Last night, a group of us piled into Jeff’s van and headed down to Waterbury, Vermont for a late dinner at Hen of the Wood to celebrate...well, nothing in particular. Everyone had been there before, except me. I knew it would be great food and company but, even my high expectations were surpassed. Jeff had managed to reserve the, “pit” table which requires some advanced planning and a larger group of people. There isn’t a bad seat in the house so, it didn’t really matter to me. It was nice to sit at one large table that could accommodate all 9 of us. We shared our appetizers so we could try a few different things and each ordered our own entrée. A few of our favorites from last night included calamari with breadcrumbs, lemon and chilies, sheep’s milk gnocchi, creamy, rich and cooked perfectly, lobster chowder, crispy fried oysters, endive salad and please don't forget the crispy maple flavored donuts with one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert! I'm ready to go back right now! Unfortunately, it's something I can only afford to do every once and awhile. Until next time...
What a delightful experience. We closed the place up at around 10:45PM after way too much laughing. Every plate was cleared, entirely. When does that happen? We did joke that the pork loin was more of a “Cheesecake Factory Portion” but, even that was devoured by the time the plates were cleared. We thanked our server for his patience and wonderful service (which included two extra desserts!!) and were on our way. When you come to Vermont, we’re definitely going there. Save those pennies!
Here’s a NY Times review of the restaurant that does a great job of explaining the atmosphere.
There was no question that Hen was good, really good, and also among the most beautiful little restaurants I know. Set in a former mill next to a rushing stream — the 15 or 20 outside seats, on fine summer nights, are downright Arcadian — it’s a near-perfect example of functional design meshing with intrinsic structure. A large lower-level table, no doubt where the grinding stones once did their work, is overlooked on three sides by a U-shaped balcony where the majority of diners sit; the brightly lit kitchen forms the fourth side. The remaining lighting is soft and gorgeous; the layered slate walls are graced by votive candles, and the main structural supports are century-old beams of a size one doesn’t see too often. (Try going to the lumberyard and asking for a 12-by-18.) Even the acoustics are superb. -written by Mark Bittman
What a delightful experience. We closed the place up at around 10:45PM after way too much laughing. Every plate was cleared, entirely. When does that happen? We did joke that the pork loin was more of a “Cheesecake Factory Portion” but, even that was devoured by the time the plates were cleared. We thanked our server for his patience and wonderful service (which included two extra desserts!!) and were on our way. When you come to Vermont, we’re definitely going there. Save those pennies!
Here’s a NY Times review of the restaurant that does a great job of explaining the atmosphere.
There was no question that Hen was good, really good, and also among the most beautiful little restaurants I know. Set in a former mill next to a rushing stream — the 15 or 20 outside seats, on fine summer nights, are downright Arcadian — it’s a near-perfect example of functional design meshing with intrinsic structure. A large lower-level table, no doubt where the grinding stones once did their work, is overlooked on three sides by a U-shaped balcony where the majority of diners sit; the brightly lit kitchen forms the fourth side. The remaining lighting is soft and gorgeous; the layered slate walls are graced by votive candles, and the main structural supports are century-old beams of a size one doesn’t see too often. (Try going to the lumberyard and asking for a 12-by-18.) Even the acoustics are superb. -written by Mark Bittman
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