As part of a New England trip in August we'll be spending two nights in VT, one in Burlington and one in Waterbury. Originally I figured we'd eat dinner at Farmhouse in Burlington and Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, but then I discovered Hen of the Wood. In your opinion, is the food/experience at HOTW worth the increased price compared with Farmhouse and Pro Pig? Assuming it is, would you do HOTW-Burlington/Pro Pig or Farmhouse/HOTW-Waterbury, with the knowledge that we can grab drinks before and/or after at whichever place we cut out of our dinner plans? And do both HOTW locations serve identical menus? Any major differences between the two? Thanks.
I've only been to HOTW Waterbury, but both times were great dining experiences. The food is fantastic, and the space is super cool. It is definitely a more upscale place than pro-pig, which has more of a pub/gastro-pub vibe. It all depends on what you are looking for in your evening, but I highly recommend HOTW to anyone I know passing through. They also typically have a pretty good beer list, usually a few HF taps and HT. Once they even had Cantillon bottles on the menu when I was there.
HOTW is awesome. I've only been the the Burlington location, but had a great meal there. Beer list is quite good as well; had a hard time choosing between a bottle of Cantillon and a bottle of Backacre with dinner! Good problem to have.
You've got a great problem to have. I wasn't able to make it to HOTW but I'll vouche for Farmhouse and say the burger was worth every dollar. I drank at Pro Pig and Reservoir and ate at Arvards...great meal there as well.
Can't say enough great things about HOTW -- plus... Backacre bottles! If it's still on the menu the Grilled Octopus was phenomenal. HOTW was a few notches above Farmhouse IMHO, but Farmhouse does typically have a larger beer selection.
It really can be based on your mood....HOTW is more quiet/fine dining if you will, as opposed to the gastro pub/beer bar atmosphere of the farmhouse and pro pig. I have only been to the Waterbury HOTW and it was phenomenal. Grabbed a bottle of Iris and ate some amazing food in a relaxed atmosphere. Granted we stayed in Waterbury and spent the rest of the evening ravaging the taps at black back and pro pig. So it really depends on your preference at the time. You cannot make a bad decision either way!
Man, this thread makes me want to plan a Vermont trip soon. We had an awesome (albeit a bit spendy) weekend in Burlington in October. Stayed at the Hotel Vermont (one of my three favorite hotels ever), drinks/dinner at Farmhouse on Friday Night and HOTW on Saturday. I want to go back...
HOTW and Pro Pig are completely different places. Both phenomenal at what they do. I have been to both HOTW and it is set up for a dining experience. You won't go there for drinks. Go to Pro Pig for that. Cocktails, wine list, and beer options have always been top flight at HOTW. The real plus is the food. Rotating menus based on fresh ingredients. Great vibe in the old mill. Pro Pig has a greater tap list and better beer destination. That being said, I have had Cantillion a couple times at HOTW in Waterbury
It is such an awesome place. For a mid-size hotel, probably my favorite place I've ever stayed. Awesome bar there too. And their beer concierge is fantastic.
Your comments definitely back up the reviews HOTW gets on other sites. Sounds like the general consensus would be to eat at Farmhouse in Burlington and HOTW in Waterbury, and then hit up Pro Pig and the other Waterbury bars for (more) beers before crashing at Old Stagecoach. I made a reservation for HOTW since we appreciate the food and experience at "nicer" restaurants, and it'll be a nice change of pace since we'll be doing tons of breweries, gastropubs, etc. during our trip, as we're also going to Portland (I have a similar first-world problem in deciding between meals at Novare Res, Duckfat, Eventide and Central Provisions over two nights), and finally to New Hampshire for a wedding.
I would eliminate Novare from contention for dinner, absolutely make them a drinking destination....but duck fat, pai men, central provisions, slab, salvage bbq are all much better food options. I have never been to eventide (wife isn't a seafood fan) but I have heard amazing things.....I did eat several of their lobster rolls at the wild friendship celebration and they were unreal! Where in NH are you going to be? Lots of good spots in the seacoast!
I'm a big outlier on my opinion of HotW. Went to the one in Waterbury a couple years ago and was charmed by the setting. I was not impressed at all with the food.
The wedding's in Meredith NH on the lake. Hoping to take a route from Portland to Meredith that includes a more traditional lobster roll than I might find at Eventide and stops at Tributary and Stoneface. Back to Portland, my instinct was to treat Novare as just a spot for drinks and plan for Duckfat and either Eventide or Central Provisions. I guess if we haven't spent all of our cash on Heady Topper and Hill Farmstead by that point, maybe we can squeeze in all three, with lunch at Duckfat instead of dinner.
The chef-owner of the HOTW's has been nominated multiple times for the regional James Beard award. Prices reflect that. The Burlington version is hipster modern, and the Waterbury one is notably rustic. Both have similar menus, pricing, and beverages. Superior wine and cocktail lists, beer list is more limited but well-curated. His new project is to open a taproom on the Mountain Rd. in Stowe.
This would be my plan. You will appreciate HOTW (Waterbury) more if you hit it after Farmhouse. Both places are stellar but Farmhouse is a crowded, noisy pub (albeit a very good one) while HOTW is a quiet space (they keep it that way by pretty much requiring reservations, preferably a week or 2 ahead of time) with food that is a notch above just about anything else outside of Manhattan or maybe a few places in Boston. If you aren't satiated after your dinner there, the downtown Waterbury pubs are about a 10 minute stumble away.
