So close to Montreal, and yet so far
In Waterbury more than achieves its goal of offering ‘a true Vermont dining experience’
Iknow I’m a ways off the Montreal restaurant beat this week, but I believe that, for the right place, it’s worth covering an establishment within a reasonable drive from the city. And do I ever have the right place!
Located around a threehour drive from Montreal, in Waterbury, Vt. (a town near Stowe probably best known as home to the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream empire), the restaurant in question is called Hen of the Wood. Opened eight years ago this fall, this converted grist mill, emblazoned with the words “Waterbury Feed Co.,” is owned by the dynamic duo of chef Eric Warnstedt and wine specialist William McNeil. There has been quite a bit of buzz over Hen of the Wood: Warnstedt was named one of Food & Wine’s best chefs in America in 2008, and The New York Times’s Mark Bittman says, “I’m sort of in love with the joint.”
Many of Montreal’s sharper cooks and restaurateurs less dazzled by the recent culinary histrionics of European chefs head to Waterbury not only for a meal at Hen of the Wood, but for a sampling of the superb beers from craft breweries popping up south of the border — Hill Farmstead and Alchemist being two of them. Both of these beers are available on tap at Hen of the Wood, and a glass of either would certainly be a magnificent way to begin a meal here.
That push toward local, from the beer to the best Vermont ice cider, is very much this restaurant’s raison d’être. Vermont is a state known to us Montrealers for rolling hills, Green Mountain coffee, maple syrup, crossborder shopping, quaint bed-and-breakfasts and great skiing. Yet, I’ve never heard anyone tell me to head to Vermont to check out a restaurant. I know a few Vermont foodies, and when I ask them where to dine, they smile and shake their heads. That’s changing. And if Hen of the Wood is an indication of the level Vermont restaurants can reach, Montrealers who are willing to drive there for dinner are in for a treat.
“Our goal is to provide a true Vermont dining experience and showcase the region’s most vibrant foods,” is the line that sticks out the most in the “about” page on the restaurant’s website. The commitment is strong, as the menu changes daily and features a plethora of local produce, crediting Pete’s Greens Farm for the vegetables and Tangletown Farm for the chicken, and offering nine cheeses made in Vermont. I can’t think of one Montreal restaurant right now offering nine cheeses made in Quebec. Food for thought.
That said, I did find one menu item to be confusing. Because the menu states “we support local farms that practise environmentally sound agriculture and sustainable farming,” I don’t see what octopus is doing here. Unless some hipster marine biologist is raising octopus in Burlington, octopus in Vermont is about as local as pineapples. Rant over. Now onto the good stuff.
The dining room is relatively small, with a dimly lit central seating area, an open kitchen and a nice table for two overlooking the waterfall behind the restaurant. It is at this table that I enjoyed a rather dramatic meal. Not only was the waterfall churning at an alarming level that night (there had been heavy rains and flash floods in Vermont that afternoon), but most every dish that hit the table drew oohs and aahs. The style of service is polished yet relaxed; the food, however, is soigné. That contrast reminds me very much of Montreal restaurants like Joe Beef and Au Pied de Cochon, and I am told Warnstedt is a fan of both. And yet, unlike so many Montreal imitators, this chef has a style all his own. That style extends to the drinks lists, which, in true American form, feature an appealing array of original cocktails as well as a superb selection of American and European wines at somewhat steep prices. (To be fair, there are many selections under $50.)
Gasoline may be cheaper in the U.S., but good restaurant wine is not. Keep in mind, though, by-the-glass pours are definitely more generous south of the border.
The menu begins with a selection of “bites” (pre-starters), from which we enjoyed a great little dish of chioggia beets, homemade ricotta and pesto made with beet tops, with a sprinkling of hazelnuts for texture. So, so summery! We also munched our way through a dish of deep-fried pig’s tails, which were crisp, tender and, as expected, bony, but delicious nonetheless.
While sipping rosé and the house white wine (a chardonnay-heavy blend from Oregon), we devoured the next round of appetizers. First up, braised rabbit bruschetta, where the rabbit meat was layered with arugula and thick slices of bacon. Fantastic, especially the rabbit, which was both flavourful and melting. Equally swoonworthy was a dish of Maine lobster served with a parsnip purée, pickled rhubarb and bacon slivers. I loved the lushness of this dish (my fa- vourite of the night) and the way the delicate lobster flesh played off the earthy flavours and the tang of the rhubarb. And then there was the perfection of the portion size and presentation — served, as it was, in a little Staub pot. Brilliant.
Main courses maintained the high level of the meal. First up, braised beef short ribs. Served with cork-shaped Parisian-style gnocchi, the dish was finished off with fresh peas, lemon zest and parsley. In a word: terrific. What’s not to like about such stellar ingredients prepared with such love?
And then there was the chicken. Boned, rolled, roasted and served in thick slices, the chicken was paired with a radish purée and topped with caramelized shallots and chicory leaves. Scatter a few cherries on the pan juices underneath it all, and you end up with a four-star dish made with the humble ingredients. That’s great cooking right there.
You can’t dine at Hen of the Wood without tasting the cheese. (Well, you could, but you’d be missing out.) We let our great waitress decide for us, and she brought back a Sage Farm “Sterling” goat’s milk cheese from Stowe, a Landaff Creamery“Landaff ” raw cow’s milk cheese from New Hampshire, and a raw Jersey cow’s milk Cobb Hill Farm “Ascutney Mtn” cheese from Hartland, Vt. We polished off these beauties with the last sips of our 2006 Ridge Estate cab/merlot/petit verdot blend ($59) while watching the second wave of diners descend despite the blustery weather.
To finish the meal, two desserts: a maple shortcake with strawberries and strawberry sorbet, and a cream-topped chocolate pot de crème. Both were absolutely delicious, yet a bit simple in relation to the rest of the meal. But I have to keep reminding myself I’m in rural Vermont, not Paris or New York.
That said, Hen of the Wood is one serious restaurant worthy of a pilgrimage from Montreal, for an experience close to home and yet so far. For four hours, I didn’t feel like I was in some trendy Montreal bistro or Old World Québécois table champêtre, but a vibrant and rather funky American restaurant with a cast of characters dedicated to putting the Vermont culinary scene on the map.
If you do head to Waterbury, take note: Ben & Jerry’s offers tours, and the Best Western Hotel is in walking distance of the restaurant. And if you can’t make it all the way to Waterbury, here’s a hot tip for you: Hen of the Wood will be opening a second, 100-seat restaurant in Burlington in the new Hotel Vermont this fall. So here’s to more gorgeous food in that beautiful and burgeoning foodie mecca: Vermont.