People who love to eat are always the best people.
– Julia Child
Then I must be one of the “best people” because I love to eat!
One of the pleasures of a new city is discovering its restaurants. With Annie on a summer road trip I’m limited to those with patios that allow dogs, but a surprising number of them do, especially at Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace — four blocks of a pedestrian-only open mall lined with shops and restaurants, in downtown Burlington.
On my first day in Burlington I had fish and chips at Sweetwater’s in the Marketplace. The cod was fresh and the chips were crisp and Annie was on her mat at my feet. What more could I ask?
My favorite restaurant was Pascolo’s. I sat at a small table on the perimeter, with Annie just outside the chained area on her mat (like the Golden Retriever in the photo below).
Their house-made pasta was out of this world. The first time I had Pappardelle with Smoked Mushrooms, Marsala Cream, Rosemary and Truffle Oil. It was so good I almost cried. The second time I had Pappardelle with Fennel Sausage, Fennel Cream, Spinach, and Fried Sage. That one brought me even closer to tears.
It was the best pasta I’d had since the spaghetti carbonara with Vicki at Cafe Tua in Miami.
The day before I left Burlington I had lunch with Cynthia and Rey’s friend, John and his friend Linda, at Leunig’s Bistro. Linda and I ordered a Caesar salad with white anchovies, which was good, but it’s hard to judge a French bistro by its Caesar salad. So I have to go again, next trip.
It was fun being with friends of friends, since about the only people I”d talked with face-to-face in the past 30 days had been desk clerks and restaurant waiters and people who wanted to pet Annie (an amazing number did). I liked them both, especially John, who has lived in Burlington for 30 years. He told me about the turtles, among other things, and Linda, who is from LA via Boston, assured me that despite the brutal winters, I would love living there. . . and this from a Californian.
Food for thought.
Shelburne Farms
Another memorable dining experience was at Shelburne Farms, another recommendation of Cynthia and Rey’s.
Shelburne Farms is, according to its website “a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark.” It is also an Inn which has a beautiful restaurant. They let Annie on their patio, although we were late and the patio was full and she got to sit on her mat inside the restaurant, breaking all kinds of rules I’m sure. It was brunch and the Eggs Benedict were excellent, but the charm of the place was its setting. You can tour the farm and pet the baby animals, but Annie and I just had breakfast. Next time.
Room Service
As always, room service was a frequent choice. If you don’t feel like going out, you have two choices: room service or pizza delivery. i did both. But Annie liked room service best, especially when Alfonso delivered the food.
I can’t wait to return to Burlington and sample more of the great restaurants I know are there.
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