After a nice afternoon enjoying some beer, cider, and a winery, it was time for dinner. I made a reservation at Hen of the Wood a few weeks prior to arriving in Burlington. The intimate restaurant features local seasonal fare and craft cocktails.
Dinner
I arrived a bit earlier than my reservation time to see if I could be seated earlier. The place was full and I had to wait, but it didn’t take long before I was seated at the counter.
Dining Room
Bar
Located towards the back of the dining room, the Chef’s Counter is the best seat in the house!
Counter Seating
You can watch all the great-looking dishes being prepared. I could feel the warmth of the oven and hear the sizzle of the grill.
Grill and Oven
Chef’s Counter
The menu changes daily and they keep it fairly simple.
Menus
I ordered a carafe of white wine. Cheers!
Wine
All the food looked really good. My mouth was salivating as I watched every dish being carried away to their tables.
Looks Good
I decided to start off with a couple small plates. The Grilled Octopus was wonderful. The tender tentacles were served with cucumber, fennel, lime, and harissa yogurt.
Grilled Octopus
Still in awe of everything going on in the kitchen, my next dish suddenly appeared in front of me.
Next Dish
The Hen of the Woods Mushroom Toast is one of their most popular dishes and for good reason. The super tasty mushrooms on a piece of grilled bread are topped with a poached egg and house-cured bacon. It was amazing! I absolutely love mushrooms and loved this dish.
Mushroom Toast
For my main dish, I went with the Cast-Iron Seared Trout with chorizo, sweet peas, and a buttermilk vinaigrette. It came out split down the middle and it was excellent. The moist soft fish went great with the salty chorizo and fresh crisp greens dressed in the tasty vinaigrette.
Seared Trout
After drinking all the wine, I tried a couple cocktails.
Gin Cocktail
Everything was so good, I couldn’t leave without trying dessert. It was a chocolate tart with baked meringue, cookie crumbles, and housemade raspberry sorbet. It was a delicious sweet and tart combination.
Dessert
I can honestly say that my dinner at Hen of the Wood was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. The food was phenomenal. The service was superb and my server was wonderful. I enjoyed the dark rustic atmosphere. Sitting at the chef’s counter was so much fun. This is one place you must visit in Burlington!
Hen of the Wood
55 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 540-0534
Website
