Every year a group of us plans a weekend of skiing in
Vermont over the MLK Holiday. This year,
the plan just didn’t come together so I decided to take my son anyway and
instead of staying on the mountain as we usually do, I opted to stay in
Manchester, a town I’ve passed so many times but never visited. This would also allow us the option to ski
different hills if we wanted.
We stayed at the Manchester View Inn which is a reasonably
priced inn with varied types of rooms each with an outdoor porch or
balcony. It was clean and comfortable
and perfect for a ski vacation. The room
had a small refrigerator which allowed us to pack some things for breakfast and
afternoon snacks like milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. The inn is about 30 minutes from Stratton
Mountain which is where we skied both days.
We arrived in Manchester on Friday night a little later than
I thought due to Albany area traffic but still early enough to get dinner. After settling in and browsing through the
dining guide in the room, we decided to go to The Silver Fork, a small family
owned restaurant. When we got there
around 8:30pm, we were greeted with a smile from Melody but unfortunately they
didn’t have anything available till 9:30pm.
She was so apologetic and friendly that when we got back to the car we
decided that an hour wait was worth it for a menu we wanted to try. And so, we went back at 9:30 and were
promptly seated at the bar which is also reserved. My son was thrilled since he loves to sit at
the bar allowing him more opportunity to socialize. A good restaurant experience, for me, is more
than just about good food; it is about the whole package from ambiance, food,
service, and my happiness scale at the end of the meal.
We had the most amazing experience that evening. I ordered Baked Beets & Goat Cheese as an
appetizer while my son enjoyed their warm breads and tapenade. I accompanied this with a very nice Gruner
Veltliner from Steininger. My entrée choice,
Slow Roasted Pheasant with Wild Mushroom Ragout & Polenta had run out so I
opted for their other evening special of Osso Bucco and switched to a Cote du
Rhone. My son ordered the Salmon Strudel. Both entrees were delicious and perfectly
executed and we ate far more than we should have. The rest of the menu looked equally good and we wanted to try a little bit of everything. Throughout the evening Melody spoke to us
about the food and the restaurant and how she and her husband (the chef), Mark,
came to Manchester. She was attentive to
each and every patron and we even started up a nice conversation with our
neighbors at the bar. At one point she
brought Mark out to introduce us as well.
Needless to say my son was a big hit with Melody and all the other staff
with his enthusiasm for good food and witty conversation. He even ventured to order their Mango Souffle
served with Caramelized fresh Mangoes for dessert and proceeded to eat more of
it than I thought he might. To be fair
it was really really awesome!! It was
huge but also light and airy and not too sweet which made it easy to eat. I commented that it would taste really good
with a nice Sauternes or dessert wine and immediately Melody poured me a small
glass from a winery called Witness Tree in Oregon. We had the best time and though the evening
ran late, it was ok because we had already decided not to rush to the mountain
in the morning.
Saturday conditions were not great for skiing but we managed
to get in a few good runs before quitting.
Since my son was still recovering from being sick, we opted to stay in
our room and eat cheese, crackers & fruit for our dinner that evening along
with a bowl of store bought ramen and some local VT beer. We watched “The Help” on TV in honor of
Martin Luther King Jr. and went to bed planning for an early start the next
day.
Sunday was a much better day for the slopes. With a few new inches of snow and colder
temperatures for grooming, we didn’t feel like we were ice skating all
day. Getting on the lifts before 9am
didn’t hurt. It really was a fun day of
skiing since my son was feeling much better and we also had a friend join us
for part of the day to keep up with him – something I’m not as good at
anymore. With a brief stop for a light lunch
which consisted of a bowl of noodles with chicken & vegetables, we skied
straight till around 3:30pm. While
heading back to the inn, we realized that we were hungry again and decided to
stop to eat on our way instead of waiting until dinner time.
Another restaurant I had read about and wanted to try was on
the way and so that’s where we wound up.
The restaurant is called “The Perfect Wife” but also has a tavern next
door called “The Other Woman Tavern”.
Still in our ski attire, we opted for the tavern which would also allow
us to watch the NFL playoff game between the Patriots and Broncos. We ordered the Burrata with Arugula Salad
from the restaurant menu and the small Nachos from the tavern menu. A local wheat based IPA and a hot chocolate
and we were all set. The burrata was
creamy and delicious and is made at a local farm. We didn’t eat anything else, but I’ve made a
mental note to visit the restaurant again on a future trip. They also have live music at the tavern on
Friday nights. Happy to watch the Broncos
win, we made our way back to the inn to relax for the evening.
One of my favorite things about traveling is the discovery of new places to eat. I have passed through Manchester more than a dozen times but had never stopped to explore this town. It is quite a large town with shopping and many more restaurants than we had time to try, but I will surely return on future trips and try more of them. If you’re ever in Manchester, I do recommend that you try The Silver Fork and if you see Melody, please say hello for me. Reservations are a must at both restaurants. The tavern does not accept reservations.
Restaurant Websites:
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