Guild Tavern

The restaurant wraps around the kitchen.   To your right and up a level, a large dining room.   Hard to the left, comfy chairs have customers sinking in with a cocktail in their hand next to the fireplace.  Left and back guest seating flanks the kitchen.   Straight ahead: the bar.  The scent of wood fire and beef fat off the grill transport you to a carnal place engaging a hunger deep within.  Our 7:15 reservation was made through open table.   We showed up almost an hour early and sat the bar and had drinks.    I had a well Vodka martini, dirty shaken with olives.   The well vodka was Luksusowa,  very nice.   My wife was not super impressed with her house red Merlot blend.   Our tender provided us with samples of recent award winning and rare  Hill Farmstead and Lawson's Finest beers.   Even though the bar was starting to get busy the tender and bar back were efficient, friendly and still had time to visit as side note they were professional and seemed to take their occupation seriously.   The Hill Farmstead beer was a favorite.   It was very interesting having the lupulin citrus hop notes without the bitterness or off flavors.   Our tender explained that this brewery was famous for just that.  Although I am a malt man the hop expanded horizon was a great add to our special night.  When we got to the table on time of the reservation we ordered the poutine.    I love poutine.   I have made it,  I have ordered it all over Montreal and this offering was VT locavore specific.    How about fresh rosemary in the sauce?  Gravy was clear and not heavy,  the cheese curds melted into the mass with the heat of the fries.   Oh baby.  Nice work.   I ordered the ribeye rare with the squash and my wife ordered the NY strip with the roasted veggies.    The steaks came with fire roasted whole naked red onion rings.   At the base of the plate was a fresh herb and olive oil drizzle that paired well with each bite.   One odd mix up was that my wife's steak came rare and mine was medium.    We are real easy going and just swapped plates,  and cuts.  They were both fantastic.

If you go:

Guild Tavern  $$$
1633 Williston Road, S. Burlington, Vermont 05403

http://www.guildtavern.com/

http://hillfarmstead.com/

https://www.lawsonsfinest.com/

My dollar system:

$:I got this

$$:  I still got it let me tell my wife.

$$$: Lets go Dutch

$$$$: We’d better call Uncle Curt.