Dinner at the Farmhouse Tap and Grill – Burlington Vermont

...continuing with our mid-summer adventure.  After a long and tiring day at Shelburne Museum viewing its extensive collection of many collections, we were hungry and ready to sit back and relax with food and drink.  Since we’d really enjoyed downtown Burlington Vermont the previous evening we decided to return and find another spot for dinner…

This is the Farmhouse Tap and Grill.  This restaurant has been in operation since 2010.  Like many new restaurants we see these days, craft beer and food that complements the brews seemed to be the focus of this very popular restaurant.   

Even in the north country of Vermont, outdoor dining is the thing to do!  Enjoy the sun and warmth while you can…a good philosophy in this neck of the woods.

As I said, Farmhouse Tap and Grill was a busy place.  The bar was just as busy as the rest of the place.  Note all of the beer on tap listed on the chalkboard… “Facton Defcon V”?!  Naming craft beers has to be getting difficult.  There is such a variety out there, each with different names, probably all copyrighted!

We did indulge in adult beverages.  Laurie had a “Smuggs Vodka and Tonic” ($9.00) and I went for a craft beer, a Founder’s Solid Gold ($4.50).  I was surprised to learn that it was brewed in Grand Rapids or Detroit Michigan.  On the other hand, Laurie’s vodka was created at Smuggler’s Notch Distillery in Jeffersonville Vermont.

Open tables in the dining area were few and far between.  This was one bustling place for dinner!  We did love the casual yet professional nature of this restaurant…

This restaurant features a Raw Bar segment at the start of the menu as well as a section called “Snacks” rather than appetizers.  We skipped the Dozen Oysters ($33.00), Chilled Maine Mussels (12 for $12.00) and the Shellfish Plateau…everything from the Raw Bar ($66.00).

We gravitated to the Snacks selection for our starter.  We decided to share an order of the Blue Cheese Garlic Toast. ($8.95) Who would ever pair blue cheese, garlic toast and wildflower honey?  Farmhouse did and it was excellent!

For my entrée, I thought about getting the Nitty Gritty Fish and Chips ($18.95) or the LaPlatte River Angus Farm Beef Burger ($16.95) Instead I opted for the Cast Iron Seared Atlantic Salmon with braised lentils, carrot puree and basil pistou. ($24.95) It was a great choice!

Per the commentary on this restaurant’s website, the menu at the Farmhouse is a means of showcasing Vermont grown, raised and produced ingredients.  They base their menu on what is available locally.

Laurie was undecided as she perused the menu.  That was until she learned that the Adams’s Farm Chicken and Biscuits ($23.95) featured the leg and thigh portion of the chicken and not the usual breast section.  There is no doubt that the dark meat from a chicken is more flavorful.  Her meal was accompanied by a couple of cheddar-scallion biscuits, roasted roots and kale with a pan sauce.  She was very happy with her choice…

We finished our meal by sharing a nice slice of Berry Pie. ($8.95) Like everything else we’d eaten it was very good. 

This restaurant was just the beginning for its founders.  They now own 3 other restaurants in the Burlington area!

While it’s not an inexpensive place to dine, we would recommend this restaurant for its fresh take on classics and its creativity too.  Farmhouse Tap and Grill is located at 160 Bank Street in Burlington Vermont.  Phone: 802-859-0888.  Website: http://www.farmhousetg.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for dinner!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave