairing: Paoletti Piccolina, Late Harvest Merlot and Cabernet, Napa Valley 

 

Parents' Night Out (Childcare at the YMCA)

Even foodies with kids have no excuse to miss out on Restaurant Week. Thanks to the generous folks at the Greater Burlington YMCA, parents can enjoy a Friday night on the town while their kids have fun at the Y. Childcare is available for only $10 per child for members, and $14 per child for nonmembers. It's available during prime dining times:  5.30 – 8.30 p.m. on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30.

Call 802-862-9622 to sign your kids up and then make your dinner reservations ASAP. Weekend tables will fill up fast!

Menu Posted: Pauline's Café

Most diners know Pauline's Café as a casually elegant place to get comforting but refined fare with a local twist.

For Restaurant Week, chef David Hoene is going wild — literally. Nearly every dish will feature wild edibles carefully selected by Nova Kim and Les Hook. Always wanted to taste acorns or wild ginseng? Restaurant Week is the time, with a three-course, $35 menu.

To learn more or to make a reservation, click here.

Menu $35 (American, Contemporary; French)

Appetizer:

• Crab-Stuffed Morel
  With wild-leek and lemon

 Or

• Sautéed Fiddleheads, Ramps and Brie

 Or

• Pâté Grand’Mère
  With wild-ginger-cider jelly and pickled shoots and roots

Entrée:

• Acorn-Roasted Cod
  Over winter squash and white oak cream

 Or

• Beef Cheek
  With wild cress and sunchokes in forest-mushroom broth

Or

• Spring Pappardelle
  With mushrooms, shoots, cress and Crawford Family Farm cheese

Dessert:

• Vermont Cheese Plate

Or

• Maple Brûlée

 Or

• Wild Ginseng, Honey, Rum and Steamed Milk Demitasse

Wild foods ethically harvested by Nova Kim and Les Hook of  Wild Gourmet Food-VT. Menu subject to change accommodating the seasonal nature of the wild harvest.

 

Menu Posted: Solstice

At Solstice at Stowe Mountain Lodge, the stunning atmosphere is as much a part of the experience as elegant local fare. Watch the chef dash around the open kitchen as he prepares a mushroom soup with truffle foam, or plates a traditional bolognese using house-made ricotta cheese.  Gaze up at the soaring ceilings you wait for some Macintosh apple beignets — even better when paired with a seasonal cocktail, aged Scotch or one of the vintages from the extensive wine list.

Click here to make a reservation, or find out more.

Appetizer:

• Mushroom “cappuccino” soup 
  With truffle foam 

Or

• Farmer’s Market Salad 
  With goat milk yogurt

Entrée:   

• Boyden Beef Bolognese
  With house made ricotta

Or

• Roasted Misty Knoll Chicken
  With smoked polenta

Or

• Slow Baked Salmon 
  Heirloom beans, spring onions and local mushrooms

Dessert:

• Lava Chocolate Cake
  With vanilla bean ice cream

Or    

• Macintosh Apple Beignets 
  With maple syrup

 

Menu Posted: Shanty on the Shore

For those who have never tried this longtime landmark on the Burlington waterfront, Restaurant Week makes it easy with a $25 menu that hits all the seafood classics. Diners not too stuffed with Maine crab cakes might still have change left over for the raw bar.

For more information or to make a reservation, click here.

Appetizer:

• Fried Calamari
  Boston Loligo squid, lightly breaded and served Rhode Island style

Entrée:

• Crab Cake Dinner 
  Two Maine crab cakes served with our famous Cajun mayo, served with coleslaw, a dinner roll and a choice of baked potato, rice, seasonal veggies, linguine, homemade macaroni 'n' cheese, or Shanty fries

Dessert:

• Homemade Shanty Pie
  Chocolate mousse pie

Menu Posted: The Reservoir

Only know Waterbury's The Reservoir as a spot for apres-ski brews, music and giant burgers? If so, you're missing out on the Vermont Fresh Network member's creative pub food. We can't wait to try a slab of localvore meatloaf, followed by chai panna cotta.

To learn more, click here.

Menu $25 (Gastropub; Pub Food)

Appetizer:

• Plum Tomato and Basmati Bisque
  Served with Cabot cheddar crouton

Or

• Mixed Green Salad
  With candied-walnut-encrusted Vermont chèvre , roasted beets, parsnip chips and maple-balsamic dressing

Entrée:

• Country Fried Steak
  With garlic mashed and McKenzie of Vermont sausage and cracked-pepper gravy

Or

• Meatloaf
  Made with PT Farms beef and Sugar Mountain pork, served with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy

Or

• Shrimp-Stuffed Atlantic Haddock
  With basmati rice and Creole cream sauce

Dessert:

• Chai-Tea Panna Cotta
  With seasonal berries

Or

• Apple Strudel
  With cinnamon ice cream

Restaurant Week In Print

In case you haven't seen it yet, we'd like to let you know that our print Vermont Restaurant Week menu guide has hit the streets! Each of the 81 featured menus is included as an insert in this week's Restaurant Week-themed Seven Days. We also list each of the events that Restaurant Week is hosting throughout the week. There's even a handy, dandy "Restaurant Planner" to write down where you intend to eat each night.

In the other pages of Seven Days, read stories about the growing business of restaurant consulting, sourcing "local" seafood and the cover story that answers the question, "Why can't Vermont's top chefs stay in one place?"  To see all the stories from the Vermont Restaurant Week issue, click here.

While you're picking up Seven Days, be sure to grab the latest edition of 7 Nights, which hit stands yesterday. It's full of listings for more than 800 Vermont eateries. Each dining spot participating in Vermont Restaurant Week is designated with our orange fork logo.

Menus Posted: Arcadia Diner, Athena's Diner and Henry's Diner

We already let Restaurant Week watchers know about the Greek menu at Apollo Diner in Milton. However, that's not the only diner offering a range of reasonably priced Hellenic tastes for Restaurant Week.

Whether you're in South Burlington, St. Albans or Burlington, there are tasty deals to be had.

• For more information about Arcadia Diner, click here.
• For more information about Athena's Diner, click here.
• For more information about Henry's Diner, click here.

Arcadia Diner

$10 Lunch Special

• Soup or Salad

And

• Grilled Chicken Pita
  Marinated chicken breast tossed in homemade Greek dressing with lettuce and red onion, served with french fries

Or

• Spanakopita Platter
  Spinach pie with Greek salad, grilled pita bread and tzatziki sauce

And

• Baklava

Or

• Apple Pie à la Mode

$15 Turkey Dinner

• Soup or Salad

And

• Vermont Roast Turkey
  With mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, stuffing, coleslaw and cranberry sauce

And

• Apple Pie à la Mode

Athena's Diner

Menu $15 (Diner; Mediterranean/Greek)

Appetizer:

• Greek Salad

Entrée:

• Braised Lamb Shank
  Served with rice pilaf and vegetable du jour

Or

• Baked Moussaka

Dessert:

• Chef's Choice of Dessert

Henry's Diner

$10 Lunch Special (American, Traditional; Diner)

• Soup or Salad

And

• Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Or

• Mushroom-Swiss Burger
  With onion rings

And

• Choice of Dessert

$15 Greek Menu

• Soup

And

• Combination Greek Platter
  Choice of lamb, chicken or pork souvlaki with Greek salad, spinach pie and grilled pita

And

• Rice Pudding

Or

• Baklava

Menu Posted: One Federal

At this St. Alban's "culinary emporium," everything — from ranch dipping sauce for their famous Frickles to the bread on the table— is made in-house. By Restaurant Week, some of the greens for their three-course menu will be coming right from the owners' garden. That's creative comfort food at its freshest!

For more info or to make a reservation, click here

Appetizer:

• Frickles
  Beer-battered and fried pickles served with a zesty ranch dipping sauce

Or

• House Salad
  Dressed with a maple balsamic vinaigrette

Entrée:

• Butternut Squash Ravioli  
  With carmelized onion, Granny Smith apple and grilled chicken in a whole grain mustard cream sauce (vegetarian option available)

Or

• Seafood Newburg
  Over rice pilaf

Or

• Cast-Iron Seared New York Strip Steak
  
  With burgundy herbed compound butter, cheddar smashed potatoes, and vegetable

Dessert:

• Flourless Chocolate Torte

 

Menu Posted: Mexicali Mexican Grill & Cantina

Think Tex-Mex is boring? The pair of Restaurant Week menus Mexicali has put together proves that's far from true.

On the $25 dinner menu, start with homemade watermelon salsa, then open up a steamy corn and sweet potato tamale filled with pork. Desserts include a fried tortilla filled with cheesecake.

Hungry yet?

To learn more, click here.

Menu $10 Lunch Special, $25 (Mexican/Latin)

$10 Lunch

Appetizer:

• Fresh Watermelon Salsa

 
Or
 

• Habanero-Garlic Wings

Entrée:

• BLT Quesadilla
  A grilled whole-wheat tortilla filled with bacon, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños and chipotle mayo

 
Or

• Tres Taco Plate
  Choose from grilled chicken, carne asada, pulled pork, ground beef or chorizo.

$25 Dinner

Dinner includes any flavor house margarita. Not drinking? Get your dinner for $20.

Appetizers:

• Fresh Watermelon Salsa

 
Or
 

• Habanero Garlic Wings
  Wings tossed in habanero-garlic sauce

 
Or 

• Poppers and Pockets
  Combination of our pockets filled with spicy cream cheese and jalapeño poppers  

Entrée:

• Shrimp Tacos
  Tacos filled with shrimp, jalapeño cilantro slaw and Monterey cheese

 
Or
 

• Pork and Sweet Potato Tamales
  Tamales made with sweet potatoes and corn masa.  Stuffed with shredded pork and covered with tamale sauce

  Or

• Cajun Chicken Burrito
  A whole-wheat tortilla filled with grilled cajun chicken breast, roasted corn salsa, sour cream, rice and black beans.

 
 
Dessert: 
 

• Margarita Pie Key
  Lime's older and bolder brother!

 
Or
 

• Fried Ice Cream
  Vanilla ice cream coated with corn flakes, deep-fried and served in a tortilla bowl

 
Or
 

• Blueberry Xango
  A tortilla filled with cheesecake filling and blueberries.  Deep-fried and served with vanilla ice cream

 

Sangria Smackdown: The Contestants

Dozens of sangria recipes rolled in over the last few weeks and damn, do you all feel passionately about what makes a perfect glass. Some of you advocated for simplicity, while others rolled out the exotic liqueurs, nectars and syrups. Some mixologists were mad for stone fruit, while a sizable contingent were hooked on Sprite.

It was pretty hard to choose five finalists, but choose we did. Without further ado, we give you the recipes that will be competing during the Sangria Smackdown! on April 30:

"Sangria de las Ventas," from Kat Russell

"Far West Sangria," from Marc Champoux.

"Sangria Española," from Elisa Garcia-Rey.

"Laura's Lighten Up Sangria," from Laura Obuchowski.

"White Passionfruit Sangria," from Amy Tillotson.

Red Square mixologists will prepare the final recipes for judging and public tasting on Saturday, April 30, from 5-7 p.m. DJ Cre8 will spin while we pour $2, two-ounce samples of each recipe (and taller glasses for the more enthusiastic among you). Attendees will be given chips to vote for their favorite blend, one of which needs to captivate the judges — including you— to win its author a night for two at Burlington’s  Willard Street Inn.

If it sounds like zany fun, that's because it is. Come to taste, come to support your friends, or come just to launch a great Saturday night during Restaurant Week. See you there!