Every now and then, the stars align and you’re able to visit an excellent restaurant when you’re out traveling. It often requires a little research, but that research and investment of time can pay off, with a truly enjoyable evening. Hen of the Wood Burlington was located a few steps away from our accommodations. We were able to get into experience a regional dinner that surpassed every expectation. Read on to see how our visit fared.

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This post is one chapter on a winter work trip within Canada. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Air Canada Aeroplan, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Restaurant Review: Hen of the Wood, Burlington, Vermont, USA

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The state of Vermont, United States of America is known for its craft restaurants, quality ingredients and exceptionally good food. While we were in town for a few days we would have the opportunity to enjoy Hen of the Wood restaurant for an upscale casual dining experience.

About Hen of the Wood Restaurant:

Hen of the Wood operates two restaurants; the original restaurant in Waterbury and it’s sister restaurant in Burlington. The Burlington location of the restaurant opened in October 2013 and would be the version of the restaurant we get the opportunity to experience.

Hen of the Wood features mostly local ingredients in its menus. The restaurant prides itself on its relationships with the local suppliers, allowing it’s chefs to offer the best in local cuisine.

Locating Hen of the Wood Burlington:

Hen of the Wood Burlington is located right next to Hotel Vermont, in the town of Burlington, Vermont, United States of America. It was a short three minute walk from Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbour hotel.

We were fortunate to be able to dine without having a reservation. We were lucky that when we arrived at 8 o’clock on a Thursday night, there were some seats available at the bar. We would end up being treated to a showy open kitchen experience.

We turned up without a reservation on a fall Saturday night. We were able to get a table inside at around 8 PM with a short five minute wait. It is a popular spot, so I would recommend getting a reservation in advance.

Inside Hen of the Wood Burlington:

The Hen of the Wood Burlington had a contemporary American look. It was a slightly lighter version of an American steakhouse, with inviting and upscale brown leather seating services, comfortable booths along with occasional chairs.

The Hen of the Wood featured a rectangular square bar at one end of the restaurant. The bar was absolutely packed when we first arrived, as it featured as a waiting area for those who were waiting for tables.

After a short five minute wait, we were led up to the bar. Hen of the Wood Burlington features an open kitchen, with high top bar seating all around the kitchen preparation area.

We would get a terrific view of the workings of the kitchen while we dined. I’d highly recommend dining at the bar if you happen to enjoy watching your food being prepared.

On the Menu:

Hen of the Wood featured locally inspired cuisine. In addition to a few fresh special items, and a raw seafood bar, Hen of the Wood offered a selection of small plates followed by a number of large plates. In addition there were a few side dishes along with a family style ribeye, that was designed to be shared.

Highlighting Hen of the Woods commitment to local producers, the restaurant featured one of the best local cheese selections that I have seen in a North American restaurant. Hen of the Wood featured no less than eight different types of cheese from across Vermont, in both hard and soft varieties.

As you may have expected, Hen of the Wood restaurant also featured an excellent wine list. The wine list contains a broad range of old world wines. It also included new world wines, featured predominantly from Oregon and California in the United States.

The wine list was well structured throughout a mid to low high end range of price points. It included some specialty bottles that surely looked interesting to enjoy. The wine list also offered a good number of wines available by the glass, for those that did not want a whole bottle.

The menus, which was presented in a courier type font, appeared to be engaging, intriguing and attractive. It inspired eating.

Dinner:

We were both pretty hungry by the time our food arrived. After a long drive down from Ottawa, we were both keen to eat.

I started off with Parker House rolls with honey butter. Parker House rolls were a favourite part of my childhood and invoked memories from visiting the Royal Fork Buffet when I was young. Tonights version was presented with crisp and sweet honey butter, which paired well with the salt on the Parker House Rolls, making for a great sweet and savoury contrast on the palette.

We would get to enjoy a great view of the open concept kitchen while we waited for our food to be prepared.

MrsWT73 would enjoy beets, with oyster mushrooms, triple truffle cream and crispy quinoa. The beats tasted exceptionally fresh with a slightly earthy tone. The series and flavours of combinations worked well together for a very satisfying dish.

Being a locally focussed restaurant, I went with a dish that featured products from the area. I enjoyed duck with sweet potato, sourdough spatzele, and bourbon maple jus.

The duck was presented as the chef recommended at medium temperature. Much like Brome Lake duck from Quebec, the portion was well put together and medium in size. The seasoning was in a flavourful and correct amount.

We enjoyed a bottle of Folk Machine Doc Ponds from the Central Coast of California USA. Despite being a cheaper bottle, it had decent structure to it without the usual expectation of sugars you’d typically find in a cheaper bottle.

The Vermont Cheese looked so inviting so we had to finish our dinner with a serving of waiter recommended Mount Mainsfield hard Goat Cheese. It was served with crackers jam and some mixed nuts.

The check was a very reasonable $140 USD; a deal for a meal of this calibre that included a bottle of wine.

After enjoying our meal, we returned on foot next door to our accommodations at the Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbour.

My Thoughts on Hen of the Wood:

It is always a treat when you’re able to discover a really delicious gem of a restaurant in your travels. The Hen of the Wood Burlington easily met that description.

During our experience, we were treated to a three course meal, paired with excellent wine wine. Being seated at the bar we were also given a view of the kitchen, which was entertaining.

I’d be very happy to return to Hen of the Wood Burlington on my next trip through the region.

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If you have visited Hen of the Wood, did you enjoy the restaurant?

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