192 Boxwood Street, Williston, 857-2200
I have an off-menu secret for you this week. We food writers eat out enough that we get to know these things. Sometimes the little surprises are enough to get me to a restaurant again and again. Such is the case at Three Tomatoes, where I go with some regularity.
If you’ve been to any of the four locations of the wood-fired local franchise, you’re familiar with the dishes of olive oil, filled with spicy chopped garlic that accompany baskets of warm, crusty Red Hen Baking Company bread. Dipping that bread in the flavorful oil is great, right? My boyfriend didn’t think so. That’s why, about a year ago, he asked if the server could provide butter.
I was a little embarrassed. So was James. After we tasted it, we weren’t anymore. The salty Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery butter is warmed to the brink of melting and mixed with local honey. I am not a serious butter aficionado, but this stuff blows my mind. As much as we enjoy the other food at Three Tomatoes, I would be lying if I said we didn’t head there for dinner saying, “Let’s go have some butter.” It is that good.
But even before we learned the secret of the butter, I was addicted to the Sweet Tomato Pie. The thin-crust personal pizza was one of the first things I ate in Burlington, back in the mid-’90. At the time, ultra-thin crusts were all the rage in my Connecticut hometown. The Sweet Tomato Pie’s crust stood apart with its perfect balance of chewy middle and crispy “bones.”
I’ve tried various toppings on the pies at Three Tomatoes, but I always go back to the Sweet Tomato — other versions take away from the pure pleasure of salty, fresh mozzarella, ribbons of basil and gloriously tangy sauce.
James has a standard order, too. Though he sometimes also chooses something else, he is always happiest with the pasta Amatriciana. It’s deceptively simple: just linguine or penne bathed in garlicky tomato-basil sauce. Vermont Smoke & Cure bacon adds a strong note of smoke, while red onions sweeten the deal. There’s also enough black pepper to create a hint of spice.
In some restaurants, I order something new and different every time I go. There are always appealing specials at Three Tomatoes, but when I head there I already have my meal mapped out. Just as importantly, it’s one of my favorite places for comfort food. That, and butter.
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I avoid the trendy olive oil with crushed garlic for “dipping.” I’ve always preferred real sweet butter with my bread. Actually I used the brand you mentioned for cooking and baking. As a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu (patisserie diploma), Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery’s is the closest quality and taste to the sweet French butter (i.e. no salt added) we used in our classes. It may be pricey at the Co-op, but a little goes a long way and the quality is excellent (rarely do I plug a brand). Why do Three Tomatoes ruin it by using salted butter with honey? Trendiness! Ugh! I know it’s all subjective (taste, I mean), but sweet cream butter alone will do just fine!
i am again disappointed by alice’s opinion. apparently, we have a completely different palate. i have always considered the tomatoes (unlike alice, i am a vermont native and i experienced it before the vermont chain even became “three.”) overpriced and disappointing. how about buying the butter and local honey yourself, baking some bread, and saving on the outrageously overpriced italian food? or, better yet, spending all of that hard-earned cash at one of the many local italian “trattorias” that aren’t trendy tourist traps?
I’m from Quebec, but go to Burlington once or twice a month. I don’t understand the comments by Vermonter. How can you say that Three Tomatoes is overpriced? It’s not cheap, but not overpriced and I don’t think the Three Tomatoes in Williston is a tourists trap. Williston is not as touristic as Church Street anyway. Maybe you could argue that everything is touristic on Church Street. Speaking of Church Street restaurants, I consider Leunig’s overpriced. The food at Leunig’s is okay, but I prefer Three Tomatoes a lot more. Like Alice’s boyfriend James, I do like the Amatriciana a lot too, but I have tried a few others meals (had fettuccini with lamb last Saturday) and I have not been disapointed so far. How about the large portion of the Chicken Parmigiana for only $16 that my girlfriend orders every time we go to Three Tomatoes. Lots of leftover everytime. Next time we may try the butter instead of the olive oil!
Hey, there’s a coupon on p. 4 of this week’s paper for Three tomatoes on Church St. “Bring a friend to lunch and receive the second lunch at 50% off.”
Vermonter, have fun getting two meals for approx. $35 at one of the “local Trattorias.” Once again, the ENTIRE POINT of Alice Eats is ignored.
Hey Vermont… just wonder if there is any room up there on your soapbox. Snob.
Why do I read Alice’s posts and view her (too infrequent!) videos? Easy. She’s generous, in every possible way. She finds the bright spots of each place she visits, and she seems predisposed to have fun (while also eating well). What’s more, as per the above, she really gets me to think or sometimes re-think on local eateries. I’ve not been to 3/Sweet Tomatoes in over a decade, but this gives me a potentially winning way to do it. What’s not to love? Thanks for the good work, Alice!
I have always wanted to like Three Tomatoes, and have been disappointed all three times I’ve been. There are plenty of restaurants that use Vermont Butter and Cheese butter. I am surprised by the review and prefer places that use higher quality ingredients such as American Flatbread, Trattoria Delia and Das Bierhaus.