Route 7 is littered with homey bed and breakfast establishments, some appear dilapidated and on their last legs, while others are visibly more successful. In my mind, the queen of the Route 7 bed and breakfasts is Tourterelle, located six miles north of Middlebury in New Haven, VT. The Inn sits atop a hill that looks out onto the sweeping plains of rural Vermont. Upon arrival, Kendrick Campbell ’13 burst out of the car in her flowing floral matronly gown and danced with the wind, marveling at the winter landscape that presented itself to her. But the real treat awaited inside, and after a few minutes, we were able to pull Kendrick and her free spirit into the restaurant and begin our dining experience.
In keeping with common bed and breakfasts, Tourterelle’s dining room is small and intimate. Devin Perkins notes that the restaurant possesses a sophisticated but warming environment that offers a positive dining experience. In standard fashion, we came in a party of ten, the loudest bunch in the room, and gave the kitchen a run for its money.
For appetizers, our party largely went for salads and a sampling of other appetizer options. Four members of our party ordered the staple Tourterelle Salad, which consists of arugula, marinated artichokes, roasted pecans, dried cranberries, Vermont goat cheese and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. As my fellows diners simply put it, you can’t go wrong with these ingredients and the Tourterelle Salad was a huge hit.
Julie Favorito, our resident Italian, began to salivate profusely upon seeing the option for a Scallop Crepe and immediately announced to the table that she had decided her order. The crepe was presented beautifully and admittedly, I was immensely jealous when the plate was placed in front of Favo and not me. Based on the rate of which the dish was consumed, I can safely say that the taste directly corresponded with the appearance of the dish. To all of you seafood lovers out there, Tourterelle’s scallop crepe is the dish for you. While small in size, each bite is packed full of flavor and receives this food reviewers full support.
After seeing Julie’s dish, it would be tough for any appetizer to live up to my inflated hopes and cravings. Recently, I’ve been on a weird kick where I like to order either the restaurants special or, as was the case with Otter Creek, the restaurant’s most unique option. This tactic takes me out of my comfort zone, and for the most part, allows me to partake in an experience that I would otherwise have never had. In this case, I ordered both the appetizer and entrée special of the evening. To be completely honest, I had no idea what would be put in front of me when my appetizer came, so when a plate of cured meats and assorted grilled vegetables arrived, I knew that I had succeeded in my efforts. For the Italians at the table, namely Julie and Lauryn, the dish was met with excitement and jealousy. For the non-Italians, namely me, the orderer, and everyone else at the table, our hearts sank a little. If you like cured meats, this dish was right up your alley and was a great rendition. However, being not the biggest fan, I continued to stare enviously at both the Tourterelle Salad to my left and the Scallop Crepe to my right. Not my best move.
Fortunately, my entrée special made up for what the cured meats plate lacked. That evening, Tourterelle was offering an Ahi Tuna special that, though moderately small in size, was grilled to the ideal level of rare and was extremely flavorful. The tuna sat in a moderately Asian flavored sauce that complimented the dish extraordinarily well. Three of my fellow diners also ordered the special and all four of us left with big smiles on our faces.
Another popular order was the Grillade de Saumon. Translation, grilled salmon. This dish was served with shrimp fritters roasted cauliflower, wild mushrooms in a shellfish cream sauce. The portion was generous but unfortunately, the salmon average. It was certainly not the best I’ve had in Vermont, in my opinion it was slightly overcooked. However, the wild mushrooms and shrimp fritters were delicious. Overall, the dish was good but next time I would try one of their more unique options.
The general consensus for Tourterelle is that the entrees were good but the desserts stole the show. We sampled the majority of the dessert menu, and believe when I say that you cannot go wrong with whatever option you choose.
While this French-Country restaurant may not be the first place I call for reservations when my parents are in town, it is certainly worth a visit. Upon arrival a kind host and the warm smell of a wood burning fire greet you. The charming atmosphere alone is enough to make go back, the good food is just an added bonus. Just ten minutes from campus, this is a dining experience that is well worth the trip, but one that may be more enjoyable when your parents are taking care of the bill.
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