It used to be that prime rib, pesto and the rare bowl of French onion soup were the best you could expect in rural Vermont, where people generally "ate to live" rather than vice versa.
Chef Rogan Lechthaler offers proof that era is over. The Vermont native earned his culinary stripes in Boston and the South before returning to the Green Mountains to helm Verdé, the fine-dining restaurant at Stratton Mountain. A few years later, he chose sleepy Ludlow for his own bistro, the Downtown Grocery.
Lechthaler's offbeat dishes explode small-town stereotypes while satisfying adventurous eaters from nearby Okemo Mountain Resort. Instead of burgers, diners can dig into chimichurri-slathered pork belly served on a bed of black beans; in place of Bolognese, they feast on housemade tagliatelle with plump Massachusetts clams and lardons. A generous dusting of chili flakes lends that dish a low, slow burn.
Despite warm guidance from Abby, Lechthaler's Mississippi-born wife, it can be difficult to decide among the nightly specials scrawled on the restaurant's chalkboard menu: local lamb tamales; tangy rock-shrimp-and-conch ceviche with Bergamot orange, slivers of jalapeño pepper and Espelette wonton chips; or luscious roasted marrow bones.
It's all good, as they say, including dessert. Lechthaler can't escape a dish he invented at Verdé: a crisp waffle topped with buttermilk-bacon ice cream, a curl of bacon and a generous glug of maple syrup.
Very Vermonty indeed, but with a unique modern twist.
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.