Leunig's Bistro, Burlington, VT

Jason and I walked into Leunig's on a Friday evening without any reservations and while the restaurant seemed completely full, we were immediately brought to an empty table. Seems like we got lucky and scored the last table for 2 in the restaurant. We weren't seated in the main dining room which was a bit of a bummer. It seemed much nicer and more busy in the main dining room. Or maybe the grass just seemed greener there. Regardless, we were glad they had a table for us because we were hungry and ready to eat.

We started with a bunch of appetizers. Pumpkin soup, foie gras and cheese.

The Pumpkin Chowder with Herb Oil and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds was some of the best pumpkin soup I've ever had. It wasn't too creamy and it wasn't just soup like most other pumpkin/butternut squash soups I've had. This one had bits of stuff like pumpkin, corn, onion, etc. This was good stuff.


The Foie Gras with Truffle Puff Point, Artichoke Gratin, and Cherry Port Compote is part of their tasting menu, but they were more than happy to let us order an appetizer portion. When it came out, it looked more like an entree, but we weren't complaining. I've never had bad foie gras and this one didn't disappoint either. Everything on the plate was delicious.


We figured at one point during our stay we should have some Vermont cheese so we ordered the Bonne Bouche by Vermont Butter and Cheese of Websterville, VT. Bonne Bouche, French for “Tasty Little Bite,” is an ash-ripened artisanal goat cheese. It’s sweet and gentle in flavor with a very creamy texture. A great cheese, but definitely the least interesting appetizer of the three.


We were pretty full from the appetizers, but that wasn't going to stop us from digging into our main entrees. I ordered the rib eye off their specials for the night. It came with mashed potatoes, asparagus, artichokes, and a black bean and corn salsa. The steak was well-seasoned and cooked perfectly as requested, medium-rare. Another winner.


Jason's main was probably the disappointment of the night. Instead of ordering one main, he ordered 2 apps for his main course. He ordered the Vermont Sliders Trio and off the specials, the butternut squash ravioli.

The three sliders consisted of: Veal with white Truffle Aioli, Roasted Tomatoes & Monchego; Venison with Cinnamon Aioli, Shallots, Apples & Cheddar; and Lamb with Port & Grape Compote and Seared Foie Gras. All three sliders were dry and overcooked. I'm not sure why they're named Vermont Sliders when none of the meat is actually from Vermont.


Jason knew he was taking a risk with the ravioli. The raviolis weren't bad. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the whole dish was way too sweet. So sweet that it should've been a dessert.



Overall, I would go back to Leunig's in a heartbeat.

Leunig's Bistro
115 Church Street
Burlington, VT
802-863-3759

The Tavern at the Inn at Essex

Jason and I love staying at the Inn. The rooms are quaint, the classes are fun and Vermont is a great place to visit. After an afternoon of snowmobiling in Stowe, we needed a little something to tie us over until our cooking class so we stopped in the Tavern for a bite to eat.

The Inn at Essex is part of the campus for the Vermont Culinary Institute and everything that comes out of the kitchen are made by the students. The wait staff and bartender are students as well.


We shared the buffalo wings and a caesar salad at the bar. I'm sad to report that both dishes were disappointing. The buffalo wings reminded me of the frozen TGI Friday's wings but with hotter sauce. The caesar salad wasn't much better. Fresh greens, but the dressing was bland and there was too little of it. The few pieces of cut up bread were sad substitutions for croutons.

We also had breakfast at the Tavern during our stay. The food again was disappointing, but the service was much worse. I had crabmeat in my eggs and I question the freshness of the crab because I tasted a hint of fishiness. It's the first time I was thankful they were skimpy with the crab. Jason's dish was a bit better, but not by much. And the homemade sausage was overdone and bland. Without any culinary education under his belt, Jason's first attempt at homemade sausage was tons better.

While the meals were less than stellar at the Tavern, we still enjoyed our stay there. And although we couldn't fit a dinner at Butler's into our schedule, I would definitely recommend that over the Tavern. We had a great meal there during our previous stay.


The Tavern at the Inn at Essex
70 Essex Way
Essex Junction, Vermont
802.764.1489