Restaurant Reviews (Vermont, NYC & Brooklyn)

Vutera (345 Grand Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211)

The entry through a semi-lurid bar followed by a descent down concrete stairs to the basement suggests grimness and all sorts of horrible thoughts within the collective unconscious, so imagine our surprise to find an absolutely enchanted dining room tucked away in a stone corner. A handful of reclaimed wood farm tables, beamed ceilings and a space lit primarily by candles immediately welcomed Cafe Drake and Jen Ruske, as did the smartly-set tables themselves - thick napkins, good glassware, sensibly chic utensils. Really, think French farmhouse or Prague cellar restaurant on bustling Grand Street (regrettably - now more than ever- overrun by drunken refugees from former hot party zones such as East Village and the LES). Or more accurately, underneath Grand St.

With a kitchen boasting former chefs from Little Giant and our beloved Savoy, it might be hard to go wrong ordering from the small menu here. Ruske and CD adored a starter of Mackeral Eschabeche ($8), with its still crisp skin, somehow holding up under a marination of bright citrus and savoury herbs. Even better however were the entrees: a filet of dorade ($20) awash in clarified butter, resting on black olive mash and crowned with a fennel and tomato confit. An excellent marriage of Mediterranean flavors without fuss or pretense yet still beautifully presented. Equally amazing was a trio of giant seared sea scallops ($22) on a bed of fresh sweetcorn risotto.

At this point in such a satisfying meal and evening one finds one's breathing turning shallow, nervously hoping the final course can live up to all that's arrived before. Happy to report that Vutera does a mean cheese plate of (largely) local producers ($12 for 3 selections from 5); Ruske and I both gasped in joy over a washed-rind sheep's milk double cream! Bonus points for a thoughtful wine list with a few concessions to the under $40 crowd, a tasty Muscat dessert wine ($10 a glass) and a super friendly and competent staff.


Men Kui Tei (63 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003)

A sort of upscale yet authentic Japanese fast food noodle shop, Men Kui Tei, still bustling at 10:30 on a weeknight with a full house and efficient waiters serving all without complaint, expands the menu to include a daily list of starters and side dishes. Cafe Drake and Jorge Manahan slid into a table recently and soon after were chewing through tempura-fried octopus tentacles ($6), doused with lemon and coarse salt and dipped in mayo. While not terribly tender the starter provided the visceral pleasure of extracting maximum flavor from the sea creature through serious jaw exercise. Not an everyday indulgence for those of us with TMJ!

Large soupy/stewy entrees in ceramic bowls are enough for two (or one Cafe Drake). Jorge had a seafood-laden noodle stew ($10) strewn throughout with shredded scallions and veggies and dolloped with a raw egg yolk to be quickly stirred into the steaming pork broth. CD loved our supremely spicy ground pork and soft bean curd stew ($9) with a side of cooling rice. If you need any further recommendations beyond the already lauded service, large portions, great prices and late hours, try knocking back a few shoju-based cocktails, madly priced at $4-$5 each.


Sadie Katz Deli (189 Bank Street, Burlington, VT 05401)

A touch of the old Yiddish Lower East Side resides in Protestant Vermont inside a classic aluminum diner, and judging from the lines for brunch more than few Burlingtonians crave pastrami in their omelets ($7-$9). Good latkes (but a touch tough for our taste and bizarrely served without a choice of either sour cream or applesauce) and mazel tov to the afore-mentioned egg entree (further enriched with Swiss cheese). Lovely potato salad with plenty of mustard and chopped half-sour pickles, but the scene stealer in this rather theatrical setting is the corned beef hash ($4.95 side order) - fatty, succulent and every morsel of potato lovingly slicked with red, smoky fat from the beef.


American Flatbread Burlington Hearth (115 Saint Paul Street, Burlington, VT 05401)

A vast hangar of a restaurant, anchored on each side by a bar boasting over 100 varieties of beer and a stellar single-malt Scotch selection and a large wood burning oven across the expansive floor plan. A nice house salad ($8) of organic greens, toasted sesame seeds, shredded seaweed and local (natch) goat cheese is a starter large enough for three to share. Cafe Drake and the Ruske siblings each had our fill from one large serving though we sort of wish the dressing was a bit more profuse.

From the tiny but intelligent menu of flatbread pizzas we ordered and tore through the Saturday night special ($21) - tiny veal meatballs (locally sourced), smoked mozzarella (local, again), oil-cured olives and roasted peppers (local farm, natch), all sitting above perfectly charred crust and a fennel-scented tomato sauce. The almost disparate flavors worked together, though in the pizza's construction we sniff a hint of artisinal solidarity (and farm nepotism?) Oh just tell us to shut up; if you don't want to embrace the locavore diet, Burlington, VT is not the place to dine.