Special events only come around so often, so a visit to a restaurant other than a Chinese joint, French fry heaven, or local diner was in order for my one-year anniversary with Josh. We had planned on going back to 158 Main, but they aren’t open on Tuesday evenings. After some consideration and everyone and their brother saying “Go to the Winding Brook Bistro!” we gave in.
After digging the car out of the snow, and making the drive up Route 100C, we were greeted by a slew of hostesses and a woodstove. It was a great way to begin the evening: a nice waitress, a warm dining room, jazz music playing softly over the surround sound stereos AND the choice to sit wherever we chose.
Although we had to turn down the wine menu, the waitress still treated us as real customers, not just two “kids” out to dinner, and that’s always a nice surprise.
Like most bistros, we were brought bread and butter with our water. The Elmore Mountain bread was warm and fresh and the sweet cream butter was practically good enough to eat by the spoon. We were soon brought two more plates of bread and piping-hot artichoke dip. With just enough aged Grafton cheddar and roasted garlic, this dip was perfect.
I decided to be safe when choosing my entrée as I had heard that some of them are a little…creative? I wouldn’t say that I have a boring palate, but I do like classic food. I chose the penne gorgonzola. Halved red grapes, leeks, garlic, basil, fresh spinach, chicken and, of course, Vermont gorgonzola topped a heaping portion of perfectly cooked penne. The waitress offered freshly grated parmesan cheese and crushed black pepper. I’ve never had cooked grapes before, but when paired with the cheese, they were delicious. This dish was incredibly rich and creamy, and with our appetizer, I was only able to eat a third of it. After all, I needed to save room for dessert.
Josh decided to go with the organic beef burger, which came on thick slices of foccacia bread with ketchup, onion, lettuce and tomato on the side. At his request, he was promptly brought a side of Dijon mustard. He ordered the beef well done, and it came out perfectly. Sometimes “well done” means overcooked, dry, and rubbery. It looked amazing, and when I stole a bite, I could see why everyone suggested the burgers. It’s true: organic beef tastes different from the Styrofoam-and-plastic-wrapped beef that we find in the grocery store. The rosemary frites were similar to hand cut steak fries, although thinner. They were more “fork food” than finger food. They weren’t mushy, but because they were baked rather than fried, they didn’t have the crispy outside that typically holds a fry together.
We decided that I liked the burger more and he liked my penne pasta with chicken and gorgonzola more. Although we don’t have the same tastes when it comes to entrées, nine out of 10 times there is one thing we agree on, and that is dessert. We’re both chocolate lovers, and as the waitress was listing off the deserts for us to choose from, we both knew what we wanted. Sure, there was the cheesecake, the tiramisu, the scoops of lemon sorbet. We should have saved her time and asked for the most chocolate-loaded dessert on the menu. The Chocolate Lovers Spoon Cake was brought to our table. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I barely even remember anything about it other than it was delicious and completely chocolate, although topped with whipped cream. It consisted of layers of chocolate ganache and thick fudge cake and was one of the best desserts we’ve ever had.
The service and food were most excellent. For just under $50 we had friendly service, fresh bread with sweet cream butter and artichoke dip, an organic beef burger, penne pasta with chicken, and our delicious dessert. Although the menu looks expensive, you can end up with a reasonable bill if you don’t order wine or filet mignon.
I would highly recommend this bistro to anyone who likes fine, quiet dining.
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