Bite Club

Alice Eats: Rí Rá Irish Pub

by Alice Levitt Posted on September 17, 2013 at 12:04PM

123 Church St., Burlington, 860-9401Thursday's Trivia Mania has made Nectar's my regular haunt for eight years now. But before the locally grown pub quiz sprouted up, my Tuesdays belonged to trivia at Rí Rá Irish Pub.Back in the day, I had to hurry and eat before or get stuck having chicken nachos for dinner (pretty good), an Irish boxty (unpredictable) or burger (blah and overpriced).But last May, the game changed when Rí Rá's menu underwent a major overhaul, complete with membership to the Vermont Fresh Network.Now, the options are both more authentically Irish (see the photo at right) and more authentically Vermont.

Penny Cluse's New Venture, Lucky Next Door, To Open Next Week

by Corin Hirsch Posted on September 17, 2013 at 12:02PM

Fifteen years after creating what would become a Burlington landmark, the owners of Penny Cluse Café will open an adjacent new spot called Lucky Next Door next Tuesday.Named in part for the former owner of 163 Cherry Street — whom Penny Cluse co-owner Charles Reeves used to call “Heather next door” — and in part for a beloved dog, the sunny space has been transformed into a 25-seat café with terracotta walls, sleek pine counters and funky pendants from Conant Metal & Light that use "old canned lights we found when we were demolishing the ceiling," says Reeves. Those lights so closely resembled flying saucers that he and Holly Cluse commissioned Burlington artist Abby Manock to paint colorful UFOs around the place, including all over the bathroom walls.

Grazing: Spiked Maple Mocha

by Corin Hirsch Posted on September 13, 2013 at 6:55PM

The propane guy showed up yesterday in his grumbling truck to pump gallons of liquid gas into the tank behind the house. The air was muggy, the leaves were still green, and a thunderstorm was brewing in the distance.

UVM Drops Rookie's Root Beer as Not 'Real' Enough for Real Food Challenge

by Corin Hirsch Posted on September 12, 2013 at 8:55PM

Sometimes, locavorism can almost seem like hysteria. And sometimes, it's just plain confusing — as in the case of the recent drop of Rookie's Root Beer from the University of Vermont's dining options.Burlington-brewed Rookie's is no longer on tap at Brennan's, UVM's "local and organic dining destination," where a wall map lists the various farms and producers that populate the menu.

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen Owners Bring Burritos to Barre

by Alice Levitt Posted on September 11, 2013 at 1:49PM

Keith Paxman and Rich McSheffrey have a lot on their plates — literally. Late last year, they opened Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen, then expanded to provide food service for the Country Club of Barre.

Chef Jason Tostrup to Leave the Inn at Weathersfield for Okemo Mountain

by Corin Hirsch Posted on September 10, 2013 at 6:13PM

When it comes to jobs, there are human years and there are chef years. As intensely creative beings, chefs sometimes jump from workplace to workplace (and kitchen to kitchen) more frequently than, say, accountants or schoolteachers.Which is why it's notable that chef Jason Tostrup has been at the Inn at Weathersfield for eight and a half years — and not surprising that he's moving on. Today, Inn co-owner Marilee Spanjian announced that Tostrup will take his final bow on October 30, just before the Inn closes for stick season.

Alice Eats: A Food Writer's Weekend

by Alice Levitt Posted on September 10, 2013 at 11:05AM

Back in 2010, I offered Alice Eats readers a glimpse into what a weekend in my life really looks like. Three years later, it seems like time to share another wild few days of eating and drinking around Vermont.The whirlwind began after I finished reporting a food news piece about the food-themed exhibit opening next week at the Fleming Museum.

Seven Days